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Small Books Debating Big IssuesTM

Key points about Pantera Press's non-fiction series

A series of small books, each one a complete debate on a hot topic:

A series of easy-to-handle and easy-to-read books for the general public, tackling both sides of a hot topic that confuses, troubles or confronts them.

Each 'debate in a book' is written by two expert opponents.

Our format offers a considered answer to every key argument. Nothing is left hanging.

Audience:

Members of the general public keen to make up their own minds, or to have the tools they need to help them bring others around to their own views. They will include senior high-school students from 16 years through adults of all ages and from all walks of life.

Topical:

The timely & the timeless: the topics are those being discussed and argued about around kitchen tables, on campuses, in newspapers' letters and opinion pages, on talk-back radio, on TV news review or panel shows, or over a coffee or a beer.

New topics will pop up from time to time, and so speed of writing without sacrificing quality is important.

No publisher bias:

There is no publisher bias, either patent or subliminal.

As a complete debate on one of these hot topics, each book is even-handed by fairly presenting the two sides. We allocate each the same space and present them in the same format, font and design. Through our unique book design, each writer gets to go first.

Easy-to-understand style & easy-to-read format:

Though written by experts, the writing is factual, well-argued, and in everyday informal language, with no jargon, technospeak or footnotes.

Also, the writers we choose aren't shrill and don't sneer, ridicule or use loaded criticism.

Series title:

We're aiming to launch this in late 2009/early 2010.

The writers we seek:

Expertise:

Each writer has the expertise and credentials for their specific topic.

For example, they may be public intellectuals, think-tank researchers, NGO researchers, academics (professors, lecturers, PhD students) or others with relevant expertise and credentials.

Writers either with strong reputations or with emerging reputations:

Once a topic is selected, we will choose the writers based on our view of their writing and the quality and completeness of their argument.

Some of our writers may already be renowned experts keen to reach a mass-market-potential audience.

Others may not yet have established their 'names'. Contributing to our books may help them establish their reputations.

Clear, light and civil writing:

All our writers need to be quick, capable, competent and strong writers, and good communicators for lay and even younger audiences. They can write in clear and everyday informal language. Though their writing and arguments will be readily understood and enjoyed by 16-year-olds, they will not so simplistic that more mature readers feel talked down to.

We want readers to enjoy the colour and vigour of the writing, its deft touch and, where it doesn't weaken the argument, its humour and light flourishes. Reading these books should be an informative delight, not a chore.

In our books, our writers will be civil to their actual opponent as well as to others generally in the opposing camp. So they won't use rhetorical flourishes such as sneering and ridicule to undermine their opposition's credibility.

Mainstream advocates:

Our writers will be advocates of their side of the debate, but they will be mainstream, not extremist or shrill advocates.

Writer location/ International-potential audience:

Writers need not be based in Australia. Physical books: though initially they will be published in Australia, we hope later to sell some of them internationally. Ebooks: we will also be publishing digital versions of our books on our website, and perhaps on others'.

Because of the international potential for some of the books, examples and arguments given should not be exclusively Australian-focused, and it may be helpful to mention how other countries deal with the same issues.

Word-length of contributions:

Book size:

Each book debating a specific topic is around 100 pages, at 25,000 to 30,000 words.

We may publish, sell and distribute these books in various formats, for example print, audio, and electronic, and in Australia and elsewhere.

Writers' contributions:

The two opposing writers for a specific topic will each provide us with two pieces for the book, and one for our website.

For the book, they will provide:

For our website:

Once the book is ready to be published, we will give each writer the option to submit a short (500-word) rebuttal to their opponent's original rebuttal, as appears in the book. These second rebuttals won't be included in the book itself, but are intended as a tool to help generate further momentum for both the topic and the book and will be posted online, on our webpage for the book.

Original work & Editing process

Writers' contributions must be their own original work and must not infringe any existing copyright. (Writers will indemnify us against any breach of that warranty.) Work submitted should not be under consideration for any other publication.

We will edit the contributions to maximise clarity, plain language, civility and rigour and to promote consistent easy-to-read and jargon-free style. Writers accept they will work constructively with our editor.

We will edit out sweeping assertions from a writer's main argument or rebuttals such as "Advocates for [the opposing argument] often twist the facts…" If a writer actually does twist the facts and we spot this, our policy is to edit it out. But if this slips through our editing process, the opposing writer should, and no doubt will, expose this specific fact-twisting in their own rebuttals.

Though we will not include sources and footnotes in the physical books or ebooks to make them readable and visually compelling for a mainstream market, the writers must still provide us with the sources and citations for all their quotes and assertions of fact. This is so we can give them to their opposing writer to assist them in writing their rebuttals, and so we can post them on the webpage for the relevant book for readers who wish to check them.

