Gross Library of Jewish Philosophy – Volume Proposal Guidelines
The book proposal should be 8-10 pages long and include the following sections:
I. The Author of the Work: Please provide a two-page overview of the intellectual significance of the author (or, authors) of the work to be edited and translated in the suggested volume.
II. The Work: Provide an outline of the nature and genesis of the work you intend to edit/translate (2-3 pages).
III. Text and Scholarship: Was this text ever printed? How many manuscripts of the text are available? What is the current state of scholarship on the text? How do you intend to establish the text of your edition? (2 pages).
IV. Length of Original Manuscript and Volume Timeline: Please provide a word-count for the length of the original text, and an estimate of the time it will take you to complete the work on the volume (edition and translation).
V. Definition of Market: Who are the likely readers of your volume? In what kind of academic classes this text could be assigned as required reading? (up to a page).
VI. Translation Table: Table of major philosophical terms in the source language, and their suggested English translations (1-2 pages).
As appendix to the proposal include a sample Edited Text with corresponding Translation:
For the Sample Text:
— Provide a sample text based on a published text, if it exists, with indication of how the text requires improvement; or based on the manuscripts. Using 2-3 mss should be sufficient to present a preliminary sample. Please identify the mss, explain why you choose them, and explain how you anticipate working towards a completed edition.
— When working with mss variants, mark them with footnotes (to the Hebrew text) in Word, using a Hebrew letter to identify each manuscript, and listing variants following this hypothetical example:
ענינים] אב: ענין; גדה: עניני; חט: חסר; י: + גדולים ||
Note that the OUP has software which automatically converts Word docs with footnotes into a text with line numbers and proper apparatus.
— If a reliable edition of the source text already exists, you should avoid – or at least minimize – notes addressing mss variants.
–For emendations to the text, use square brackets [ ] for a suggested addition that is not attested in any of the manuscripts and { } for a suggested deletion that has no support in any of the manuscripts. Parenthesis ( ) are used for biblical source references cited within the text.
For the Sample Translation
– The Translation MUST match the edition; in other words, do not produce a diplomatic text then correct it through the translation, as if it were eclectic.
— In general, follow Chicago Manual of Style for editing conventions, and the attached guide to transliterations of Hebrew and Arabic.
— There should, however, be occasional variations from Chicago Manuel of Style, for instance: Identify biblical verses with italics and include verse citations in the text, at the end of the citation and with parenthesis, for example: (Jer 9:22-23).
— Other sources should be identified in the footnotes.
— Use brackets for additions to the text or changes.
Please make sure to include your contact information in the proposal, and attach a sample of roughly 25 pages of edited text and translation, as well as your current cv.