Box 429, Amherst, MA 01004. Editor: Richard Martin. Single-author original works, especially political/social philosophy and cultural criticism; also narrative, non-analytic theoretical works. In print: 50 in "Philosophy and Religion." Publishes approximately 2 per year. Most wants intelligent, lively books. Don't send mere intellectual exercises. Preferred method of contact: Letter of inquiry to or personal contact with editor. Simultaneous and dot-matrix submissions sometimes OK, no electronic submissions. Receives perhaps 5-6 philosophy submissions per month. Reply time: 15 minutes-2 weeks.
Advance contracts: seldom. Advances: no. Royalties: 0-10% of net receipts. Books $20-$25. Time to publication: 10-12 months. Advertising in appropriate journals and other publications, flyers, subject catalogs. Complimentary copies: usually 12. Review copies: around 150. Books set in type. Acid-free paper. Simultaneous cloth/paper editions sometimes. Seeks subsidies, not from author, when can't afford to publish a book.
Editor reports Press recently cutting down in philosophy, "among other things." Manuscripts evaluated by at least two experts and presented to Press Committee, which must approve for publication.
Reviewer's comments: The strongest subject areas of The University of Massachusetts Press are American philosophical history, American pragmatism and philosophy of language. In addition, they publish quite a number of new translations of European philosophers, and books on political philosophy. They seem willing to publish both less orthodox works (e.g., The Philosophy of Vegetarianism) and less-known authors in addition to more orthodox subjects (e.g., hermeneutics) and well-known philosophers (e.g., C.S. Peirce, Schopenhauer, Simone Weil). Most of their books are original works.
UMass Press books are well bound, printed and edited. The cover designs are simple and the colors in muted pastels. Among 10 books sampled, most books did not have bibliographies but have good indexes and extensive footnotes. They ranged in length from 180 to 300 pages. Their prices are generally average. The majority of books reviewed were addressed to philosophers although some were addressed to an educated public, and others to a broader audience within the academic community. (KC)
901 N. 17 St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0520. Editor: Willis G. Regier. Translations, original works by single authors in all areas of philosophy. In print: 20 cloth, 10 paper. Publishes 2 per year. Representative books: Nietzsche, Human, All Too Human; Derrida, Glas; Staten, Wittgenstein and Derrida. Preferred method of contact: Letter of inquiry with proposal or outline of book. No simultaneous submissions, dot-matrix submissions OK, electronic submissions rarely OK. Receives 2 philosophy submissions per month. Reply time: 2 weeks.
Advance contracts: rarely. Advances: rarely; varies widely, with $1,000 tops. Royalties: 10% of net receipts. Books $4.95-$40.00. Time to publication: 1 year. Advertising in seasonal catalogs, special mailers, space ads in journals. Complimentary copies: 8. Review copies: 10% of print run. 90% of books set in type; 10% printed from camera-ready copy supplied by author. Acid-free paper on first printings. Simultaneous cloth/paper editions sometimes; paper editions in cases of text or trade appeal. Seeks subsidies, sometimes from author, when book cannot sustain its own costs.
Press rates quality of manuscript and readers' reports as extremely important; author's reputation and timeliness of topic as very important; author's previous sales record, compatibility with Nebraska's line and in-house market analysis as important. Review process, in positive instances, consists of in-press reading, two refereed readings and approval by press advisory board. Editor reports more interest recently in translations.
Reviewer's comments: A large number of the titles published by the University of Nebraska Press are translations of original works, including, recently, works by Sextus Empiricus, Nietzsche and Derrida. At the same time, the Press also seeks original manuscripts that clearly demonstrate command of the relevant literature, are well written and offer important new insights or extend into new areas of inquiry. In this vein, the Press publishes titles in Continental philosophy such as David White's Heidegger and the Language of Poetry and books in the history of ideas such as Robert Hurlbutt's Hume, Newton and the Design Argument.
