As you write your book or chapter
Getting started on your manuscript may seem like a daunting task, but our friendly editorial and production teams are here to support you. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions as you write your manuscript.
A well-prepared manuscript will avoid unnecessary delays after submission. The guidelines below aim to provide clear instructions for authors, editors and chapter contributors to help them prepare their manuscripts to our house-style and avoid inconsistencies that will cause delays and additional costs in production.
How to maximize your readership – chapter titles, abstracts, keywords and ORCID
It is vital that your book and chapter titles, abstracts and keywords include the key terms that your readers will use in literature searches. This will help researchers find your work and increase readership and citations.
Readers and researchers using websites, search engines and online databases often first discover a chapter of a book before discovering the book itself. It is therefore important that each chapter title is understandable in isolation. For example, it is better to have ‘Introduction to Small Business Economics’ than merely ‘Introduction’ as the book’s first chapter. A good chapter title is concise and gives a clear indication of what the chapter is about.
We also make sure that the preliminary pages and Introduction of your book are made free to access from the point of publication on our Elgaronline platform to all readers.
We require an abstract of up to 150 words and a list of up to 6 key words/terms for all chapters within the book. This is a requirement for the chapter to be indexed by Google Scholar, SCOPUS and Clarivate. This information is included in the book’s metadata and has an important impact on the visibility of individual chapters in online searches as well as the discoverability of the book as a whole.
For each chapter (including any Introduction and Conclusion) please supply the author names, ORCID numbers, chapter specific abstract and keywords at the head of the chapter file, following this format:
Chapter number
Chapter Title
Author names in full on the same line, separated by commas, do not include affiliations followed by Author ORCID i.d. Number e.g: John Smith 0000-0000-0000-0000, Jane Doe 0000-0000-0000-0000 and Bob Ace 0000-0000-0000-0000
Abstract: This is the abstract for Chapter X in this Made Up Book. It should feature no more than 150 words explaining the chapter, for readers, potential readers, librarians and other bookbuyers as well as for metadata purposes. The abstract should relate to this specific chapter and its content, scope and themes. Abstracts over length will be edited down by our copyeditors.
Keywords: Capital Letters; Semi-colon Separating Each Word/Phrase; Maximum of Six Words or Terms.
References, citations & notes
Scholarly books must contain references to sources, and so you must ensure that all published works referred to in the text (including your own) are cited correctly according to a consistent, recognized citation style.
Please do not use reference management software in your Word document (e.g. Zotero, EndNote or other referencing system).
Please be aware that indexes such as the WoS have rejected projects on the basis of unusually high levels of citations to a single source, such as the editor.
References, citations and notes for law books (for other subject areas, please see below)
It is customary to use footnote citations in law, so a recognized footnote citation style should be used.
- Please use a consistent style throughout your book. If your book is edited, please ensure your contributors know which style they should use.
- We recommend using a reference style that you/your contributors will be familiar with such as OSCOLA or Bluebook. Please inform us on submission which style you have applied.
- Please use the footnote function in Word to insert footnotes.
- Arabic numbers must be used for note numbering. Notes belonging to any figures and tables in the text should be set separately, using subscript, not as part of the general notes.
- Any notes that are not direct citations should also be inserted as footnotes.
References, citations and notes for books in all subject areas except law
References to other publications should be organized using a simple reference system in the text, quoting the author’s name, original year of publication, year of publication of edition consulted (where applicable), and page number (e.g., Smith [1776] 1976, p. 81). The full citation should then be included in a bibliography or reference list. In-text references should use et al. if there are three or more authors/editors. If there is more than one reference with the same first author and date of publication, label each one a, b, c and so on.
