Publishing: Choosing the Best Format for Your Book
We value your decision to publish with Elsevier and know that selecting a publisher for your work can be a difficult choice. Once you decide to publish with us, our editorial department will work hand in hand with you to figure out what type of book is right for your proposal.
Elsevier publishes a wide range of content options to suit different subject areas, information types, and customer needs. These include: reference books, textbooks, fast-turn content, major reference works (MRWs), serials and handbooks, library and practical manuals, and atlases.
- Reference Books – Edited and authored by the most highly regarded experts in their fields, Elsevier’s highly cited reference books are an invaluable source of reliable background knowledge on both established and emerging subject areas. Examples of reference books include, Wine Science, Biomarkers in Toxicology, Geophysical Exploration Technology, and Forensic Document Examination.
- Textbooks – Elsevier publishes a wide range of innovative and award-winning textbooks for undergraduate, graduate, and professional courses, many of which also serve as foundational references for those no longer studying. Examples include, Environmental Microbiology, Introduction to Probability Models, and Fundamental Neuroscience.
- Fast-Turn Content – These fast-moving, e-leading publications with a print-on-demand option offer a new publishing route for material of between 10 and 150 pages in published length, allowing us to get high value, time sensitive, and cutting-edge information to market more quickly. Examples include Homegrown Violent Extremism, Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Cancer Therapy, Black Liquor Gasification, and Big Data Analytics.
- Major Reference Works (MRWs) – Our encyclopedias and comprehensive major reference works provide authoritative and accessible definitions and background information on a wealth of subjects, supporting, in particular, those engaged in cross-disciplinary work. Examples include Encyclopedia of Health Economics, Encyclopedia of Food Microbiology, and Comprehensive Hard Materials.
- Series and Handbooks – Sitting somewhere between books and journals are our series and handbooks. These are edited works with contributions by authors selected by the editor. This type of content publishes with the regularity, continuity, and topic development seen in journal publishing. Examples include Handbooks in Clinical Neurology, Handbooks in Economics, Methods in Enzymology, and Asian Studies.
- Laboratory and Practical Manuals – Elsevier’s laboratory manuals feature the latest methods and protocols researchers need to consult when working at the bench, while our practical manuals provide step-by-step design and operating procedures, including regulatory information for use in technical industries. Examples include Crime Scene Investigation Laboratory Manual, Piping and Pipeline Calculations Manual, and Transfusion Medicine and Hemostasis.
- Atlases – Elsevier publishes some of the most well-respected and highly cited atlases supporting scientific research and study. Examples include The Rat Brain in Sterotaxic Coordinates, Imaging of the Human Brain, and Atlas of Drosophila Morphology.
Once you’ve decided on your book type and begin the writing process, you’ll have the confidence that goes with knowing your finished product will receive our full support, thus ensuring your book is globally available and discoverable to all those who need it.
For more information, visit our Book Author’s webpage on Elsevier.com, where you’ll find a complete overview of the book publishing process and what to expect.