Guidelines for Publishing ONS Books

The vision of the ONS Publishing Division is to be the leading publisher of health-related resources with primary emphasis on oncology and cancer care.

The mission of the ONS Publishing Division is to produce premier resources for the cancer-care community.

ONS provides personalized service and expert resources to help you in your book publishing endeavors. This booklet provides some guidelines for you to use in preparing proposals for consideration for publication and for preparing manuscripts for submission to ONS.

Proposal Submission

When approaching the ONS Publishing Division about publishing a book, you should submit the following:

1. Prospectus—a summary of the important information you want the publisher to know. It should include at least the following information.
   1. Brief description of the book, including why you think it will be important to the cancer-care community.
   2. Table of contents of the book. This should include a detailed description and outline of the contents to be included in each chapter, a tentative author for each chapter, and an approximate page count for each chapter.
   3. The number of manuscript pages that you anticipate for the completed work and the estimated time for completion of the entire manuscript.
   4. Identification of the primary and secondary audiences for the book.
   5. Your qualifications, as author/editor, and the names and qualifications of any coauthors you plan to use in writing this book.
   6. The titles, authors, publishers, dates of publication, and prices of books that may be in direct competition. Also include your recommendations for marketing strategies to reach the identified audiences.
2. The curriculum vitae of the author(s) submitting the proposal
3. At least one completed sample chapter. If you do not have a chapter prepared for the proposed book, please submit a previously published article or book chapter.

An ONS Publishing Division review panel will review the proposal, and you will be notified of its decision.

Manuscript Preparation and Submission

Manuscripts to be submitted for publication should be word processed double-spaced, with 1-inch margins. Do not double-space after periods. Number pages consecutively within each chapter, with the chapter number preceding the page number in the lower right-hand corner. Adhere to the original number of pages indicated in the prospectus and your contract. Submit a printout of the entire manuscript and the electronic manuscript files saved on an IBM-compatible computer disk, preferably in Microsoft^® Word™ format. Label the disk with your name, file name(s), and software used.

Permissions

If you have substantially altered someone else's material for use in your publication (e.g., added/deleted columns in a table), it has been adapted. If no changes or only minor changes have been made to someone else's material for use in your publication, it is being reprinted. In either case, you must obtain written permission to use the material, and proper credit is given to the copyright holder.

Obtaining permission for use of copyrighted material, including your own previously published work, is the author's responsibility, as are any fees charged by the copyright owner. Contact the copyright holder to request permission to reprint or adapt. Consult the publisher's Web site to determine their preferred method for submitting permission requests (e.g., online form, e-mail or fax request). Sample permission request forms are available from the ONS Publishing Division. You should submit the original, signed permission request forms with the final manuscript.

Authors must obtain and submit a signed statement of informed consent to publish in print and online patient descriptions/case studies, photographs, and pedigrees from all persons or parents/legal guardians of minors who can be identified in such written descriptions, photographs, or pedigrees. Such persons should be shown the manuscript before its submission. If necessary, a sample permission form can be provided by ONS.

This requirement does not apply to information supplied as subject demographic information in the context of a research project.

Photographs, Figures, and Tables

Photographs submitted for inclusion in the book should be original, glossy prints. Figures should be camera ready (photocopies are not acceptable) or provided in a high-resolution electronic graphics file format (e.g., EPS, TIFF). If a photograph, figure, or table has been printed elsewhere, you must obtain permission to reprint. If a person can be identified in a photograph, the subject or guardian must sign a form granting permission.

All photographs and figures must be clearly identified with typed, self-adhesive labels. Do not write on the back of any photograph. Indicate the number and orientation on the label on the back of the photograph and indicate the approximate placement within the text; call out all figures and tables within the text document. A separate table/figure legend list, which includes the corresponding figure number, should accompany your final manuscript.

Number tables consecutively, with chapter number and table number, and type each table on a separate page. You will be required to adhere to the number of photographs, figures, and tables allotted in your contract.