So we can be quick-to-market and keep down the price of our books, we don't expose our writers' contributions to a peer-review process or specific fact-checking by our editorial team. Instead, we rely both on our writers' integrity and on the self-interest and cross-check that will come from exposing their sources to their opposing writer as well as to the broader public through our webpage for the book. Also, if we proceed with you as one of our writers, you will be warranting to us that all your statements are correct and not misleading.

Where will the books be sold?

At first, we intend the books in our series to be sold in Australia, in bookstores, chains and online, and also to make them available through secondary, tertiary and public libraries. Once the series has established a foothold in Australia, we aim to sell some of the books internationally.

How will the books be promoted?

Apart from advertising, and marketing online and to bookstores, chains and libraries, we will also be sending free copies of the books to a selection of key media relevant to the specific topic (together with the writers' contact details).

We envisage an at-least partly interactive website for our series where our readers can 'taste' what's in the books, buy digital versions of them, see the debate continue, (potentially) vote on the topics and also perhaps see short trailers of some of our writers introducing themselves and their topics.

What topics will our books cover?

You tell us!

We aim to publish our books on a wide variety of hot topics where there is public controversy, dissension or deep misunderstanding.

The topics may, for example, be political, social, moral, or scientific, and may also deal with health, education, or welfare issues.

We may publish separate books focussing on narrower aspects of a larger subject. For example, climate change, where there might be books on fossil fuel, man-made change, nuclear power, as well as other aspects. There is potential for several books on the global financial crisis, such as the merits/demerits of debt and deficit, and the argument about free markets vs government. We may do several books on social issues, such as gay marriage, the age of consent, and drug legalization, or medico-social topics such as euthanasia or designer babies.

The potential list is endless. We are open to suggestions.

Suggest topics or other writers to us:

We invite potential writers to suggest topics to us they are strongly committed to. We want to publish books that can help quench the public's thirst to be informed about an important but controversial topic.

We also invite potential writers to suggest others who could argue one or other of the two sides. It is important that our books have writers who can be strong and effective but also fair-minded advocates for their sides of the relevant debate.

If you're not a writer, but there's a hot topic you're keen to see a debate book about, or there's a writer you think could be perfect for us, feel free to email your topic or the writer's name and, if you have them, their contact details to us at Debates@PanteraPress.com

What do writers receive if we publish their contribution?

Contributors pay us nothing either for submitting to us or being edited or published by us.

If that doesn't sufficiently interest you, thank you for taking the time to consider our series.


But if you are still interested in becoming one of our writers, please read on for other important details about our requirements and process and the rest of our terms.


We admit what follows is fairly long.

Partly, that's so we can share the answers to the frequently asked, but more detailed questions some writers have already put to us.

And it's also because of our preference for openness so that potential contributors can know upfront what's likely to be involved and what you'd be committing to.

OUR SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS


If you are a potential contributor, here's what to do next:

If you are keen to contribute, and believe your topic, your ideas, your expertise and your writing skills can satisfy our needs, please read the rest of this document in full to check you're happy with our requirements, processes and terms.

Once you've done that, please send us the following two things, by post to our mailing address (which you will find at the end of this document):

  1. Your cover letter

    In your cover letter to us, please ensure you include all of the following information:

    1. Your name and your full contact details:

      Your name (as you would like it in the book), your postal address, your phone numbers (including mobile) and your email address.

      Also, if you have a personal website or a blog, its web address.

      NOTE:It is very important to include your email address so that we can send you an email to confirm we have received your submission.

    2. Where you heard about our series

    3. Identify the 'Why' topic you wish to write for us on:

      Write a single and punchy one-liner (one beginning with the word 'Why') that frames the specific debate topic you wish to suggest to us. It should be a topic a mainstream general public audience wants debated.

      (As examples only: 'Why hard drugs should stay banned/should be legalised', or 'Why fossil fuels cause/don't cause climate change')

      NOTE: Though we will be selective, Pantera Press is open to considering any topic no matter how contentious, whether political, moral, social, scientific, religious, or otherwise. Our main proviso is that the topic will excite and engage a mainstream audience and can be written and argued for them.

    4. Identify which "side" you wish to argue

      Specify clearly which "side" of that debate you wish to argue.

    5. Your short profile

      Please include a short profile you would be happy for us to include in the book as your bio. Make it no longer than 50 words in total. (If we select you, we will later on agree the final form of this with you.)

    6. Your detailed credentials

      In no more than two pages, please expand on why you have the expertise and the credentials to write on the particular topic and to take the particular "side" you wish to argue.

      In particular, specify in detail your relevant academic, political, work or other qualifications and experience. Also include details of any works you have already had published on this topic and other topics.

    7. Any suggestions you may have for a worthy opponent

      If you can, please provide the name and, ideally, contact details for any people you think would be worthy opponents for you; any capable and well-credentialed people you believe could be interested in writing a strong but opposing argument to yours.

