BCS Learning &
Development Ltd.
First Floor, Block D
North Star House
North Star Avenue
Swindon SN2 1FA
BCS Publishing Programme
Submitting a proposal – guidelines for author
T +44 (0) 1793 417 417
F +44 (0) 1793 417 444
E bcshq@hq.bcs.org.uk
www.bcs.org
Introduction
This proposal document is an opportunity for both the authors and BCS to assess the proposed publication to
ensure that the books we publish are of both good quality and relevance to our market. Please complete the
form as comprehensively as you can. We will be happy to help with any sections that prove difficult.
Could you please also provide:

One or two sample chapters, a draft manuscript or draft contents, if available

A curriculum vitae of all authors and notes on any other contributors
Statement of aims outlining the rationale behind the book
Suggested book title:
Please give a short summary (about 100 – 200 words) of what the book is about (e.g. its subject and key
points).
Sum up the book in one (short) sentence:
What are the book’s main objectives?
E.g. What is the purpose of this book? Which needs does it meet? What is a reader supposed to get from the
book?
Why would you say this book is necessary?
E.g. Why is its subject area so important? What are your book’s ‘key selling points’?
What needs does it cater for? Which areas does it cover that haven’t been covered before?
What will the style and approach of the book be like?
How practical will it be? How theoretical? Will it contain examples, case studies, activities / exercises, test
questions? Will you have a specific structure for chapters?
Does this book aim to follow the recommendations of any particular committee report / research project /
industry best practice guidelines / legislation?
E.g. Please list in order of importance.
Detailed synopsis and chapter headings
Please list working chapter headings and a short paragraph explaining what you intend to cover in each
chapter. This section will allow our expert reviewer(s) to see if you are covering all the important points and
suggest areas you may not have covered. This may be all that the reviewer has to go on, so a list of chapter
headings alone is not enough. If sample chapters or a draft manuscript are available, please send them or let
us know when they will be available.
You can provide these in a separate document if need be.
Indication of length and schedule
This section will allow us to understand how big the publication will be and estimate the cost of production
and timescale.
Please roughly estimate how many thousand words in length your book will be.
Does this include references and footnotes? Yes
No
If No, roughly how many words will the references/ footnotes be?
How many tables, diagrams or illustrations will there be (roughly)?
When will you be able to deliver the completed manuscript? Please be as realistic as possible.
Description of the target market
This section helps us decide the size of the print run for your book and who to target our marketing campaign
at. It will also help you decide on the style of writing required.
Who will buy / read your book?
Who is your book primarily aimed at (e.g. students/ researchers/ practitioners/ general audience)?
You might want to include job titles, education/ experience level, age etc.
Is the subject area of wide industry relevance, widely taught or widely researched?
Please give some examples (e.g. recent coverage, interest groups, training and university courses etc.)
Would this book be useful as a textbook or recommended reading for training / educational purposes?
Please provide names of any universities, academics or training providers where there may be interest.
Would this subject have international appeal outside the UK? Yes
No
If Yes, where?
List of main competing books
Please provide a minimum of three books that cover the same subject area or come up in a search on the
topic you will be covering.
Please also include the prices of these books and whether they are published in hardback/ paperback/
electronic. Which one would you say is closest to your book’s subject and coverage?
What are their strengths and weaknesses?
What works in these books and what doesn’t? What approach do they use? Who are they aimed at?
What kind of reviews have they received?
How does your book differ from these books?
What makes your book better than the existing ones?
How we evaluate your proposal or manuscript
Evaluation by the publications manager
The proposal will be considered carefully by the publications manager. The publications manager will ask
several questions: Is the content of this book of a high standard? Is there a market for a high quality book on
this subject? What evidence is there for this market? If there is a gap in the market, is this the right book to fill
it? Will the book sell internationally?
If the publications manager is satisfied at this stage, experts will then evaluate the proposal.
Evaluation by independent referees
We ask respected specialists in the field to give us independent advice on the content, quality and potential
market for a finished book based on your proposal or manuscript. We will normally solicit 2 or 3 reports from
specialists. This process should take 6-8 weeks, but can take longer as it is sometimes difficult to find
suitable reviewers.