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Information for Authors
Peer Review
The final decision of including a book in the publishing program rests with the director. If the work is to be included in a series, the decision is made in close collaboration with the editors of the series. In other cases, it is based on internal or external reviews. Many book series follow the standard of double-blind refereeing with peer reviews. When asking for external reviews, the publishing company ensures mutual anonymity. In all cases, manuscripts are forwarded only with prior consult by the author.
Financing
If your book has been accepted for publication, we estimate the cost and submit an offer to you. This process normally takes four weeks. Depending on volume, layout, topic, and sales potential, a printing subsidy may be necessary, either made by yourself or by a funding institution. We will be pleased to assist you in this matter: we provide advice, precalculations, and billings upon publication of the book, as well as free copies for the sponsor.
Contract, fees, complimentary copies, author’s discount
Once financing has been settled, a contract will be made. As a rule, academic essays and contributions as well as the editing of collected volumes will not be paid. However, we supply a generous amount of free copies and grant an author’s discount on the complete program of the company.
Copy-editing and production
The members of our staff not only possess professional experience of many years but also at least an M.A. and relevant additional qualifications. Therefore, each is especially open to interests of academic authors and will assist you from the beginning as a dedicated and competent contact person.
Book projects expected to sell above average, especially textbooks and study books, will be revised and proofread by internal or external copy-editors. For academic essays and edited volumes intended for a limited specialist audience, we are, unfortunately, not able to offer this service. However, we will be glad to bring you in contact with a qualified external copy-editor. Typesetting and Layout
In all cases, our production department will carefully check the data supplied by you, as well as images, and is prepared to offer suggestions for revision, if necessary. Generally, you as the author will format your text yourself and deliver a PDF file ready for printing. For this purpose, we will send you a special template in Word or InDesign to be used for the layout. Of course, your contact person will assist you at any time, directly and personally.
With books expected to sell above average, typesetting and layout will generally be made by the company, at no charge. With books having less sales potential, we offer to do these tasks as well, but for a certain fee per page. Our books are produced either by offset or digital printing. Depending on the number of copies to be published, print on demand is another option. We attach great importance to the layout of our books, designing the content in an appealing and reader-friendly way, with acid-free paper and sturdy binding. Because an attractive outer appearance is also of importance to us, all jackets and covers are done in four-color printing. According to the design of the series or if suggested by the topic, a cover image will be planned. Black-and-white images in the text are generally possible without further cost, provided they are delivered digitally, have an appropriate resolution, and have reproduction rights. Colored images in offset printing require additional cost. Downloads: Marketing and Distribution
We place great emphasis on making your book as widely known as possible: in the book market, on the internet, as well as at international fairs, academic congresses, and events.
Therefore, your book will be presented extensively in our catalog at new publications which is sent to booksellers, libraries, institutes and scholars within Germany and abroad. More than 5,000 copies are issued twice a year. You will also find it in our online shop and in one of our printed general catalogs. Additionally, we place single ads in academic journals as well as distributing flyers. We place great emphasis on reviews since a good book review is the best advertisement. We display our program at the Frankfurt bookfair, international conferences and symposia so that interested persons have the opportunity to actually take your book into their hands and leaf through it. We will do all that is possible to guarantee the sale of your book. Therefore, we will offer it via many different distribution channels: in Germany, it will be listed in the “Verzeichnis lieferbarer Bücher (VlB)” (backlist of available books) and in the databases of the wholesalers and thus will be available to local bookstores at short notice. Of course, it can also be ordered from our online shop or directly from the publishing company. Amazon also sells your book. Our parent company, the Agency Otto Harrassowitz GmbH & Co. KG, delivers directly to libraries worldwide. Besides, our representatives travel for us and thus also for you in the United States, Great Britain, and China. We also attach great importance to a long availability of our books. On average, they are in stock for at least ten years, and after being sold out they may generally still be ordered as books on demand. E-Books
Most books appear simultaneously in print and as an e-book (PDF), which may be downloaded directly from our online shop. They are also listed with special library distributors and may be searched for on a variety of platforms.
If you still have questions, please do not hesitate to call us or send an email. Henrike Höffeler, the assistant to the director, will be glad to provide information or to forward you to an appropriate contact person. She may be contacted by email or phone: assistenz@harrassowitz.de / phone +49 (0)611-530 903 |