Edited Volume Guidance

General 

Edited collections can make excellent books. The key is to develop the strength of an edited collection (i.e., leveraging multiple fresh perspectives on a particular subject, informed by a broad spectrum of scholarly insights and research expertise) — and to reduce the impact of its main vulnerability (i.e., being a mishmash of loosely related essays or articles). A successful edited volume is more than a compilation of conference papers or loosely related essays.  It is a coherent intellectual project and should (ideally) be considered that way from the beginning.

Edited collections tend to work best if they begin with a specific call for chapters or papers, perhaps for a conference or workshop.  Submissions can then be shaped through sharing draft papers, receiving feedback, and responding to the work of other participants—all in support of a unifying theme.

The Press encourages volume editors to select for inclusion in the volume only the strongest chapters/submissions. One of the weaknesses of edited collections often identified by peer reviewers is their unevenness. Although the selection process can involve difficult decisions for volume editors, a collection is much more likely to be successful if the weaker chapters are removed from the manuscript prior to review. Chapters that are strong on their own merits but that do not fit firmly within the parameters of the collection should also be carefully considered and may need to be removed. All of the selected chapters should clearly belong in the volume and together should make the collection more than the sum of its parts.

To this end, it is vital that the collection has a strong introductory chapter that explains the nature and purpose of the book and the logic of its contents, framing the issues in such a way that the connections among chapters are evident. It may be beneficial to organize the collection into sections by topic or theme. The contributors should be familiar with each other’s chapters and, where possible, should refer to them in their own contributions. This familiarity and cross-referencing reinforce the cohesion of an edited collection and should help to avoid repetition. The Press also encourages editors to write a concluding chapter to the volume. Even well-structured collections can be disparate in their themes, and it is often helpful if volume editors pull the various strands together at the end.

The coherence achieved in substance should be matched in style and it is the responsibility of the volume editors to ensure stylistic consistency throughout the manuscript. The Press encourages editors to share applicable elements of/guidance from the West Point Press Style Guide with their contributors as soon as their proposal has been accepted, ensuring that they are using the same referencing system, formatting, and general style.  Editors should also review the West Point Press Volume Editor Guide to assist them in their efforts.

The volume editors serve as the liaison between the Press and the contributors throughout the publishing process, from the submission of the manuscript through peer review and approval, manuscript revision, copy-editing, proofreading, and the preparation of the index. As a collection has many moving parts, it is essential that the volume editors take a firm hand at the outset to ensure that all of the contributors fulfill their responsibilities, meet their deadlines at each stage, and help the project move forward in a timely way.

Once a manuscript has been approved for publication, a contract for the book will be signed between the Press and the volume editors. In addition, the volume editors will sign an agreement with each contributor, in which the rights and responsibilities of each party are outlined. If a contributor includes material that requires reproduction permission, s/he must secure the necessary permission and pay any related fees. The Press encourages volume editors to raise this matter with contributors at an early stage and to advise them of their responsibilities. Information on permission requests can be found here. Anyone considering submitting a proposal for an edited volume should also review the West Point Press Volume Editor Guide.