Book Review Guidelines
- Submission: Please submit your review in duplicate, with a computer disk. If you would like any materials returned to you, please enclose a SASE.
- Content: Describe the content of the work in brisk, summary fashion; avoid a plodding chapter-by-chapter précis or excessive detail. Above all, evaluate the work critically, judging its strengths and its shortcomings; at least "60%" of the review should be devoted to evaluation, and the ideal is to include most of the description within the evaluation.
- Tone: Our policy is to maintain a courteous tone, even when expressing differences of opinion or pointing out errors of fact.
- Format: Please type on one side of 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Begin typing 8 double spaces from the top of the first page. Double-space all text.
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Heading: Please give this information in the following order and form.
- Author. Title. Editor. Translator. Series. Number of Volumes. Edition. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year. Number of Pages. Price (Cloth; Paper). Thus:
- Collins, Irene. Jane Austen and the Clergy. Rio Grande OH: Hambledon, 1994. Pp. 242 + 30 illustrations. $32.95 cloth.
- Citations: If you cite directly from the book, indicate the page cited in parenthesis.
- Length: Our word limit is 400 words for a brief notice, 800 words for a standard review of a single book, and 5000 words for a review essay of more than one book.
- Conclusion: At bottom left of the review, type your institution and its location; at bottom right your name.
- Deadline: Try to submit reviews within six months of receiving the book(s) you are reviewing. For the sake of authors, publishers, and readers, we wish to publish reviews as early as possible. If you cannot review a book within a reasonable time, please return it to us.
- Editing: Copy may be edited for length, clarity, style, or tone.
- Requests: We occasionally accept requests to review forthcoming books. If you suggest a book for review, please supply data about the author, title, publisher, and year.
We are deeply indebted to our reviewers. Thank you for your generous assistance.