Use of Drug Names

When using drug names, include both the generic and brand name of the drug, when possible. Names of products and processes that are patented and are the exclusive property of a company are capitalized and followed by & or ™ and include the manufacturer information (company name, city, and state). The symbol and the manufacturer information need only appear the first time the product or process is mentioned within the body of the text. The author is responsible for verifying all drug doses used within the text.

Work of Contributors

If additional authors will contribute to the book, the ONS Publishing Division will obtain the author agreement/contract. The lead author/editor should edit the chapters written by contributors prior to submission to the ONS Publishing Division to ensure consistency in style, terminology, etc. The lead author/editor should submit all chapters at one time. Manuscripts submitted piecemeal may be returned.

References

The ONS Publishing Division uses the reference style of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition) (2001). Please refer to the examples of references (starting on page 9) to be included within the text and as a reference list.

Index

Indexing of the book can be done by the author(s) or by the ONS Publishing Division. The decision will be made at the time of the signing of your contract.

Process for Publication

Once your manuscript has been submitted to the ONS Publishing Division for processing, several things will occur. First, the manuscript will undergo review to ensure that all requirements have been met.

The ONS Publishing Division technical editor and copy editor will edit the manuscript. Changes will be made to the manuscript for clarity and style. The copy-edited text will be sent to the primary author for approval. These pages must be reviewed very carefully to be sure that all information is correct. Check all drug names and dosages to ensure that they are correct. The editors will make "author queries" throughout the manuscript if they have questions. This is the time to make any necessary changes to the manuscript. Once the manuscript enters the layout phase, changes are more difficult to make and become more costly.

Once all author corrections have been received and incorporated, the manuscript will go into layout. Once the pages are designed and the tables/figures set, the editor will have an opportunity to review the page proofs. This will be the last time you see the manuscript before it goes to the printer. Review it very carefully for any errors. You will receive specific instructions for your review when the copy is sent to you. At this point in the process, time is of the essence. You must return the copy to the ONS Publishing Division according to the instructions included.

Once the page proof corrections are received, they are incorporated and final proofreading is done. If an index is to be included, it is generated at this point.

Checklist for Authors

View or print out the Checklist for Authors.

Reference Format

Note. Adapted from American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Periodicals

Books & Book Chapters

Web Pages

Citations Within the Body of the Text

Writing Tips

1. Be sure that you cite each reference used within the text in the reference list. Also check that you have used in the text each reference appearing in the final list. If you are unsure about how to cite a reference, include all possible information that may be needed. Use an index card or some other form to keep track of your references. Always include all authors' names; title of article or book chapter; title of book or periodical containing the article; year of publication; publisher; city of publisher and pages of article. It is better to have the information on hand than to have to go back to the library to find the information when you are ready to compile your reference list.
2. All references should be in alphabetical order using the surname of the first author.
3. You may find it easier to begin writing by creating a detailed outline first. Expand the outline to formulate the first draft of your paper. This will help you to organize your ideas.
4. Once you have written the first draft of your manuscript, put it away for a few days. Review it after you have taken a break from working on it. It will be easier for you to identify areas that are not stated the way you wanted or that are missing.
5. After you have written the second draft and are comfortable with it (or don't know where to go next), select a few people to read your manuscript for a constructive critique. Select someone whom you feel will give you an honest and objective opinion. Be prepared for the reviewer to suggest a lot of changes. If the person suggests no changes, choose another reviewer.
6. Avoid wordiness and redundancy. Saying something in different ways in different sentences and in different paragraphs will not help to get your point across.
7. Spell out what an acronym stands for the first time it is used in the text and include the acronym in parentheses next to it. Thereafter, use the acronym on its own. For example: "American Nurses Association (ANA)" on first reference; "ANA" on subsequent references.
8. Use a final serial comma (i.e., place a comma after the next-to-last object, action, etc., in a series). In addition, a comma should precede and, but, or, nor, for, so, although, yet, and other connectives when they link independent clauses (i.e., clauses that could be written separately).
9. For direct quotations in the text, use "p." if one page of the publication is noted; use "pp." if more than one is noted.
10. For specific questions not addressed in this tip sheet, see American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author; and The Chicago manual of style (15th ed.). (2003). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.