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> submission guidelines
> how to write a self-help book
> marketing & publicity for your book
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> author guidelines
We publish the finest psychology and health books available. For over thirty years New Harbinger has been the first choice for general readers and professionals looking for effective, reliable information on a range of mental health, medical, and personal growth topics. All of our books, in all of the categories listed below, are intended to improve the reader’s mental health.
We are currently looking for cutting-edge manuscripts in the following categories:
Self-Help Psychology
We are looking for self-help psychology books that use the following treatment methods to treat the specific mental health conditions listed below:
Interpersonal therapy, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), mindfulness-based therapies, or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a treatment for the following specific psychological issues:
Medical Health & Psychology Workbooks
Professional Books
Gift Books
Narrative Non-Fiction or “Think Books”
Memoirs
We are looking for memoirs on the following topics:
Please review our Author Guidelines and Submissions Guidelines for more information
You can send proposals to:
proposals@newharbinger.com. 5674 Shattuck Avenue Oakland, CA 94609
Welcome to New Harbinger Publications. If you are interested in finding the right medium for reaching a wider audience with your innovative treatment strategies, you have come to the right place. New Harbinger publishes research-based self-help psychology and health books that appeal to laypeople. Mental health professionals also read our books and use them with their clients.
We welcome the opportunity to review your material and consider your work for publication. Please submit the following information with your proposal:
1. Prospectus
A two- to three-page overview of your book, including:
2. Table of Contents Include an extended outline, including brief (two-paragraph) descriptions of what each chapter will contain.
3. One to Three Sample Chapters Please do not submit your entire manuscript.
4. Analysis of the Competition Find at least three books that compete with yours. Please include the title, author, date of publication, publisher, and Amazon ranking of competing books (under 10,000 is best), as well as specific details about how your book is different and what new and compelling information your book offers that the competition does not.
5. Your Resume or Curriculum Vitae
6. Estimated Completion Date for the Entire Manuscript
Please submit your proposals, marked to the attention of the acquisitions department, to the following address: New Harbinger Publications 5674 Shattuck Avenue Oakland, CA 94609
You can also e-mail your proposal to: Proposals at New Harbinger Dot Com.
Due to the high volume of proposals we receive, the evaluation process typically takes two to three months. In all cases, we will try to get back to you as quickly as possible with our publishing decision. We look forward to reviewing your proposal.
A self-help book must be complete. You must include all the information the reader will need to acquire the skill you’re teaching. For example, if the first step of Systematic Desensitization is to learn relaxation techniques, you need to teach relaxation techniques first.
To effectively teach skills, a self-help book must proceed step-by-step. Put the first step first, the second step second, and so on. Don’t leave out any steps. In this respect, many New Harbinger books resemble technical manuals rather than traditional psychology books.
Include just as much theory, history, and motivational writing as the reader needs to understand and acquire the skill at hand. A few sentences of inspirational or motivational writing can help, but keep your focus on the practical and factual. When you have the choice of explaining a complex theory or just giving a simple instruction, give the simple instruction. If you discuss theory, give a brief, clear explanation.
audience
Many of our books are double-targeted: they’re meant to be read by both lay and professional audiences. The best way to reach both groups is to write your book directly to the client—to the person with the problem you’re writing about. The language should be simple and the tone supportive. If you include enough historical background, theory, and further readings, then the professional will get the whole story, too. After all, mental health professionals buy our books for the same reason laypeople do—because our books are clear, simple, and complete. Professionals report that they prefer our step-by-step approach over the abstract and abstruse material usually offered to the professional audience.
Write assuming your reader knows absolutely nothing about your subject. Explain every step so that a person who is completely naive could follow your directions. Ask yourself after each instruction or exercise, “Could I do this if I’d never been exposed to any of these concepts or methods before?”
research
First, do your own homework. Go to bookstores and libraries. Peruse the Internet. Talk to colleagues. Query associations and other professional groups. Find out what is already available on your topic and get copies of the best materials. See how other authors have approached the topic, and learn from both their successes and shortcomings. Make sure that the book you want to write hasn’t already been written. Figure out how your book is going to be different and better.
organize your book
Decide on a working title and a table of contents before you start writing. For a 200-page book, you should have at least ten chapters to break up the book and provide resting points in the narrative. Unless your book will be in the Companion Series format, don’t have more than fifteen chapters, or your book may become too fragmented.
Try to arrange your contents according to a single organizing principle. For example, you could organize a book on relaxation according to the various techniques that can be employed to reduce stress. A book on a specific treatment strategy could focus first on the general theory and then on each step of the process. Whichever organizing technique you choose, make sure that it is logical and easy to follow. Too many ideas presented all at once can be confusing.
After you complete your table of contents, go on to outline each chapter. Make a brief listing of topics to be included in each chapter; this may save you from having to revise a lot of chapters later.
