Proposal

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Finding an Acquisitions Editor

The first step in the publishing process is to find the right Acquisitions Editor for your work. Please contact only one editor at a time. Browse the list of our Acquisitions Editors currently accepting proposals and manuscripts. They are listed according to their main subject areas, and here you will find information about editors’ specialities and areas of interest.

Expert advice in developing your proposal

At OUP, publishing a book is a collaborative effort between authors and editors. Acquisitions Editors assess proposals based on their specialist knowledge of the markets, the developing topics within fields, and the competitor landscape. Your Acquisitions Editor will discuss your idea with you and can advise you on how to devise a successful proposal document. They will make recommendations on the format and price of your project, and be able to advise you on how best to position your book to your audience, making sure it is discoverable, reaches a wide readership, and has the maximum possible impact.

What to include in your proposal

Some editors will provide proposal templates or questionnaires which are tailored to particular subjects and disciplines, but if you provide a proposal as set out here, you will cover the core information that we require.

Your name and contact information
Your ORCID ID
Proposed book title
Detailed synopsis: purpose, approach, aims, scope, main arguments, methodology, and impact on your field
Relation to existing literature in the subject area, distinguishing what makes your work unique
Overview of intended audience, explaining their need for your book
Outline: chapter list with main subheadings and short description
At least one draft chapter should accompany all monograph proposals and is preferred for all proposals
For author teams or edited volumes, your editor may ask you to include names and affiliations for the author of each chapter
For works based on PhD dissertations, include the full original thesis, examiner reports (if available) and an overview of planned changes and updates
Projected final word count (including footnotes/endnotes and bibliography, if applicable)
Planned illustrations, figures, tables, appendices, or online-only material. See Copyright and permissions
Proposed timetable, including anticipated completion date, work already completed, other critical dates, and any plans for updating the work after publication
Brief biography for author(s)/volume editor(s)
Open Access requirements (if any)
Funder information (name and grant number) and scope of funding regarding publication, if applicable

When you submit your proposal, please let us know if you are approaching multiple publishers simultaneously, or if you require a decision by a certain date.

Edited volumes

OUP publishes distinctive and coherent collections that add to the available literature and research materials within the fields we cover. We may not be able to publish edited volumes based on conference materials or incorporating previously published work, but we will carefully consider the rationale for including such materials. In some disciplines, editors will only acquire edited collections within selected series.

Assessing proposals

We do receive a significant number of proposals and will aim to acknowledge receipt in good time, usually within three weeks (please do follow up if you have not received a response after this time). The Acquisitions Editor considering your proposal will contact you to let you know whether OUP will proceed to the next step. This initial assessment can sometimes take several weeks. If the editor feels the proposed book is a good fit with their list, you may be asked to provide more information or revise your proposal.

Next stage: Review

Related information

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