Write for NSTA Press®!
NSTA Press® is the product-publishing division of the National Science Teachers Association, a professional association of educators from all science disciplines.
To Prospective Authors
NSTA Press welcomes proposals for new books. To receive full consideration, please submit online: (1) a completed Book Proposal Form, (2) a detailed outline or table of contents, (3) a curriculum vitae, (4) an introduction or preface, and (5) one or two sample chapters of the book. If the book proposed is an edited, multicontributor volume, the submitted outline should be annotated with brief paragraphs describing the content of each chapter and the names of each chapter’s authors. NSTA Press prefers to review submissions at the proposal stage so that we can help authors shape their book ideas.
Please submit online your proposal (Book Proposal Form, outline or table of contents, curriculum vitae, introduction or preface, and one or two sample chapters) at:
mc.manuscriptcentral.com/nstapress
Author guidelines and instructions to use this system can be found there under Resources.
What We Publish
Projects of significant relevance and value to teachers of science are what NSTA Press was created to foster. We publish science content updates, books on best teaching practices, books that explicate and link to the National Science Education Standards, applications of the latest findings from science-education research, and classroom-activity books. We also consider novel treatments of core science content and are especially eager to publish works that link science with reading or math. Two segments of college teaching—teacher preparation and undergraduate science—are also of particular interest to us.
Evaluation Process
When we first receive a proposal, we review it internally for several factors: whether the project is suitable for our publishing program, the potential audience and sales for the book, whether the author(s) or editor(s) can complete the book as proposed on time, a financial analysis of the project, and how the book compares with books published by us and by other publishers in the same subject area. This initial evaluation is made jointly by the Director and the Press staff with input from outside editorial advisers.
Acceptance
If your proposal is accepted, we may offer you a publication contract, which sets forth the basic terms of our agreement. In brief, NSTA Press agrees to publish the work within a specified period of time and—in most cases—to pay a royalty based on a percentage of all monies actually received by us for the sale of the book. In exchange, the author agrees to complete the manuscript by a given deadline, grants to NSTA exclusive rights to the work, and warrants that the material is original, nonlibelous, and free of any copyright restrictions. The contract is subject to negotiation.
When the completed manuscript is submitted, it is reviewed by at least two peer reviewers. An anonymous copy of the peer reviewers’ comments is provided to the author so that appropriate revisions can be made before the final acceptance of the manuscript by NSTA Press. After final acceptance, the manuscript is then prepared for publication, usually with about 6 months elapsing between acceptance of the final manuscript and publication of the book. If the book is not received by the date specified in the contract, the publication date may be substantially delayed.
At NSTA Press, we involve our authors in the process of marketing and promoting their books. After a manuscript is accepted and enters production, authors are asked to complete a detailed Marketing Information Questionnaire, which forms an essential part of the information needed to promote the author’s book.
Please click HERE to download the NSTA Press Book Proposal Form.
Please click HERE to download the NSTA Press Manuscript Guidelines.
For Further Information
If you have any questions about preparing a proposal or about the evaluation process, please contact the NSTA Press Editorial Office at nstapresseditorialof@nsta.org.