General notes about this publishing proposal
Aboriginal Studies Press (ASP) is a small publisher in the area of Indigenous Studies and we aim to publish prestigious books in our chosen areas. As an Indigenous publisher we’re keen to encourage and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors. Any research undertaken to produce academic works must comply with AIATSIS’ ethical research framework as set out in the Guidelines for Ethical Research in Australian Indigenous Studies.
We publish on average six manuscripts annually (we’re committed up to twelve months ahead) and we work hard to market and publicise our list. However, we receive more manuscripts each year than we have the resources to publish. So, not to be accepted for publication shouldn’t necessarily be taken as meaning we don’t believe in the merit of your work.
Like other publishers, ASP publishes new books from established authors, commissions new books and accepts unsolicited manuscripts. We make decisions based on the merits of the work, how well it fits our publishing list, and whether we’d be able to produce and market it. It also takes into account our financial and staff resources.
Your proposal needs to highlight how your manuscript fits into our list and it needs to argue the case without you being there to support it. Having completed a thesis or manuscript is not sufficient an argument for publication: you need to be able to justify why it should be published.
You’ll doubtless know which other books have been published in your area, so allow your proposal to show how your work is different, and important. You may be publishing important new research, wanting to disseminate knowledge in your discipline, or provide a rebuttal to the work of others. Include this information.
Lastly, you need to balance your passion for your work with realism about the potential audience for the book.