      The stronger and more qualified your opponent, the more likely the book will attract popular attention.

    8. Confirmation you agree to our terms

      Please note that by making a submission to us you will also be acknowledging that you have read this document in full (so, yes, we really do want you to read it) as well as agreeing to all the terms and warranties set out in it. Effectively, this document is your Contributor Agreement with us. That agreement will only come into effect, of course, if we decide to proceed with your submission and ask you to write your full 10,000-word main argument and later, your rebuttals.

      So for completeness and to keep our process simple and speedy, please include the following sentence in your cover letter:

      "I am making this submission to you after having read in full your document, "Small Books Debating Big IssuesTM Key points about Pantera Press's non-fiction series", as it currently appears on your website and I acknowledge and agree to everything in it."

      If you don't include this, we will remind you by email, and may not review your submission until we receive it from you.

  2. Your outline of your main argument

    Do NOT write or submit your full 10,000-word contribution to us at this stage.

    Instead, in no more than four pages, provide us with the following.

    1. Your short introduction/overview

      Write the first 300 words (only) of the opener/introduction for your side of the argument.

      We need this so we can form a view on your writing, its clarity, its strength but light touch and its style.

    2. Your 7 key 'Because' arguments (each one is to be a chapter heading)

      Each writer we choose will stick to our format of seeking to persuade our readers to their cause by dividing their case into 7 key arguments or steps. Please note that our writers will have the opportunity to write an introduction for their side of the debate as well as these 7 distinct arguments.

      Each of the 7 points when written in full will be a complete explanation of one specific argument, not merely re-introduce or reprise part of the subject.

      So, please write a short, punchy heading for each of the 7 key arguments or steps you propose to use.

      To fit our series' format, each of your 7 headings needs to be a succinct phrase or sentence beginning with the word "Because… "

      (As an example only: in a debate book about Nuclear Power one of the 7 key arguments in the "for" side might be: 'Because it's greener than fossil fuels.)

    3. Brief summary under each of the 7 'Because' headings

      Under each of the 7 'Because' chapter headings, please give a tight bullet-point summary of that argument you will be advancing in that chapter.

      Use no more than 5 bullet-points for each of the 7 chapter headings.

    PLEASE ALSO NOTE:

    • Submission Formatting and Enclosures:

      Please note we do not accept submissions by email or on disk.

      Submissions must be typed on single-sided A4 (or letter-size) white paper, using one-and-a-half or double-spacing and common 12-point font, with a 2.5cm (1") margin all round.

      Also, please do not submit any more than we have asked for above. If we select your submission, we will let you know at that time what you need to do next.

      If you wish to submit for more than one topic, please submit separate cover letters and outlines (each complying with these submission requirements in full) so we can more easily compare submissions on the same topics.

      Pantera Press accepts no responsibility for any loss or damage to any material you send us. DON'T send us either your originals or your only copy.

      DON'T include return postage and packaging with your submission. If we don't choose your submission, we will let you know by email and we will dispose of the material you sent us, rather than return it.

    • Initial processes

      Submitting to us does not guarantee that we will choose either you or your topic.

      As well as broadly seeking unsolicited submissions, we are also contacting universities, think tanks, NGOs, public intellectuals and others for suggestions as to topics and writers.

      Since the topics we choose will be quite narrowly focussed, it is most likely that some submissions will be similar, offering similar arguments, and possibly even similar headings and bullet-points. We may well choose a contributor for your topic who has made quite similar arguments to yours.

      If you submit to us, you accept that we have the right to accept/reject submissions at our complete discretion and without giving any reasons and that you won't disparage or dispute our decisions or actions.

    • What happens after you send us your submission?

      • You will receive an email from us to confirm we have received it. (If you haven't heard from us within three weeks, please send us a follow up email to Debates@PanteraPress.com)

      • We will read your submission as quickly as we can, but we may need to let some time to run to allow other submissions for the same topic to arrive and be considered against yours.

    • What happens if we want to accept your submission?

      • If we want to proceed with your submission, we will let you know. We may also suggest changes to the structure you've proposed for your main argument. This will most likely be to promote clarity or completeness.
      • Because we will need you to write your main argument (and later your first rebuttal) quickly, so we can finalise and publish our book on a timely basis, we will suggest a timetable to you. After discussion to take into account both your and your opponent's other commitments, we will agree the timetable with you and need you to commit to it so we can reliably set up all our pre-publication, marketing and distribution arrangements for the book.
      • If we are both in agreement on the structure and the timetable, we will confirm that we will proceed with you.

    • What happens if we do proceed with you?