- Please use a consistent style throughout your book. If your book is edited, please ensure your contributors know which style they should use
- We recommend using a style that is already familiar to you/your contributors such as Harvard or APA. Please inform us on submission which style you have applied
- If your book is authored, the bibliography or reference list should appear at the end of your book. This is because your book's Google Scholar preview PDF now includes your book's front matter, first chapter and list of references for the book as a whole. Google Scholar is commonly used by researchers and so we are keen for your book to meet their requirements and be as visible and user friendly as possible
- If your book is edited you have the choice of either compiling one end-of-book bibliography/ reference list or individual reference lists at the end of each chapter as supplied by the contributor
- Any other notes should be inserted as endnotes
- Arabic numbers must be used for note numbering. Notes belonging to any figures and tables in the text should be set separately, using subscript, not as part of the general notes
Basic formatting guidelines
We edit and proofread manuscript files onscreen. Therefore please keep the documents as clear and simple as possible and do not format the files yourself.
Please supply Microsoft Word files for your book.
Ensure all heading levels – chapter titles, main and subheadings – are clear. Indicate the sub-heading hierarchy by inserting <a>, <b>, <c>, etc., in angled brackets.
Avoid more than three levels of sub-headings in any chapter.
When submitting any lists, tables of contents, contributor information or references, please ensure that these are not formatted as ‘bookmark defined’ or linked files.
If the amount of maths in your chapter or book means that you are considering using LaTex please contact your commissioning editor so that we can discuss how to proceed with this.
If you do use LaTex for your chapter we require a PDF version of the chapter to be submitted to us as well as the LaTex driver files, fonts and style files and images so that the data can be checked. Please export the style/font/image files in LaTex and the necessary files will then be saved to a separate folder. (tex.zip; eps.zip; lp.zip; sty.tex).
House style guide
The main points of style to which we prefer our books to conform are outlined here but we are happy to accept any reasonable consistent style. We would stress the three ‘c’s as criteria in all cases of doubt: common usage, consistency and, above all, clarity. Remember that direct quotations should not be changed to conform to our house style but should appear as in the original publication.
Please note: unless you include instructions with your submission we will edit for consistency within chapters, rather than between chapters.
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS should be written out in full for the first time of use within each chapter, with the abbreviation/acronym in brackets, and the acronym thereafter. If you wish to include a List of Acronyms or Abbreviations in your preliminary pages you will need to submit this with the final manuscript on submission. Acronyms and abbreviations consisting of capital initial letters should be expressed without full stops – GNP, USA.
The list should be the last page of your preliminary pages
Prepare as a simple list
Do not prepare the list as a table; even if you remove the borders from the table this will still be problematic
Add your abbreviation then single tab (not double) and key in the explanation as shown below:
FULL STOPS are not needed after headings (including table headings), subheadings, figure captions, figure numbers, table numbers or section numbers.
EMOJIS We would discourage the use of emoji’s within your book. Please contact your commissioning editor if you think emoji use is important to the argument of your book. Although these icons may be a convenient way to display information, it compromises people's ability to understand when read from a screen reader and breaches copyright. Please refer to our Accessibility section
ITALICS should be used sparingly for emphasis. Italic type should be used for the titles of films and television programmes and also ships (for example, HMS Ark Royal). Song and poem titles, however, should appear in Roman type, within quotation marks.
LISTS should use numbers (1, 2, 3 and so on) for major lists and letters (a, b, c) for lists within major lists.
PARENTHESES (round brackets) should be used for simple interpolations, with square brackets used for editorial notes or interpolations in quotations (for example, [sic]).
PAROCHIALISMS such as ‘in this country’ or ‘this year’ should be replaced with the country name or specific year.
QUOTATIONS/EXTRACTS must be an exact reproduction of the original in both spelling and punctuation even if this conflicts with the style in the rest of the book. Use single quotes for extracts in the text of less than 50 words in length and double quotes for quotes within quotes. For extracts exceeding 50 words in length material should be indented from the left margin, with space above and below and quotation marks omitted. Any notes or editorial comment within the extract should appear in square brackets and any omissions should be indicated by an ellipsis. Ensure that opening quotation marks are distinguished from closing quotation marks.
SPELLING should be standardized in an authored book. It is helpful if you can supply a separate list of decisions made about spellings. Our house style is British English (e.g. colour) with -ize endings but if you have a preference to use US English (e.g. color) please inform us when you deliver your manuscript files. Where different contributors use different spelling conventions we edit for in-chapter consistency only. Formal names of institutions, for example, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development or World Trade Organization, should not be changed to fit your chosen style.
