About Us

ISER Mandate

The purpose of the Institute shall be to undertake, sponsor and publish research within such disciplines and in such parts of the world as are deemed of relevance to Newfoundland and Labrador. Without limiting the generality of the above, research pertaining directly to social, cultural and economic development in Newfoundland and Labrador shall be of special importance. While academic excellence is the foundation of ISER Books, manuscripts are particularly welcome that combine academic excellence as well as wide public appeal in subject matter and style.

Guide to Prospective Authors

The first step in determining the suitability of social research for publication through ISER Books is a volume prospectus. A prospectus typically consists of upwards of 25 typewritten pages or equivalent that sets forth:

  1. The research or intellectual issue(s) or question(s) the proposed manuscript will address. This statement will situate these issues or questions in a larger literature or equivalent as well as explain why examination of it is intellectually, socially, culturally or politically important? As well, there should be a clear expression of the unique or special contribution the proposed manuscript makes or contributes i.e why the proposed work is relevant and important. All of this should be linked to the mandate above. In most cases this is probably obvious but some of the more interesting volumes we have published made linkages that may not be immediately obvious.
  2. How/why are the authors qualified or experienced to make the contribution(s) set forth in point a. We have found that prospective authors typically possess strong professional, emotional, personal or other ties to the work. The objective here is to communicate the personal and professional interest, even passion, for the work and why the authors or editors, if an anthology, are particularly suited and situated for the project.
  3. Provide an overview of the proposed manuscript’s content. There are several ways to do this and the examples need not be mutually exclusive. A Table of Contents is like a roadmap for the volume and should be included, particularly if an edited collection. If an edited collection what are the chapters and anticipated authors? Why are they appropriate choices? It is particularly important to communicate how each contribution fits into the larger issue or question discussed in point a.
  4. Regardless of whether a single manuscript or edited collection, an Introduction, even if in draft form, is extremely useful. They are, in some ways, the initial acid test regarding whether the author(s) have thought through the logic and organization of the proposed volume. Without it, Points a, b and c above must carry a disproportionate weight. Thus, we do not require an Introduction but highly recommend it, particularly for edited collections. If an Introduction is available, it can be attached separately and a brief one page summary included in the Prospectus itself.
  5. Who is likely to want to read the book? Ideally, ISER Books prefers volumes that meet the test of academic excellence while simultaneously connecting to a wider audience through the importance of the question/issue and writing style. The distinction I and other editors usually make here is between a thesis with all of its perfunctory literature reviews and methodological statement (almost like jumping a set of professional hurdles) and a book which is interesting, intellectually important and widely readable. Not to worry. If the foundation of this is present, we have some excellent copy editors who can supportively assist authors to ensure they say what they want to and to whom.My best advice is to try and think of a product that students and instructors would find important and interesting for a course while a wider, educated public would enjoy as well through educating them and providing new understanding of a widely perceived issue or question. I know this may sound a bit daunting but it really isn’t as bad as Bukley’s mixture for colds and it is easier done than perhaps first thought.
  6. What is the timeline for completion of the entire volume? This is an important consideration for several reasons. First, we will require most, if not all, the volume before a final decision to publish can be made. This is because publication is dependent upon several factors of which one is successfully passing a blind peer review by at least two reviewers with knowledge, experience and interest in the issues or questions that ‘drive’ the book. In the past we have tried sending out manuscripts that were 50% or so complete and invariably, reviewers inform us that they cannot offer any definitive recommendation without seeing more of the manuscript. Secondly, timelines allow us to most efficiently schedule publication activities. Under best conditions, ISER Books has the capacity to publish four, perhaps five, quality manuscripts a year.

That’s it at the Prospectus stage. I should also add that ISER Books can handle any word processor though MS Word is preferred with Word Perfect also acceptable. Maps, pictures, drawing, musical scores can all be handled within the manuscript though we typically require 300dpi for suitable reproduction and prefer black and white or grey scale pictures due to cost considerations. In terms of formal formatting, I have found that the University of Chicago formatting style is widely used along with APA. We have electronic links for both if you need them.

I know this may sound like a fair bit of work at the preliminary Prospectus stage but we have found that most potential authors would be preparing something akin to this anyway and are also prepared to offer some written sample of the proposed volume as well. Having said this, we would encourage you to provide as much as you have that you believe of reasonable quality even if in draft form. Nothing will be sent out until everyone agrees it is ready.

Once the Academic Editor receives the Prospectus and associated materials, he/she will read it over and get back to the authors in two to four weeks with written comments. Following that, a meeting will be held of all parties and next steps planned in terms of moving ahead. I think you will find the process here quite typical. Once this process is completed, specific timelines for review and eventual publication can be made fairly accurately. For your information, blind peer review typically requires four to six weeks, longer if major rewriting is warranted. Copy-editing, cover design, glossary, indexing and picture/diagram/.music score preparation are all done in parallel reducing time. When everything is ready to go, actual printing is less than a month.

It all starts with a prospectus, however. Even where a complete volume or near-complete one is available, a scaled-back Prospectus addressing the points raised in perhaps 15-18 pages is still immensely useful for providing an overview and determining when the manuscript is ready for review.

Lawrence Felt PhD
Academic Editor, ISER Books