Publish with NASPA

NASPA publishes books, periodicals, and other media to inform student affairs professionals and assist them in their daily work to support student learning and success. Featuring scholars and practitioners in the fields of higher education and student affairs, NASPA publications seek to affirm and advance the NASPA vision, mission, and guiding principles.

Book Proposal Submissions

Book Proposal Submissions

All prospective authors should complete the NASPA Book Proposal Submission Form.

Books can take the form of monographs, handbooks, or professional texts. NASPA receives numerous inquiries on how to publish with the association. We currently publish approximately three to five books each year.

Prior to preparing your proposal, we encourage you to review the list of our recently published books. If you are submitting a proposal on a topic that we have recently covered, be sure to explain what distinguishes your book.

We expect our prospective authors to thoroughly complete the NASPA Book Proposal Submission Form. The proposal you submit will be the basis on which we evaluate the book’s suitability for publication.

Authors are welcome to submit proposals at any time. However, NASPA has two dedicated book proposal review periods each year in October and May. To ensure your proposal is read during the review period, please send your complete submission no later than August 31 for review in October or March 31 for review in May.

 

Book Proposal Review Process

During the dedicated review period, your proposal will be reviewed by a publishing committee of NASPA staff who will determine whether the book is appropriate for NASPA’s catalog. The committee takes various factors into account including the book proposal, the market, and cost analysis. If the proposal is declined at this stage, you will be notified within a few weeks.

If the proposed book is appropriate, the proposal will often be sent to three to five reviewers who are experts in the field for additional feedback. The reviewers have the option of allowing us to share their name and affiliation with the author, and we respect their decision. Reviewer feedback, along with NASPA’s publishing decision, will then be sent to you. The committee will make one of the following determinations: accept, revise and resubmit, or declined.

The time allotment for external reviews is about four to six weeks depending on reviewer availability and the size of the proposal. Authors who submit proposals for the October review should expect responses no later than January/February. Authors who submit proposals for the May review should expect responses no later than August/September.

Once a decision is made to publish, NASPA will offer a publishing agreement. If there are contributing authors, each contributor must also sign an agreement. Signing the publishing agreement begins a relationship between you and the NASPA staff, who will work closely alongside you during the publishing process.

 

Book Publishing Process

Manuscript Submission

You will be asked to submit the complete and final manuscript within an agreed upon designated period of time. This is typically 9 to 12 months from the time the proposal is accepted to ensure timeliness of publication.

NASPA staff will advise you on specific guidelines for preparing the manuscript. The preferred file format for final manuscript submission is Microsoft Word. You should do your best to follow APA Style (7th Edition), but any style inconsistencies will be addressed during editing.

 

Production

Once the manuscript is submitted, it will enter the production process, where it will be edited, formatted, indexed, and finally printed. The length of the production process depends on the size of the book, but typically takes about 12 to 18 months. Any delay in your submission of the final manuscript will consequently delay the production timeline. If you need additional time to deliver your manuscript, let us know as soon as possible.

All NASPA books undergo substantive editing. This includes correcting errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation; inconsistencies in capitalization, compounding, number style, and abbreviations; and deviations from the specified style. It also includes rewording for clarity and flow, rewriting unclear passages, applying a consistent voice across chapters, and styling reference lists. You will receive the edited version of the manuscript with queries to address.

After all editing queries have been addressed, the manuscript will enter layout and design. A professional graphic designer will create the cover and interior layout. Your input during the design process is encouraged. A PDF proof of the final book as it will appear in print will be shared with you for final review before going to press.

During the design phase, NASPA will also solicit endorsements for the back cover. We welcome your suggestions for reviewers to endorse the book.

To assist readers, NASPA books typically include an index. Toward the end of the production process, once page numbers have been set, a professional indexer will prepare the index. Indexing generally takes around four weeks.

With the index complete, depending on the size of the book, printing usually takes about four to six weeks to complete. Ebook formats are produced simultaneously with the print edition.

 

Marketing and Promotion

NASPA undertakes to market your book through a variety of channels. We want your book to have as much exposure as possible. We will feature your book at NASPA events, on our website, on Amazon, in e-mail campaigns, and through our social media channels, as well as send review copies to the appropriate professional publications.

Promotional efforts are most effective when NASPA and the author work together closely. For example, let us know where you are traveling for speaking engagements or conference attendance. Help us spread the word via your professional networks and social media connections. You are also welcome to write for the NASPA blog.

If you have any questions during the publishing process, NASPA staff is always available to assist.