Most books published by the Press run between 160 and 230 pages and vary in price (hardback) from $12.95 to $24.95. Indices range from minimal to comprehensive. Similarly, some books make bibliographical citations only within footnotes, whereas others have a separate bibliography. Footnotes may occur either at the bottoms of pages or at the end of the book. The printing quality of recent books by the Press is very high, and the paper used in the books meets the guidelines for permanence and durability set by the committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. (AW)
Notre Dame, IN 46556. Editors: John Ehmann, James Langford. Introductory, advanced and logic texts, special-topics anthologies, symposium collections, translations, old- masters editions, special series under a single editor and original work by single authors in all areas of philosophy. In print: 150 cloth, 120 paper. Publishes 12-16 per year. Representative books: MacIntyre, After Virtue; Bergmann, On Being Free; Stout, Flight from Authority; Dallmayr, Language and Politics. Most wants original monographic works of scholarly nature, and textbooks. Don't send Festschriften; most symposium proceedings also unsuitable. Preferred method of contact: Letter of inquiry with proposal or outline of book. Simultaneous submissions occasionally OK, dot-matrix submissions OK, no electronic submissions. Receives 15-20 philosophy submissions per month. Reply time to initial inquiries: couple of weeks.
Advance contracts: no. Advances: only to cover permissions fees. Royalties: 10% of net receipts. Books $12-$30 cloth, $5-$13 paper. Time to publication: 10-12 months. Advertising through seasonal and subject catalogs, direct mail, space ads. Complimentary copies: 6 each edition (paper, cloth). Review copies: 40-50. Almost all books set in type; occasionally prints from camera-ready copy supplied by author. Not always acid- free paper. Simultaneous cloth/paper editions sometimes; paper editions released for potential course-adoption material. Sometimes asks author's help in securing a subsidy.
Press rates quality of manuscript and in-house market analysis as paramount; readers' reports and compatibility with Notre Dame's line as very important; timeliness of topic and author's previous sales record slightly important; author's reputation not at all important. Review process: manuscripts sent to one or two readers, readers' reports submitted to faculty editorial board for review and publication approval. Most common reasons for rejection are too specialized a topic and too small a market.
Reviewer's comments: Philosophy publications by the University of Notre Dame Press are very wide-ranging in subject matter. Of particular interest are works in ethics and the philosophy of religion. In the first case, the Press publishes the Revisions Series in Ethics, which attempts to "recover what is valuable in the traditions of which we ought to be the heirs without ignoring what it was that made those traditions vulnerable to modernity" and is beginning Soundings, A Series in Ethics, Economics and Business. in the second case, the Press publishes Notre Dame Studies in the Philosophy of Religion, which attempts to explore the relation between religious beliefs and contemporary trends in philosophy of science and the Boston University Studies in Philosophy and Religion. The Press also welcomes original studies on other philosophic topics, especially in philosophy of science, along with anthologies of original essays and previously published essays that make a contribution to further philosophic studies for students and teachers. Finally, the Press publishes some textbooks, a recent example being Kenneth Konyndyk, Jr.'s Introductory Modal Logic.
Except for a commitment to placing ideas within a historical context, the styles, approaches and formats of the Press's books vary too widely for any accurate generalizations. The printing quality is uniformly very high with very few typographical errors. Prices for hardcovers are generally under $20.00. (AW)
127 N. Bellefield Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Editor: Catherine Marshall. Special series under single editor and original work by single authors in all areas of philosophy. In print: 15 cloth. Publishes 1 per year. Representative book: Rescher, Strife of Systems. Don't send multi-author manuscripts. Preferred method of contact: Letter of inquiry with proposal or outline of book. No simultaneous, dot-matrix or electronic submissions. Receives 2 philosophy submissions per month. Reply time: for prospectus, 2 weeks.
Advance contracts: no. Advances: rarely. Time to publication: 12 months. Books set in type. Simultaneous cloth/paper editions sometimes.
Press rates quality of manuscript and readers' reports as extremely important; in-house market analysis as very important; compatibility with Pittsburgh's line important. Review process consists of in-house review and outside readings. Editor reports Press no longer publishing Philosophy of Science Series.