One good way to work is to build your outline using headings and subheads. So, after you’ve decided on your chapters and their titles, start filling in what the headings would logically be. Remember, headings act as a sort of outline or guide within the book. A-heads are the largest (“Why Relax?”), followed by B-heads (“Relaxation Can Be Learned”), C-heads (“Relaxation Techniques”), and finally D-heads (“Progressive Muscle Relaxation,” “Release-Only Relaxation,” etc.). Creating a table of contents complete with headings (even just A-heads) will give you a ready-made outline from which to work.
start writing
When you know what chapters you will have in your book and what will be in each chapter, you’re ready to start writing. Write the chapter you’re most familiar with first, regardless of where it is in the table of contents. Save the introduction for last—you have to know what the whole book is like before you can introduce it.
Each chapter should cover just one concept, skill, theory, problem, or technique. Use A headings and a lot of B-heads and C-heads so that the reader can know at a glance where the chapter is going. (Chapters in Companion Series books are so short they don’t need headings.) In a chapter that teaches a skill, proceed step-by-step in exactly the sequence the reader should follow to master the skill. Teach any prerequisites first or in a previous chapter. Put the most important, most general, and most applicable rules or concepts first. Save the special cases, exceptions, and special considerations for the end.
teach by instruction, example, and exercise
To effectively teach an individual step of a skill, follow this sequence: state the rule, precept, or instruction first. Be clear and to the point. Then give an example of how someone else did this step. Finally, provide an exercise for the reader to perform. This gives the reader three ways to learn the skill: intellectually by precept, emotionally through modeling, and experientially through action.
You can use one long-running example throughout a chapter, give several different examples, or do both. For a complex procedure with many steps, it helps to give one long example at the end of the chapter to show how it all goes together.
Note that examples are not case histories. In fact, you may not be able to find enough real-life case histories to illustrate all the material that needs examples. You might have to make them up, striving for enough quirky details and complications to make them seem real. Don’t feel guilty about making up examples—it might be a dubious practice in a journal article, but it’s perfectly acceptable in a self-help book. The purpose of a self-help book is to teach, not provide case monographs.
tone—from me to you
Write directly to the reader, referring to him or her as “you.” Avoid references to “one.” Addressing the reader as “you” might feel uncomfortably intimate or presumptuous, but it is one of the best ways to achieve the warm, personal, supportive tone that is so important in a self-help book. You may be used to writing reports, case histories, or journal articles, and this style may seem unnatural at first, but it can be used to impart almost any kind of information. If using “you” feels confrontational or accusatory in certain circumstances, you can refer occasionally to “people” or “everyone.”
Refer to yourself as “I,” or if possible, don’t refer to yourself at all. Write as if you were addressing a trusted friend. This will create an omniscient, anonymous author persona.
We like an informal style. Use occasional contractions like “won’t” and “you’re” instead of “will not” and “you are.” A little slang or vulgarity, particularly in examples of how people really talk, is desirable.
headings and subheads
Headings are the elements of bigger type that break up a book into sections. At New Harbinger, we use four kinds of headings: A heads, B heads, C, and D heads. As you can probably surmise, they descend in terms of generality, from A to D. So, an A head in the chapter called "Keeping Your Cat Healthy" could be "Your Enemy the Flea," followed by the B head "Flea-Borne Ailments," and so on. In a sort of outline form, the A head denotes the broad topic (within the broader sphere of the chapter title/subject and the broadest of the book's title/subject), and the subsequent heads denote subordinate topics within the broader subject. It works just like an outline.
literature citations
Avoid citations unless they are absolutely necessary to explain the background of a concept or technique. Citations are necessary, for example, any time you are quoting directly or referring to a concept, idea, or opinion that is directly attributable to another source.If a reference is needed, don’t use footnotes. Instead, cite the author’s name and the date of the work. If possible, work the citation into the sentence: “In 1986, Dr. Joyce Williams found that white rats like rock and roll.” Otherwise, it should look like this: “Research has shown that white rats like rock and roll (Williams 1986).”
Include a References section at the end of the book. New Harbinger uses the APA documentation style exclusively for books intended for a professional audience. For all others, list books in your references section like this :
Smith, A.B., and Z. Jones. 1986. Title of Book. New York: Publisher.
List journal articles by date, volume, and page numbers:
Wolfe, N. 1971. “Title of Article.” Name of Journal 6:16–23.
Be sure that the References section includes complete and accurate references for all works mentioned in your text. Only books cited in the text should go in the References section—any other books that you recommend can go in a Recommended Reading section. For more details on how to format your references, please see our References Guide. This can be requested from your acquisitions editor.
sentences and paragraphs
Try to have no more than one subordinate clause in your longest sentences. When you use long sentences, alternate them with short sentences to give the reader a rest.
Each paragraph should have just one idea. Don’t be afraid of short paragraphs—if you’ve completely covered the idea, end the paragraph and start another one.
It’s best to begin paragraphs with a general-idea sentence and follow it with sentences giving specific examples of the idea, or exceptions to the idea. Don’t skip from the general to the specific then back to the general—it’s very hard for the reader to follow.