 

Journal Articles

NASPA journals feature peer-reviewed research in student affairs, serving higher education communities worldwide through an unparalleled commitment to quality, scholarship, and the spirit of inquiry. NASPA publishes three scholarly journals: Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education, and Journal of College and Character. Please review each journal’s article submission guidelines prior to submission.

 

Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice

The vision of the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practiceis to publish the most rigorous, relevant, and well-respected research and practice making a difference in student affairs practice. JSARP especially encourages manuscripts that are unconventional in nature and that engage in methodological and epistemological extensions that transcend the boundaries of traditional research inquiries.

Submit an article to Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice.

 

Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education

Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education publishes scholarship that centers gender-based experiences of students, faculty, and staff while examining oppression, including but not limited to patriarchy, sexism, trans* oppression, and cisnormativity as they intersect with other systems of domination. The journal is particularly interested in manuscripts that not only focus on a gender-based group but also critically interrogate the ways in which gender has been used as a construct to limit opportunities and shape outcomes and experiences.

Submit an article to Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education.

 

 Journal of College and Character

Journal of College and Character examines how colleges and universities influence the moral and civic learning and behavior of students. Published quarterly, the journal features scholarly articles and applied research on issues related to ethics, values, and character development in a higher education setting.

Submit an article to Journal of College and Character.

 

Journal of First-generation Student Success

The Journal of First-generation Student Success seeks to contribute to the scholarship of those in the higher education field seeking a research-driven approach to best practices and practitioners interested in utilizing research to inform their work. Published three times per year, the JFGSS is interested in articles that are innovative, imaginative, and forward thinking regarding the experiences and outcomes of first-generation college students and the approaches institutions of higher education are employing to serve, matriculate, and complete this population.

Submit an article to Journal of First-generation Student Success.

 

Knowledge Community Annual Publication Articles

The NASPA Knowledge Community Publication provides timely, thought-provoking articles that support the NASPA Annual Conference and the NASPA Guiding Principles of integrity, inclusion, inquiry, and innovation. Published annually in March, the publication offers a look into the amazing work of our association and our membership, with topics related to promising practices, current research, and emerging trends in student affairs. The NASPA Knowledge Community Publication has become a hallmark of the Knowledge Community program.

To contribute to this publication, please apply to serve on the Knowledge Community Publication Committee.

Past NASPA Knowledge Community publications can be accessed at the links below.

Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice in NASPA Publications

In line with NASPA’s Commitment to Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice, the association strives to ensure that all aspects of our publishing process eliminate barriers to participation, promote inclusion and representation, and advance engagement and collaboration. Equity, inclusion, and social justice are imperative to strengthening knowledge and enable us to better serve our diverse communities of members who are both creators and consumers of scholarship. In collaboration with our volunteer leaders, authors, and publishing partners, we undertake a variety of practices to promote and advance equity, inclusion, and social justice throughout the publishing process to ensure the highest quality scholarship.

Eliminate Barriers to Participation

  • Conduct open and transparent call for application processes for leadership positions within publications, such as journal editorial boards and new professional and graduate student review boards.
  • Ensure diverse representation on editorial boards and in reviewer pools through a balance of institutional affiliation; race; ethnicity; national origin; religion; gender identity or expression; affectional or sexual orientation; veteran status; disability; or other protected characteristics.
  • Encourage professionals from historically underrepresented backgrounds to apply for editorial board positions through open call for applications processes.
  • Offer an open and transparent book proposal submission process that enables professionals of all career levels and backgrounds the opportunity to submit book proposals.

Promote Inclusion and Representation

  • Use of affirming and inclusive language that is free from bias, stereotypes, colloquialism, and references to dominant culture and/or cultural assumptions. NASPA follows the American Psychological Association Style Guide’s principles for bias-free language.
  • Maintain a focus on equity by publishing content that is representative of all people and communities.
  • Amplify diverse voices in the higher education and student affairs community by considering and publishing scholarship from diverse professionals at various career stages, particularly people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, scholars with disabilities, and professionals of other historically marginalized groups.
  • Select images that showcase diversity, inclusion, and belonging in all forms. Avoid images that portray stereotypes, tokenization, or misidentification.

Advance Engagement and Collaboration

  • Diversify our community of authors through collaborative volumes that feature a variety of perspectives.
  • Create opportunities for readers to meaningfully engage with authors through publications events and other initiatives.
  • Demystify the scholarly publication process, particularly for early career professionals, through editorial mentorships and workshops.
  • Disseminate publications in a variety of accessible formats.