Book FAQs
Word count
How strict is the minimum and maximum word limit?
Please let your Commissioning Editor know as soon as possible if the word count of your manuscript is more than 10% of the contracted word count as this may affect the list price of your book. As a general rule, please aim for between a minimum of 50, 000 words and a maximum of 150, 000 words.
Is there a word limit for the Preface or Foreword?
There is no strict word limit for the Preface or Foreword. However, they are usually 1 to 2 pages in length or 400 – 800 words.
Is there a word limit for the About the Authors or About the Editors sections?
There is no strict word limit for the About sections for the Editors or Authors of the work. However, please keep the biographies to one brief paragraph or two. For contributors, the names and affiliations are sufficient. This section should be as short as possible.
Chapter abstracts
Can chapter abstracts be provided?
Yes, we are now accepting, and encouraging, chapter abstracts as we are now publishing chapters individually online. If you do decide to include chapter abstracts, they must be included in all chapters. We suggest no more than 250 words. Please ensure the use of chapter abstracts is consistent in each chapter.
Chapter keywords
How many keywords are required for individual chapters?
Keywords are encouraged for chapters to help with discoverability. If you do decide to include chapter keywords, they must be included in all chapters. We suggest up to 10 keywords, ordered alphabetically, initial capitalised. For example:
Keywords | Legal pluralism; Participation; South Africa; Water reform; Water user associations
Please ensure use of chapter keywords is consistent in each chapter.
Names, credentials and affiliations
What credentials and affiliations should be provided for each Author/Editor? How should their names be presented?
Names will be included in the ‘About the Author,’ ‘About the Editor’ or ‘List of Contributing Authors’ sections as well as other relevant Front Matter. Names should be placed after the chapter title as well but only if it is a contributed work. However, please be consistent in how the names are displayed throughout the book. Either names in full or first initial and family/surname.
Affiliations (e.g. the organization or institute for which the authors work) are normally included in the ‘About the Author,’ ‘About the Editor’ or ‘List of Contributing Authors’ sections, so there is no need to duplicate this in chapters. They can be added, but do check with the Production Editor first as they will be removed during typesetting otherwise.
Credentials should only be included in the ‘About the Author,’ ‘About the Editor’ or ‘List of Contributing Authors’ sections or other relevant Front Matter.
Figures
How can I check if my figures are sufficiently high quality?
High-resolution figures should be used throughout the writing process and provided in the final manuscript. They should be at least 300dpi and saved separately as .png, .tiff and .ai. Any figure lower than 300dpi is likely to be rejected. You check the dpi by doing the following:
1. Right-click on the image file
2. Select ‘Properties’
3. Select ‘Details’
4. See resolution
Please keep your source figure files safe in case they are needed in the production process.
What figure formats do you accept?
We accept figure files with .png, .tiff and .ai extensions. We advise against .jpg or.jpeg as these are not always suitable for printing. If you are concerned about figure quality or format, do get in touch with your Production Editor.
Does IWA Publishing print in colour?
While the eBook will be in colour, figures will be printed in black and white as per standard practice. If colour illustrations are essential for both eBook and print, please contact the Commissioning Editor.
For composite figures, do we split the photographs into separate figures and assign courtesy to the relevant person/company e.g. “(courtesy x)” or do we add a string of owners to a single caption e.g. “(courtesy x, xx, xxx)"?
A string of acknowledgements can be included in a single caption. Our typesetter will apply figure labelling e.g. Figure 14 (a) (b) (c) etc. where there is a separate description and/or acknowledgement in the Figure caption. All permissions should be referred to in the caption as per the copyright holder’s request. Alternatively, the figures can be separated, but this may not be necessary if all the figures are representative of the one in-text figure reference i.e. see Figure x.
Permissions
Should I provide evidence of having received permission for artwork?
It is the author’s responsibility to obtain permission to use other peoples’ material, whether artwork, tables or text. In particular, material found on the internet is not necessarily in the public domain. The author must acknowledge all content which has been previously published. A standard Permission Request Form is supplied by IWA Publishing. All completed permissions correspondence should be included on delivery of your manuscript. Please contact the Commissioning Editor if in any doubt.
How do I obtain permission to use work that has previously been published by IWA Publishing?
Please contact us if you have a request to reprint part or all of any work previously published in an IWA Publishing book or journal. Please give as much detail as possible about the previously published work and the new work it is to appear in.
References
Are there any special requirements for the citations and/or references?
References are important and should be listed alphabetically at the end of the book (if an authored book). If the book has contributors, the references should be at the end of each chapter. The purpose of the reference is to allow the reader to find a source easily. Guidance on citations and references can be found here: https://www.iwapublishing.com/about-us/author-centre/guidelines-book-authors.