A general-idea sentence can also end a paragraph when the sentences before it give specific evidence for a general conclusion. Again, it’s the movement back and forth between the general and the specific that confuses your reader.
avoid repetition
A little repetition is okay for emphasis, but don’t overdo it. Try to explain things as clearly as possible the first time; re-explaining yourself can lead to confusion. Also, beware of your favorite expressions, sayings, aphorisms, and clichés cropping up too often.
obtain permissions
If you use someone else’s copyrighted material, it is your responsibility to obtain written permission from the original publisher to reprint the work. Permission is always required for: song lyrics, poems, quotes of approximately 100 or more words, diagnostic elements like questionnaires, assessment tools, illustrations, and photos. Also, explanations of general concepts or theories should be scrutinized to avoid unintentional copyright violation . We can help you decide if permissions are needed and supply a form for you to use. Generally, the author is responsible for any permissions fees. Bear in mind that obtaining permissions may take several weeks, or even months, and that all signed permissions letters must accompany your final manuscript. We suggest that you begin the process of requesting permissions as soon as your book has been accepted for publication.
As a medium-sized publisher, New Harbinger works in partnership with our authors to ensure that each of our books benefits from the most cost-effective and successful publicity campaign possible. As an author, you play an essential role in the promotion of your book. From the earliest stages, consider who your audience is and how you can best reach and impress this audience.
team effort
Authors work in tandem with a New Harbinger marketing and publicity representative to spread the word about our books. In addition to helping to arrange book signings, our publicists coordinate media interviews and send press kits to hundreds of television and radio producers, newspaper and magazine writers, editors, professional journals, and to any names, addresses, and contacts that you suggest.
marketing department packet
Early in the book-development process, around the time your manuscript is due, you’ll receive a packet of information from the New Harbinger marketing department. When you do, read through it carefully. It contains important information you’ll need to know:
your author bio
Your acquisitions editor will request a biographical statement from you very early in the book-development process. It’s very important that the information you include in this statement be accurate, up to date, and ready for public release when you submit it to your editor. As soon as the New Harbinger marketing department receives this bio, we may begin using it to promote your book. Some promotion efforts involve wide broadcast on the World Wide Web and other media. It can be difficult to make changes to incorrect information once it has been distributed.
If you do need to make a change to your bio at any time, please get in touch with the New Harbinger marketing department. You can find contact information in the Marketing Department Packet.
foreword
If you wish to include a foreword in your book, talk to your acquisitions editor as early as possible in the process. It is the author’s responsibility to contact foreword authors and make sure the foreword comes in by deadline. A foreword will count towards the manuscript page count.
endorsements
Endorsements from respected professionals can influence consumers’ decision to buy your book. The New Harbinger marketing department will assist you in gathering endorsements, but it’s never too early for you to start thinking about a “short list” of well-known individuals who might be willing to read and comment on your book.
Look for endorsement instruction in the Marketing Department Packet, which you will receive around the same time your final manuscript is due, and be sure to make a note of your personal endorser submission deadline.
promoting your book
Wherever you travel, be it for business or pleasure, you should start thinking of your travel excursions as promotional affairs. Do you visit your sister in Alaska once a year? Do you spend two months a year on sabbatical or in a second state to avoid harsh winters? Are you planning to visit the Southwest this summer? Think of these locations and target a handful of cities to which you will be traveling once your book is published. With the assistance of our publicity department, you can arrange to have book signings or to present workshops in these locations. And, with enough warning, bookstores in these cities will purchase more copies of your book knowing that you are going to be promoting it actively and locally.
Think about which conferences you may be attending once your book is published. Where and when will these conferences be held? If possible, arrange to speak at symposiums or hold workshops at professional conferences, especially conferences catering to those who might be interested in your book. If you are attending a conference at which New Harbinger is selling books, talk to your acquisitions editor about the possibility of having you sign books at our booth. Please let us know far ahead of the conference so we have time to plan and announce the signing.
Our average book is 200 pages long. During the developmental editing process, we will tell you how many manuscript pages you need to write to reach your desired book length. This will depend on the computer setup you are using.
Don’t worry about copyrighting your manuscript. You are automatically covered by copyright law as soon as you touch pen to paper. Not until a book is actually printed and offered for sale can we apply for a formal copyright certificate.
procedure for the average book
These are the stages the average book travels through on its way to publication. Remember to let us know if you plan to be traveling or otherwise unavailable for any of these stages.
Once we have a completed manuscript in hand, the book will be edited, printed, and in your hands in about nine months. We tend to work longer than most publishers on the revising and editing stages, since we are very particular about the quality of the books we publish.
send us a disk or electronic file
Your entire manuscript (including the bibliography) should be typed and double-spaced—never single-spaced. Use one-inch margins and number the pages consecutively. The manuscript can be sent via e-mail. We prefer IBM PC compatible files in Microsoft Word format, but we can translate almost any word processing format. If there are any illustrations, we need them in both hard copy (printed format) and electronic format if possible.
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