Author Guidelines

The University of Maine Press publishes scholarly books and original writing that focus on the intellectual concerns of the Maine region. Although the press occasionally publishes works of regional fiction (and works of nonfiction which are outside of its usual focus), the press is primarily interested in publishing regional scholarly studies in the sciences, the social sciences, the arts, and the humanities.

An author who is considering the University of Maine Press should send a letter of inquiry, a synopsis, and—if appropriate—a few representative chapters or sections from the manuscript of the proposed book. The entire manuscript should not be sent to the press with the initial inquiry. An author should not send the only copy of anything to the press. Although the press will make every effort to safeguard what it receives, it cannot be held responsible for lost manuscripts. A stamped self-addressed envelope should be included with the letter of inquiry and supportive material.

The press will accept proposals by mail between September 1 and October 31. During the same time period, the press will also accept proposals sent by e-mail. Authors will hear from the press with at least a preliminary response by end of the year. The Director of the Press will make every attempt to expedite this process. Inquires should be sent to Michael Alpert, Director of the Press. Correspondence about the status of a proposal should also be sent to the Director of the Press.

Michael Alpert’s email address is: alpert@maine.edu.

All manuscript material should be presented in a legible typeface, with ample margins to facilitate reading and annotation. Manuscript material in obvious need of basic copy-editing will not be considered by the press. In general, authors should prepare manuscript material by following the guidelines in The Chicago Manual of Style or a comparable standard style manual in the author’s discipline.

Click here to download the current Author Guidelines in PDF format.