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For first-time authors, it can be difficult to figure out how exactly they should get published. Fortunately, with the University Press of Kansas right in Lawrence, they have 80 years of experience in helping authors get their stories published.

Although the University Press generally focuses on more specialized works — often scholarly works related to topics like political science or military history — two key UPK figures Laura Pilcher, the senior marketing manager and Kelly Chrisman Jacques, the director and managing editor, shared some of what they look for when it comes to sussing out works to publish.

In general, publishers like University Press are looking for specific stories that fit in their main audience’s scope. Pilcher said editors at UPK will ask four key questions about their book proposal:

• What is the book about?

• Why is it important?

• Why are you the only person who can write it?

• Why is UPK or Plainspoken books (a narrative non-fiction imprint under UPK) the right place to publish it?

Pilcher said while the editors will also consider the quality of the work and proposal, those factors make a key difference in figuring out which books the press decides to publish.

Pilcher said sometimes, authors will propose a book and it will be close, but not quite the right fit. That doesn’t necessarily mean editors will stop working with potential authors, according to Pilcher, and they could help them brainstorm more ideas or direct them to other publishing houses that might work.

For any wannabe author, Chrisman Jacques said it is important to “read widely” in a field they would want to publish in and know what publishers would be interested in that work. If you are writing a romance novel, it would not make sense to go to UPK because that is not what they are about. Instead, authors should get to know some of the key places that publish the type of story they want to write.

Chrisman Jacques said that UPK — like most all other publishing houses — includes submission guidelines on their websites. Authors proposing manuscripts or writers thinking of writing a story should follow those before submitting anything to a publisher, Chrisman Jacques said.