VIBS

HANDBOOK FOR AUTHORS

with Appendices

Robert Ginsberg

Executive Editor

Second Edition, 20 January 1999

Draft Submitted to the Editorial Board for Approval

Copyright c by Robert Ginsberg 1999

All Rights Reserved

No part of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission.

CONTENTS

Welcome

PART ONE: General Information

1. History of VIBS
2. The Field of Value Inquiry
3. Cosmopolitanism
4. Co-Sponsors
5. Special Series
6. Language
7. Length
8. Multiple Volumes

PART TWO: Kinds of Books

9. Forms of Books
10. Monographs
11. Collective Volumes
12. Conference Proceedings
13. Textbooks
14. Translations in English
15. Dissertations
16. Second Editions
17. Collected Papers of an Author
18. Journals

PART THREE: Author Benefits

19. Royalties
20. Advance Royalties and the Funding of Books
21. Complimentary Copies
22. Discounts
23. Presentation Copies
24. Offprints
25. Complimentary Copies for Contributors
26. Sample Volumes
27. Prizes
28. Receptions
29. Letters of Recommendation
30. Repeated Authorship

PART FOUR: Editorial Services

31. VIBS Editors
32. Communication with Editors
33. Executive Editor
34. Associate Editors
35-45. Special Roles and Duties of Associate Editors
46. Referees
47. Authors Council
48. Newsletter
49. Archive
50. Other Activities
51. Directory of Services

PART FIVE: Publishing Services

APPENDICES 1-12

1. VIBS Agreement to Publish

2. Policy Concerning Professional Preparers of Camera-Ready Books

3. Policy on Translation

4. VIBS Policy on Diskettes for Camera-Ready Books

5. Clarification of VIBS Policy on Publishing Previously Published Materials

6. A Reminder about Adherence to the VIBS Contract

7. Checklist for Authors of Camera-Ready Copy

8. Sample of Transmittal Form

9. The VIBS Stylesheet Editorial Guidelines

10. A Note from the Executive Editor on Exceptions

11. Tips to VIBS Editors about Book Proposals Unlikely to Succeed

12. On the Possessive Apostrophe

Welcome to the VALUE INQUIRY BOOK SERIES (VIBS). This is one of the most valuable and fastest-growing international publishing programs of philosophy in the English language.

VIBS publishes original scholarship of excellent quality in well-written books that are rapidly produced with high professional standards and marketed aggressively throughout the world. VIBS is directed by distinguished academic editors, assisted by independent referees, and published by Rodopi, the world-class publisher.

VIBS books are vibrant. VIBS does more than add to philosophical scholarship; it leads philosophy in new directions and with new standards for the twenty-first century.

VIBS is dedicated to demystifying academic publishing. Hence, this Handbook tries to make clear everything about publishing with VIBS that authors might wish to know. With the help of the Handbook, prospective authors can judge whether to formally propose their work to VIBS. VIBS authors and editors can make good use of the Handbook as a reference guide during their affiliation with VIBS.

As a Handbook, this is not meant to be read through in order, but to be read in as needed. Repetition of material is unavoidable in serving this purpose, since it facilitates accessibility to the information sought. Each reader will hopefully find among these hundred or so headings those discussions that answer to that reader's interests.

Readers of the Handbook are invited to propose revisions and additions that might lead to improvements in the conduct of VIBS. We, the editors, intend to grow in experience by working with you the authors.

In the interval between revised editions of the Handbook, announcement sheets may be circulated by VIBS with up-to-date information.

But the ideal of spelling out everything in advance concerning publication may never be realized. Authors are therefore cordially invited to consult VIBS Senior Editors on any matters not fully dealt with in these pages or in the subsequent announcements.

VIBS grew out of the Value Inquiry Movement in philosophy during the early 1990s, which saw the increase of conferences, journals, societies, and centers active in the philosophy of values. All this activity called for a book series to serve the expansion of scholarship. VIBS was founded in 1992 by Robert Ginsberg in association with G. John M. Abbarno, Sander H. Lee, Thomas Magnell, Michael H. Mitias, and Myra Moss. The early editorial activity was closely related to The Journal of Value Inquiry, the Conference on Value Inquiry, the American Society for Value Inquiry, and the International Society for Value Inquiry.

VIBS rapidly expanded to worldwide publishing, working with many organizations, editors, and Special Series. VIBS aims to publish 500 volumes, in cooperation with as many as 40 Associate Editors and 50 co-sponsors.

VIBS considers book-length philosophical works in all areas of Value Inquiry, including social and political thought, ethics, applied philosophy, feminism, personalism, religious values, values in higher education, medical and health values, values in science and technology, humanistic psychology, formal axiology, history of philosophy, post-communist thought, peace theory, law and society, and theory of culture.

VIBS regards Value Inquiry as the open-ended philosophical exploration of matters of human concern. VIBS seeks the human face to philosophy.

VIBS is committed to the practice of philosophy without borders. It is the first truly global book series in philosophy. It opens its doors to philosophers everywhere in the world.

In its first 75 volumes, VIBS published authors in Australia, Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, The Netherlands, Poland, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, and the United States. By 1998, the offices of VIBS Associate Editors were located in Finland, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States.

Affiliate Editors, Assistant Editors, and Referees are spread throughout the world. Special Series are being developed on Latin-American Thought, Philosophy in Spain, Nordic Value Studies, Central-European Value Studies, and Values in Italian Philosophy. Additional publishing programs are being explored in Canadian Philosophy, African Philosophy, Chinese Philosophy, and Australasian Philosophy.

From its inception, VIBS has sought the co-sponsorship of appropriate centers, institutes, societies, and other philosophic organizations. By 1998, more than twenty philosophical organizations were official co-sponsors of VIBS. Such affiliation gives valuable moral support to the editorial activities. In many cases, the co-sponsor is represented on the Editorial Board by an Associate Editor who is also editor of a special series related to the organization. In such fashion, VIBS serves a multiplicity of professional groups active in the diverse branches of philosophy. VIBS participates in the philosophic profession as a highly respected medium for advancing research.

Often, our publisher, Rodopi, sends flyers to the membership of a society. VIBS titles may be announced and reviewed in the newsletter of an organization. VIBS books may be displayed, with discounts, at the annual meeting of a society.

See Appendix below for the VIBS flyer which lists co-sponsors. Additional co-sponsors are being actively sought.

Because Value Inquiry is conducted as a multi-pronged exploration of human values, VIBS from its start organized Special Series to concentrate on designated areas of the field or on special forms of treating the subjects. A Special Series, under the direction of a designated Senior Editor, is free to develop a clearly delineated family of books, reconstituting a field with new contributions.

The several Special Series are integrated parts of the series called VIBS. In other words, VIBS is a single series with several special series. Unity and diversity. All VIBS books receive a volume number as part of single system of enumeration; Special Series do not have special numbers. While VIBS uses a uniform cover design, each Special Series has a distinctive color combination for its covers. The Special Series is identified on the series page of the volume (p. ii), as well as on the back cover.

An author may submit a volume for VIBS in general or for one of its Special Series. Sometimes, the Senior Editors may recommend transferring a submission from one Special Series to another, from regular VIBS publication to a Special Series, or vice versa.

Because the many Special Series are all part of VIBS as a comprehensive book series, titles reach the attention of specialists in other areas who become interested in work of which they had been unaware. This leads to increased sales for books and increased membership for co-sponsors.

Flyers for current Special Series are attached to the Appendix. Information may be obtained on a Special Series by writing the scholar in charge.

Further Special Series are under negotiation with distinguished scholars and with officers of centers and organizations in value studies. Announcements will be made for each Special Series when arrangements are completed.

VIBS has chosen English for its publications because of the global significance of English as a language for scholarship. Many forms of English thrive in the world. VIBS has chosen an international styling of English that is closest to formal usage in the United States. All books accepted by VIBS will conform to this house style. See Editorial Guidelines (our stylesheet), included below in the Appendix..

Rodopi cedes to the author of a monograph the right to publish the work, without fee or further permission from Rodopi, in the author's own translation in another language, if complete bibliographical acknowledgement is given and Rodopi receives notification of the publication. Rodopi retains the right to grant other parties permission to translate the work into other languages. In the case of a collective work, the author of a contribution may re-use that person's contribution elsewhere in English or translation, if suitable bibliographical credit is given. By these means, authors are free to pursue their publishing career in the their preferred language, while their work is made available by Rodopi in the global language of English. Rodopi and VIBS encourage both diversity of cultural expression and universal communication.

A book accepted by VIBS in English may have already appeared first in another language. By 1997, Rodopi had published English versions in VIBS of works from Spanish, Italian, German, Swedish, Hebrew, and Latin.

See the section below on Translations.

VIBS can publish works that vary in length in printed form from less than 100 pages to several hundred pages, depending on the kind of book involved. But authors are encouraged to build up the manuscript of a monograph that would come out as less than 100 pages, or to cut down a monograph that aims at 400 pages in print. An excessively short book might as well be lengthened, with more work, given the effort that will be required to publish it. While an excessively long book, which would be quite expensive, will discourage its purchase and even its reading. For a book that goes beyond 400 pages, VIBS asks for assurance that a substantial number of scholars are willing to buy such a book.

A project proposed to VIBS should always be accompanied by a realistic estimate of printed length, including Foreword, Introduction, End Notes, Bibliography, and Index, so that the Senior Editors can advise on the appropriateness of its size.

VIBS will not consider monographs that are multi-volume works. Each VIBS monograph must stand on its own as an independent book. Sequel volumes are often appropriate. Some documental works, especially those in the Special Series, Histories and Addresses of Philosophical Societies (HAPS), can be designed as multiple volumes.

VIBS books take several forms, including monographs, thematic volumes of collective authorship, special series, well-edited materials drawn from conferences, translations of recent or historical texts into English, and reference works. VIBS has published books in the form of philosophical autobiography, dialogue, history of philosophy, meditation, treatise, documental record, annotated bibliography, symposium, and textual commentary. VIBS opens its doors to the widest range of philosophical modes of discourse. All the writing must be clear, consistent, and grammatically correct.

A book written by one author is often regarded as the highest form of contribution to scholarship. VIBS monographs are distinctive for their originality, clear thinking, thorough scholarship, and elegant writing. VIBS encourages philosophers to develop fully their position in books that may change the direction of a field. To be avoided are the academic plagues of jargon, repetition, indecisiveness, and digression.

