RESOURCES

Information for Authors

Submission Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in publishing with the University of Utah Press. We invite submissions of proposals and manuscripts in the following subject areas: anthropology and archaeology; linguistics; Mesoamerican, American Indian, and Mormon studies; the American West; Utah history and biography; environmental history and sustainability; regional and Utah guidebooks; natural history and nature writing; general titles of regional interest; and creative nonfiction/autobiography/memoir. To submit a poetry manuscript, please refer to these special guidelines.

Jedediah Rogers, Acquisitions Editor Western History, Mormon Studies, Creative Nonfiction, and General Regional Titles


Justin Bracken, Acquisitions Editor Anthropology and Archaeology

Creative Nonfiction Submissions

The University of Utah Press has long published important works of creative nonfiction, including Mark Spragg’s Where Rivers Change Direction and, more recently, Teow Lim Goh’s Western Journeys. We publish artful, intellectually probing manuscripts appealing to a broad audience.

Though welcome at any time of the year, creative nonfiction submissions are evaluated by an independent committee twice-yearly, in the Spring (March/April) and the Fall (September/October). Works submitted between September and March will be evaluated in the Spring, and those works submitted between March and September will be considered in the Fall.

Successful submissions will demonstrate excellence in writing and thematic overlap with our list development plans. We especially welcome works detailing the intricacies of place and explore the boundaries of the genre. Memoir, autobiography, lyrical essays, nature writing, and travel writing, among other types, are welcome. We may considering manuscripts with limited black-and-white images, but no color images.

Submittals must include a cover letter, a C.V., and the completed manuscript. All works approved by the committee may then be required to go through our regular peer review process.

Direct inquiries and submissions to Jedediah Rogers at jedediah.rogers@utah.edu

 

Please read the following guidelines and prepare your proposal and manuscript in accordance with them. Below you will find all the necessary information and forms.

Book Proposal

The book proposal introduces you and your work to the editor and the press. Please include the following:

  • A cover letter addressing the following points:
    • General Overview:
      • What is the book about?
      • Why are you writing it, and why you are qualified to write it?
      • What does it contribute to the literature?
      • What makes your manuscript well suited to the U of Utah Press’s list?
      • The length of your manuscript (word count)
      • The number of figures and/or tables
    • Contribution to the Literature
      • What are some similar or competing books in the field?
      • The unique contributions your proposed book makes, distinct from those similar, extant volumes; in short, what is your book’s identity?
    • The audiences you envision for your book
      • For example: scholarly, general reader, or course adoption
      • How do you propose to reach these audiences?
    • Plan/Timeline
      • Estimated timeline for completion of the manuscript, if it is not complete
      • For edited volumes, a list of expected contributing authors
    • An annotated table of contents, containing
      • Working chapter titles and chapter authors
      • A brief synopsis of each chapter
    • The introduction or preface, as well as a sample chapter
      • if you do not have an introduction or preface, a sample chapter will suffice
    • A curriculum vitae or resumé for all book authors or volume editors
  • Contact the appropriate editor. You can email or mail your proposal to the office. Find our editors’ contact info here.

 

Manuscript Submission

After reviewing your proposal, if the acquisitions editor considers your manuscript promising, he or she will ask to see a complete manuscript. If, after further review, the press wishes to consider your work for possible publication, it will be sent to at least two qualified peer reviewers for a more comprehensive evaluation. All manuscripts considered for publication must also be approved by the University Press Faculty Advisory Committee. If your work is accepted, a contract is issued and you will be asked to submit your final manuscript, pending any remaining revisions.

Please see the following links for information on and requirements for submitting manuscripts for specific press prizes:
Agha Shahid Ali Poetry Prize
Don D. and Catherine S. Fowler Prize

 

Final Manuscript Preparation

For details on the content, style, formatting, digital art requirements, and delivery requirements for your manuscript, please contact your acquiring editor and consult the following guidelines.

Submission and Style Guidelines (pdf)

 

Marketing Your Book

For an overview of our marketing process, answers to some frequently asked questions, and a list of actions that you can take to improve the marketing of your book, please read the following document.

Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
In order to create a marketing and publicity campaign for your book, we require that you complete an author questionnaire as soon as possible. Please complete the following form and return it to the Marketing Department by e-mail at hannah.new@utah.edu.

Author Questionnaire (pdf)

Cover Questionnaire (pdf)