The APS Press considers proposals for books in a variety of disciplines, as befits our calling to promote useful knowledge, though we do not publish fiction or poetry. Please use these guidelines as a way to structure your prospectus for consideration, but feel free to include any other information that will give us a good idea about your project.

In addition to the proposal form, we will also need at least two chapters (any two, but preferably the introduction and one body chapter) ready for peer review and your CV with full contact information.

On submission, your proposal material will be discussed for fit at the Press. If the project is determined to fit, we will send it out for external peer review with two readers in the applicable subject area(s).

Please let us know at the time of submission if you have already submitted the project to another Press. We prefer exclusive consideration of your work.

Please include:

• Project title/subtitle
• A brief description of the project (What is it about? What makes it unique? Why does it fit at the APS Press?)
• An annotated table of contents, including brief chapter summaries for each chapter, especially those not included with the packet. Please include major headings/subheadings.
• A description of the intended reader (student/scholar/interested layperson) for your book, including academic fields likely to be interested and any particular courses where this book might be adopted. Are there any likely associations or other professional bodies that might be interested?
• A list of three or four competing titles from the last five years that are similar to yours in some way (subject, type of book). Include the author/title/publisher and how your book is different or better than these.
• An estimated word count for the manuscript, including notes and bibliography.
• An estimated number of illustrations and what type (maps, figures, tables, photos).
• An estimated date for when you will be finished with the full draft of the manuscript.
• Any people you think would make good peer reviewers for your work. We may not use these folks, but it will give us a place to start and some insight into where you see your work fitting into the literature.
• If the book is edited, a list of confirmed and speculative contributors.

Send submissions to:

Kimberly Guinta, Director
[email protected]

Peter J. Dougherty, Editor-at-Large
[email protected]

For current authors with questions regarding manuscript formatting and submission, the handling of copyrighted materials, the review process, indexing, advertising, royalties, and stylistic considerations, contact Editorial Administrator David Carpenter at [email protected]. 

Staff

Kimberly Guinta, Director
[email protected]

Allison Cadle, Associate Editor
[email protected]

David Carpenter, Editorial Administrator
[email protected]

Peter J. Dougherty, Editor-at-Large
[email protected]

Kate Tyler Wall, Managing Editor of Transactions
[email protected]

Annalisa Zox-Weaver, Managing Editor of Proceedings
[email protected] 

Committee on Publications 

Roger S. Bagnall

Clyde F. Barker                       

Julia Haig Gaisser                            

George Gibson  

Carol J. Greenhouse                    

Linda Greenhouse                   

Christie Henry                       

Michael Hout       

Paul W. Kroll                   

Michelle McDonald 

Edward Mendelson            

Linda Musumeci 

Sara Seager 

Patrick Spero                            

Elizabeth Widdicombe 

Location

Richardson Hall

431 Chestnut Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106                                                                                                                                                                                   

Manuscripts should not exceed ten thousand words, excluding notes, tables, and figures. The notes, in total, should not exceed five thousand words.

We do not publish book reviews.

Submissions:
• Submit your article as an MS Word document, double spaced, 12-point type.
• Do not embed art files in the Word document; send them as separate files.
• Include an abstract (200 words) and 5–7 keywords with your submission.
• Provide a cover letter with your name (as it would appear in print), title, department, and institutional affiliation, if applicable.

Evaluation: All manuscripts independently submitted to Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society are first reviewed by the editor; if appropriate, they are subject to two double-blind peer reviews. Readers’ reports are advisory; the editor is the final arbiter.

Decision: On completion of peer review—normally within four months—the editor notifies the author regarding the disposition of the manuscript. A manuscript may be (1) accepted; (2) rejected; (3) rejected with option to revise and resubmit. An author in doubt about the nature or terms of the decision should seek prompt clarification.

Revision and resubmission: Manuscripts that undergo revise and resubmit are normally submitted to the original referees. The resubmission deadline is up to the discretion of the author. As a rule, in such cases, a final decision is rendered in the second round.

Acceptance and revision: When a manuscript is accepted, the managing editor projects a provisional date of publication.
Manuscripts will be copy edited three to six months before the publication date. Authors receive the copy-edited manuscript and at that time have an opportunity to make revisions.

Authors should submit the final manuscript electronically as an email attachment in Word to the managing editor, not to the general Proceedings email.

