Final Manuscript Submission and Checklist
Manuscripts Prepared in Standard Word Processing Software
The submission of your final manuscript should include the following:
- manuscript text (in a single Word doc with illustration callouts)
- captions (in a separate Word doc)
- any illustration files (as separate files)
- alt text for all images (in a single Word doc)
- any tables (in a single Word doc)
- a complete CIF and any permissions documents
- a complete Final Checklist
- complete Design & Book Description Questionnaire
- your author photo and credit line (minimum of 2.5 inches wide, 5 inches high, 300 dpi)
Manuscripts Prepared in TeX
The submission of your final manuscript should include the following:
- manuscript text for copyediting (in a double-spaced PDF)
- manuscript text for design check (in a single-spaced PDF)
- your .tex files and any .stv, .cls, or other helper files any illustration files (.eps, .tif, or .tex formats)
- an illustrations PDF that includes only the figures, their captions, and filenames
- alt text for all images (in a single Word doc)
- a complete CIF and any permissions documents
- a complete Final Checklist
- complete Design & Book Description Questionnaire
- your author photo and credit line (minimum of 2.5 inches wide, 5 inches high, 300 dpi)
Manuscript Preparation
Guidelines for Manuscripts Prepared in Standard Word Processing Software
Most authors who are preparing their manuscript in Microsoft Word or other standard word processing programs should refer to the submission guidelines below.
Manuscript Preparation Guidelines
Authors of art books and other heavily illustrated books should refer to the comprehensive guidelines below for details on how to handle manuscripts with many images.
Art and Manuscript Preparation Guide for Art Books
Guidelines for Manuscripts Prepared in TeX
Authors preparing their manuscript in LaTeX, AMS-TeX, or other versions of TeX should refer to these submission guidelines.
TeX Manuscript Preparation Guidelines
Art Preparation
For most authors who are planning to include images in their book, the guidelines at the link below will help you submit illustrations and accompanying alt text that complies with the Press’s requirements and helps to move your book smoothly through the production process.
Art Preparation for Art Books
Because of the heavily illustrated nature of art books, we offer detailed guidelines and instructions that cover the special needs of these types of books.
Art and Manuscript Preparation Guide for Art Books
Acquiring Permissions
It is your responsibility as an author to obtain and secure in writing the permissions necessary from copyright owners or other third parties for text and images republished within your work. We recommend requesting permissions as soon as possible, ideally while your manuscript is out for peer review. In the United States, copyright law protects “original works of authorship” fixed in “a tangible medium,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and other intellectual works. Copyright laws, however, do vary by country.
Understanding When Permissions Are Required
Please review our guidelines covering the principles of “fair use” and “public domain” works.
For information about illustrations, epigraphs, song lyrics, cover art, and interviews, as well as template release forms, please review our permissions guidelines.
Copyright Information Form (CIF)
Completion of the Copyright Information Form (CIF) is required by all Press authors, except authors of art books, who should instead review our guidelines for Art Books. The CIF represents a summary of all permissioned items and the rights secured for republication. You may download the form at the link below and follow step by step instructions for filling it out.
Template for Requesting Permissions
Please use the language provided in this sample letter to request permission from copyright holders. Feel free to revise this letter for your purposes but be sure to retain the bolded language. The bolded language outlines the rights we are requesting—generally world/all languages across all formats. All permissions documentation—including emails, licenses, and research efforts for unresolved permissions—should be sent to your editorial assistant at project completion to be archived in your book’s files.
Image Resources
Princeton University Press has established partnerships with select image content sites to provide authors with varied options for art, illustrations, and photographs for interior use. These partnerships may provide you with access to a designated account manager as well as special pricing. Reach out to your editorial assistant for more information about these resources.
Design and Book Description Questionnaire
Our Creative Media and Marketing & Sales teams will have many ideas for the design of your book’s cover, however we value your input. Please take time to think about images that you feel would be appropriate for the cover, any comparable book covers that you like, and any other relevant information that will help the cover designer.
Please also supply a brief description of your book and an author biography.
Design and Book Description Questionnaire
Policy for AI Generated Content
In submitting you manuscript, you affirm that you are its author, as defined in your author agreement. PUP believes in the uniquely human creative capacity, and does not consider work generated by non-humans to be “authored.” If you have engaged AI, a language model, machine learning, or similar technologies to create or assist with creation of the content in this work (text or illustrations) this needs to be disclosed to your editor with a full description of the AI-generated content. You also confirm, on submission, and per the terms of your agreement, that you take responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the content generated by these tools and that you have provided a description of such generated content within the manuscript for transparency to readers. This includes referencing any supporting work on which information created by such tools depends. Basic editorial AI tools used for grammar, spelling, references, and as an assist for English as additional language authors need not be detailed and are considered editorial rather than creative tools.
Tax and Banking Forms
When you receive your contract through DocuSign, you will also receive tax and banking forms based on the residency information you have provided to the Press. Please take care to complete these forms in their entirety.
- W9 - for U.S. citizens, resident aliens, or permanent residents
- W8BEN - for non-U.S. citizens (anyone outside of the W9 categories)
- W8BENE - for non-U.S. based entities (such as a company; you, as an individual author, will likely not see this form)
- ACH - direct deposit information request for U.S.-based bank accounts
- BACS - direct deposit information request for U.K.-based bank accounts
- Wire Transfer Form - information request for non-U.S. or U.K.-based authors
Royalty Information
Princeton University Press author royalty statements are no longer mailed and are instead available through our royalty portal. To access the portal, we need to link an email address with your royalty account. When your first statement is made available on the portal, you will receive an email to complete the registration process. Once registered, you will receive an email notification when a new statement is made available. If you are not yet signed up to access the royalty portal, or if you have any other questions related to royalties, please email Royalties@press.princeton.edu.
Demographic Information
When you receive your contract through DocuSign, you will see a link under the signature line to our Author Information form, which collects contact information and demographic information. Princeton University Press’s mission is to inform global conversations and we aspire to do so inclusively. We are committed to a future of greater author diversity, as we believe this is essential to the impact and endurance of the Press and the book collaborations we cherish. As a critical measure of change, we seek your help in illuminating the demographic profile of the authors we publish. We do not make publishing decisions based on this information. Rather, it will be used as part of an assessment of our own evolution as an organization, guided by equity and inclusion commitments and investments we have made.
Read more about the Press’s commitment to equity and inclusion.
Up Next: From Manuscript to Book
Congratulations on submitting your manuscript for publication. Next, you will work with our Production Editorial department and others in the Creative Media and Marketing & Sales departments to transform your manuscript into a book.