Submissions

ACA publishes both books and journals for the counseling profession. We actively solicit contributions to our journals and proposals for books. Our Journals section describes the process and guidelines for sumitting content to be published in any ACA journal. See below for more information on how to submit a proposal for an ACA published book.

GUIDELINES FOR BOOK PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

The American Counseling Association (ACA) is interested in reviwing proposals to publish books in the areas of counseling and human development. Please note that ACA publishes books written for professional counselors and counselors-in-training, and not for clients or the general public. These guidelines are provided to expedite the submission process.

The Proposal Package

In order to facilitate the evaluation process, you must submit a detailed proposal.  Your proposal should include the following items:

1. A cover letter that explains the content of your manuscript and why this book will be of interest to professional counselors. Remember your audience; make sure your proposal addresses this audience. Specify how the manuscript will address issues of diversity (e.g., ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, gender, disability).
2. Information about the publication: its purpose; a table of contents; an outline or chapter-by-chapter description, which describes in detail the material contained in each chapter; intended target audience(s); competing publications in the field; and an estimate of page length and date of completion.
3. At least one complete chapter or a sample of your recently published writing.
4. A current curriculum vita.
5. Any other information or material you feel would be helpful.

Submit your manuscript proposal to:

Carolyn C. Baker
Associate Publisher
American Counseling Association
5999 Stevenson Avenue, Alexandria, VA  22304
703 823-9800, ext. 356
703-823-4786 - fax
cbaker@counseling.org

Review Process and Procedures

Each proposal received by ACA goes through a review process. The steps in this process are outlined below.

1. Proposals are received and evaluated by the Associate Publisher. An acknowledgment of receipt of your proposal will be sent within four weeks. If the Associate Publisher believes that your manuscript is not appropriate for the ACA publishing program, it will be rejected at this stage. Material will be returned only if a stamped, self-addressed envelope is included with the proposal submission.
2. If a proposal is under consideration by another publisher, or includes material previously published in whole or part, please inform the Associate Publisher at the time of submission. 
3. If the proposal is deemed of interest to our audience, it will be submitted to the ACA Editorial Advisory Board, or other selected reviewers, for further consideration. If the evaluation of the board is positive, the proposal will be brought before the ACA Media Committee for a vote at the next scheduled quarterly meeting.  Quarterly meetings of the Media Committee are held in January, March, June, and September. Proposals may be rejected by the Media Committee or a revision may be requested.
4. Upon Media Committee approval of the project, the author is issued a contract. The author is required to produce a complete first and final draft by a specified date.
5. The first draft is reviewed concurrently by the Associate Publisher and two peer reviewers. The Associate Publisher assesses the manuscript's style, form, and other publishing elements. The peer reviewers, selected with author consultation, assess the manuscript's content.
6. The author uses these preliminary reviews to refine the manuscript and prepare the final draft.

Writing and Style Guidelines

The guidelines below must be followed if your manuscript is accepted for publication by ACA.

1. The manuscript must be typed double-spaced, including references.  An electronic copy of the manuscript must accompany a hard copy.
2. All material must adhere to American Psychological Association style. This includes references, abbreviations, and guidelines for language bias. Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition.
3. Check all references for completeness.  All publications cited within the text must appear on the reference list and, conversely, all references must be cited in the text.  Adequate information should be given to allow the reader to retrieve the referenced material from the source.
4. Lengthy quotations (approximately 500 cumulative words or more from one source) require written permission from the copyright holder (usually the publisher) for reproduction. Adaptation of tables and figures also requires reproduction approval from the copyrighted source. It is the author's responsibility to secure such permission and pay any related fees. Written permission for all material must be provided to the Associate Publisher with the final draft.
5. Authors bear responsibility for the accuracy of references, quotations, tables, and figures.