Author Questionnaire

To help us both (you, the author, and us, the publisher) evaluate the viability of the manuscript or proposal that you wish to submit for our consideration, please fill out this Author Questionnaire in detail. More is better than less in this case. Some questions may not apply: fill in a "N/A" so we know you didn't simply miss the question. Some of the data is required for registering your book with the U.S. Copyright Office, so please be thorough.

We know the form may look daunting. But, like good nutrition, good publicity is vital to helping a book get a good start in life.

Send this Author Questionnaire along with any other supporting material and your manuscript or proposal. We do not accept submissions via e-mail. If you are creating a longer work, please send a proposal instead of a full manuscript. In the proposal include a one-page summary of the book, an annotated table of contents, and two sample chapters (that are polished writing ... show us your best writing skills!).

Please be sure to include a self-addressed, stamped envelope to ensure a return of your materials. Chalfont House assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials.

It will take us from four to eight weeks to evaluate your book manuscript or proposal and respond. Please do not call about your submission; we will inform you of our decision by mail. Thanks!

Mail to:
Chalfont House
PO Box 84
Dumfries, VA 22026

Author Questionnaire

1. Author Biography: Please provide a concise biography, including current occupation and title as well as the location of your employer. Please include any past employment that would be pertinent to readers of this book. Are you a speaker? How many events do you speak at per year?
2. Author Education: Please provide a list of any post-secondary schools attended; degrees and honors. Also provide the name and address of any alumni magazines at these institutions.
3. Affiliations: Provide the names of any organizations with which you are affiliated, including academic, professional and/or governmental.
4. Previous Books: Please list any previous books you've written, including title, publisher, year of publication, and sales history.
5. Other Previous Publications: List any other published material that is pertinent to this book and to readers of this book. Have you been a reviewer, writer, or editor of any articles in any periodicals? Please give titles, periodicals, and dates of pieces done in the last three years.
6. Describe Your Book: Please describe why you wrote this book, the niche it fills, its subject, and key editorial points that make it unique. Give us the most important facts first. Describe why this book is important. What is going on in society that makes this work timely and significant? Name any specific regional areas where people will be most interested in reading your book.
7. Describe the ideal audience for your book.
8. What are the primary competitive books on the market? Please provide editorial similarities and differences, whether the competitive books are in hardcover or paperback, their prices, and any special elements (are they 4-color?). What advantages and strengths does your book have over its competitors?
9. Has any part of this book been published in other venues, like magazine articles, or on the internet? If so, please list the chapter and pages from the manuscript and when and where it appeared.
10. Tell us about any special requests: Would you like to make any suggestions or special requests about the book to the editors, designers, or salespeople?
11. Suggest two alternate titles for your book.
12. Marketing Blurbs and Endorsements: Please provide us with the names of colleagues and other influential people within your field from whom we might solicit comments about your book. Please provide addresses if possible.
13. Advertising: Please provide the names of those magazines, journals, newspapers or other media in which you think an ad might be effective.
14. Excerpts: What magazines might want to serialize or take excerpts from your book?
15. Educational Sales Outlets: Please provide the names of schools, or professors, that might be interested in using this book for courses either as a textbook or as a supplemental text.
16. Sales Outlets or Media at which you are known: Please provide us with the name of your hometown newspaper, radio station, and any bookstores at which you may be known. Provide addresses and phone numbers. Please list the best independent bookstores first, followed by the major chain stores. If you are not known by name in your local bookstores, please make an effort to introduce yourself; local bookstores often like to promote local authors.
17. Are you willing to prepare a list of friends, acquaintances, business associates, and professional colleagues to whom we can announce the book? This is one of the most successful ways to promote a new book.
18. Your Future Plans: If you will be traveling within the year following your book's anticipated publication, please provide the cities and states to which you will be going. List any planned speaking engagements for the next 24 months.
19. Are you willing to do newspaper, radio, or television interviews? Do you have contacts with the local media? Please include the names and positions of your contacts. If you have previous media experience, please summarize your involvement.
20. Do you know of any companies or organizations that have websites related to your book? Please provide thier website address.
21. Any Other Important Information: Please provide any additional information that was not provided above but you feel is important to the success of your book.