329 Carruth, Lawrence, KS 66045. Editor: Kate D. Torrey. Advanced texts, special- topics anthologies, original work by single authors in political and social philosophy and ethics. In print: 13 cloth, 2 paper. Publishes 2 per year. Representative books: Pincoff, Quandaries and Virtues; Martin, Self-Deception and Morality; deGeorge, The Nature and Limits of Authority; Martin, Rawls and Rights. Most wants original works by single authors on important topics presented in a lively, interesting style. Don't send unrevised dissertations, symposium papers, Festschriften or manuscripts far afield from Press's areas of concentration. Preferred method of contact: Letter of inquiry with proposal or outline of book. Submit vita and names of qualified readers, evidence of market for book, comparison with similar books on market and later, at least sample chapters as well. Guidelines available. Simultaneous submissions sometimes OK, dot-matrix submissions OK, no electronic submissions. Receives 20-30 philosophy submissions per month. Reply time: 3-4 weeks.
Advance contracts: yes, to authors with strong book publishing records. Advances: no. Royalties: 10% of net receipts. Books $12.95-$29.95. Time to publication: 11 months. Advertising in all major philosophy journals and direct-mail flyers. Complimentary copies: 15. Review copies: 50-100. Books set in type. Acid-free paper. Simultaneous cloth/paper editions sometimes; paper editions released later if sales history over first 2-3 years warrants it and 2-3 year sales of 2,000+ projected. Press may seek subsidy from NEH or foundation or publication fund at author's university.
Press rates quality of manuscript and readers' reports as extremely important; in-house market analysis and compatibility with Kansas's line only slightly less important; author's reputation and previous sales record and timeliness of topic also important. Prospectus, then sample chapters reviewed in-house and externally. Invitation to submit entire manuscript may follow, along with two external reviews. Author revises if necessary and manuscript submitted to faculty editorial committee for approval. Editor reports list has recently become more focussed and specialized. Most common reasons for rejection are that manuscript not strong enough or outside Press's special interests.
Reviewer's comments: The University Press of Kansas was organized by the Kansas Board of Regents and is operated and funded by Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University, Pittsburg State University, the University of Kansas and Wichita State University. The Press's major publishing emphasis in philosophy is in social-political philosophy and ethics. Although especially interested in original monographs that represent significant achievements, both scholarly and stylistic, the Press also considers edited collections of original essays, provided they are carefully chosen and cohere around an important central theme or question. One example of the latter is Self-Deception and Self-Understanding, edited by Mike Martin.
Most books published by the Press run between 180 and 300 pages, have comprehensive indices, a selected bibliography and are written in an analytically historical vein. Typically the authors make liberal references to the pertinent secondary literature, with footnotes appearing either at the bottoms of pages or at the end of the book. Prices for hardback books range from $19.95 to $29.95. (AW)
10 Davis Drive, Belmont, CA 94002. Editor: Kenneth King. Introductory, advanced and logic texts, anthologies for survey courses and on special topics. In print: 10 cloth, 40 paper. Publishes 8-10 per year. Representative books: Hurley, A Concise Introduction to Logic; Hall and Bowie, The Tradition of Philosophy. Most wants new text ideas. Don't send monographs. Preferred method of contact: Letter of inquiry to or personal contact with editor or field representative, with proposal or outline of book. Submit chapters and table of contents as well. Simultaneous, dot-matrix, electronic submissions OK. Receives 10 philosophy submissions per month. Reply time: 1 month.
Advance contracts: varies; terms vary. Advances: once in a while; terms confidential. Books $8-$25. Time to publication: 10 months. Advertising in journals and by direct mail, with usually one early promotion for each title. Complimentary copies: 10+. Review copies: depends on size of market. Books set in type; rarely prints from camera- ready copy supplied by author. No simultaneous cloth/paper editions.
Publisher rates quality of manuscript and timeliness of topic as extremely important; readers' reports and compatibility with Wadsworth's line very important; author's reputation "can't hurt." Primary factor in review process is that teachers of courses must favor the work over that which is currently available. Most common reason for rejection is no market.
