Edited by Robin Cohen, University of Warwick

Guidelines to authors: submitting new proposals

The path-breaking series on Global Diasporas was published by UCL Press, London until early 1999. Thereafter the well-known publisher, Routledge, acquired it. The series includes 3 published volumes, while two are forthcoming and a further 6 are contracted. The editor welcomes new proposals on the Caribbean peoples, the Chinese, the Africans and the Irish.

Routledge is able to offer:

• Global distribution and marketing (Routledge books are regularly sold in more than70 countries)
• Books that are produced efficiently and attractively using the latest technology to the full
• The prestige of publication with one of the world’s leading academic publishers.

Quite simply, what is your book about? What are its main themes and objectives? What are you doing differently from or better than authors of existing books? Your book will need to consider the global aspects of a particular ethnic diaspora (We cannot publish books in the series that have an ethnographic or a local or even a national reference. ‘Global’ means consideration of all the major communities of a particular diaspora worldwide.)

We would like a list of working chapter headings with at least one paragraph of explanation on what you propose to cover in each chapter. This may be all a reviewer has to go on for most chapters. Chapter headings alone are not enough. If sample chapters are available, please send them, or let us know when they are available. How long is the book in words? How many tables, diagrams and illustrations do you propose? When do you plan to complete it?

Who is this book aimed at? Who will buy it? Who will read it? All the books in the series will be published in hardback and paperback simultaneously? This means the book must have an international appeal? Is the subject area of the proposal widely taught or researched? At what level? Is the diaspora you are researching well organised? Provide a sample list of some organisations and magazines that will help in diffusing knowledge about your book.

We would like some indication that you are familiar with the competitive environment for your proposed book. The fact that there are several books in the market already might indicate a steady demand, rather than a saturated market, and need not be a drawback for us.

One or two pages at the most, showing relevant publication, fieldwork and main appointments

How long should a proposal be? Most people find they need around 5-6 pages to cover what we are looking for under the headings 1-4 above.

It can take a little time to find the most appropriate specialists to review your material for us, but in most cases we can get a review within two to three months. It will help if you can make some suggestions (not just your friends, please!)

Further information

If you would like any further advice or you would like to submit a proposal, please write to:

Emma Newcombe, Administrator, Transnational Communities Programme, ISCA, 51 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PE, Tel: 01865 274711, Fax: 01865 274718 Email: emma.newcombe@anthro.ox.ac.uk

For more on the series, see the web site http://www.transcomm.ox.ac.uk under the button ‘Publications’