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Delivering Your Manuscript

Deadlines
Your deadline is nearly always flexible and controlled by you--but you do need to let us know if you need more time. In all but the most unusual circumstances we will extend your deadline. Don’t worry about missing a deadline by just a few days--no need to pay for overnight shipping, for example. If you have almost everything ready, but are waiting on a few final things, do not send your manuscript yet. Wait until you c an send an absolutely complete manuscript. We can't begin any work here until all pieces are in place.


The Manuscript Package
Manuscript may not be delivered by email. The manuscript package should contain absolutely everything making up the manuscript:

  • (1) the final and complete hard copy (all sections and parts)--all pages double-spaced, numbered continuously, printed on one side of the paper, unbound;


  • (2) an electronic copy of the manuscript that matches the printout exactly;


  • (3) photocopies or printouts of all illustrations, numbered in sequence and sent along with a matching caption/credit list; these are needed for placement and identification purposes;


  • (4) all original photographs, maps, drawings or other illustrations we will need to scan at our end;


  • (5) all necessary permissions;


  • (6) a cover letter with comments on anything we may need to know, plus your full thoughts about a title.

Send your package to the editor with whom you have been working or you may put “Editorial Department” on the package. It will get to the right person. There is ordinarily no need to follow up on the manuscript delivery. Please allow two to three weeks for an editor to check in your manuscript. We will write you as soon as we have completed the initial inspection.


Electronic Files
We work on both Macs and PCs, so files from either are acceptable. Save your file(s) in word processing software (MS Word is the most popular), not a layout program such as Quark or InDesign, or in a non-text format such as PDF. If you are using Microsoft Works, please save your file(s) in rich text format (rtf).

It is absolutely vital that the electronic file and paper versions of a manuscript match word for word. The best way to ensure that they do is to make the printout at the last possible moment, then make no further changes to the file.

Authors must not imbed images in files (consult our guidelines for photos).

McFarland can accept any of the major disk media: thumb drives, DVDs, CDs, floppies, etc.

Becoming an Author

What McFarland Publishes

Whom to Contact

Guidelines for Proposals

Contracts


Current Authors

Preparing Your Manuscript

Multicontributor Manuscripts

Guidelines for Photos

Guidelines for Obtaining Permissions

Delivering Your Manuscript

After Delivering

Sales & Marketing

Forms & Sample Documents

Frequently Asked Questions