Reviewer's comments: Wadsworth publishes undergraduate textbooks. Their philosophy books vary in length from the 152-page A Preface to Philosophy by Mark B. Woodhouse to the 587-page The Traditions of Philosophy by Harrison Hall and Norman E. Bowie, and in difficulty from Practical Study of Argument by Trudy Govier to Logic and Philosophy by Howard Kahane. These books and others, such as Invitation to Philosophy by Stanley M. Honer and Thomas C. Hunt, are organized for teaching with glossaries often within the chapters and with either exercises or discussion questions for each chapter. Prices range from $8 to $35. About half the authors were unpublished prior to having their books published by Wadsworth. Books are well edited, designed and executed. (DWF)
92A Yale Station, New Haven, CT 06520. Editor: Jeanne Ferris. Advanced texts, anthologies for survey courses and on special topics, symposium papers, translations, old- masters editions, special series under single editor, original single-author work in all areas of philosophy, philosophy for the general public. In print: about 100 cloth, about 70 paper. Publishes 12-15 per year. Representative books: Allison, Kant's Transcendental Idealism; Dupre, Marx's Social Critique of Culture; Keller, Reflections on Gender and Science; Rosen, Limits of Analysis; Skyrms, Pragmatics and Empiricism. Don't send Festschriften. Preferred method of contact: Letter of inquiry. Submit proposal or outline of book, vita and references and Yale's author questionnaire. Extensive guidelines available. Simultaneous submissions OK if Yale informed, no dot-matrix or electronic submissions for review purposes. Receives 15 philosophy submissions per month. Reply time: 3-4 months for final decision.
Advance contracts: yes, if detailed prospectus is recommended by outside readers and approved by publications committee. Advances: rarely; amount varies. Royalties: varies according to author's reputation, market for book, length of book, etc. Time to publication: 12 months. Advertising in general and specialized philosophy journals, catalogs and flyers to individual philosophers and libraries and for books of broad interest, in general journals such as New York Review of Books. Complimentary copies: usually 10. Review copies: 75-300, to all relevant journals. Books set in type; sometimes prints from camera-ready copy supplied by author. Acid-free paper. Simultaneous cloth/paper editions sometimes; paper edition released later as sales warrant. Seeks subsidies, not from author, for translations, multivolume works and unusually long or specialized monographs.
Press rates quality of manuscript and readers' reports as extremely important; in-house market analysis, timeliness of topic and compatibility with Press's line very important; author's reputation and previous sales record also important. Philosophy editor reads manuscripts and proposals first, sends those that seem appropriate for Yale's list to outside readers. If they recommend manuscript and publications committee approves, author offered contract.
Reviewer's comments: Concentration is on Continental philosophy, the history of philosophy and applied philosophy--for example, bioethics. Of the 111 titles listed in the most recent philosophy catalog, only about seven are squarely within the analytic tradition. The intended audience ranges from the educated public to specialists in particular areas of philosophy. A number of books are interdisciplinary in nature. Of the 11 titles listed, only 15 are collections of articles; most of the books are original works. The books range in length from 87 to 701 pages; the average length is about 270 pages. According to the acquisitions editor for philosophy, the editors have a strong preference for books which are no longer than 350 pages. The company publishes the work of newcomers as well as the work of well-known authors. The prices do not seem to be higher than those of comparable books published by other companies.
The books sampled were Art and Psyche: A Study in Psychoanalysis and Aesthetics by Ellen Handler Spitz, John Stuart Mill and the Pursuit of Virtue by Bernard Simmel, Georg Simmel: On Women, Sexuality and Love, translated and edited by Guy Oakes, Pornography: Marxism, Feminism and the Future of Sexuality by Alan Soble and Pragmatics and Empiricism by Brian Skyrms. All but Skyrms have footnotes; Skyrms has endnotes. In the collection of Simmel's essays, only Oakes's introduction has notes. There are extensive notes in each other work. All of the works but Skyrms have a bibliography. (DB)