For Authors and Prospective Authors

For authors submitting their final manuscripts (Author's Guide)

Why Publish with Michigan?

The University of Michigan Press’s academic and regional publishing programs boast all the virtues of traditional not-for-profit scholarly publishing: commitment to selectivity, integrity of vetting processes, and a rigorous approach to sustainability. Whether publishing a scholarly monograph, a textbook, or a title of special regional interest, the Press is known for its high standards. And when it comes to metrics for success in the largely digital world of scholarly communication, we are setting the standards.

The Press’s integral position within the University of Michigan Library enhances our dedication to the preservation, accessibility, and discoverability of the works we publish. We pioneered the development of robust and intuitive digital platforms. We continue to develop the technological and intellectual property infrastructure our authors need to commit their work to the durable scholarly record. A passion for accessibility and discoverability guides our approach to producing easily readable and searchable materials; our search for pragmatic open access solutions aims to address the challenges of the market. By leveraging technology, we enable our authors’ work to reach readers around the world, including those outside the academy. In the digital arena, Michigan excels, and indeed, is leader and best in the field.

The integrity of our publishing program at Michigan rests on our rigorous peer review process, guided by the informed judgement of our acquisitions editors. We never make decisions to publish or offer a contract based on purely market-driven factors or the availability of subvention funds. We are particularly wary of contributing to the inequalities that divide well-resourced institutions of higher education from those with fewer resources. It is the goal of our publishing programs to serve the needs of talented scholars wherever they do their research and teaching.

To make it possible for these titles to fulfill their scholarly potential, and sustain our publishing enterprise, we do accept subventions for individual titles after a contract has been secured. As with our platinum open access goal, our ideal is to seek third party subventions that are not the responsibility of an individual author to obtain. By lessening the overall financial risk that the press takes on for each title, we are better positioned to innovate, grow, and serve our authors.

Open Access

University of Michigan Press is a leader in publishing open access books. We employ various business models to maximize access to scholarship. Our aim is to to avoid direct publishing charges to authors wherever possible; our preference is to help authors find supporting subventions from their parent institution or third-party funders. If you are interested in making your project available open access, your editor will work with you and your funder to determine an appropriate level of support based on the project’s individual needs. Every project is different and we are committed to making sure that open access projects get the same high quality editorial, production, and marketing treatment as any other University of Michigan Press title.

Our Publishing Program

The University of Michigan Press publishes both scholarly works and books of more general interest in the following areas:

American History, Applied Linguistics, Classical Studies and Archaeology, Class Studies, Communications, Cultural Studies, Disability Studies, English as a Second Language, Gender Studies, German Studies, Law, Literary Criticism and Theory, Michigan and the Great Lakes, Music, New Media, Poetics, Political Science, Theater and Performance, and Writing Craft.

In addition to publishing individual titles in the areas above, we also offer a number of book series intended to explore particular topics, disciplines, and themes. To learn more about series in which we are actively acquiring, visit our browse series page.

Submission Guidelines for Prospective Authors

Please note that Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language (ESL) and certain series, including the series African Perspectives, have special submission guidelines. If you are submitting to a specific series, please check the series description to see if there are particular requirements.

For all other areas, to ensure that your work receives proper attention, we ask that you submit the following materials:

  • a statement addressing the following points

    • the purpose or rationale of your book (for projects in social sciences, please include references to your sources and methodology);

    • similar or competing books in the field;

    • the audiences you envision for your book and the contributions your work offers;

    • why you think your manuscript is suited to the University of Michigan Press's list;

    • the length of the manuscript and the number of illustrations incorporated;

    • and your timetable for completion of the project (if it is already finished, please let us know that, too);

  • a table of contents;

  • an outline of your chapters (this should be no more than a paragraph or two describing the content of each chapter);

  • an introduction or detailed overview of your project; if you have no introduction, please supply a sample chapter (or other material); and

  • a curriculum vitae or resume for all authors or volume editors; for edited volumes, a list of your contributors along with their professional affiliations

Queries and proposals should be sent via email to the appropriate editor; please see our staff directory for a list of editors and their areas.