What kinds of books and how to solicit manuscripts?
As a general rule, there will be no edited volumes in this series.
These ‘state-of-the-art small books’ will explain a specific development issue based on key questions, including:
- what are the current issues and debates in this particular topic and who are the key scholars/thinkers and actual policy practitioners
- how have such positions emerged and developed over time?
- what are the possible future trajectories?
- what are the key reference materials?
- why and how is it important for NGO professionals, social movement activities, official development aid circle and nongovernmental donor agencies, students, academics, researchers and policy experts to understand the key points explained in the book?
Each book should combine theoretical discussion, policy-oriented discussion and empirical examples from different national/local settings.
Moreover, most of the volumes in the series will be invited manuscripts, although each manuscript will undergo a rigorous peer review process. In addition, each book will follow a semi-structured format prepared by the Book Series Editors – within the general idea of producing a state-of-the-art, small book for diverse audiences.
The English edition of the book series publication will be in partnership with the Halifax-based Fernwood Publishing and US-based Kimarian Pres.
The book series will be translated and published in different languages.
To date, there are three non-English editions in partnership with key institutions:
- Chinese edition with China Agricultural University in Beijing coordinated by Professor Ye Jingzhong.
- Spanish edition with Autonomous University of Zacatecas in Mexico coordinated by Raul Delgado-Wise.
- Portuguese edition with State University of São Paolo Presidente Prudente campus (UNESP) coordinated by Professor Bernardo Mancano Fernandes.
Possibly a Bahasa edition coordinated by Ben White. Negotiations for other editions (e.g. French, Arabic, Turkish, Japanese) are underway.
In short, the Series will publish scientifically rigorous, accessible, politically relevant, policy-oriented and highly affordable state-of the-art books. The target audience include:
- NGOs
- Nongovernmental donor agencies
- Social movement activists
- Government bureaucrats especially in the global South
- International development agency officials and workers
- University students and teachers
