Book Proposal Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in being a JIST author. We are proud of our hundreds of products that help people help themselves find good jobs and make their lives better. If you have an idea for a book that fits with JIST's core values and markets, we will be glad to review it for possible publication. To give your proposal the best chance of being selected for publication, please make sure that it includes everything we need to determine whether your book is right for JIST.

Before You Send Your Proposal

1. Familiarize yourself with JIST. Browse our Web site or request a catalog (go to www.jist.com/request.asp). Look at the types of books we publish and the subjects we cover. We are currently publishing books and other media (videos, software, assessment inventories, workbooks, and instructors' guides) on job search and careers. We are especially interested in products that appeal to institutional markets such as schools, colleges and universities, government agencies, and workforce-development programs. We occasionally publish books on education and training, as well as business topics; however, career and job search books get top consideration. Your book must fit our niche but not compete directly with any of our current products.
2. Research the competition. Go to bookstores or Amazon.com and see what other books have already been published on the subject. Think of how your book is different and better than existing books. Does it approach the subject from a different angle, include new coverage of the topic, or have some other element that will be irresistible to buyers?
3. Research the audience and market. Know who your book is for and how a publisher can best make these people aware of your book so that they will buy it.
4. Compile your formal book proposal. Put together all the items that we will need to determine whether we will publish your book. See the next section for details.
5. Please don't call! We regret that the volume of submissions prevents us from discussing proposals over the telephone.

What Your Proposal Must Include

Your proposal should be clear and concise. It should be three to seven pages in length, not including the sample chapters and your resume or CV. Crucial elements to include are the following:

Working Title

What title do you propose for this book? Please include your first choice as well as a few alternatives. List the keywords that the title should definitely include—words that convey the essence of the book and appeal to the target audience.

Summary

Answer as many of the following questions as possible:

• In a nutshell, what is the book about?
• What led you to write it?
• What need does the book fill? What problems does it solve? Why is the information important?
• How is the topic increasing in importance rather than declining?
• How do you envision the finished product? What are its dimensions, page count, and other physical specifics? Does it include charts, worksheets, illustrations, or other special features?

Target Audience

Who is going to buy your book? Provide demographic information for your target audience, such as

• Age
• Reading level
• Gender (if applicable)
• Education level
• Place in career (entry level, mid-career, advanced)
• Vocation or industry (blue collar, professional, clerical, etc.)
• Specific fields (medical, legal, computers, teachers, etc.)
• What magazines or professional journals do they read?
• What associations do they belong to and what conferences do they attend?

Target Markets

Besides bookstores, where is this book going to sell? Identify institutions and organizations that are likely to purchase the book. Identify the primary market and at least two secondary markets.

Competitive Analysis

Determine which existing books are the most similar to your proposed book in terms of audience, scope, and coverage. List the top 5 or more most relevant competing books and include the following information for each:

• Book title
• Year published
• Publisher
• Page count
• Price
• Trim size (6 x 9, 8½ x 11, etc.)
• Amazon.com sales ranking
• How your book is different and better than each book

Sales and Marketing Analysis

Research the potential market for your book and give facts and figures that support the notion that significant numbers of people will buy it.  

Are there factors, such as government spending, that will affect the demand for information in this area? 

Demonstrate your ability and willingness to help promote and sell the book after it is published. Suggest ways that your publisher can partner with you to market and sell the book. 

If you have contacts within companies or organizations that would be interested in buying the book in quantity, describe them here. 

If you have previously published other books, please provide sales figures for them.

Outline

Include a full, detailed outline of the topics that your book will cover. The outline should include chapter titles, chapter subtopics, and synopses of what each chapter covers.

Sample Chapters

Include the book's Introduction, which should explain the questions the book addresses and what answers it gives. Also send at least one full chapter (preferably not the first chapter) that is representative of your writing and organizational skills as well as your knowledge of the subject.

Your Bio and Qualifications as an Author

Please send a copy of your current resume or CV. Include information on previous writing and publications you have done. Demonstrate why you are an authority on your subject and why you are the right person to write this book. Include any affiliations or associations you belong to that will enable you to help promote the book after it is published. Do you regularly speak to large audiences on topics related to your book's subject? Do you have access to specific, relevant mailing lists? Do you write a regular column for a newspaper or magazine? Are you an instructor who will use your own book as required reading in your classes?

Project Status

Is your book already written? If not, when do you expect to finish it? Have you proposed it to other publishers previously or simultaneously? Has it been previously published and the rights have reverted to you? What type of software are you using to prepare the manuscript?

Self-addressed, Stamped Envelope

If you would like your materials returned to you, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Otherwise, they will be filed or discarded after a period of time.

Where to Send Your Proposal

We accept submissions through the mail and by e-mail. Please decide which product line your book is most relevant to, and send it to one of the people listed below. Please do not send your proposal to more than one person at JIST. We work closely together and will share your proposal with each other if needed.

If your proposal is for a career or education reference book to be sold primarily to workforce development, schools, colleges, and other institutional markets, direct it to

Susan Pines
Associate Publisher
JIST Publishing
7321 Shadeland Station, Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN 46256
spines@jist.com

If your proposal is for an assessment, direct it to

Dave Anderson
Acquisitions Editor—Career Assessments
JIST Publishing
7321 Shadeland Station, Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN 46256
jistassessments@yahoo.com

If your proposal is for a workbook aimed at institutional markets or for a book intended mainly for bookstore markets, direct it to

Lori Cates-Hand
Product Line Manager—Trade and Workbooks
JIST Publishing
7321 Shadeland Station, Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN 46256
lcates@jist.com

Please note that JIST is not accepting proposals for its KIDRIGHTS imprint at this time.

What to Expect

We will review your proposal and try to report the status back to you in 14 to 16 weeks. If you do not hear from us after 16 weeks, you may query us for the status by e-mail. Please do not call! If we determine that your proposal does not fit our current needs, you will receive notification by mail. If, on the other hand, we are interested in more information, we will call or e-mail you. 

If your proposal is ultimately selected for publication, your editor will offer you a contract and will then provide direction on any requested revisions to the structure, contents, and outline of the book. You and your editor will agree to a submission deadline. Then you will work on preparing and submitting your final manuscript. At this point, the editing, production, and printing process begins, which will require at least one round of revisions from you. In general, we produce a finished book within 6 to 9 months of your final submission.