Submission Guidelines for Prospective Authors
Before You Submit
Before submitting a proposal to us, please consider whether your project is suitable to our list. Currently, we are actively acquiring books in African American studies, film and television studies, fairy-tale studies, Jewish studies, citizenship studies, and regional studies—books about the state of Michigan, the city of Detroit, and the Great Lakes region.
Wayne State University Press does not publish unrevised dissertations, festschriften, or novels.
How to Send Materials and to Whom
Send your proposal via email or mail to the appropriate acquisitions editor. Mailed proposals may be addressed to the appropriate editor OR to Submissions, Wayne State University Press, 4809 Woodward Ave., Detroit, MI 48201-1309.
Kathryn Wildfong, Editor-in-Chief
Jewish studies, regional books, citizenship studies
k.wildfong@wayne.edu
Annie Martin, Acquisitions Editor
African American studies, film and television studies, fairy-tale studies, Made in Michigan Writers series
annie.martin@wayne.edu
Kristina Stonehill, Assistant Editor/Rights and Permissions Manager
TV Milestones series
kristina.stonehill@wayne.edu
Do NOT send a complete manuscript unless invited to do so by a WSUP editor.
Do NOT send irreplaceable materials. Send only photocopies of sample illustrations.
What to Include
Your submission should give the Press’s editors and marketing staff—most of whom will not be specialists in your area—a clear and detailed idea of what your book will be about. Your initial submission should include a letter of introduction; a proposal as outlined below; your CV, resume, or a brief bio; and a sample chapter or two.
The proposal must include:
- A few paragraphs summarizing the work, including descriptions of its focus, scope, purpose, and/or argument; what makes it significant, unique, or outstanding; the contribution it seeks to make or need it fills; and its intended audience(s).
- A table of contents, with brief chapter synopses.
- If the work is a contributed volume, brief abstracts of the essays to be included (even if tentative) as well as short bios of the contributors.
- Specific details of the planned project, including estimated length (word count), approximate number and type of photos, maps, or other illustrative material you plan to include, and any other special features of the work.
- A description of competing books and how your book compares with them.
- If any portions of the work have been published before, details of the prior publication.
- Your best estimate for when the manuscript will be complete.
Let us know if you are submitting the proposal to other publishers.
If you wish your materials to be returned, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope (with sufficient postage). Otherwise, your materials will be recycled.
Note that the TV Milestones series has its own submissions guidelines: TV Milestones book proposal guidelines
What to Expect Next, and How Long Does It Take?
Typically you will receive either an initial expression of interest or a rejection within twelve weeks. If the editor requests your manuscript and finds that it meets his or her expectations, the next step is to have the manuscript evaluated by outside reviewers. The review process normally takes three to six months. If the manuscript is being considered for inclusion in one of our book series, the series editor and/or a member of the series advisory board will also review the manuscript. If reviewers recommend publication and the Wayne State University Press Editorial Board approves the manuscript, then we will publish the book. Publication is generally twelve to eighteen months after we’ve received the final, approved manuscript.
Google Book Settlement
Attention WSU Press authors and other interested parties:
Your rights may be affected by a class action settlement regarding Google's digitization of books and other writings. For information on the settlement, including terms, options, and deadlines, please visit: