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Author Guidelines
IHS Press publishes seven to nine new book titles per year, four issues of the popular history magazine Traces, two issues of the family history magazine Connections and two or more installments of articles and/or book-length pieces for Online Connections.
A contract is issued to an author on acceptance of a book-length manuscript or article for the magazines or Online Connections.Submission of a manuscript by an author or receipt of a manuscript by IHS Press shall not in any way be construed as an obligation by IHS Press to publish a manuscript.
IHS Press can make no commitment to publish until its editors can examine a completed manuscript with all notes and bibliography. The editors initially review manuscripts submitted for publication, then send suitable ones to appropriate outside readers for evaluation. Authors should allow 90 days or more for the evaluation process. The editors make the final decision for or against publishing a manuscript and reserve the right to edit accepted manuscripts to conform to IHS Press’s style and usage.
Most acceptances are conditional on an author’s revisions. After acceptance, the author is responsible for obtaining permission to reproduce any illustrations and for providing captions and credit lines for them. The author is also responsible for obtaining permission to publish any material copied from the work of another.
A rejected manuscript will be returned to the author upon request.
The editors expect all manuscripts to be submitted as a Word document. Authors should submit one copy of the manuscript for books and two copies of manuscripts for articles on standard 8 ½-by-11 inch paper, double-spaced throughout, with the author’s name on the title page only. They should follow the guidelines of The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White and consult the latest editions of the Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.
Authors should insert note numbers in the text, with notes appearing at the end of the complete text, not at the bottom of the page. The endnotes should document the sources on which a manuscript is based. IHS Press’s staff carries out its long-standing tradition of checking text and notes for accuracy of facts and citations in manuscripts accepted for publication. Authors are responsible, however, for their own statements of fact or opinion.
The editors will consider manuscripts submitted by members of the IHS Board of Trustees and the editorial boards of the IHS Press and Family History Publications, but such manuscripts will be treated as those received from any other source and are subject to the criteria and procedures outlined in this policy statement. A trustee may be paid like any other author. An employee of IHS may be paid for a publication that is not written within the scope of his or her employment. A publication written by an employee within the scope of his or her employment by IHS – or written by a nonemployee who is paid by IHS for the creation of the publication – will be considered a work made for hire for which there is no additional compensation. All authors – whether employees or nonemployees – shall sign a contract.
IHS Press seeks book-length publications about Indiana on topics such as – but not limited to – biography, personal narrative, immigration, family, cultural heritage, women, literature, folklore, music, the visual arts, politics, economics, industry, transportation, sports, geography, and military, medical, archaeological and agricultural history.
The editors require that manuscripts for potential publication be written in clear and appealing prose and in complete sentences free of jargon and undefined technical terms. Authors should avoid passive voice, lengthy quotations and one-sentence paragraphs.
A contract is issued to an author on acceptance of a book-length manuscript. The Indiana Historical Society shall own the copyright for books or book-length material that it finances and/or publishes. Submission of a manuscript by an author or receipt of a manuscript by IHS Press should not in any way be construed as an obligation by IHS Press to publish a manuscript.
Please address all correspondence to:
Ray E. Boomhower, Senior Editor
Indiana Historical Society Press
Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
(317) 232-1877
rboomhower@indianahistory.org
The editors of family history publications at the Indiana Historical Society Press publish research guidebooks and ethnic and immigration history books; the biannual family and local history journal THG: Connections and online publications that include book- and article-length indexes and source material that serve as keys for researchers into rare, archived material including – but not limited to – historic court records, business ledgers and personal journals. The editors of IHS Family History Publications seek nonfiction articles and book-length manuscripts that are solidly researched and attractively written, and they encourage genealogists, historians, journalists and freelance writers to make contributions.
Address all correspondence to:
M. Teresa Baer
Managing Editor, Family History Publications
Indiana Historical Society Press
Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
(317) 234-0071
tbaer@indianahistory.org
IHS Press publishes at least one children’s book per year. The press will consider manuscripts of well-researched nonfiction, particularly biographies, as well as fact-based historical fiction for children that are written in an engaging style with age-appropriate language and subject matter.
The main audiences for IHS Press children’s books are students in grades kindergarten through 12 – and their educators and media specialists – with an emphasis on fourth grade and higher. Book selections for the children’s book publishing program will provide content-rich resources related to Indiana history and the state’s role in national and world events, identifying IHS Press as a reliable provider of excellent Indiana-related social studies literature.
Selections will be made based on the following general criteria: imaginative and engaging content, sound historical research, effective literary style and appropriateness for the audience. Ideally, the book will provide new knowledge about the topic or subject for students, incorporate a variety of primary and secondary sources and support the national and state educational standards for language arts and social studies.
The topics listed below are derived from curriculum standards for language arts and social studies. Manuscripts will be evaluated according to how well they fit within the time periods listed with the topics.
A contract will be issued to an author on acceptance of a book-length manuscript. The Indiana Historical Society shall own the copyright in books or book-length material that it finances and/or publishes. Submission of a manuscript by an author or receipt of a manuscript by IHS Press should not in any way be construed as an obligation by IHS Press to publish a manuscript.
Address all correspondence to:
M. Teresa Baer Managing Editor,
Family History Publications
Indiana Historical Society Press
Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
(317) 234-0071
tbaer@indianahistory.org
Topics for Grades Four and Five
Indiana Territory, 1770s to 1816; Indiana statehood and development to the 1850s Indiana in the Civil War Era Indiana growth and development, 1880 to 1920 Indiana life, 1920 to the present. Topics with a focus on Indiana and the Midwest may also provide information on: America before and after the arrival of Europeans American Indians and arrival of Europeans to 1770 American colonization and settlement The American Revolution Creation of the United States Constitution and establishment of the Federal Republic, 1783 to 1800s.
Topics for Grade Eight
The following should be adapted with a focus on Indiana: American Revolution and founding of the United States,1754 to 1801 National Expansion and Reform, 1801 to 1861 Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850 to 1877 Historical Time Period, 1750 to 1877 Topics for high school Early National Development, 1775 to 1877 Development of Industrial United States, 1870 to 1900 Emergence of Modern United States, 1897 to 1920 Modern United States Prosperity and Depression, 1920 to 1940 United States and World War II, 1930 to 1945 Post-War United States, 1945 to 1960 United States in Troubled Times, 1960 to 1980) Contemporary United States, 1980 to present.
The editors of Traces seek nonfiction articles that are solidly researched, attractively written and amenable to illustration, and they encourage scholars, journalists and freelance writers to contribute to the magazine. Accepted articles usually are a good mix of academic writing and magazine journalism.
IHS Press issues a standard contract on acceptance of an article. IHS Press will hold a royalty-free exclusive license to publish the article in Traces –which converts to a royalty-free nonexclusive license six months after publication – and the right to permit Indiana newspapers to reprint the article. IHS Press owns the copyright in Traces, but the author owns the copyright in the article and is free to reprint the article after it is published in Traces. IHS Press is free to reprint the article at a future time.
Traces seeks articles and essays on topics such as – but not limited to – biography, personal narrative, immigration, family, cultural heritage, women, literature, folklore, music, the visual arts, politics, economics, industry, transportation, sports, geography, and military, medical, archaeological, architectural and agricultural history. In addition, the magazine seeks essays from historians discussing their personal interest in the field of Indiana history.
In general, articles should be narrative in structure, have strong introductions and conclusions, and weave analysis into the larger framework. Essays should have a history component, preferably one that helps explain present practices, incidents and behaviors. The editors give priority to submissions that meet standards of research and presentation and also display a direct Indiana connection. Prospective authors should be familiar with the magazine before they submit articles or proposals.
Feature articles and essays should be 2,000 to 4,000 words in length. The editors primarily seek newly written material, although they will consider material that has been previously published. The editors will also respond to proposals submitted with writing samples and an indication of the means and costs of illustration.
Articles and essays should be written in clear and appealing prose that is free of jargon and undefined technical terms. Authors should avoid passive voice, lengthy quotations and one-sentence paragraphs. They should follow the guidelines of The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White and consult the latest editions of the Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.
Authors should submit two copies of each article or essay on standard 8½-by-11 inch paper, double-spaced throughout, with the author’s name on the title page only. They should provide brief suggestions “For Further Reading” at the end of articles and document in endnotes the sources on which articles are based. The editors will decide the form and extent of published documentation. The editors accept approved manuscripts via email.
Authors are responsible for providing illustrative material – in black and white or color – and captions that do not duplicate information in the text. IHS Press will provide staff assistance in locating – and will assume the cost of reproducing – photographs, maps and documents in the IHS collections. The quality and cost of potential illustration are major criteria by which the editors evaluate articles.
The editors initially review manuscripts submitted for publication, then send suitable ones to appropriate outside readers for evaluation. The editors make the final decision for or against publishing articles. Authors should allow 90 days or more for the evaluation process.
The editors reserve the right to copyedit accepted manuscripts to conform with the style and usage of Traces. The editorial staff checks the sources of articles to ensure accuracy of facts and citations. After editing an article, the editors will issue a contract and pay a negotiated honorarium to the author.
At the end of each volume year, the editorial board grants the Jacob Piatt Dunn Jr. Award, which includes a $500 prize, to the author whose article has best fulfilled the magazine’s mission.
Manuscripts will be returned to authors if they are accompanied by a self-addressed envelope stamped with sufficient postage.
Address all correspondence to:
Ray Boomhower
Senior Editor, Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History
Indiana Historical Society Press
Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
(317) 232-1877
rboomhower@indianahistory.org
The editors of THG: Connections seek nonfiction articles that are solidly researched, attractively written and amenable to illustration, and they encourage scholars, journalists and freelance writers to contribute to the journal. Accepted articles usually combine information on how to research, document and/or write family history along with a story or stories discovered and pieced together from the author’s own research.
IHS Press issues a standard contract on acceptance of an article and will pay a negotiated honorarium to the author. IHS Press will hold a royalty-free exclusive license to publish the article in Connections – which converts to a royalty-free nonexclusive license six months after publication. IHS Press owns the copyright in Connections, but the author owns the copyright in the article and is free to reprint the article after it is published in Connections. IHS Press is free to reprint the article at a future time.
Connections seeks articles and essays on topics such as – but not limited to – biography of individuals and/or families, personal narrative, immigration, cultural heritage, ethnic groups, women, folklore, geography, and military, medical, archaeological, industrial and agricultural history as these subjects provide historical context for genealogical research. In addition, we seek essays from genealogists and family historians discussing their personal experience in the field of family history research and writing on Indiana ancestors.
In general, articles should be narrative in structure, have strong introductions and conclusions and weave analysis into the larger framework. Essays should have both genealogy and history components, preferably ones that help explain present practices for family historians as well as incidents, behaviors and the historical environment of Indiana ancestors. The editors give priority to submissions that meet standards of research and presentation and also display a direct Indiana connection. Prospective authors should be familiar with the magazine before they submit articles or proposals.
Feature articles and essays should be 2,500 to 4,000 words in length. The editors primarily seek newly written material, although they will consider material that has been previously published. The editors will also respond to proposals submitted with writing samples and an indication of the means and costs of illustration.
Articles and essays should be written in clear and appealing prose that is free of jargon and undefined technical terms. Authors should avoid passive voice, lengthy quotations and one-sentence paragraphs. They should follow the guidelines of The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White and consult the latest editions of the Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.
Authors should submit two copies of each article or essay on standard 8½-by-11 inch paper, double-spaced throughout, with the author’s name on the title page only. They should document their sources in endnotes. The editors will decide the form and extent of published documentation. A short biographical sketch of the author should also be included. The editors accept approved manuscripts via e-mail.
Authors are responsible for providing illustrative material – in black-and-white or color – and captions that do not duplicate information in the text. IHS Press will provide staff assistance in locating – and will assume the cost of reproducing – photographs, maps and documents in the IHS collections.
The editors initially review manuscripts submitted for publication, then send suitable ones to appropriate outside readers for evaluation. The editors make the final decision for or against publishing articles. Authors should allow 90 days or more for the evaluation process.
The editors reserve the right to copyedit accepted manuscripts to conform with the style and usage of Connections. The editorial staff checks the sources of articles to ensure the accuracy of facts and citations.
Authors of articles published in Connections may be nominated by the editors for the Willard C. Heiss Family History/Genealogy Award, given once each year by the Indiana Historical Society to “a family historian for his or her distinguished service and career in Indiana family history including presentation such as articles in Connections … ”
Manuscripts will be returned to authors if they are accompanied by a self-addressed envelope stamped with sufficient postage.
Address all correspondence to:
M. Teresa Baer
Managing Editor, Family History Publications
Indiana Historical Society Press
Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center
450 West Ohio Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269
(317) 234-0071
tbaer@indianahistory.org
IHS Press