VIBS welcomes well-edited studies that contain several contributions to a branch of Value Inquiry. The editor of the volume has to see that all the materials conform to the stylistic, referencing, and other conventions adopted by VIBS. The editor is expected to provide a substantial introduction which unifies the book, explains its organization, and assists the reader to follow its contents. That introduction can make or break the collective work as a single volume. A brief section should be prepared for the back of the book as About the Contributors. Before accepting a contribution to a collective volume, its editor should obtain written agreement that the contributor will accept copy-editing along the VIBS lines.

12. Conference Proceedings

While VIBS does not publish conference proceedings as the duplication in print of all papers presented orally at a meeting, it will consider publication of carefully selected and well-edited materials drawn from conferences. Not all papers presented at a conference are ready for publication. Papers that seem publishable might be written with varying conventions for references and spelling. Conference proceedings run the hazard of being disconnected contributions on disparate subjects. Librarians are wary of ordering works entitled "Proceedings."

Hence, the editor of such a collective volume is urged to exercise critical judgment in selection of the contents, to make all materials consistent in usage, and to write an introduction to the materials for the sake of unity. Such editorial work should be complete before proposing the volume to VIBS. VIBS prefers to title such volumes "Studies" rather than "Proceedings"; the contributions are to be treated as "essays" or "chapters" rather than "papers."

Rodopi primarily publishes books intended for the community of scholars rather than books designed for the teaching of students. VIBS will not consider textbooks. But see discussion below of Classroom Use of Books.

VIBS encourages the preparation of English translations of outstanding works that are available in manuscript or that have been published in other languages. This is in keeping with the spirit of VIBS in advancing philosophic communication on a cosmopolitan scale. VIBS Senior Editors read Arabic, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, and Swedish.

VIBS can only approve a contract for a work that exists in English when it is submitted for formal assessment. Thus, we cannot extend a contract for a work whose translation is yet to be written. Translation, especially of philosophic books, is an art requiring much professional skill, much time, and usually much expense. VIBS will only publish excellent translations.

That a book in its original language is excellent does not guarantee that it will be translated with excellence. That sample chapters have been translated with excellence does not guarantee that the same quality will appear in the remaining chapters or that they will be completed within a reasonable time. Much can happen between the initial commitment of an author to have a work translated and the projected date for its completion. For these reasons, VIBS cannot make contractual commitments to publish translations which do not exist. See the section below on Contracts for Non-Existent Books.

VIBS does not have the staff or the funds to prepare translations, to revise them, or to supervise their preparation. We are not aware of grants to assist translators; however, we encourage translators to seek funding from their academic institutions and from research foundations.

Before VIBS can consider an English version of a book which has been published in another language or is under contract with another publisher, a written statement must be received from that other publisher that it would extend to VIBS, without fee, exclusive worldwide rights to English-language publication. When VIBS publishes a book in English, Rodopi cedes to the author the right to publish a translation by the author in another language.

Dissertations are rarely ready for publication because they have been written to receive approval of a few specialists on the doctoral committee and to display the student's mastery of the specialized discourse. They are advanced academic exercises. Books published by VIBS aim at a far wider audience which may have more general interests. Dissertations may be available by inter-library loan or by microprint copying. Scholars who have recently completed their doctorate by writing a dissertation are encouraged to exercise their acknowledged powers by writing new books, entirely under their own direction, for submission to VIBS.

VIBS does not reprint books that have gone out of print, for such volumes are likely to have found their way on the shelves of academic libraries. VIBS is not willing to publish new editions of books that already appeared in print with another publisher. The author of an out-of-print book should propose the new edition to the original publisher. A scholarly book that has sold out has exhausted a good part of its market. That places a reissue or revision of the book at a marketing disadvantage. Librarians may hesitate to order a revised edition of a title already in their collections, since their limited funds are needed for entirely new books.

VIBS does not publish collections of the previously published papers of an author. Such papers, perforce, are already available to the scholarly world.

VIBS does not publish scholarly journals. Periodicals have a different nature than books, involving other considerations of time, length, and sales. VIBS, however, will consider annuals as book-length works. Such volumes appear as a set of chapters on related themes. They do not include features common to journals, such as book reviews and news.

Rodopi believes that academic authors engaged in book publication should receive recompense for their labors. The standard Rodopi terms for VIBS books currently call for royalties of five (5) percent of sales, starting on the copy number 201. No royalties are paid on review copies, complimentary copies, or remaindered copies. Royalty distributions, when they go beyond a nominal sum, will be made annually by Rodopi. VIBS does not handle records or payments for royalties.

Whether royalties are to be shared with the contributors to a collective volume is entirely the decision of the editor of that volume to whom Rodopi will make the full payment.

In some cases, royalties are assigned by contract to a co-sponsoring organization which supervises the preparation of a book under designated editors.

Rodopi does not pay for the acquisition of scholarly works, nor does it make advance payments on royalties to be earned. VIBS does not have funds available to support the projects of prospective authors. The task of obtaining financial support for completion of a scholarly book belongs to the scholar. The task of VIBS as a community of scholarly editors is to assess books when completed. The task of Rodopi as scholarly publisher is to publish such approved books.

Rodopi believes that its authors take pride in displaying and donating copies of their books. Hence, the author of a monograph and the editor of a collective volume receive five (5) complimentary copies.

A discount of forty (40) percent is extended for purchase of further copies by the author, editor, and translator of the book. Such copies may be resold, including to students. To not infringe on Rodopi's marketing to libraries, authors may not sell or donate their copies to institutions.

As a courtesy to its authors, Rodopi currently extends the forty (40) percent discount for the purchase of any book in print by Rodopi. This gesture expresses the publisher's goodwill toward its authors.

Authors may wish to purchase copies of their books for direct mailing as gifts to other parties. If the author provides Rodopi with the name and full address, including postal code and country, of the recipients, Rodopi will be pleased to post the books directly to those parties, accompanied by a card, "With the Compliments of the Author," or "With the Compliments of the Editor." Rodopi will then bill the author at the author's discount, including postage and handling.

To facilitate dissemination of individual scholarship, Rodopi provides contributors to collective volumes with twenty-five (25) offprints of their contribution under covers. Because offprints are automatically manufactured from unbound pages prior to publication, more than twenty-five copies cannot be prepared.

As a gesture of appreciation, Rodopi provides each contributor to a collective volume with one (1) complimentary copy of the book. The courtesy is also extended to contributors of using the author's discount of forty (40) percent for purchasing further copies.

Prospective authors may consult sample VIBS books in academic libraries or may purchase them from the publisher. Because hundreds of prospective authors might wish complimentary copies, VIBS and Rodopi do not provide such freebies.

VIBS actively explores prizes that may be awarded to its authors. Authors are encouraged to notify the Senior Editors of prize competitions for which they are eligible. VIBS is also considering establishing prizes that it might award. VIBS has created an Editorship for Prizes and Awards.

VIBS occasionally hosts receptions for its authors, prospective authors, and editors at appropriate meetings of co-sponsoring organizations and other major conferences. These are opportunities to chat informally and to get to know one another as colleagues.

VIBS Senior Editors are pleased to write confidential letters of recommendation on an author's behalf based on the author's VIBS book. Such letters may borrow from comments by referees and editors.

30. Repeated Authorship

VIBS welcomes its authors to submit subsequent volumes. Because our authors have become familiar with the VIBS care for excellence and have mastered the business of camera-ready preparation, they are likely to entrust a subsequent volume to VIBS. Unlike many publishers, Rodopi does not require that an author agree to submit the author's next book to Rodopi. A continued working relationship with VIBS will likely occur because of good experience. By 1997, some 40 of our books had been placed under contract by 20 authors and editors.

VIBS is an independent scholarly organization governed by its Senior Editors: an Executive Editor assisted by a distinguished Board of Associate Editors, several of whom direct Special Series.

The Senior Editors seek appropriate manuscripts, supervise their review and improvement, and give final approval for publication. The following editorial offices have been established for direction by Associate Editors:

Deputy Executive Editor

Secretary-Treasurer

Editor for Stylistics and Format

Editor for Marketing and Development

Ombuds Editor

Electronics Editor

Historian-Archivist

Information Editor

Editor for Prizes and Awards

Among the editorial offices that VIBS is considering establishing are:

Editor for Affiliated Organizations

Editor for Institutes and Conferences

Special Projects Editor

Contract Compliance Officer

Assisting the Senior Editors are a network of Affiliate Editors, Assistant Editors, Consulting Editors, Special Editors, Honorary Editors, Guest Editors, and Referees.

VIBS is committed to collegiality in the development and expansion of an editorial community in philosophy. Authors and editors gain experience in philosophical publishing with VIBS. Contributors to collective volume may become editors of similar volumes in future. The author of a monograph or the editor of a collective volume may in time propose the editorial development of a Special Series.

This Handbook explains some of the editorial offices below. A Directory of Editors may be obtained from G. John M. Abbarno, Secretary-Treasurer.

Senior Editors are accessible to authors all over the world by many means, including post, e-mail, FAX, and phone. Each editor will have a preferred mode of communication. Authors are asked to respect the preferences of their editor as well to indicate how the authors can best be reached.

The Executive Editor issues to the author the VIBS contract that has been signed on behalf of Rodopi. This Editor will be pleased to explain any feature in the VIBS publishing program. Annual reports on the status of book under contract should be sent to the Executive Editor, who in turn reports to the Editorial Board. Any unresolved editorial problems may be brought to the attention of the Executive Editor, who will resolve them. The Executive Editor has the duty to see that all VIBS standards are fulfilled by all authors. This officer assures that for the sake of efficiency and equity, no exceptions are made. Suggestions and complaints about VIBS procedures may be sent to this officer.

The author is to deliver the camera-ready copy of the book to the Executive Editor, who checks it over and returns it for correction or forwards it to the Managing Editor for release to the printing press.

The several Associate Editors of VIBS have a major hand in the editorial conduct and development of VIBS. They direct Special Series and specific offices for VIBS. These international scholars bring together great diversity in philosophical outlook. Each Associate Editor would be pleased to provide information about the workings of VIBS. The Associate Editors constitute the Editorial Board of VIBS. They vote on officers, major policies, and new programs.

Scholars may propose joining VIBS as Associate Editor in order to edit a Special Series or serve in an editorial office. A Special Series requires co-sponsorship by an organization. Interested parties may correspond with the Executive Editor about such possibilities. The Executive Editor formally nominates Associate Editors to the Editorial Board who exercises final approval.

A Handbook for Associate Editors provides full information about serving with VIBS.

The Deputy Executive Editorial shares policy-making with the Executive Editor. The Deputy assures the continuity of editorial direction for VIBS in the absence of the Executive Editor.

The Secretary-Treasurer edits the VIBS Directory of Editors, conducts electoral affairs, arranges and reports on business meetings, and monitors the expenses of VIBS. The Secretary-Treasurer of VIBS does not provide royalties or other funds to authors. Royalties are distributed by the publisher, Rodopi.

The formatting, styling, and camera-reading preparation of VIBS books are the special concern of the Stylistics and Format Editor, who edits the Guide to Preparing Volumes. This editor may be consulted on technical matters not fully covered by the Guide. Exceptions will not be made to matters that are settled by the current edition of the Guide.

Coordination of activities in the promotion of VIBS and its books is the responsibility of the Editor for Marketing and Development, who edits the Author's Questionnaire. Authors who think of new ways of making philosophy books known are invited to send their notions to this editor.

VIBS has created the office of Ombuds Editor to assist editors and authors in overcoming misunderstandings that might occur in the course of working together. The Ombuds Editor brings goodwill and good sense to the working out of differences. For the Ombuds person to become involved in a dispute, the two parties must agree to present the matter to that officer. The Ombuds Editor cannot overrule clearly written VIBS policies.

To help VIBS and Rodopi lead in the use of new technologies for publishing and promotion, VIBS has created the position of Electronics Editor. Authors may share with that officer proposals for new modes of access.

Since VIBS is a leader in the Value Inquiry movement in philosophy, it takes care to preserve the records of its activities. Supervision of the VIBS Archives and preservation of the VIBS history is the responsibility of an Historian-Archivist.

The dissemination to the scholarly profession of news about VIBS and its books is the responsibility of the Information Editor. Newsletters, announcements, and web-sites may be used for this purpose.

This editor coordinates the VIBS efforts in seeking grants and in nominating authors for prizes.

Within VIBS, the Executive Council considers major policy matters. Authors and editors may submit large-scale proposals for editorial developments to the Council. VIBS is ever interested in improving and expanding its services.

The Senior Editors of VIBS are assisted by professional scholars who receive honoraria as independent Referees of texts and projects. The refereeing process is intended to be double-blind: the identity of the author is not revealed to the Referee during the process, while the identity of the Referee is not revealed to the author, unless authorized by the Referee. Authors, therefore, should take care not to identify themselves within manuscripts they submit. This may not be easy in the case of collective volumes where one contributor discusses the work of another, but every effort should be taken to conceal identities.

The assessments by the Referees are usually forwarded or summarized for the benefit of the author. Replies by authors are customarily not sent to Referees. Debate between author and Referee is not countenanced by VIBS. The Referee primarily serves the editors.

Scholars with expertise in areas of Value Inquiry are invited to make their availability as Referees known to the Senior Editors. A Referee must be well-published in the field and familiar with the VIBS goals and achievements. A person who has been designated as a VIBS Referee will be asked in advance if the Referee wishes to assess a specific title that has arrived. Referees have 30 days in which to send a written assessment. If a report has not been received on day 33, daily reminders are sent by telephone to the Referee. The Referee is invited to mark up the manuscript in the course of reading it, but this is not required.

The Senior Editors, who are leading scholars in their field, may decide to assess a book in their own judgment without consulting a Referee. Such executive decision-making by the editors is a power not available to university presses.

VIBS has established an autonomous Authors Council which may advise the Senior Editors on how to see things--writing, editing, publishing, marketing--from the authorial side. The Senior Editors may also consult the Authors Council on policy matters affecting authors. So as to respect the independence of the Authors Council, no VIBS Senior Editor serves on it. Authors may wish to make suggestions to their Council. For authors as a group to have a say in the development of a book series may be a unique arrangement in scholarly publishing.

VIBS has issued an occasional Newsletter to keep authors, editors, co-sponsoring organizations, and the general scholarly world informed of VIBS activities. VIBS is now planning a regular Newsletter which might also contain items of interest from other organizations active in the Value Inquiry field.

VIBS is establishing permanent archives at a major research institution so that future scholars may conduct research on the Value Inquiry Movement. Edited manuscripts and correspondence will be permanently deposited. For the archives, the identity of the Referee on a report will be removed. Ballots will not be archived.

While VIBS is essentially a publishing program, it has an interest in several related activities, especially conferences and the work of institutes and philosophical societies. VIBS will consider innovative proposals for participating in research projects, workshops, consultations, and public programs.

In the Appendix is a Directory of Services that will assist authors by identifying editorial offices for consultation regarding special questions.

The publisher of VIBS is Editions Rodopi B.V., known in the book world as Rodopi. Founded in Amsterdam in the 1960s, Rodopi was the creation of three outstanding publishers, including Piet Schippers, who formed its name out of their initials. Initially, Rodopi specialized in scholarly reprints and antiquarian books. In 1964, Rodopi produced the first reprint under its imprint. In 1971, Rodopi issued the first of its books with new scholarly material.

Fred van der Zee, who joined the family-owned company in 1972, became Rodopi's Managing Director in 1978, at age 26. Under his guidance, Rodopi focused on playing a leading role in publishing high-quality research, in ten languages, through its many academic series. It has maintained a close rapport with international groups of scholars who are renewing traditional disciplines as well as developing cross-disciplinary work in areas such as history of medicine, new media, and value inquiry.

Rodopi is well-experienced in providing a channel of academic exchange for scholars around the world, presenting the best of today's research, and thereby contributing to the future. Well-known throughout Europe, Rodopi has made a commitment to serve the North American academic market as well. Rodopi has an office in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. With its operations on both sides of the Atlantic, Rodopi sees that VIBS receives wide distribution.

The celebrated philosophy list of Rodopi includes :

Elementa Series

Fichte-Studien

Grazer Philosophische Studien

Lier & Boog

Perspektiven der Philosophie

Philosophie & Representation/Philosophy & Representation

Poznan Studies in the Philosophy of the Sciences and Humanities

Rodopi Philosophical Studies

Schriftenreihe zur Philosophie Karl R. Poppers und des Kritischen Rationalismus/Series in the Philosophy of Karl R. Popper and Critical Rationalism

Studien zur interkulturellen Philosophy/Studies in Intercultural Philosophy/Etudes de philosophie interculturelle

Studien zur Ossterreichischen Philosophie

Studies in the History of Ideas in the Low Countries

Value Inquiry Book Series

A global publisher, Rodopi sells its books throughout the world. It participates in major book fairs, such as those in Frankfurt and Harare. It cooperates with an extensive network of distributors, clearing houses, publishing organizations, and news services.

As a commercial scholarly publisher, Rodopi represents a valuable alternative to university presses and publishers of general trade books. Those publishers often require an initial press run of a few thousand copies, whereas Rodopi is able to issue scholarly works of merit in press runs of a few hundred copies. University presses often take many months to reach decisions concerning manuscripts, because of unwieldy editorial boards. The Editors of VIBS can make prompt executive decisions concerning publication because of their own expertise and that of a team of responsive referees. Positive editorial decisions by VIBS lead to the prompt issuance of Rodopi contracts.

Whereas university presses are subsidized by their universities, Rodopi has had to make its own way in the publishing world, making a profit while advancing scholarship. Independent scholarly presses often require subsidy by the author in the form of cash, advance purchase of copies, or renunciation of royalties, but Rodopi does not require such sacrifices.

In 1993, Eric van Broekhuizen became the Managing Editor for VIBS, supervising publication at the Rodopi offices in Amsterdam. Editor van Broekhuizen is thoroughly experienced in every aspect of philosophical publishing. In 1997, he created the Rodopi web site of which he is Webmaster.

After many years in historic quarters along the picturesque canals of Amsterdam, Rodopi moved to expanded, modernized facilities in May 1998 so as to be fully prepared for the publishing needs of the new millennium. The size of the headquarters increased fivefold. When in Amsterdam, VIBS authors are welcome to visit the attractive new offices where they will be warmly greeted by the publishing staff.

For VIBS books, Rodopi has sole responsibility in the manufacture (including paper, type, printing, binding, design, and cover), advertisement, and distribution (including pricing) of VIBS books. In all such matters, authors and editors are expected to accept with good grace the business decisions of the publisher.

For information about Rodopi, including a complete description of all VIBS books and Special Series, and to order books, see the Internet web site:

http://www.rodopi.nl

Catalogues, flyers, and a newsletter, are available, including a 32-page catalogue of VIBS books. To obtain such information, or to order books, you may reach Rodopi by e-mail at:

orders-queries@rodopi.nl

You may also reach Rodopi at this address:

Editions Rodopi B.V.
Tijnmuiden 7
1046 AK Amsterdam
THE NETHERLANDS

Telephone: **-31-(0)20-6114821
FAX: **-31-(0)20-4472979

You may place book orders through Rodopi's North American office at

Rodopi
One Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1420
New York, NY 10020
USA

Fax: (212) 265-6402
Phone: (212) 265-6360  
Call toll-free (US only):

1-800-225-3998

VIBS does not wish to enter bidding for projects offered to multiple publishers. A book may be formally submitted to VIBS only if it is not under contract or consideration by another publisher. VIBS will not play the game of wheeling and dealing to acquire books. The terms of the VIBS contract are not negotiable. VIBS does not seek to pry an author away from a contract signed with another publisher, nor does VIBS try to get editors to transfer a Special Series from another publisher to Rodopi. VIBS and Rodopi are committed to professional integrity in publishing. We recognize how much expense, effort, and money go into any publisher's acquisition of a single book or the development of a Special Series of books. In turn, we require that authors and publishers respect our acquisitions. Raiding will not be tolerated.

The VIBS standards for style and presentation are higher than those of other publishers. VIBS goes beyond the unquestioned traditions of book publishing to establish the best conventions for the new millennium. Rodopi is a competitive world-publisher because of its integrity, its quality, and its good business-sense. VIBS exemplifies this.

The Managing Editor for VIBS represents the book series at Rodopi in Amsterdam. VIBS authors profit from the special attention given to the production of their works by this publishing expert. Technical problems in a book under preparation may be called to the attention of the Managing Editor by a Senior Editor rather than by the author. But the author is required to send directly to the Managing Editor sample laser-printed pages before the camera-ready copy is prepared.

Before camera-ready preparation begins, the author must send to the Managing Editor sample pages for technical approval. Included in the sample of five or so pages should be the opening page of the chapter, a subsequent page of a chapter, a page of notes, a page of bibliography. The sample should be produced on the very printer and with the same quality of extra-white paper to be used for the camera-ready copy. Otherwise, it is not a sample of the camera-ready product. The Managing Editor can promptly inform the author if the font, size of printed surface, laser printing, and quality of paper are approved by Rodopi. If in the course of preparing the book the author changes the format, switches the printer, or uses a different kind of paper, then fresh samples should be submitted.

Rodopi aggressively markets its books by all means. Review copies of VIBS works are sent to journals. Flyers are prepared for each VIBS volume. Mailings, catalogues, newsletters, and advertisements bring the books to the attention of scholars and librarians.

The web site of Rodopi gives 24-hour worldwide access to the catalogue, including ordering. Readers may consult the web site for the table of contents of each book, its Editorial Foreword, an overall description, and, in many cases, the biography of the author and a sample page of text.

Rodopi books are available for instant purchase any time of day or night, from anywhere in the world, through the web site of the world's largest online bookstore: (www.amazon.com). VIBS titles may also be ordered through the world's largest mail-order supplier of philosophy books, Books in Philosophy (booksinphil@mailserver.bgsu.edu). VIBS titles will be in stock through the Barnes & Noble Bookstore system.

Rodopi is exploring the promotion of VIBS through chat groups and other forms of Internet access.

VIBS books are displayed at scholarly meetings, such as the World Congress of Philosophy and the American Philosophical Association, often as part of the services of the Philosophy Documentation Center.

The several co-sponsoring organizations distribute news of VIBS to their members, who may benefit from discounts. A display of VIBS books may be arranged at the annual conferences of the co-sponsors. In the course of a year, VIBS books are displayed several times.

While Rodopi aims its marketing at libraries and scholars, in some instances VIBS books are appropriate for the general book trade, book clubs, or special readerships outside of philosophy. Authors are encouraged to provide information for such special marketing. Rodopi publicists will consider these possibilities.

Each VIBS volume contains the complete list of prior volumes. This cumulative advertising is a great marketing advantage offered by a book series. Similarly, flyers for each new title list previous titles. The prestige of the book series assures that attention will be given to its new titles. The same book, if published outside of a series by another publisher, would have to stand alone and thereby receive less attention.

Traditionally, academic editors have nothing to do with marketing, which is the business of the publisher. But VIBS is special in taking an active advisory hand in our publisher's efforts to maximize access to its books. We believe that our books deserve global attention as the leading works in the field. Therefore, we counsel Rodopi on effective sources for marketing. A VIBS Editor for Marketing and Development is in charge of this dimension of our activity.

The wider the sales of VIBS books, the greater is our recognition by prospective authors. This leads to new books, which keeps the spiral going. VIBS is growing rapidly in recognition, sales, submissions, and published titles. The VIBS ability to increase its visibility is considerable.

The crucial instrument in marketing a VIBS book is the Author's Questionnaire that the author is required to send to the Executive Editor along with the camera-ready copy of the book. The author or editor of the volume is the person who knows it best. Therefore, that person can best advise as to what words best describe it and what parties should be notified of its publication. The Questionnaire asks about the purpose, scope, and contents of the volume, its intended audience and marketing features, the journals likely to review it, and the organizations likely to announce it. The author helps materially in providing full access to the work.

In addition to scholarly resources for marketing the book, the author should inform us of general bookstores, local newspapers, radio stations, and book clubs that might be interested.

The current version of the Questionnaire, edited by Joseph C. Kunkel, is attached in the Appendix.

Rodopi makes parts of each VIBS book (table of contents, Foreword, About the Author, and one striking sample page chosen by the author from the text) available on its web site (http://www.rodopi.nl) as information of interest to purchasers. Hence, the author is required to provide such promotional material on a separate diskette in WordPerfect or MicroSoft Word PC format.

This diskette should be sent directly to the Managing Editor within 30 days of formal notification from the Executive Editor that the book has gone to press. The diskette should be labeled with full identification, including the VIBS volume number and the word-processing program used. Instead of this diskette, the author may transmit the designated parts of the book by e-mail directly to the Managing Editor:

E.van.Broekhuizen@rodopi.nl

The information will be fed into the Rodopi database.

Scholars are slow to buy books, because they have so many other books to read, because their time is taken up by so many other obligations, and because they are so short of pocket money. While Rodopi mounts an aggressive, global, marketing campaign, the best salesperson for a scholarly book is usually its author. Academic authors need not feel shy about pushing their books. Getting books into the hands of influential readers helps bring special attention to an author's contribution to the field. VIBS authors might consider purchasing copies of the book to personally present to individual scholars, journal editors, and officers of scholarly societies. Authors may give interviews to the local newspapers as well as radio and television stations. "Meet the Author" sessions may be arranged at libraries, bookstores, and conferences. Some copies of the book, along with abundant flyers for it, might be brought to conferences for display. Getting a book into print may be a beginning, rather than the end, of the activity of scholarly book-publishing.

While VIBS does not publish works primarily intended as textbooks, many VIBS scholarly books have been successfully adopted for course use in colleges and universities. Several reasons account for this widespread practice.

1. As a book series in value inquiry, VIBS emphasizes the human side of philosophical problems. This focus fits well the interests of students and encourages their self-understanding.

2. VIBS books can be counted upon as fresh contributions to the philosophical understanding of a topic or field. They aid lively learning in the classroom.

3. VIBS collective volumes offer a cosmopolitan range of contributions on valuable topics. They thereby give the teacher ample choice of diverse and timely material to assign as readings.

4. More than twenty Special Series are active within VIBS; they offer the teacher intense and up-to-date treatments of issues that fit special courses in philosophy of education, history of philosophy, peace studies, Holocaust studies, axiology, philosophy of law, philosophical psychology, etc.

5. In addition to topics explored by its several Special Series, VIBS offers books that cover the full range of courses in philosophy, including ethics, social and political philosophy, philosophy of language, philosophy of religion, philosophy of science, aesthetics, and the meaning of life.

6. VIBS books are well-written. The highest editorial standards have been applied to assure writing that is fluent and understandable even to the reader who is not a specialist.

7. VIBS volumes contain user-friendly features, including editorial foreword and other front matter, bibliography or list of references, complete index, uniform notes, biographical information on the author or contributors, appropriate illustrations, including picture of the author or editor, running heads, titled sections, etc.

8. VIBS books are well-designed and attractively produced with permanent bindings, good paper, clear print, agreeable format, and artistic covers. They are attractive as well as lively.

9. Teachers and bookstores may easily place orders for VIBS titles through the worldwide web (http://www.rodopi.nl) or e-mail (orders-queries@rodopi.nl). Books are promptly shipped. Bookstores may receive larger discounts (usually 40 percent) for quantity orders, and a return policy applies to such orders.

10. Authors of VIBS monographs and contributors to collective volumes often use their books in their classrooms. Teaching becomes invigorated when the text studied is written by the teacher. VIBS authors may also make use of their deep discount to purchase books for their students.

11. VIBS paperback editions are priced within reach of student pocketbooks. Because of Rodopi's extensive experience as a publisher, and because of the editing of VIBS as a uniform series, the VIBS price is competitive with large textbook houses.

Rodopi once had a working relationship with the textbook publisher, Jones and Bartlett Company, by which VIBS authors were required to reserve textbook versions of their works for that company. Because Jones and Bartlett has left the field of philosophical textbooks, this contractual article no longer applies.

Rodopi sends review copies of its new books to professional journals. The VIBS author must select the journals and provide their mailing address on the Author's Questionnaire. This is an opportunity for the author to explore journals in philosophy and related fields that are published in different parts of the world. A few days of going through the current periodicals in a major research library will reward the author with many leads.

Some postal systems will not deliver books without postal codes (known in the United States as "zip codes"), and some postal systems will not forward books from one address to another. Hence, the author must provide Rodopi with full and accurate mailing information to avoid wasted effort and wasted expense.

The author is invited to designate five (5) journals that should receive a copy unsolicited. To another twenty-five (25) journals listed by the author, Rodopi will send title information and an invitation to apply for a review copy.

In addition to scholarly journals, Rodopi is interested in having its books reviewed in general publications.

Thanks to its news-clipping service, Rodopi sends copies of reviews to its authors. In the period 1993-1998, reviews of VIBS books appeared on four continents in English, German, Spanish, and Dutch. Rodopi posts selected reviews of VIBS books on its web site:

http://www.rodopi.nl

VIBS volumes are generally issued in an initial press run of 400 to 800 copies. If these sell out rapidly and further demand exists for the book, then a second printing can be considered. Rodopi carefully calculates press run to assure keeping its books in print while avoiding excessive demand for warehousing. Sometimes the author can foretell the market for the book because of classroom use or advertising to a co-sponsoring organization. That information should be communicated to the publisher in the Author's Questionnaire. In all cases, the decision as to size of press run belongs to Rodopi.

Rodopi reserves the decision as to whether to issue a VIBS book in hard cover, soft cover, or both, depending upon the marketability of the book. A hard-cover version is issued primarily for sale to libraries--at a high price. A soft-cover version may also be issued, at a lower price, so as to be accessible for purchase by individual scholars. Libraries will order the soft-cover edition in the absence of the hard-cover version.

VIBS books are published in the order in which they are delivered as camera-ready copy. A VIBS volume number is assigned at the time of release for publication. Numbers are not reserved in advance for volumes. All books that appear in VIBS, including those in its Special Series, are designated within a single system of enumeration. Librarians do not shelve VIBS volumes as a numbered sequence but as individual titles. Hence, librarians will not be intimidated by seeing high numbers on the individual volumes they wish to acquire. Numbering volumes is a convenience for the editors and publisher in referring to the 500 projected volumes of VIBS.

The image used as the logo for VIBS on its first 75 volumes is based on a photograph by Robert Ginsberg of statuary by Gustav Vigeland in the Frogner Park, Oslo. The youthful figures reach out joyously as they run forward into life.

The new cover design, starting with volume 76, has been approved unanimously by the Editorial Board. It retains the logo, while giving prominence to the title and author of the book.

The pricing of books and the payment of royalties have been set by Rodopi in Dutch Guilders (Hfl.), and shortly may be set in the currency of the European Union (EURO). The equivalent in United States dollars (US $) is calculated on the price set in The Netherlands. Fluctuations in international monetary rates may lead to changes in the dollar equivalence.

When sales of a volume have trailed off, and few future sales are anticipated, Rodopi has the right to remainder the title rather than keep a large quantity warehoused. Remainders do not occur in the first three years after publication. The author is given first chance to purchase remaindered copies at deep discount. The author may circulate those copies. The bulk of the copies may then be offered by Rodopi to a clearing house or discount bookstore, which continues to make the book available. Rodopi may also offer remaindered titles at a discount as a Special Offer on its web site. Rodopi usually keeps in stock sufficient copies so that the remaindered book may be ordered by libraries or individuals.

Rodopi is actively looking into the modes of publishing appropriate to the new Electronic Age. Such modes under study include issuing the entire VIBS backlist on a CD-ROM disk, making chapters and entire books available for downloading, and typesetting by satellite. Rodopi may see to it that VIBS becomes accessible in modes not yet invented.

Rodopi currently makes two of its philosophical series (Grazer Philosophische Studien and Fichte Studien) available online as part of the POIESIS program through InteLex:

http://www/nix.com

or the Philosophy Documentation Center:

http://www/bgsu.edu/pdc

VIBS has created the office of Electronics Editor in order to assist the book series in taking full advantage of new technology.

In anticipation of these new forms of publishing, Rodopi asks its VIBS authors to provide the entire book on one or more diskettes within 30 days after their camera-ready copy has gone to press. Authors receive formal notification from the Executive Editor that their works have gone to press. The diskette may be in MicroSoft Word or WordPerfect for PC format. It will be kept in permanent storage at the archives of Rodopi. Diskettes should be sent by post to the Managing Editor in Amsterdam, not to the Executive Editor of VIBS.

Rodopi books are printed on acid-free, long-life paper which meets the international requirements of libraries for permanence (IS 9706: 1994). For additional permanence, bindings are sewn rather than glued. Both hard-cover (board) bindings and soft-cover bindings are moisture-resistant, dustproof laminations. VIBS books are made to last as long as books may last. VIBS makes lasting impressions.

VIBS draws upon the full resources of scholarly publishing to make its books maximally useful to scholarly readers. Thus, features include detailed table of contents, editorial foreword, running heads, index, bibliography or works cited, bibliographical notes, autobiographical notices, acknowledgments, illustrations, charts, appendices, afterword, glossary, list of abbreviations, series page, and advertising pages. Philosophical authors do not give much thought to many of these features, but VIBS encourages its authors to consider how they might be appropriately used to enhance the heart of a book, its chapters. A VIBS book excels in the quality of its text and in the accessibility it offers the reader to that text.

71. Editorial Foreword

Each volume published in VIBS is to have an Editorial Foreword by the Editor of the Special Series in which the book appears, by another representative of VIBS, or by a noted scholar in the field. The purpose of this Foreword is to link the particular volume as a contribution to Value Inquiry with the Special Series or with VIBS as a whole. The Editorial Foreword is addressed to the readership as a gracious form of offering the acquaintance of the book that follows. The Foreword's chief merits are clarity, ease of reading, and judicious mention of highlights. The Foreword should avoid jargon, vagueness, and stumbling sentences. It may run from one paragraph to a few pages.

Immediately after signing the VIBS contract, the author should make arrangements for the writing of the Editorial Foreword. The author of the book should edit the Foreword to fit VIBS guidelines. The Foreword is one of the features that the author includes in the Promo-Diskette so that Rodopi can display it on the web site.

Sometimes, a book that spans fields, such as philosophy and psychology, would profit from having two Forewords contributed by scholars in the two fields. In addition to an Editorial Foreword, a VIBS book may have a Guest Foreword, a Guest Preface, and an Introduction, all written by parties other than the author.

The author should prepare a Preface for a VIBS book. In a few pages, the Preface serves as the calling card for the book, explaining its purpose, origin, and features. The Preface stands outside the book proper and talks about the book, whereas an introduction stands within the book proper as its opening chapter. The Preface and the Foreword are the two items that a prospective purchaser or reader will consult when coming across the book at an exhibit or on a shelf.

Scholarly works are usually obliged to give credit and thanks to parties who have helped in the research for the book or in its preparation. The acknowledgment of credit should be worded briefly in formal yet grateful terms. Most acknowledgements are embarrassing in their effusiveness. This is a section of the book that interests few readers. In thanking persons, use their formal names. Do not use the word "also" in listing people. It suggests forgetfulness on your part or else secondary status for the added names. Avoid the phrase, "Last but not least." Sometimes, the last-named party is the most significant.

The credit given for using copyrighted material should be made uniform insofar as possible, while carefully following the wording requirements of the right-holders.

Acknowledgements may be placed as untitled paragraph at the close of the Preface, or as a separate section of the book, titled Acknowledgments, that follows the Preface.

The VIBS back cover offers much useful material in identifying and promoting each volume: blurb about the book, statement of the Special Series (if any), blurb about VIBS, and machine-readable universal bar-code with the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) for the volume.

VIBS books will no longer have a photo of the author on the back cover. 

76. Illustrations

Authors are encouraged to prepare functional illustrations as aids to the reader. Appropriate illustrations add a valuable dimension to philosophical texts, especially when the themes explored are historical, biographical, aesthetic, or cultural. The following may prove helpful: reproduction of a title page or of a manuscript page from a text under study, a portrait of a person under discussion, a map of places mentioned, art works that are discussed, and diagrams that visualize complexities.

Black-and-white glossy photographs with high contrast are desirable. Line drawings in black ink reproduce well. Electronic processes allow easy access to visual resource data. Scanners and digital cameras add to accessibility.

Scholarly books in many fields, such as history and biology, are usually illustrated. Philosophic books can also develop their visual opportunities for communication if philosophers will put their imagination to it. Many VIBS illustrated volumes are leading the way in visualizing philosophy.

Obtaining needed rights to reproduce illustrations is the responsibility of the author.

Placement of illustrations in a VIBS book calls for consultation of the Senior Editors and of the Managing Editor. One photo might be used as a frontispiece. If several photos are required, they are usually placed together at the back of the book. In other cases, such as the Special Series, Histories and Addresses of Philosophical Societies (HAPS), portrait photos are placed in front of each chapter.

Merely ornamental pictures not needed for the subject matter are discouraged. Because of problems in contrast, size, and placement, the use of photos may increase the technical difficulties in producing a book and may raise its cost.

In order to plan layout and production before camera-ready copy arrives, Rodopi requires that the author send any illustrations to be used to the Managing Editor, with indication of where in the book they are intended to be placed. Rodopi experts in design and production can then advise the author on any adjustments needed. The pictures will be returned to the author for inclusion in the camera-ready copy. To guard against loss in the mails, authors are advised to keep duplicates of all illustrations. After Rodopi goes to press with the camera-ready copy, it will endeavor to return all illustrations to the author.

The Rodopi technical staff can reduce or enlarge an image to fit the designated space on the page, but it should not be called upon for other modifications of the image. The author should seek local assistance in perfecting the photographic images. That is called for by camera-ready publishing.

77. Index

Every scholarly book should have an index. It is a major instrument for scholarly consultation of books. Researchers may look through the index of a book before deciding to buy it or read it. The index must be accurate and complete. A poorly-executed index places a scholarly book at a disadvantage. Preparation of an index requires professional skill. The VIBS author is responsible for preparing the index. Yet rare is the scholar who has prepared a professional index for a book. VIBS authors may wish to undertake training in this skill or else hire trained indexers.

Indexing guidelines are provided by VIBS in the Guide to Preparing Volumes. A study of recent VIBS volumes will show how thorough and structured an index should be.

The index cannot be prepared until the book has been arranged in final pages. A correction of one line on a page may shift the subsequent pagination, thereby throwing off the index. But automatic index-programming for word-processing may be available that catches up with such shifts.

The index, once prepared, requires cross-checking and proofreading by the author. Plan on the time needed--usually months--for these indexing tasks. An excellent way for an author to review the book from within is to prepare the index to it.

VIBS will not verify the index that accompanies a camera-ready book, but it will make spot-checks of the index. If one error is found, the book will not be forwarded for press.

A welcome feature of VIBS is the brief section at the end of each book, just before the Index, called About the Author, or, in the case of collective volumes, About the Contributors. About the Editor and About the Translator may also be appropriate. Authors and editors should include this feature as a way of making the careers of the writers known to the interested reader, reviewer, or librarian. VIBS does not have room on the back cover for such information. Any previous books by the author would be listed in the end feature rather than printed in the front matter.

The biographical note is included by the author on the Promo-Diskette which is used by Rodopi to display information about the book on its web site.

Some VIBS books contain an Afterword, in the form of a statement, an assessment, or even an entire chapter written by another scholar in response to the book. VIBS encourages authors to consider arranging such forms of critical dialogue for their books. The Afterword would have to be edited and processed by the book's author according to the regular VIBS guidelines.

Scholarly books published by quality houses have running heads (or "headers"). These are not mere ornaments to the page. They serve handy references purposes. A reader can glance at the top of the page to be reminded where the reader is in the book. By flipping pages and looking at their running heads, a reader can get back to something read earlier. Just as the table of contents at the front, and the index at the back of a book, running heads show the reader what is where.

How running heads are selected for the left-side page (even-numbered) and the right-side page (odd-numbered) depends on whether the book is a monograph or collective volume, and whether its chapters have named sections. For instructions, see Guide to Preparing Volumes.

The reference style adopted by VIBS calls for end notes rather than footnotes. That is, the notes for each chapter are placed either at the end of the chapter for a collective volume or are gathered together at the end of the book for a monograph. The notes for each chapter constitute a separate referential set; no cross-references are permissible between the sets. Notes are for reference purposes only; discussion material, including commentary, evaluation, apology, and diatribe, should be kept out of them. The end reference or Works Cited system (as used by the Modern Language Association of America--MLA) may also be used for VIBS, in which a complete list of works cited is given at the end of the book, while references are made to it parenthetically in the text by author and date. Other reference formats might be used as appropriate to the kind of book involved, but the author must consult the Senior Editors in advance of preparation.

All works published by VIBS are expected to have a Bibliography or list of Works Cited. A collective volume must be given a uniform reference system by the editor who puts the materials together. In making references, VIBS calls for giving complete information to a book: full name of author, book title and subtitle, place of publication, publisher, date, chapter or part, and page. For an article in a periodical, provide, if possible, the month or season as well as year, and the number as well as volume. Full details concerning reference procedures will be found in the Guide to Preparing Volumes.

Notes are notorious as the most abused feature of scholarly writing. They are by turns digressive, defensive, descriptive, pedantic, pretentious, and presumptuous. VIBS suggests that its authors consider a note-free book which employs the Works Cited system of references. Those who prefer using notes are encouraged to eliminate as many of them as possible. Every note eliminated is a moment of attention gained for the text. Instead of being placed at the foot of the page (footnotes), VIBS notes are placed at the end of chapters for collective works or at the end of the book for monographs.

VIBS notes are strictly bibliographical. They contain only the elements of a bibliographical reference. Discussion of the item cited or other forms of discourse are not permitted. In this fashion, the reader does not have to interrupt the reading of the text in order to read the notes. The notes in VIBS books are not meant to be read as if sentences. They are meant to be seen as standardized elements of a reference.

In collective volumes, a contributor may insert a note of acknowledgment applicable to the chapter as a whole. This discursive note is linked to the last sentence of the chapter. In monographs, all acknowledgments go in the front matter.

Editing and proofreading of notes takes much time and effort, for this is the area in which most inconsistency, incompleteness, and inaccuracy occur. Camera-ready copy must assure that the notes are consistent, complete, and accurate. VIBS book are noteworthy for their perfection.

Formats for notes are given in the Guide to Preparing Volumes.

All works accepted for publication by VIBS must conform to the VIBS standards of professional editing for style, punctuation, references, conventions, and format. These standards have been carefully chosen by the Senior Editors for the entire book series as correct, clear, elegant, and efficient. Every book series and every publishing house has the right to insist on adherence to its editorial standards.

VIBS aims higher than most publishers of philosophy. We are dedicated to improving the writing of philosophy. Authors who prefer their own standards for their writing should seek another publisher who is willing to follow their preferences.

VIBS standards are stated in writing with as much specification as possible, so that authors will know in advance what they will be required to do. Guidelines and checklists also help the editors of collective works to oblige their contributors to conform.

The author of a VIBS volume is required to be a self-editor in applying VIBS standards to the author's writing. This means a lot of hard work for a philosopher on the nitty-gritty of writing for publication. But this kind of work will improve the author as well as the book. VIBS calls upon its philosophers to develop self-conscious responsibility as communicators.

The Senior Editors are pleased to mark up sample pages of a submitted manuscript with corrections, questions, and suggestions that will lead the author to improvement. VIBS intervenes actively in the writing to assist the author to reach the best the author can do. The VIBS editorial motto is:

Be tough with texts.

Be gentle with authors.

For VIBS, editing is an art of working with people, not just texts. But the people have to take responsibility for getting their texts in the style and shape required. Authors are to work with us, not against us. Editors work on the author's side when we insist on the strict editing of a text.

While VIBS is a scholarly line of works, VIBS calls for writing that is not excessively academic. A style guide for VIBS is under preparation by Robert Ginsberg, Cut the Crap! A Handbook for Academic Authors. The current VIBS Stylesheet, called Editorial Guidelines, is found below in the Appendix.

Among the house conventions for VIBS: "Man" and "he" are reserved for the male of the species; they can no longer be used for people in general. For the sake of uniformity in the series, American spelling is preferred. End notes will have no discussion in them.

The following two passages are each understandable philosophically and correct in styling:

1. Rather it is the case that there are, of course, three more or less plausible reasons which account for honourable 'action', and yet it would seem that they are--if I may be allowed to say so--ALL wrong!!!

2. Instead, three plausible reasons account for honorable "action," yet they are wrong.

VIBS chooses version 2. We can give reasons for every element of our choice, though reasons might also be adduced for alternatives. Our stand is made on behalf of simplicity, clarity, and directness, the three graces of intellectual writing. VIBS authors will take a stand with us in following these standards. Our authors are required to examine recent VIBS books to see how things work out in practice.

VIBS Senior Editors do not have the responsibility for the copy-editing of volumes under contract, but they are available for consultation, and they will monitor the results. Authors who follow closely the written specifications will experience smooth sailing and prompt publication. Authors who do not follow the specifications will experience a helluva nightmare.

If technical questions are not answered by the VIBS written instructions, the author may with profit consult the Chicago Manual of Style; William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White, The Elements of Style; and Bruce Ross-Larson, Edit Yourself. This set of golden books should be on the desk of every academic author or editor.

Not all forms of error can be cautioned against in writing. Hence, authors must be prepared to accept with good grace the rulings of the Senior Editors, who collectively have supervised the editing of hundreds of books. Often, a chat with the VIBS Stylistics and Format Editor or the Executive Editor about a special point can put an author at ease and save much revision.

Final copy, though it might not be read through by the Senior Editors, will be checked technically. It will be returned to the author for revision if any of the VIBS rules has not been strictly followed.

Authors who wish a free hand in styling, formatting, referencing, or other copy-editing matters, are encouraged to seek another publishing house rather than submit their work to VIBS. In all such matters for VIBS books, the editorial policy of VIBS shall prevail. In the VIBS contract, the author specifically agrees to this requirement. The proviso serves well in getting books finished efficiently and professionally, while avoiding all debates about such things as commas and reference notes. VIBS has settled all the matters of presentation in advance.

Increasingly, scholarly publication takes the form of printing directly from perfect copy prepared by the author. This cuts out the traditional middle stage of typesetting with its costs, delays, and errors. Fortunately, the technology for production of camera-ready copy is widely accessible in institutions of higher education, in commercial agencies located in many communities, and in the hands of individual scholars. Often colleges and universities will assist a faculty member in preparation of camera-ready copy for works that have been accepted for publication.

The standard publishing arrangement for VIBS is for the author to provide Rodopi with a laser-printed perfect text that has been prepared by word processor. The printing plates are made from such a "camera-ready" copy by the photo-offset process.

Some authors prefer to have final copy typeset locally. After proofreading it to verify perfection, they then may send it to VIBS to release, if it is indeed perfect, to Rodopi.

The advantages of camera-ready preparation are many. A truly camera-ready book can go to press immediately. In a few months, it will be in print. That printed book will be perfect, insofar as the author confirmed its perfection by proofreading. In camera-ready publishing, what you see is what you will get. Final corrections are made by the author. The checking of galley proofs and page proofs has been eliminated, along with the middle party in traditional publishing, the printer. Hence, the author does not have to worry whether the printer followed the last set of corrections or whether that party introduced new errors in the course of correcting previous ones.

Camera-ready publishing in a uniform book series has the extra advantage that each volume meets the highest professional standards. These specifications can be programmed by the preparer for the book at hand. Excellent content will receive excellent presentation. This is the art of book-publishing.

The disadvantages of camera-ready publishing should be taken into account by scholars. All the responsibility of getting it right falls on the shoulders of the author; none of it falls on the publisher, Rodopi, or on the editors, VIBS. Scholars, especially philosophers, may have little experience and little patience with such things as font, commas, spacing, indentation, indexing, and hyphenation. Throughout most of the twentieth century, such things were taken care of for scholars by professional copy-editors, proofreaders, and printers, working on behalf of publishers. Those days are gone. The academic author now has to take responsibility for every letter, every space, every punctuation mark, every ink spot, every word, every line, every page.

While word-processing is generally in use by scholars for their writing, a more sophisticated level of skill is called for in transforming that writing into camera-ready format. Excellent programs are widely available for what has become known as desk-top publishing, but the mastery of those programs requires experience and patience.

Authors who are experts in desk-top publishing and who have plenty of time to deal with the nitty-gritty of formatting, processing, proofreading, correcting, checking, and proofreading, may wish to directly prepare the camera-ready copy for VIBS. The author who lacks such expertise and time will likely suffer frustrations and delays. But once an author masters the programming, that scholar will be able to prepare camera-ready copy of future works with ease.

The alternative is for the author to hire a professional preparer to make the camera-ready copy. This may be costly, but perfection will likely result. The author should take care in entrusting the project to others. Students and secretaries at a university might not have all the time and all the experience needed to master the program. While VIBS takes no responsibility whatsoever for the cost, accuracy, or promptness of the preparer chosen by the author, VIBS will be pleased to refer authors to preparers who have done excellent work on VIBS volumes. The terms of a preparation contract are up to the author and the preparer. VIBS must not be called upon by authors or preparers to insist on payments or deliveries.

Authorial responsibility for camera-ready copy should not be mistaken for the author's contribution to the expenses of the publisher. In the old days, when authors were required to submit a clear copy and carbon copy of their final typescript to the publisher, the costs of the typing were borne by the author as part of that party's normal scholarly expenses. So in the age of electronic and camera-ready publishing, the final copy is normally the author's task, not that of the publisher.

The term "camera-ready copy" is sometimes misunderstood by authors as applying to the clear copy that is their best effort at following the guidelines. From the point of view of the author, the book is as ready as it can get. But usually that result is better termed "not-yet camera-ready." "Camera-ready copy" is a publishing term that means nothing less than absolute conformity to the guidelines laid down for publication by the editors and publisher. Coming close is not good enough. If it ain't perfect, it ain't ready. In this kind of professional work, authors do not receive an "A" for effort. Only for perfection will they be rewarded with publication. Thus, authors should give thought about getting beyond their best efforts in order to have a not-yet ready book made ready from the point of view of the editors and publisher.

During the period 1993-1998, the following number of volumes were received by VIBS in camera-ready form upon their first delivery by the author as "camera-ready": 2.

Authors who encounter difficulty in meeting the VIBS camera-ready specifications may be consoled that all such specifications are technically achievable. The technology exists for perfect results. Ways can be found for overcoming all programming obstacles. This may be time-consuming and costly, but it can be done. The many VIBS volumes in print attest to this.

Those authors who lack word-processing skills, who lack funds for professional assistance, or who lack patience, and those authors who are attached to the old-fashioned mode of publishing in which the publisher took responsibility for typesetting, might best avoid submitting their work to Rodopi or to any other publisher of camera-ready works.

As a helping hand to beginners in word-processing as well as those with advanced skills, the Guide to Preparing Volumes in the Value Inquiry Book Series has been written by Richard T. Hull. This work, if studied closely, will answer almost all questions about the technical procedures in turning manuscripts into camera-ready books. The Guide takes the preparer step-by-step through the process. Every specification in this Guide is to be followed without exception. You might not like it, but we require it.

The current edition of the Guide is included in the Appendix below.

The VIBS Stylistics and Format Editor, as well as the Executive Editor, welcomes queries about points not covered in the Guide or not answered in the standard manuals preferred by VIBS.

In all matters of styling and camera-ready preparation, the judgment of the Senior Editors shall be decisive.

The VIBS Stylesheet, called Editorial Guidelines, attached to the Appendix below, gives the author a list of usages to avoid. While a turn of phrase may be grammatically correct, and in wide use, it may also be bad style. Academic language suffers from being too academic. The Stylesheet indicates handy ways to convert academic phraseology into plain English.

In formal English, the human species can no longer be referred to by words of one gender, such as "man" and "mankind." VIBS recommends that authors consult "Guidelines for Non-Sexist Use of Language" published by the American Philosophical Association. Several editorial handbooks are available to help authors avoid sexist language.

Rodopi is not a reprint house. It has earned a worldwide reputation as a publisher of original scholarship. Individual scholars and scholarly libraries have come to expect that the Rodopi books they order do not contain material already available in print.

Once material is in print, even if in an obscure journal with limited circulation, it is in principle obtainable by scholars and librarians through inter-library loan, photo-copying, or electronic clearing houses.

VIBS fully supports the aim of offering previously unpublished materials to its readers. VIBS stands against the practice of publishing the same material in different scholarly publications.

Thus, contributors to VIBS collective volumes must sign an Agreement to Publish which attests that the contribution has not been previously published in English and which affirms that Rodopi has all rights to publication. This form is included below in the Appendix.

Sometimes the author of a monograph may wish to convert that author's previously published article to a chapter in the book. Before the prospective author enters a contract with Rodopi to publish in VIBS, VIBS editors must be informed of the number of such chapters and the number of pages involved, as well as the extent of revision. A monograph must have at least 80 percent of its pages published for the first time to be considered by VIBS. But the previous material should be rewritten and retitled to fit the book rather than plunked into the book to save readers the trouble of consulting it in a journal. Authors of monographs are encouraged to write fresh chapters instead of trying to fit their previous articles into the book.

The VIBS policy on avoiding duplicate publication does not apply to the Special Series, Histories and Addresses of Philosophical Societies (HAPS), which has unique historical and documental purposes.

The responsibility for proofreading the final text is the author's. Several readings are urged to check the accuracy and correctness of the text. Prudence suggests that an author call upon colleagues, relatives, and graduate students to assist in the task. An advantage in publication from camera-ready text is that the author can be assured the book will conform exactly to the final text: no mistakes occur due to typesetters. But a disadvantage in entrusting proofreading to the author is that mistakes not caught by that person's eye will find their way into print.

Scholars may wish to take training in professional proofreading or else secure the services of professional proofreaders. Professional proofreading puts aside reading through a text, because interest in its contents will distract the critical eye. Instead, the proofreader has to extrinsically examine the work as a string of technical features: typography, punctuation, spacing, printing, pagination, consistency.

VIBS and Rodopi have no responsibility for proofreading. VIBS Senior Editors will spot-check technical matters to see if proofreading has been perfect. Any imperfection detected will require returning the pages or the entire book to the author for correction. Ninety percent of the delays that have occurred in preparing VIBS books are due to inadequate proofreading. "Proofreading" is used here not in the sense of conformity of contents to the original manuscript, but in the sense of conformity to the editorial specifications for the book series.

While proofreading and correction are painstaking and time-consuming activities, they are necessary in professional publishing. The consolation for the author is that finding errors in a book before its publication is a thousandfold more agreeable than finding them after its publication. Book reviewers are especially adept at finding errors in print.

As an aid, VIBS has prepared a Checklist for Authors of Camera-Ready Copy. This handy self-checking guide helps the authors through the four stages of editing, processing, proofreading, and transmittal. All items on the Checklist should be checked by the author, and all pages of it should accompany camera-ready copy. This will help the editor of a Special Series, if one is involved, and the Executive Editor, in double-checking the readiness of the book. A copy of the Checklist is included below in the Appendix.

The camera-ready copy of the work should be sent to the Executive Editor with 100 percent of the items required to release the book to press. These items include:

permissions forms required for reproducing copyrighted material

Agreement to Publish forms from all the contributors to a collective volume

Author's Questionnaire

Checklist for Authors

If any of these items is missing or incomplete, or if any page requires correction in the book, then the book will not be forwarded to Rodopi. When 100 percent of what is required is sent by the Executive Editor to Rodopi, then everything is in hand to get the book immediately to press.

Send the package sealed against rain. Do not use newsprint as filler in the package, because the newsprint will get on the hands of the recipient and thence onto the pages of the book. Pack so that the way to open the package is evident.

When the Executive Editor sends a camera-ready VIBS book to the Managing Editor at Rodopi, it is accompanied by a formal letter of transmittal: VIBS Volume Ready for Press, a copy of which is sent to the author, and to the editor of the Special Series, if any. This release of the volume for publication attests to the status of the text, illustrations, questionnaire, permissions, and other matters. Once the camera-ready book reaches Rodopi with the Transmittal Form, it will be in print within six months. No inquiries by the author about when the book will appear will be answered during this period. A sample Transmittal Form is in the Appendix below.

The contract is the formal binding agreement between the author and the publisher with respect to publication in VIBS. The terms of the VIBS contract were developed by VIBS Senior Editors and Rodopi to protect all parties concerned.

The author is assured publication of the accepted book, once the stated conditions have been fulfilled by the author. The publisher is assured that the accepted book will be available to it in proper form for timely publication. The VIBS editors are assured that their editorial labors in assessing the book and in advising concerning its content and style will be rewarded with its publication in their book series. The contract is the very essence of the working relationship between author, publisher, and editors.

Rodopi uses a standard contract for all VIBS books. The terms of a contract will not be negotiated for any VIBS book, nor will any of the standard terms of the VIBS contract be altered for an author. Commitment to a standard contract allows VIBS editors to spend their time in editorial and intellectual pursuits rather than in the business of negotiation.

Authors who insist on higher royalties, larger press runs, a new format, or a cover of their own design should seek a contract instead from another publisher.

The VIBS contract does have room for additional articles, which may be used for such purposes, agreed-upon in advance, as assigning royalties to organizations and designating a Special Series for publication.

The VIBS contract is made available to prospective authors before they formally submit their books. A sample contract is printed below in the Appendix. A prospective author may thereby study the contract, seek advice concerning it, and ask VIBS editors for clarifications of it. The contractual obligations should harbor no mysteries.

When the author chooses to submit the book, it is always with the binding agreement that the author will sign the standard contract if the book is accepted. This understanding is, in effect, a contract even before the standard contract is signed.

Since the terms of the VIBS contract have been agreed upon by the author in advance, the counter-signing of the contract must involve no delay. The Executive Editor sends to the author multiple copies of the contract which have been signed on behalf of Rodopi. Counter-signed copies must be returned to the Executive Editor by the author within 30 days; otherwise, the validity of the contract may lapse. The author may not alter any of the wording on the contract, except to correct spelling of the author's name or of the book title. Alteration of the terms of the contract may render it void.

A VIBS publishing contract is not meant to be dissolved. A VIBS author cannot withdraw from a contract once entered, unless with the written approval of VIBS and Rodopi. Some academic authors have been reputed to try getting out of contracts in order to get better terms by moving a book from one publisher to another. Scholars have also occasionally claimed to be too busy to complete a book in timely fashion under the contractual specifications of a book series. VIBS refuses to play such games. It regards the signing of one of its contracts as a priority professional commitment by the author.

VIBS aims to give authors a decision concerning their submitted manuscripts within forty-five (45) days of receipt of the complete text. Rodopi guarantees to have the book in print within six (6) months of its receipt of the camera-ready copy. The author should propose a realistic delivery date to be entered in the contract. In anticipation of technical difficulties, the months needed for proofreading, indexing, correcting, and other delays, offer a date that you can honor without acting under pressure. VIBS will be generous in entering the deadline. However, a deadline is a deadline: a line fixed as a limit not to be violated. Authors should arrange their professional life in such a way to make keeping to that deadline a priority. Authors should not count on automatic extensions of a deadline without penalty.

The field of scholarly publishing is beset by missed deadlines and unnecessary delays. Academic publishing takes longer than its participants anticipate. One reason for this is that the academic author is usually engaged full-time in teaching and other institutional duties as well as research. These obligations draw the scholar way from the sustained effort to complete the preparation of a book-length work. Once scholars have landed a contract for a book that they have written, they may be inclined to invest their time in new writing projects. Credit for a book placed under contract may suffice for purposes of tenure or promotion. Another major reason for delay is that philosophers are inexperienced in preparing their work in camera-ready form. They may be so busy teaching their students how to write term papers and dissertations, that the teachers have no time to learn the technology required to present their own work.

VIBS aims to cut through these sources of delay so that books once accepted are immediately prepared for publication and then soon submitted for release. Scholars are called upon to change their publishing habits and to develop a new professionalism. They will be required to produce perfect copy for VIBS by the contractual deadline. Hence, the author must arrange a practical schedule for getting the work done. The author might consider applying for grants, taking a leave of absence, or seeking other institutional support.

A publisher suffers if it has many books under contract that have been delayed. It cannot be sure when--and if--those books will be delivered. It loses the anticipated income the books would have earned if published on time. It runs the risk of publishing delayed books that are out-of-date. This is unfair to the publisher. It is also unfair to the VIBS editors who may have invested great editorial effort on behalf of projects that should see the light before the deadline.

In the rare event that delivery of a camera-ready copy is delayed, say, a few weeks, the author might have to redo the work to fit any revisions of the Guide to Preparing Volumes or of VIBS policies that have appeared since the deadline.

Rodopi must receive absolute right from the author of a monograph or the contributors to a collective volume to copyright the work for unrestricted worldwide publication in print. Authors who insist on retaining copyright in their name, in assigning it to another party, in withholding it from Rodopi, or in modifying its application will not be published by Rodopi. Such authors may wish to found their own publishing companies! In exchange for publishing scholarly material, Rodopi requires the full rights to publish it.

Copyright is much misunderstood. Every scholar has the obligation to come to understand it, for it is the fundamental legal principle governing publication, including the reprinting of materials. Ignorance of the law is no excuse for a scholar to violate copyright law. Scholars are therefore encouraged to consult current manuals on the subject; they may also seek professional advice from experts. But scholars should be wary of tales told by other scholars about what is permissible.

Rodopi reserves the right to first publication in the English language. In the interests of disseminating scholarship that it publishes, [Rodopi allows the contributor to a collective volume to reprint that contribution elsewhere without further permission or payment of a fee, if full bibliographical credit is given Rodopi]. The preferred form is

Reprinted with permission from [author, book title] (Amsterdam and Atlanta, Ga.: Rodopi, Value Inquiry Book Series, [date].

Rodopi should be informed by the author of the appearance in print of the material.

Third parties wishing to reprint material from VIBS books must seek written permission from Rodopi, who may charge fees for this permission.

Contributors to collective volumes must sign an Agreement to Publish form before their work is edited. A sample form is reproduced below in the Appendix. The editor of the book must send the unaltered signed forms with the camera-ready copy of the book to the Executive Editor for the book to be accepted for press. A contributor who fails to sign over rights will be removed from the book and may be charged by the book's editor for all expenses incurred in redoing the work as camera-ready.

A scholarly author has the responsibility for obtaining written permission when required for the reprinting of material, including text and illustrations. Generally, fair use allows an author to quote a few lines of prose from a book or article without seeking permission, if the use is for scholarly purposes. But what constitutes a few lines is debatable. When in doubt, inquire of the copyright holder. Usually, the copyright is held by the original publisher, but that publisher might direct a party seeking permission to the current holder, who may be the author, the author's representative, or another publisher. Permission granted to reprint by an author is worthless if the author does not have the copyright.

The fair use doctrine might not apply to verse or song. Thus, two lines of the Beatles or of T. S. Eliot may require written permission as well as a fee of hundreds of dollars. Authors of philosophic works may prefer to paraphrase verse and song rather than go through the trouble and expense of securing permission.

While copyright is governed by international conventions, each country may have variations in its copyright law. Such law may change every few years.

Because of the time involved in locating copyright holders and obtaining from them written permission on reasonable terms, scholarly authors are encouraged to seek such permission immediately and to rely on FAX, express mail, registered mail, and courier to clear the paperwork. Permissions officers are so busy that they might not respond promptly to ordinary letters.

Any permissions required must be for unrestricted worldwide use, since Rodopi is a global publisher.

Sometimes, as a condition of granting permission to reprint material, the copyright holder may require that a copy of the book be sent upon publication. Such a request should be marked in red by the author on the paperwork and signaled to the Senior Editors who in turn will call that to the attention of Rodopi when the book goes to press. Rodopi will send such permission copies, postpaid, directly to the right-holders, on behalf of the author, who will not be charged for the books, if they are a reasonable number, in the view of the publisher.

The general policy of VIBS has been to refrain from approving contracts for books, including translations, that do not yet exist, even if such books exist in part, even if their authors are renowned and conscientious, and even if the projects have every appearance of excellence.

Despite great promise, a book not yet written might never get finished. It might be delivered years late, when the topic is of diminished interest and after the acquiring editor has retired. When delivered, the book may turn out to need rewriting, despite the protests of its author to the contrary. While a contract for a book not yet written may be of great value to a scholar who is trying to advance a career, it can become a great burden to the editors and publisher who are trying to publish books.

But in several carefully circumscribed ways, VIBS will approve contracts for books not yet completed.

1. VIBS may accept a book that is only 90 percent completed. If 9 out of 10 projected chapters, or 180 out of 200 pages, are available and are judged excellent, then VIBS is confident that the remaining 10 percent will be completed within reasonable time, such as one year.

Will VIBS accept a book that is 89 percent written? No!

2. An Editor of a Special Series for VIBS may regularly approve contracts in advance for the conferences of the organization that co-sponsors the Special Series. This is in the spirit of cooperation between the co-sponsor and VIBS. The assurance of such publication, based on the well-edited selection of materials, will bring forward excellent contributions to the conferences and to the resultant books.

While the possibility remains that a conference will not provide enough good material for a book, so that the contract becomes moot, VIBS is willing to put its trust in such advance arrangements.

3. VIBS will also consider offering a contract for a volume that is intended as the outcome of a future conference that is not sponsored by one of its co-sponsoring organizations. Once the topics, organization of the meeting, and qualification of the contributors are known, the conference can appear so likely to lead to a good book, that VIBS will approve a contract in advance.

4. Each VIBS Editor of a Special Series is encouraged to plan the editing of collective volumes within that Special Series, which call upon contributions from persons active in the field. VIBS would be pleased to issue a contract for such a project, out of respect for the expertise and editorial judgment of the Editor of the Special Series. With such volumes, the Editors push forward the field rather than just waiting for material to come in. Each VIBS Editor is thereby an innovator and leader.

5. VIBS Editors are also encouraged to propose collective volumes under their editorship which do not fit in their Special Series but which would make a fresh contribution to VIBS in general. The written proposal should be submitted to the Executive Editor, whose approval would be required. This prerogative is available to VIBS Editors because of their experience and leadership, whereas it is not available to outside parties.

6. While VIBS will not enter a contract for a translation into English yet to be written of a book which exists in another language, Editors of Special Series may use the diplomatic language of contingency in encouraging authors and translators, like this: "Based on the merit of the original edition, I am happy to affirm that your book will be published in English in VIBS, if you have the translation suitably prepared in timely fashion and in accordance with our standard conditions." This might help authors and translators get funding. But the translation will not receive the VIBS contract unless it turns out to be suitable, timely, and in conformity.

7. In future, VIBS might count upon an organization, autonomous or affiliated with VIBS, that would assure the professional translation of books accepted on the basis of the original version, such as Spanish. If authors in search of translation could count on regular fees, timely activity, and acceptable results, then they can seek funding with assurance, and VIBS can issue contracts for the translations to be created. Such a translation bureau is greatly to be desired.

8. An Editor of a VIBS Special Series may be able to issue an organizational contract for a proposed book, in the name of the co-sponsoring organization, whereby the Special Series would reserve the first option to publish the book upon completion. Then, upon completion, the Editor would judge if the book has fulfilled its initial promise and is worthy of a contract with VIBS. The two levels of contract allow the organization related to the Special Series to morally assist authors, especially those seeking funding, while assuring that a VIBS contract will only be awarded a good book that has been completed.

In these opportunities for expanding contractual approval as well as expanding scholarly activity, all parties should understand that the completed books to be published by VIBS must conform to the standards for styling, formatting, and referencing that are distinctive to this cosmopolitan book series.

Authors are required to send the Executive Editor an annual note on the status of the book under contract, identifying any major obstacles in revision, editing, formatting, acquiring permissions, indexing, proofreading, or any of the other responsibilities that accompany camera-ready publication. In this way, VIBS will be able to keep track of the work of hundreds of authors, while giving assistance to each one who is encountering difficulties. Publication will thereby move ahead promptly and efficiently.

Authors who have been beset with difficulties that might threaten the entire project should send quarterly reports. VIBS has a continuing interest in every book under contract. It does not want to lose sight of any authors, especially those who may be having trouble.

The submission of a manuscript to VIBS shall be understood by its author to confer upon VIBS exclusive rights to publication under the terms indicated in this document. In other words, if VIBS accepts the work, then the author is committed to its publication by VIBS. Submitting the same work to more than one publisher at a time is not permitted. The scholars who edit VIBS are mostly in full-time academic service; they do not wish to see the time and professional care which they put into the works they accept lost by authors who might then decide to place the books elsewhere. Authors are encouraged to clarify any terms for publication in writing with the Senior Editors before submitting their manuscripts. Submission of a work to VIBS is understood as an offering for which VIBS has first right of refusal. To submit a book to us is to place it entirely under our terms. If you can't bring yourself to trust us, then don't submit it!

Before VIBS fully considers a manuscript, it expects the author to send in writing this commitment: "I agree to publish this work under the VIBS standard conditions, if it is accepted for publication." The understanding has the force of a contract, even before the formal contract is signed.

If the author can send two copies of the proposed book to the appropriate editor that will facilitate refereeing and editing. Works should be sent when the contents are complete rather than piece by piece, because cross-checking and uniform editing are required.

In a dated and signed covering-letter, the author should print full address, phone number, and, if available, FAX and e-mail.

By sending the package through a postal or courier service that provides a delivery receipt, the author will be assured of the safe arrival of the material and will not have to spend valuable time in telephoning the editor to learn if it has safely arrived.

102. Return of Materials

Because of the quantity of projects that VIBS receives from throughout the world, we cannot return unaccepted manuscripts to their authors unless postage has been prepaid. Unreturned manuscripts are deposited in the Archives.

The submission of a manuscript to VIBS shall be understood by its author to confer upon VIBS exclusive rights to publication under the terms indicated in this document. In other words, if VIBS accepts the work, then the author is committed to its publication by VIBS. Submitting the same work to more than one publisher at a time is not permitted. The scholars who edit VIBS are mostly in full-time academic service; they do not wish to see the time and professional care which they put into the works they accept lost by authors who might then decide to place the books elsewhere. Authors are encouraged to clarify any terms for publication in writing with the Senior Editors before submitting their manuscripts. Submission of a work to VIBS is understood as an offering for which VIBS has first right of refusal. To submit a book to us is to place it entirely under our terms. If you can't bring yourself to trust us, then don't submit it!

Before VIBS fully considers a manuscript, it expects the author to send in writing this commitment: "I agree to publish this work under the VIBS standard conditions, if it is accepted for publication." The understanding has the force of a contract, even before the formal contract is signed.

If the author can send two copies of the proposed book to the appropriate editor that will facilitate refereeing and editing. Works should be sent when the contents are complete rather than piece by piece, because cross-checking and uniform editing are required.

In a dated and signed covering-letter, the author should print full address, phone number, and, if available, FAX and e-mail.

By sending the package through a postal or courier service that provides a delivery receipt, the author will be assured of the safe arrival of the material and will not have to spend valuable time in telephoning the editor to learn if it has safely arrived.

102. Return of Materials

Because of the quantity of projects that VIBS receives from throughout the world, we cannot return unaccepted manuscripts to their authors unless postage has been prepaid. Unreturned manuscripts are deposited in the Archives.

The final word about writing, editing, and publishing cannot be written. These are arts that improve with exercise. However much we try to define their features, they have an open-endedness that reflects individual initiative, cultural change, technological innovation, and experimental spirit. Reading about book-making is never the same as writing a book. The author will have to learn from experience in working on a VIBS book, as well as from these written guidelines. Cooperation is the core of publishing--and of philosophical conduct. Keep yourself open to learning, and you will grow as a contributor to philosophical understanding.

Appendix One