Author's Guide

Please use the following checklists to be certain you have properly prepared the required elements of your final manuscript. A few important things to keep in mind:

• If you will be reproducing copyrighted material in your book, you will need to turn in the necessary permissions when you turn in your completed manuscript. Getting permissions can take months, and delays with permissions can mean delays for your book, so start the process EARLY (after discussing it with your acquiring editor).
  
  
• If your book contains material from interviews you've conducted, you will need each of your interviewees to sign an Interview Release Form (PDF). Getting them to sign the form at the time of the interview will save you from having to go back later.
  
  
• Before submitting your manuscript please review the text for consistency in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Please also fact-check your manuscript to ensure that all information is accurate and verify that bibliographic references are complete and up-to-date.
  
  
• We ask that you make every effort to use bias-free and gender-neutral language.
  
  
• UM Press places a priority on making our electronic products as accessible as possible. If your manuscript includes images or figures, you will be asked to provide descriptive text (alt text), in addition to captions, for each image. If your manuscript includes audio, you will be asked to provide captions for each audio file. If your manuscript includes video, you will be asked to provide captions and descriptions for each video file. Alt text, captions, and video descriptions will help readers with print disabilities who may interact with the electronic version of your book using software that reads text aloud, as well as deaf and hard of hearing readers.
  
  

Table of Contents

Final Manuscript Preparation

• Formatting
• Citation Checklist
• Submitting the Final Manuscript
• Fonts and Unusual Characters
  • Important Information for All Manuscripts
  • If Your Manuscript Uses Greek
  • If Your Manuscript Uses Asian Characters
  • If Your Manuscript Uses Musical Symbols in the Main Text
• For Edited Volumes
• Image, Alt Text, and Table Preparation
  • Alt text: What is it used for, and how to create it?
  • Overview: What is Digital Art?
  • Naming Art Files
  • Scans
  • Digital Photos
  • Screenshots
  • Charts and Graphs
  • Musical Examples
  • Maps
  • Tables
• Audio/Video Content Preparation
• Permissions
• Form Bank
  • Final Manuscript Submission Log (.xlsx)
  • Final Manuscript Submission Log Instructions (.docx)
  • Contributor’s Agreement (PDF)
  • Interview Release Form (PDF)
  • Permissions Request Form (PDF)
  • Promotional Blueprint (PDF)

Production Process

• Production and Scheduling
• For Editors of Edited Collections
• Proofreading
• Indexing
• Page Proof to Completed Book
• Covers, Printed Cases, and Jackets

Marketing and Sales

• Marketing Your Book
• Royalty Statements
• Ordering Books

University of Michigan Press Guidelines for Indexing