Guidelines for Submission

CMU Press welcomes the submission of proposals and complete manuscripts that fit the mandate of the press. CMU Press is an academic publisher of scholarly, reference, and general interest books at Canadian Mennonite University. Books from CMU Press address and inform interests and issues vital to the university, its constituency, and society. Areas of specialization include Mennonite studies, and works that are church-oriented or theologically engaged.

CMU Mission Statement

Canadian Mennonite University is an innovative Christian university, rooted in the Anabaptist faith tradition, moved and transformed by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Through teaching, research and service CMU inspires and equips women and men for lives of service, leadership and reconciliation in church and society.

CMU Press emerged from CMBC Publications, established in 1974 at Canadian Mennonite Bible College, one of CMU’s founding colleges.

Structure

CMU Press is a program of the Institute of Theology and the Church (ITC) and reports to the Academic Council of CMU.

The Publication Process

The publication process may begin with the submission of a prospectus, the submission of a manuscript, or as a project which originates with CMU Press.

A manuscript should be under consideration by only one press at a time. If an author has initiated contact with another press, CMU Press asks that that the author inform us of the status of that inquiry.

Editorial Council makes the decision to accept or decline manuscripts, and will use the standard categories as outlined below:

• Acceptance
• Conditional Acceptance (with provisions clearly stated)
• Revise and Resubmit (with suggestions clearly stated), or
• Decline

The evaluation and decision-making process should be completed within two months (for a prospectus) or three months (for a manuscript) of receipt.

Prospectus

Submissions of book proposals to CMU Press will generally include the following:

• Description of the work (its main argument, aim, scope and methodology)
• Length in double spaced pages and in words
• Table of contents
• Place of the work in the context of other titles in the field
• Intended audience (including disciplines where appropriate)
• Biographical statement and curriculum vitae from author
• A paragraph description of each chapter
• Sample chapter or two
• Approximate number of illustrations, tables and figures (if appropriate)

Manuscript

In addition to the first six elements noted above, the submission of a completed manuscript generally includes:

• Main text in final form
• Pages numbered consecutively (not separately for each chapter)
• Labelled disk or electronic file (e-mailed) in MS Word
• Introduction and/or preface
• Footnotes or endnotes (if appropriate)
• Appendix or glossary (if appropriate)
• Bibliography, index, tables, maps, graphs, photographs (if appropriate)

CMU Press will follow the Chicago Manual of Style, unless another style manual is appropriate for a particular project.

Basis for Review

A manuscript or proposal will be reviewed based on questions such as the following:

1. Does the manuscript fit the CMU Press mandate?
2. Will the work make a significant contribution to the field?
3. Does the work have a thesis or main argument?
4. Is the scholarship up-to-date and sound?
5. Is the presentation of the work effective and attractive (e.g. in style, organization, length)?
6. Is the work accessible and appropriate to the intended audience?
7. Is the work likely to be attractive to readers beyond this group?

For more info about submitting a prospectus or manuscript to CMU Press contact cmupress@cmu.ca.