Guidelines for Manuscript Submissions

If your book prospectus has been accepted by the SAA Publications Board, congratulations! Here are guidelines for prepping your manuscript for submission for editorial review and production.

Manuscript Specifications

• Submit the final manuscript as a Word document, using 12 pt Times Roman font, double-spaced. 
• Head levels should be identified as <L1> (level 1), <L2> (level 2), and <L3> (level 3). 
• Footnotes should be inserted within the text.
• Do NOT use Word's bibliography tool. Generate the bibliography yourself and place it in its own section at the end of the manuscript.
• Citations for footnotes and bibliography must conform to The Chicago Manual of Style. Click here for sample citations.
• The location of all illustrations, sidebars, and ancillary materials indicated in the file. Provide a table of contents, acknowledgements, and appendices as needed. 
• Do not include an index. SAA will arrange for an index to be created as part of the publication process.
• Authors must secure all illustrations or graphics and clear copyright for images and textual materials that are not in the public domain. Submit images as high-resolution TIF files, accompanied by a photo log that indicates the placement in the text.

Manuscript Review and Revision

Upon completion, the author or general editor of multi-author or edited works submits the manuscript to the Director of Publishing, who forwards it to the Publications Editor for distribution to a group of two to three reviewers. Reviewers include subject specialist(s), Publications Board member(s), and the Publications Editor, all of whom complete a review form within 60 to 90 days, addressing the author’s

• interpretation;
• treatment of the subject matter;
• accuracy;
• completeness of sources; and
• originality.

Reviewers provide comments, recommendations for revisions, if needed, and an assessment of the manuscript as a whole. Without revealing the reviewers’ identities, the Publications Editor and project editor provide these comments to the author(s) verbatim, discuss the reviewers’ suggestions and how to incorporate them, and work out a timetable for revisions, usually within six months. The revised manuscript will again be read and reviewed, with particular attention given to assessing the agreed-upon changes. The selection and number of reviewers for the final review is left to the discretion of the Publications Editor.

The commitment of SAA to publish the manuscript is reserved until the completed manuscript is approved by the SAA Publications Board. Criteria considered before final approval include:

• the quality of the scholarship and writing; and
• whether or not the needs of the projected audience are likely to be met by the publication. 

The Publication Process

SAA uses the most current edition of The Chicago Manual of Style for specifications for the format of its books.

SAA determines the publication’s size, design, appearance, price and other features, consulting the author and others—including the Publications Board—as necessary.

SAA will arrange for copyediting, indexing, proofreading, design/layout, and production in multiple outputs.

The author is involved in the publication process. The author approves copyedits, the index, and performs a final reading of the page proofs before publication. The Author also prepares a brief bio (up to 100 words) and provides a photo for inclusion in the book. 

SAA is responsible for promotion, sales, and distribution of the publication, although authors—and the Publications Board—are strongly encouraged to assist with this process, provide quotations for promotional literature, be available for interviews, suggest outlets for review copies, and otherwise  assist in the marketing of the publication. 

SAA Is Your Partner in Publishing! 

Stacie Williams, SAA Publications Editor
Abigail Christian, SAA Editorial and Production Manager