Highly selective publishing in print and electronic formats

A scholar-driven initiative launched in 2007, Signale continually explores how new collaborative relationships and distributions of labor among scholars, presses, and libraries can preserve a high-quality space for the specialized monograph. Publishing decisions are made by scholars in the broad, interdisciplinary field of German Studies with an eye solely to scholarly quality. We therefore combine a forward-thinking approach to production and distribution with rigorous, academic editorial oversight. Manuscript submissions for the main Signale series undergo the same strict peer review process as other Cornell University Press monographs. Translations in the Signale|TRANSFER program are reviewed by the Signale editorial board, and the small books in the Signale minima program are likewise evaluated entirely in-house by the Signale editorial board, accelerating the publishing process.

All books chosen for the series are published in print and electronic editions. Print editions are produced in small runs, backed up by trade-quality print-on-demand. Signale ebooks are available for e-readers (Kindle, Google Play) and in aggregations for the library market, including JSTOR and Project MUSE.

Open Access

Nearly all books published in the main Signale series are made available on an open access basis four years after initial publication. The delay balances a commitment to broad access with the need to sustain the Signale series by recouping investment in the books through sales. For authors, the open access program opens possibilities for worldwide engagement with their scholarship, beyond economic barriers and beyond the boundaries of the academy. Once openly accessible, Signale books experience a profound renewal combined with global attention. See further details: Signale Open Access.

Joint imprint and marketing

Signale books are published jointly by Cornell University Press and Cornell University Library in partnership with Cornell’s College of Arts and Sciences. Authors are issued a Cornell University Press contract and their books are marketed in the same way as other books published by the Press. They are featured in the Cornell University Press catalog, advertised in suitable venues, and displayed at the MLA and other appropriate meetings.

Submitting your work to Signale

Main Signale series (full-length, original scholarly books)

Authors are asked to send a cover letter, CV, and a 3- to 5-page prospectus that summarizes the book project, describes its relationship to existing scholarship, and identifies its likely audience. The prospectus should include a chapter outline and specify the length of the manuscript (in words). Please note that works of 90,000 words or fewer are preferred; longer works approved for publication will require an author subvention to help defray publishing costs. If the manuscript is not yet completed, a timeframe for completion should be included with the proposal.

Book proposals are reviewed by the series editor. If the editor decides to continue the review process, the author will be asked to submit the completed manuscript for review by anonymous external readers. Readers’ reports are reviewed by the Signale editorial board and are shared with the author. If revisions are required, the revised manuscript may be reviewed again by external readers. The final decision to publish or not to publish is made by the series editor and informed by the external reader reports and the recommendation of the editorial board.

Signale|TRANSFER (translations from German)

Please send a 2- to 3-page laying out the significance of the original work, and explaining why an English-language edition should be published now. Who are likely readers and what is the anticipated impact of the translation on important current discussions? Please specify the length of the manuscript. Please provide information about any extant English translations of other works by the same author, and indicate what inquiries, if any, have been made with the original publisher and/or author (estate) about availability of translation rights. Translators should include a CV with the proposal and highlight their qualifications to translate the work in question.

Signale minima (urgent small books)

Authors should send a 2- to 3-page description of project, including an annotated table of contents (if there is more than one chapter) and a statement on why the short-books format (30,000-60,000 words) is the best approach to the topic at hand. Please include a description of the context in which the book would appear, including competing volumes and/or work with which the book is in dialogue. Please provide a projected word count and potential delivery date.

Proposals should also a brief author bio and 15- to 20-page sample from the manuscript.

All proposal materials sent via email as MS Word attachments to the managing editor:

Kizer S. Walker
Cornell University Library
309 Uris Library
Ithaca, NY 14853
email: kw33@cornell.edu

Preparing the accepted manuscript

The final version of a manuscript that is accepted for publication must be prepared for submission according to the Signale author guidelines (PDF).