SYMBOLS and special characters, such as Greek letters, Chinese symbols, logical and mathematical signs etc., should be submitted as both pdf and Word files. Please check the pdf carefully, before submission, to ensure that the maths and/or characters are displayed as intended. The pdf file will be referred to in case of any issue with how these characters are displayed in the Word file.
Maths
Please speak to your Commissioning Editor if you plan on using a different equation editor on your machine, as we may not be able to accept this submission.
Distinguish carefully between superior and subscript characters and use italic type for any characters to be set in italic. Equations should be numbered consecutively within chapters. Please send a PDF of your chapter with maths so this shows clearly how the maths should look.
Figures, graphs, maps, photographs and AI generated images
Figures, graphs, maps and photographs that you submit to us should adhere to the following criteria. This ensures that the images that we publish in our books are legible, professional and of high quality.
- Please provide figures in their original format, e.g. tiff, jpeg, png, excel, ppt, high resolution pdf. Please do not paste these into the chapter files as embedding them in word immediately reduces their quality.
- We print all of our figures in greyscale, so please do ensure they work in greyscale and are sharp, clear and legible.
- Their location in the chapters must be clearly indicated. All figures must be numbered consecutively within chapters, e.g. Figure 1.1 and given a title/caption. Please also ensure you acknowledge the source and make any necessary acknowledgments.
- Photographs must not include recognisable faces of any person/persons unless prior permission has been obtained due to GDPR legislation.
- To allow screen reading software used by readers with visual impairments to interpret figures or photos, please provide a short description of each of your figures or photos that we can embed behind them in the ebook version as Alt Text. Please provide the alt text for all figures (and tables where necessary) in a single separate Word file, clearly indicating the figure number and caption. A template form for providing this information is available here. Guidelines on providing Alt Text are available in the Accessibility section of the Author Hub here.
- Please do not include AI generated images in your manuscript. If this is necessary, please discuss this with your commissioning editor.
- Please refer to the Elgar copyright policy to make sure you have sought permission for reusing figures where necessary.
Tables and boxes
Tables and boxes
We are committed to publishing accessible content compatible with screen reading software to allow equal access to content for those with visual or reading impairments. These accessibility requirements mean we have changed our advice on Tables recently. To find out why and for advice on other accessibility features please click here.
Much like figures and photographs, tables and boxes must adhere to our criteria to ensure they are legible, professional and of high quality in the finished book. We may have no option but to remove tables and boxes from your chapter that do not adhere to our criteria outlined below. If, after you have read the guidance below, you are still in doubt contact your commissioning editor for further assistance.
- They must be set within the text where you want them to appear. Create tables using the Word ‘Insert>Table’ tool in your manuscript file.
- Do not include merged, split, or empty cells in tables.
- Keep it simple. Do not include large/overly long cells in tables (see examples further down this section). These are cells that run over one page and they make it impossible for screen readers to read out accurately. If these features are essential and/or your table is complex, you will need to provide a brief summary of the table which we can use as Alt Text.
Effective table guidance
- Can your table be read out and understood? Is it easily navigable? If so, your table may not need a summary
- Remember, screen readers read from left to right and then move down to the next row, just like regular reading order
- Screen readers speak one cell at a time and reference the associated header cells, so the reader doesn't lose context
- Consider if a list is more suitable than a table
- Create tables in MS Word using the ‘Insert > Table’ function rather than as a series of tab stops
- Use tables for data, not layout
- Avoid creating large, complex tables wherever possible
- Make sure all rules are visible to reveal any merged/empty cells
- Include one clear header row at the top of each table
- All tables must have a title and number so they can be navigated to
- No empty cells (empty cells can be avoided by adding ‘N/A’ or ‘–’ etc.)
- No merged cells
- Do not include emojis
- Do not include figures/images/screenshots
- No dense, long cells with lots of text
- Consider smaller tables covering individual aspects of the topic, rather than condensing all the information into one big table. This can also help with the issue of having multiple headings. Table headings can also be positioned outside of the tables as headings or captions.