Formatting
Do you normally have chapter summaries of main results at the end of each section of the book?
Optional paragraph that summarises the main points and results of a chapter in a clear and concise manner, normally for undergraduate and graduate-level textbooks.
Will each chapter receive a DOI?
All chapters and other relevant matter will normally be assigned a unique DOI. However, some agreements may have exceptions. If in doubt, please ask your Production Editor.
I have quotations at the beginning of chapters. Is this accepted?
It is possible to have quotations at the beginning of chapters as long as there is a quotation for each chapter. Please ensure a source is included.
Do you have a template for books/chapters? For example, to show fonts, line space, references, figures etc?
A chapter template can be requested from the Commissioning Editor or Production Editor.
Is it possible to give credit to a friend or colleague in my chapter?
This should be left for the Preface.
Additional materials
How you handle supplementary files, for example an excel sheet?
Supplementary files such as excel sheets can be hosted on the eBook’s webpage, under the book’s full DOI. This DOI can be used and clicked within the eBook. The file names should vary and be as relevant as possible to the content.
Submission
How should I submit the final manuscript?
Depending on the size of the manuscript, it should be sent to the Commissioning Editor via a file transfer service such as Dropbox (preferred), WeTransfer, ShareFile, Hightail etc.
Do you accept LaTeX files? Will these need to be typeset?
We do accept LaTex files however these may be formatted to ensure it conforms to house style.
How do you want me to submit the final version of the chapters; just email you the relevant files or create a Dropbox with separate files for each chapter?
It would be best if each chapter could be sent separately via a file transfer service. However, if the book is shorter (approximately 50, 000 words) and single-Authored, one manuscript file via a file transfer service is fine.
Cover Design
Who will design my book cover?
IWA Publishing provides professional cover design as part of its production process. If you have any ideas or suggestions, please notify the Commissioning Editor as soon as possible, ideally before submission.
Will the cover design for a second edition be the same as the first edition?
We try and ensure designs are consistent across editions as much as possible to help the reader identify the book. However, the design may have some updates and Author/Editor names may differ also.
Open Access
Will the OA licence apply to both the ePDF and the ePUB?
Currently, ePUB vendors do not facilitate Open Access content, so only the ePDF will be made Open Access. This may change so please do check with your Production Editor. See here for more information about Open Access.
Timeline
Can I submit chapters separately as I finish them one by one, so that copyediting of these chapters can begin?
All chapters must be submitted together and be complete. No rewriting will be allowed once these are submitted so please ensure they are in their most complete form.
To expedite the copyediting process, can I provide draft chapters as I produce them?
See answer above.
Can you reduce the production time to have the book available earlier?
This depends on the condition of the final manuscript and how much work is needed. If your book needs to be available for a conference and/or event, please let your Commissioning Editor know as soon as possible as your book may be prioritised.
Copyediting
Does IWA Publishing copyedit books?
It is standard procedure for all IWA Publishing books to go through copyediting by a professional copyeditor, to ensure consistently high quality across all publications.
I noticed some typos in the manuscript, including figures. How do I fix these at this stage and at what stage?
There will be an opportunity to review your chapters once they are typeset. Please hold off from sending any corrections until you receive your typeset proofs.
Index
Does IWA Publishing index books?
The keywords for the Index are normally the author's responsibility. The author must provide a list of keywords for this purpose. If you are unable to supply this, let the Commissioning Editor know before submitting your final manuscript. Guidance on drafting a list of keywords can be found here: https://www.iwapublishing.com/about-us/author-centre/guidelines-book-authors.
How is the Index generated?
The Index is generated by IWA Publishing’s typesetter. The typesetter will check the list of keywords, eliminate duplicate entries, suggest combining similar entries, and assign page numbers. There will be an opportunity for the Author to review the final Index.
How long should the Index be?
The recommended number of keywords is 100 per page and the recommended total of pages is 3-5.
Author copies
Can the Author and Contributing Authors purchase the book at a discount?
All Authors, Editors and Contributing Authors can order copies of their book at a special discount of 50%.
Can I get the final PDFs of our chapters?
This is not standard procedure unless the chapters are Open Access. We do not distribute more than the agreed complimentary copies and their format. If it is for a conference, course or other events, please ask the Commissioning Editor.
If I am both an Editor and a Chapter Author, how many complimentary copies do I receive?
Please check what has been agreed in your contract or ask the Commissioning Editor.
I want to purchase an ePDF on the IWA website but it says that I am not registered. How can I purchase the ePDF?
In order to purchase an ePDF, you must register an email on IWAPONLINE.COM. Once you have purchased your ePDF, you will receive an email with your receipt and a download link. If you are subscribed to IWA Publishing eBooks Collection (IPEC), you can access ePDFs for free. Find out more about subscriptions here.