If you are an author of a scholarly book or work of reference, then we may be able to consider it for publication. However, you should read the following before getting in touch with us. If you do wish to submit a proposal for a book to us, then please use our New Book Proposal Form, which can be downloaded at the bottom of this page.

We publish about a dozen books a year, but for each one that we publish we are offered a great many that we cannot take on. We only consider scholarly works of non-fiction, mainly in the humanities, and in particular in theology, history or related areas, or works of reference.

It costs time and money to consider books for publication whether we eventually accept them or not. We generally expect to take on books that offer some original scholarship, or alternatively present a well-argued and authoritative case for a reinterpretation.

To get an idea of the kinds of books we do publish, see our Catalogue. For more detail on our current publications, see our New Titles and Forthcoming Titles pages.

Rather than sending your complete typescript in the first instance, it is usually better to post us a synopsis of the book, with a detailed contents list and a sample chapter or two. Please also write a letter explaining why the book merits publication, and what the readership for it is likely to be.

We will only be able to return typescript material to you if you send us adequate postage (a cheque in sterling, dollar, or euros, British postal stamps or international reply paid coupons) to do so. We can in any case take no liability for lost typescripts or material, so please do not send us valuable photos or original artwork.

Submissions should include a curriculum vitae or a description of the author's special qualifications for writing the book. It is also helpful if you have a written report on or recommendation of the book from a recognised academic authority on the subject.

If your university or department or an academic foundation is prepared to offer a subvention towards the publishing costs, please send details of the amount and also any special conditions.

We often have to reject books that might otherwise be suitable because they are presented in a form that makes reading them too difficult. If you are in any doubt about how to present a typescript you should consult an author's guide for suggestions on how to do so. We cannot, for example, consider handwritten books, books presented on disk without a print-out, or books printed out on continuous stationery. And furthermore, please DO NOT submit typescripts by e-mail, although we are happy to consider email enquiries.

We are a commercial publishing house and we have to make a profit from the books that we publish. However good your book is we will be unable to publish it unless we can see how we will be able to sell it, and so it is vital that you tell us about the potential market for your book, and about how it may be reached. The more that you can tell us about this, the easier it will be for us to consider your book favourably.

The most successful publishing is the result of close co-operation between author and publisher, and so we need to know what you will be doing to help us promote and sell the book. Will you be speaking at conferences or in the broadcast media about the subject to promote the book? Will you help build up interest by writing articles? Do you have a website which attracts visitors to whom you can try to sell the book? If so, please ensure that you include this information when completing our proposal form; doing so will make a great difference.

In some cases where we think a book is worth publishing, but cannot see enough market potential to make a profit, we may offer to publish the book but ask for a subvention towards the costs of publishing it.

Prospective authors can download a copy of our New Book Proposal Form below. Please use the form to provide the requested details of your book and of its intended market. The file is in Rich Text format, which can be edited in any word-processor.

   Download New Book Proposal Form »

Please return the completed form by post, fax or email to: