GAIA Editorial Policies and Procedures

Submission

We welcome submissions for English-language manuscripts from scholars throughout the world. Manuscripts should comprise previously unpublished work arising from original research. Occasionally we will consider the republication of out-of-print "classics" in global and international studies. Please begin by sending a letter of inquiry and prospectus to the Publications Director. [More information]

Peer Review

If your full manuscript is invited, the Publications Director will determine whether it shall advance to the next stage of consideration, that of external peer review. All published works must be peer reviewed by at least two readers. If a manuscript receives two or more peer reviews unequivocally recommending the work for publication, the Publications Director will present it to the GAIA Editorial Board at one of its periodic meetings. [More information]

Contracts, Rights, and Permissions

All authors must sign and return a publication agreement before we can publish their work. Our contracts aim to grant authors control over the fruits of their scholarly efforts while retaining the rights necessary for a flexible and viable publishing strategy. For details and sample contracts, please contact the Publications Director. A work, once published by GAIA, may not be removed from the eScholarship Repository. [More information]

You are responsible for clearing all third-party permissions before your manuscript enters the editing process; please refer to our Permissions Guidelines for instructions on securing permission.

Submitting Your Manuscript for Publication

The Publications Director will discuss revisions and formatting for publication (including rules for submitting digital art) with you. Please consult Guidelines for Electronic Manuscript Preparation for information on how to format your manuscript for editing. You must also return a Submission Checklist and Author Publicity Questionnaire with your final manuscript. Once you have submitted your manuscript, these materials, and all third-party permissions (see above), the Publications Director will discuss an editing and production schedule with you.

Editing and Proofreading

GAIA is a small publisher, and as such, we are not able to offer extensive developmental editing. The Publications Director will determine the level of editing needed on a project-by-project basis. We urge authors to seek subventions for editorial support from their universities and from granting agencies.

Electronic Submission Management

In some cases, the Publications Director may ask editors of multiauthor volumes to manage submission and peer review electronically. Instructions are provided online for volume editors' basic tasks.