- Use the first column heading as the heading of the table if it spans all the information in the table
- Bear in mind the width of your table and its overall size. lf you need to scroll across the screen to see the whole table, it is likely too big. There is a point at which the table is not useful to someone who cannot see it. In these cases a table summary will be required
- Tables can include footnotes, special characters, maths equations and bullet points - the latter if formatted as proper bullet point lists using the Word ‘Format>Bullets and Numbering’ function
4. They must be amendable and any text must be editable
• Screenshots or images of tables/boxes that cannot be edited or manipulated will not be accepted.
5. Number them consecutively within chapters and refer to within the text as Table 2.3, etc.
• This is our house style and we will amend your numbering to match this style.
6. They must have their own title
The title should summarise the content of the table. A note or caption can describe the table in more detail or reference any data that you consulted when creating the table if necessary. Include a source and any acknowledgements necessary.
7. Tables must not feature any shading.
We advise use of bold or italic to highlight different key areas in table text, and avoid highlighting the whole cell/row/column as this can look cluttered and be difficult to read.
Table summaries
You will need to provide a table summary for any complex tables, clearly indicating table number, heading and caption that the summary belongs to. A simple template form for providing this information is available to download here. Table summaries will be embedded behind the table in the ebook edition as Alt Text.
Advice on writing table summaries:
- Describe the table as specifically as possible. Table summaries are designed to provide text explanations of images for users who are unable to see them
- Keep your description short (one or two sentences) as some screen readers cut off alt text at around 125 characters
- There is no need to include “table of” etc. in your summary
To help you understand what a “good” table looks like, You can download examples of both well-designed and poorly designed tables here, including information on which would require table summaries and which would not.
Hyperlinks and Link-Rot
Live hyperlinks can be included in the ebook version of your book if the links are present in your submitted Word files. The easiest way to create a basic hyperlink in Word is to press ENTER or the SPACEBAR after you type the address of an existing webpage, such as www.e-elgar.co.uk. Word then automatically converts the address into a link. For more detailed information please click on the following link: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-or-edit-a-hyperlink-5d8c0804-f998-4143-86b1-1199735e07bf
If you are concerned about link-rot (when links change, for various reasons and no longer point to the original or intended page/file) there are systems available which allow for future-proofing of your links. We would suggest you discuss the options with your librarian, who will know your institutional arrangements. 'Perma' is one such service and is free for academic use. Perma provides a new URL which you would use in the chapter to ensure that the record will be available regardless of the change to any web address/site.
For more information see: https://perma.cc/libraries.
EEP has no affiliation with Perma.cc
Legal tables
These are only required for law practitioner titles and law textbooks, and not for research focused books.
If you wish to include legal tables please inform us when you submit your manuscript. Please also check your contract to find out who is responsible for preparing the tables. If it is you, then please submit the list together with your final manuscript. You will be required to insert the correct page numbers once the manuscript has been typeset.
If you wish to use the Microsoft Word indexing and legal tabling software to create your legal tables we can accommodate this, please discuss this when setting up your files and use the following guidelines to ensure you are correctly inserting the legal table references so that our typesetting software can generate the tables.
Policy on the use of Open AI tools in manuscript preparation
The use of Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Claude to generate substantive content, such as the analysis of data or the development of written arguments, is not permitted.
If authors choose to use Assistive AI tools to assist in their research for a book, chapter, or article, they must disclose this in the manuscript and on submission. An author's final written text should be their own and reflect their own ideas, arguments, and conclusions, and for this reason AI and LLM Models may not be listed as an author.
The publisher reserves the right to verify the use of Generative AI and to reject manuscripts that violate this policy.
Use of AI should in no way invalidate the warranties the author provides in the publishing contract including ownership of copyright, originality and factual accuracy. It is worth bearing in mind that in highly specialised research areas Generative AI tools draw from a small number of published sources and there are real risks of unoriginality, plagiarism, copyright infringement and factual inaccuracy.
This policy does not refer to spell and grammar checking tools (such as Grammarly) which may be used without acknowledgement.