Why publish with Sweet & Maxwell

As a specialist legal publisher with long-standing tradition of quality and scholarship, Sweet & Maxwell are committed to the publication of high quality texts that meet the needs of both lecturers and students. Our commitment to excellence offers authors a high level service through publishing professionalism, specialist market knowledge and understanding of the requirements of our authors.

Visit our dedicated Author Hub to find out more about us.

Among the benefits of Writing for Sweet & Maxwell are:

• Over 200 years of history and heritage in legal publishing: your work can benefit not just from this heritage but also from a brand that is synonymous with quality, excellence and authority
• Personal communication: a dedicated Publishing Editor will be your main point of contact throughout the whole publication process
• Editorial excellence: we accept only the highest standards in copy-editing, typesetting and production
• Informed marketing plan: in order to ensure that your work receives maximum exposure each title receives its own specific promotion plan
• International reach: as part of Thomson Reuters, Sweet & Maxwell has representation in over 100 countries providing us with the opportunity to maximise sales of appropriate titles internationally
• Sales support: a dedicated highly experienced academic trade sales team that concentrates purely on legal titles and their promotion into bookshops, online vendors and other agents.

What should you include in your proposal?

This varies for each title but you should consider the following:

• Covering letter - Explain why the market needs your book. Include a brief competitor review that covers other titles in the area. Don't be put off if there are other titles, we will be looking to see what makes your title unique. Detail who you think the target market is and how large you think it is. Think about the time it will take you to write the title and give a realistic delivery date for the manuscript
• Synopsis - Describe the aim and scope of the title. Summarise the approach you will take and the content to be covered. Include a draft table of contents and if you are intending to have contributing authors, any suggestions you may have for them. Indicate how in depth you intend the title to be. This section is the heart of your proposal so ensure that you have shown why your title has the potential to be successful
• Sample chapters - A draft chapter included with a proposal would be an advantage as this will give us a clear indication of writing style and content level. The chapter does not need to be a finished version, but should cover the essence of your style and approach and include ny features that you intend to use within the book
• Curriculum vitae - Provide details on your professional experience, as well as any previous publishing experience. Don't worry if you haven't had any previous publishing experience, this information will highlight that we need to give you more support during the process
• Additional material - Include any other supporting material that you think would be useful in demonstrating the market for your title

At Sweet & Maxwell we undertake to consider your proposal professionally and quickly. If we decide not to pursue publication, we will provide feedback and fully explain the reasons behind our decision.

Who to contact with your publishing proposal

The Academic team at Sweet & Maxwell would be delighted to hear from you should you be interested in writing a new textbook, skills title or revision text, contact nicola.thurlow@tr.com to discuss further.