Submissions

Scholars proposing manuscripts for publication should submit a prospectus to the acquisitions department at the University Press of Colorado before submitting a complete manuscript. We do accept simultaneous submissions. No phone calls please, submissions are only accepted via mail and email.

The University Press of Colorado is currently accepting manuscript proposals in anthropology, archaeology, environmental studies, history, law, Native American studies, and the natural sciences as well as projects about the state of Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. We are also accepting submissions for the following series:

• The George and Sakaye Aratani Nikkei in the Americas Series
• Mining the American West
• Atomic History & Culture
• Timberline Books
• The Women's West (non-fiction only)

The University Press of Colorado is not currently accepting proposals in fiction or poetry. Please browse our web site to get a better sense of how your project might fit within our established publication lists.

A book prospectus should include the following:

• a clear and concise description of your book and its notable features
• a table of contents, including a brief precis for each chapter
• an estimated word count of the project
• an estimate of the number of illustrations, tables, appendices, etc.
• an analysis of the expected audience for the book
• a round-up of competing books (if any exist), and a brief explanation of the uniqueness of the proposed book
• an appropriate date when the manuscript would be completed
• a current resume or curriculum vitae

Unsolicited materials-including manuscripts-will not be returned unless accompanied by an SASE.

Please address your query to:
Jessica d'Arbonne, Acquisitions Editor
University Press of Colorado
5589 Arapahoe Ave. #206C
Boulder, CO 80303
jessica@upcolorado.com

We do our best to respond to submissions within six months of receipt. Due to our small staff size and the large number of submissions that we receive, our review time may take longer. Please be patient while we give your proposal or manuscript our full consideration. We cannot respond to letters, phone calls, or emails requesting information on the status of a submission.

Occasionally, the University Press of Colorado issues a book contract on the basis of the prospectus, but more generally the practice is to write a contract based on the finished manuscript. Once submitted, manuscripts are reviewed by the press editor or by an appropriate series editor. Manuscripts recommended by the press editor or series editor are then considered for publication. The press requires two professional evaluations of manuscripts and the approval of our editorial board prior to moving forward with publication.

For authors submitting manuscripts for peer review or final publication, please visit our author materials page.