Contributed Volumes

If you are editor-in-chief of a contributed volume, you already understand the importance of consistency and schedules. Your manuscript has more elements than an individually-authored book. Hold your contributors to the same high standards to which you hold yourself.

Consistency is a problem in contributed volumes. It is best to provide stylistic guidelines to contributors before they begin writing, as well as to refer them to the University of Chicago's Manual of Style, 14th Edition. You might also want to tell them about this on-line author guide.

Although each contributor will have a unique style, no contribution should be jarringly different in tone, form or substance from the rest. The objective is a cohesive book that moves in orderly fashion from one topic to the next, rather than a compilation of seemingly unrelated chapters.

The appropriate contributors' names should be included in the Contents and on every chapter opening page beneath each chapter title. Double check the order of the contributors to multi-authored chapters and the spelling of all names. Also, provide a list of all contributors and their affiliations, for inclusion in the front matter, after the Contents.

A signed work-for-hire release from each contributor should accompany your manuscript package, along with an up-to-date list of all contributors' names, affiliations, addresses and telephone numbers.