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Manuscript Preparation

Preparing the manuscript package

The manuscript package must be complete when you submit it. An incomplete package will delay acceptance and will likely cause delays in the entire production process.

Manuscript versus manuscript package

The manuscript comprises the elements listed below, although not every item will be needed for every book:

  • Title Page — REQUIRED
  • Copyright/Legal Page including any legal disclaimers — REQUIRED (We’ll actually build this page, but if there are any specifics you need or disclosures required, this where they need to go
  • Dedication/Acknowledgments — Optional
  • Testimonials (Rave Reviews) — Optional (Sometimes it’s even placed before Title Page)
  • Foreword — Optional, but recommended if possible from an appropriate source to your market
  • Table of Contents (TOC) — REQUIRED
  • Preface — Optional, and rarely included
  • Introduction — REQUIRED if there is no Foreword
  • Book Chapters — REQUIRED
  • Afterword / Taking The Next Step chapter — Optional
  • Appendix — Optional, and rarely included
  • Index — Optional. Recommend avoiding this, as there is an additional charge
  • Bibliography — Optional, and rarely included
  • About the Author(s) with photo of author(s) — REQUIRED. Be sure we receive the graphic files of each of the authors’ photos in high-resolution TIF (or JPG) format (minimum of 2″ x 3″ at 300 dpi saved in CMYK)
  • Author Company/Tour/Seminar Info — Optional
  • Bonus Page(s) — Optional, but HIGHLY recommended

The manuscript package comprises the manuscript and all other elements necessary for us to publish your book, including:

  • Artwork (figures)
  • Figure captions
  • Tables, plus titles
  • Permission forms
  • Electronic copy of manuscript
  • Artwork
  • Updated Author Questionnaire

Some of these elements might not be essential to your book; check with your author relations manager if you are uncertain.

More on the manuscript

You must also submit your completed manuscript electronically. And your manuscript should be fully edited and proofread. If you do not have access to an affordable editor, Morgan James now has a full editorial department available to assist you in this process. Your manuscript should be submitted in a commonly used word processing program, preferably MSWord.

The electronic file should be named like the following: Jay_Conrad_Levinson_Guerrilla_Marketing.docx

Author Questionnaire

The author questionnaire is essential to the successful publication, promotion, and sale of a book, and thorough, thoughtful answers are much appreciated. Advertising and publicity copy, as well as the copy for the cover or jacket of your book, is derived from the questionnaire. Coauthored volumes require only one questionnaire, but each author should provide a short biography. If changes occur before publication of a book, such as a change in the content, the market, or an author biography, an updated questionnaire should be submitted to ensure that we have the most current information.

Contact your author relations manager if you need another copy of the author questionnaire.

Six important things to remember

Keeping the items in the following list in mind will help you prepare a better manuscript package and thus facilitate the acceptance process.

Submit the artwork separately as well as imbedded in the manuscript.

Obtain permission to use all material garnered from outside sources. Request the permission as soon as you can.
Prepare your Contents and Preface and/or Introduction; these sell more books than any other individual component. The Contents should list many, if not all, headings and subheadings.

Refer to the latest edition of the University of Chicago’s Manual of Style for guidance on style, and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary for proper spellings and divisions of words. All writers, whether novice or veteran, should read Strunk and White’s Elements of Style.

Monitor your progress and keep your author relations manager apprised. Remember that meeting your contracted delivery date is important to the successful and timely publication of your book.

Keep a copy of everything you submit (not just the manuscript).

All of these files can be uploaded to our site when you are ready. If you have any questions on how to do this, just ask.