CREATING BOOK PROPOSAL FOR THE STUDIES IN
HUMAN ECOLOGY AND ADAPTATION BOOK SERIES
PUBLISHED BY SPRINGER
What is a Proposal?
Your proposal will be our first glimpse into the merits and scope of your project idea. It will
allow a full understanding of what information you hope to supply to the public and what
markets will be interested in your conclusions. In this way, Springer is better equipped to decide
whether your project will fit into their publishing framework. To ensure that all necessary
information is included in your proposal, we ask specifically for the following:
THE PROPOSAL
1. Your Idea
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Describe your proposed project as you would address your potential reader; explain its
purpose, coverage, and what it will do for the reader. This description may be as lengthy
as necessary to give the reader a clear concept of your proposed book.
Also, in 2-3 sentences, please tell us what the “unique selling point” of the book would
be. What makes this book different from any other book and why does it need to be
published?
2. The Market
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Who is the intended market for your project?
To which professional associations will the reader belong? Approximately how many
members do these associations have?
Are there any new trends or developments in your field which could possibly affect the
development or marketing of your project?
Will your project allow for any additional marketing audiences?
3. The Competition
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What will be your major competitors in regard to price and length of your project?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of these competitors?
What special assets will your text have to circumvent the competition? Please take into
consideration the target market, the competitor’s text, and your project plan (e.g., new
material covered, currency of information, fullness of material, and organization and
treatment of material).
4. The Table of Contents and Organization
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Are you the sole author of your project?
If this is to be an edited work, how many editors will be working with you?
If an edited work, approximately how many contributors will you have?
Describe what each chapter of your text will cover.
Cite topics that will be unique to your text.
What is innovative about the way your information will be organized?
How is your approach superior to that of the competition?
Prepare a table of contents, listing prospective authors. The will help you to refine plans for
overall structure. The table of contents will allow to evaluate your organizational logic and
pedagogic strategy.
5. The Format
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What the estimated length of your text is (double-spaces, 12 dpi font)?
How many line illustrations, photographs, tables, and other display materials are included
in your manuscript?
Please provide the most accurate possible estimate, as your response will be used to project
production costs.
6. The Schedule
When do you anticipate delivering the complete, final, production-ready manuscript?
Please note that an electronic (on disk or CD-Rom) and hardcopy must be submitted that
includes every chapter, figure (if electronic), and table.
7. Special Considerations
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Are there special considerations in development, production, or marketing that Springer
should take into account while evaluating your project?
8. Sample Chapters
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Send sample chapters to with your proposal if available. This will help us to determine if
the concept of the book will attain its potential through text development.
9. Curriculum Vitae
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Please provide us with a copy of your curriculum vitae, including teaching and research
experience; degrees and affiliations; prior publications if applicable; special
qualifications and awards; and your mailing address, fax and phone numbers and email
address.
10. Reviewer and Consultant Suggestions
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Any recommendations you have regarding reviewers, authorities in the field, educators,
practitioners, or specific topic experts would be welcome.
RETURNING YOUR COMPLETED PROPOSAL
Once you have compiled all the necessary information as outlined above, please send
(electronically is preferred) your proposal to:
Daniel G. Bates
Department of Anthropology
Hunter College, CUNY
New York, NY 10065
USA
dbates@hunter.cuny.edu
or
Ludomir R. Lozny
Department of Anthropology
Hunter College
695 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10065
Ludomir.Lozny@hunter.cuny.edu