The Australian Army History Unit has, as one of its prime responsibilities, an obligation to support efforts to research and disseminate the history of the Australian Army. To this end AAHU sponsors two publication programs. The first, under the auspices of Cambridge University Press (CUP), publishes monographs of a high scholarly standard in accordance with the status of CUP as the leading university press in the world. The second, in association with Big Sky Publishing (BSP), publishes books of outstanding quality that are either of a more general appeal or which are thought to have less commercial appeal or cover specialist areas that do not fit under CUP's charter.
Authors, or prospective authors, should in the first instance approach the Head of the Australian Army History Unit with the full manuscript. HAAHU can provide guidance and advice regarding outlines or proposals for manuscripts, but decisions to proceed to print can only properly be made on the basis of assessments of completed manuscripts. The author may only get one chance at having their work assessed for inclusion for AAHU's publishing program so it is highly recommended that before a manuscript is submitted, the author considers the manuscript is in its final completed state.
- all chapters of the manuscript in one file, in reading order as though part of a book
- include a Contents page
- ensure sure all footnotes are included, but they are added as Endnotes (ie. appear after all chapters but before the bibliography)
- ensure all the images, maps and diagrams have been clearly identified, listed and where appropriate (for maps and diagrams), handrawn samples provided
- ensure the bibliography is attached
- add a one page synopsis of the manuscript
- add a one page review of any books, already published, that cover a similar topic and an outline of how your proposal differs.
- if the manuscript targets a specific market, provide a brief description of the intended readership and how the manuscript compares against competitors.
The Australian Army History Unit then consults with an informal editorial advisory group, often seeking a written assessment of the manuscript. On the basis of that assessment, AAHU may then decide to proceed or not to proceed.
If the decision is taken to proceed further, the author will be asked to consult with an editor appointed by AAHU to bring the draft manuscript (or proposal or rough outline) to a state when a final decision to publish will be taken. If AAHU decides to proceed to publication, a contract will be offered to the author, and details of what services AAHU can provide will be finalised.
Once AAHU has offered a contract to an author and/or made a decision to go to print on a manuscript, the author must work closely with the editor appointed by AAHU's publishers. If the manuscript has been assessed as relevant as a CUP publication, the author will need to follow the instruction and guidance of the Series Editor. If the manuscript is deemed to be a better fit with BSP's publishing direction, the author will be asked to work with an editor to bring the manuscript to a state that both BSP and AAHU feel is appropriate. The author should produce for the editor as close to a finished manuscript as possible with the understanding that the editor is likely to make alterations, amendments and restructure the work to AAHU's standards and requirements. For the author this means ensuring consistency of style in referring to dates, times, military ranks, unit names, referencing etc. It also means that the required maps and photographs must be chosen and obtained by the author as soon as the decision to proceed to publication is taken. It is the responsibility of the author to obtain any permissions for reproduction that are required, and to ensure that there has been no breach of copyright. The Australian Army History Unit will assist in having appropriate maps drawn, but authors are required to have draft maps available for the cartographer to render into a quality, publishable form. Further details of the preferred style in all matters is available from AAHU.
The publication of a monograph is a lengthy and complex undertaking. It involves considerable investment and effort from AAHU. These procedures are designed to assist authors in preparing a manuscript for assessment by AAHU for consideration under the publishing program.