Submission Guidelines

Submision Guideline
Greg Kofford Books
(Updated April 24, 2017)


Greg Kofford Books, Inc. is an independent full-service press that focuses on scholarly works in Mormon history, theology, scripture, literature, and culture. Launched in 2000, we have published nearly 100 titles with top scholars in Mormon Studies, earning prestigious awards from several scholarly associations and the highest acclaims from academics and scholars in the field.

Greg Kofford Books accepts submissions on the subjects of Mormon history, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, theology, literature, culture, personal essay, autobiography, and personal memoir, as well as creative fiction related to those topics. Submissions for both monographs and anthologies are accepted.

Below are our guidelines for submitting a proposal and/or manuscript:

Book Proposal

Send your proposal to Loyd Isao Ericson, managing editor, at loyde@koffordbooks.com. If the author is unable to send a digital submission, a hard copy may be sent to:

Greg Kofford Books, c/o Loyd Isao Ericson
PO Box 1362
Draper, UT 84020

Please include the following in the submission:

  1. Cover Letter:
    1. Brief biography
    2. Brief description of the project and thesis
    3. Contact information
  2. Book Proposal:
    1. Basic summary of your book project.
    2. The contribution your manuscript offers. Explain in 1 to 2 pages how your book will add new knowledge, perspectives, approaches, or methods to Mormon Studies.
    3. Describe the intended readership of your project and how you can reach them through this manuscript.
    4. Examples of comparable literature and how your manuscript differs from or adds to existing literature.
    5. Examples of sources that will be utilized, such as original or archival research and secondary sources.
    6. Estimated number of images intended for the publication, if any, along with permission status of images.
    7. Estimated number of words and manuscript pages (double-spaced, 12-point, Times New Roman).
    8. Estimated completion date of manuscript.
    9. If an anthology, provide a list of expected contributing authors and whether essays have been previously published.
    10. Author’s educational and publishing background that specifically qualifies them for this project. A full academic curriculum vitae may be included in addition to specific qualifications.
  3. Annotated Table of Contents: Include 1 or 2 paragraphs describing each chapter.
  4. Manuscript: Include 1 sample chapter. If we are interested in the book, we will ask for further chapters or the full manuscript for review.

Manuscript Submission Process

The editorial staff at Greg Kofford Books will review each proposal, sending it to additional reviewers when needed. If your manuscript meets the review standards and fits the market for Greg Kofford Books, we will offer the author a contract. The full manuscript must be prepared following our style guide which is based on The Chicago Manual of Style. When received, Greg Kofford Books will send the manuscript out to a minimum of two qualified reviewers for blind peer review. The publication of the manuscript will then be conditional on the author adequately responding to or addressing comments by reviewers, as determined by the editorial staff at Greg Kofford Books. We ask that you submit a minimum of four names for peer reviewers who are knowledgeable about your topic and can offer objective feedback. This process can take from two to four months, depending on the length of your manuscript.

NOTE: Anthologies with two or more editors or series editors are not subject to additional peer review. (Anthologies with only one editor require an additional blind peer review, with the reviewer selected by Greg Kofford Books.) Non-scholarly, devotional, or colloquial titles (such as personal essays, memoirs, autobiographies, fictional literature, and pastoral works) are not subject to peer review for approval. However, an author of such a work may request peer review.

Please let us know up front if you are submitting your manuscript to other publishers for consideration.

Steps to Publication

Your final manuscript will undergo an initial edit by an in-house editor to improve content and readability. Upon your approval of edits and completion of requested revisions, your manuscript will then undergo a final copy edit for grammar and spelling errors before being typeset and submitted for printing. Once the manuscript is typeset, a digital proof will be sent to the author for review. After typesetting, further edits are limited to spelling, grammar, and other minor corrections (unless deemed necessary by Greg Kofford Books).

Promotion

While the manuscript is in the copy editing process, our internal publicist will be in contact with the author to create a personalized publicity campaign that will include seeking book reviews in scholarly journals, newspapers, and popular blogs, potential live events and book signings, podcast interviews, video promotion, social media promotion, and interviews for both an author Q&A and our own podcast series (Kofford Books AuthorCast). Your book will also be marketed to independent and chain retailers as well as public and university libraries. To assist us with creating a marketing campaign, you will be asked to complete an author questionnaire, typically after your manuscript has passed peer review. Please note that Greg Kofford Books does not offer a travel stipend for conference attendance or promotional events. There are a number of things that you can do to help promote your book, including submitting proposals to present on your topic at conferences and symposiums, writing articles related to your topic to submit to relevant journals, magazines, and newspapers, and sharing information such as reviews or other promotional items through social media.