The next time the author sees the essay, it will be in the proof stage. Authors should abstain from making substantive changes in page proofs, which they are also asked to read. Only typos and factual errors may be corrected on the pdf proof in Adobe Acrobat.

Formatting: Because the journal crosses disciplines, we accept APA, 7th edition, Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition, and other style guides cleared through the managing editor. Essays must have internal consistency, however.
Copyright: Contributor agreements, establishing the author’s and publisher’s respective rights in published articles, are sent to authors at the time of acceptance. An article cannot proceed to publication without a signed contributor agreement on file.

Permissions: Authors are responsible for obtaining and paying for permission to reproduce all illustrations in the article in both print and electronic formats. Authors are required to send original artwork and copies of permission forms before the manuscript goes into production. Digital images should be of print quality, at least 300 dpi (at least 600 in order to use a detail of an image), in JPG, TIF, or EPS formats.

Send submissions to: 

[email protected]

The Center for Native American and Indigenous Research (CNAIR) at the American Philosophical Society is pleased to invite attendees of the Linguistic Society of America Annual Meeting to an Open House in our offices on Thursday, January 9th, 2025. 

***Because we have limited space, we are requiring pre-registration for every individual who would like to attend***

We are also sharing information about how to make a research appointment in the APS Reading Room. Reading Room appointments are independent from your Open House session registration. 

If you have questions about either process, don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

Register for the Open House

We have scheduled two Open House sessions for the afternoon of Thursday, January 9. Each session will last 75 minutes and can accommodate up to 20 attendees. The Open House will include an opportunity to see the APS Library and the CNAIR office, meet CNAIR staff, and view a selection of materials from the collections. You'll also learn about CNAIR activities, and opportunities to work with us, through conducting research, applying for APS fellowships and grants, participating in CNAIR programming, and other forums for collaboration.

Because space is limited, registration is required for every individual who plans to attend. For groups who would like to attend, please complete a separate registration for each individual. Please select the session that works for your schedule and use the JotForm link to register.

• Session 1: 1:00 PM - 2:15 PM registration link  
• Session 2: 2:30 PM - 3:45 PM registration link 

Conducting Research in the Collections

If you would like to conduct research in the APS collections while you are in Philadelphia, you may do so by emailing our Appointments Desk at [email protected] to reserve a space in our Reading Room. 

Note that space in the Reading Room is also is limited, and we recommend making your reservation well in advance of your visit. More information about conducting research in the Library, including policies, procedures, and open hours, can be found here.

To learn more about the Indigenous collections at the APS, visit CNAIR's page for researchers, where you will find a link to our Indigenous Subject Guide and tips about how to use the guide.

Thank you for registering for the APS General Meeting. We look forward to welcoming you to Philadelphia in November.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Siobhán Lyons at [email protected] or 215-440-3441.

The 2024 Judson Daland Prize in Patient-oriented Clinical Investigation is awarded to David C. Fajgenbaum in recognition of his work uncovering mechanisms and therapeutics across hyperinflammatory disorders and rare diseases. The award will be presented at the Society’s November Meeting.  The full citation will be posted at that time.

David C. Fajgenbaum, (MD, MBA, MSc) is Associate Professor of Medicine (Translational Medicine and Human Genetics), Founding Director, Center for Cytokine Storm Treatment & Laboratory (CSTL), Associate Director, Patient Impact, Orphan Disease Center, Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

The prize is named for Dr. Judson Daland, born in 1860, a prominent Philadelphia physician and outstanding figure in medical research who left the bulk of his estate to the Society to support research in clinical medicine. The prize recognizes outstanding achievement in clinical investigation, particularly patient-oriented research.  The $50,000 prize is presented every 3 to 5 years. In addition to the prize, a Judson Daland Fellowship is awarded annually using these funds.

The Daland selection committee members are Clyde F. Barker (chair), former President, American Philosophical Society, Donald Guthrie Professor, Department of Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Lawrence H. Einhorn, Distinguished Professor, Livestrong Foundation Professor of Oncology, Professor of Medicine, Indiana University; and Ronald M. Fairman, The Clyde F. Barker - William Maul Measey Professor of Surgery Emeritus, Former Chief of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, Vice-Chairman for Clinical Affairs, Department of Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.