New Author Submission Guidelines

Who We Are

Say It Right^™ is a small-press, educational publisher which publishes and distributes materials related to speech-language pathology, English as a second language and special education. We specialize in books, games, software, audio tapes, video tapes, manipulatives, and novelty items that assist in the instruction of these fields. Our customers are primarily educators, but also include administrators and parents.

Guidelines For Submission

1. Please address the questions on the attached submission outline and return to Say It Right^™ as soon as possible. If your project is completed already, please send the entire manuscript, article, or prototype.
2. Say It Right^™ requests that all communications be typed or word processed for readability. Submission places neither party under obligation to publish.
3. If the submission fits our publishing/distribution plan, and the costs are viable, we will provide you with more information about the preparation of your product and a contract offer. If both parties accept the contract, the editorial process begins.
4. Say It Right^™ requests that final manuscripts be word-processed using Microsoft Word or converted to Microsoft Word. Please check with us if this is not possible.
5. If we decide against publication, your materials will be returned as soon as we have assessed them. (If you enclose a self-addressed, postage-paid return mail package / envelope with your submission)
6. If you have questions, please contact Jim Ristuccia, Operations at (760) 613-6760 or email: jim@sayitright.org.

Project Description/Proposal

Please include answers to the following outlined questions in your typed or word-processed proposal.  Not all questions may be relevant. Just answer the best you can so that we may get the best picture of your proposal.  Concise but complete answers are much appreciated.

1. Brief Description:

Please describe the content of your manuscript/article or the nature of your product. Also include a description of the market(s) for which it is intended.

2. Content/Design Summary:

Please describe your project, its purpose, approach, organization, and content. What prompted you to write/design it? What are the outstanding, distinctive, or innovative features of it? If you have clips of news articles, etc. supporting the popular interest and relevance of your subject, please be sure to include copies with the submission of your proposal.

3. Special Editorial Features:

If the manuscript/product will include any special features that might help sell it - i.e., reproducible forms, case studies, cartoons, photos, etc. - please describe them.

Author

4. About Yourself:

Please tell us about your background and achievements. What experience or professional credentials do you have that uniquely prepare you to produce this project? What other books/products have you published/designed? What was the retail price, the publisher/producer/distributor, number of units sold, and through what marketing channels?

5. Logistics/Contact Numbers:

Please include all contact numbers including your mailing address, home phone, office phone, fax number, E-Mail address, etc. and your full name and appropriate title(s).

Marketing

6. Your Audience:

Please describe the primary and secondary markets for your product. Where appropriate, indicate both the general type of reader (i.e., people interested in autism) and the specific type of job or function held by the reader (i.e., elementary school teacher, SLP, ESL teacher, etc.).

7. Sales/Marketing:

Please tell us the major selling point of your product. What will make someone want to buy it? What resources do you have available to help market the product? Do you regularly give speeches or hold seminars at which the book/product could sell? (If so, to which groups? How many people would you typically address over the course of a year?) Do you have a client list to whom the product could be sold? Do you have any contacts with the media that would help promote the product or get it reviewed? Do you know a well known person in the appropriate industry who would be willing to write an introduction or provide a testimonial? Do you have ties to relevant professional associations?

8. Comparison with Key Competition:

List 2 to 3 competing products and positively distinguish yours. How is it more outstanding and unique? If possible, supply book title/product name, author/producer, price per unit, and year of copyright/patent. If there are not direct competitors, please cite the products/books that come the closest.

Project Status

9. Projected Finish Specs:

If your proposal is for a book, how long will the completed manuscript be (in double-spaced type-written pages)? When will it be finished? Will it contain photos, art, charts, or graphs? If you are writing it on a computer, what software are you using?

If your proposal is for a product, please discuss its physical properties, i.e., weight, size, packaging, when it will be ready for distribution, how much you believe it will cost, etc.

10. Samples:

If your proposal is for a book, please include a sample chapter or two that is representative of your manuscript and a table of contents in outline form. Include chapter headings, subheadings, and if possible, brief explanations of each chapter. Be sure to include appendices, glossaries, etc. If your project is an article, please include it in its entirety. If your proposal is for a product, please include a prototype.

Please mail or fax your complete proposal to:

Say It Right
Attention: Jim Ristuccia
P.O. Box 651
Tybee Island, GA 31328
Phone: (888) 811-0759
Fax: (912) 480-4214