      • Timely cooperation: Recognising that publishing these debate books containing two opponent authors is more complex than many other book publishing projects, you'll cooperate with us and our editor on a timely basis through the pre-publication process with a view to helping us ensure that your contributions conform to our series' desired structure, style and content.
      • Main argument: Consistent with the timetable, you will then write and submit your full 10,000-word main argument along the lines of the agreed structure and submit it to us together with (in a publishable form) all relevant source references and citations for the facts you refer to as well as your assertions. As mentioned earlier (in Key Points above), we don't intend to include your sources and citations in the book but will provide them to your opponent and post them on our webpage for the book at the time it is published.
      • Editing: We will edit your grammar, language, punctuation and structure. We will do this primarily to maximise clarity, rigour, civility, and plain jargon-free language as well as to promote an easy-to-read style consistent with our series and our target readership. We may also edit your work for other reasons, such as accuracy or legal reasons (such as potential defamation). But we will not be responsible to you or to others if we fail to edit your work or edit it inadequately. As you'd expect, we will normally consult with you prior to any major edits, although this may not always be possible if we are pushing up against deadlines. We won't make any edits which, in our view, materially alter your underlying message or the substance of your argument.
      • Argument swap: Once we have edited your main argument and your opponent's, we will provide you with your opponent's main argument (together with their source references and citations) and vice-versa, so you can each write your 2,500 word rebuttals. We will edit these, too, with the same objectives mentioned above. If your opponent should find factual or other flaws in your main argument, you accept that they are free to point this out in their rebuttal, and that we are free to publish it, without you complaining or seeking other redress. You, too, will have the equivalent right for flaws in their main argument.
      • Confidentiality: When we provide you with your opponent's main argument, sources and citations, we will be doing that strictly on the basis that you will keep them confidential and use them only to write your rebuttal for us to include in our book. In particular, you won't disseminate, circulate, or publish any of your opponent's main argument to anyone or by any means whether before we publish the book or afterwards (except by the book itself), as this may damage the market for and credibility of our book or our series.
      • Your payment: Shortly after we've finished editing your rebuttal for the book, we'll send you your full payment of A$1,000. Our preference is to pay by electronic funds transfer to your bank account. Just before that time, we will ask for those details.
      • Your free copies: We'll send you your 6 free copies of the book you have contributed to as soon as we can, which will normally be shortly before it's publicly available.
      • Your discounted copies: Ideally, we will send your discounted copies of the book (up to 20 copies) to you at the same time as your free copies to simplify our processes and paperwork and keep our shipping costs down. To assist that, we'd prefer it if you request your discounted copies when we ask for your bank account details for our payment to you. That way we can also simplify our administration by deducting the payment for the discounted books from our A$1,000 payment to you.

      • Media and marketing: We hope the book will help broaden or refuel the debate on your topic and generate strong media interest, although we can't guarantee that. So we will also be marketing the book to sections of the media we think are on the lookout for commentators on your topic, and we will encourage them to contact you directly. You authorise us to use your name, likeness, biographical data or credentials in any edition of the book you contribute to or in any derivative work, as well as on our websites, in advertising, marketing, publicity or promotion and (unless you specifically ask us not to) to give the media your contact details (mobile phone number and email address) for this purpose. Very shortly before sale, we'll be sending out media kits including this information and free copies of the books or extracts. If you can suggest any specific media contacts to send our media kits to, please let us know at the time and we will happily consider them.

        We'll need a good quality headshot photo of you. We'll be asking you to let us have one so we can use it for marketing and possibly on our website. Also for our website and possibly digital versions of the book, we may want a video clip of you and, separately, your opponent talking to camera, for example, introducing yourselves and the topic. We'll need your further cooperation and availability for this.

      • After-rebuttal rebuttal: You won't normally get to see your opponent's rebuttal to your own main argument, and vice-versa, until we give each of you your copies of the completed book. But if you then wish, we'd be happy for you to give us a short rebuttal to your opponent's rebuttal, provided it's no more than 500 words. Obviously, this rebuttal to your opponent's rebuttal won't be included in the book itself but, to help generate momentum even beyond the book, we intend to include this once we've edited it (with the same objectives mentioned above) on our website for this series. We'll make this web-posting option available to both writers even if only one of you chooses to take advantage of it, and will mention this on our website.
      • Change of plans: It's occasionally possible that with a particular book or a particular writer, and for a variety of possible reasons, we may decide that we won't publish that book at all or at that time, or that we choose to substitute a fresh writer or writers for one or both sides of that debate. These won't be decisions we'll take lightly, and we expect they will be rare. But if you do make a submission to us, you will be accepting that we remain free to take any of these actions as we see fit, without us having to explain why. In the unlikely event this happens to you, as a writer we have proceeded with, we will still pay you an appropriate proportion of the A$1,000 fee even though we won't be publishing your work. For example: if it occurs after you've supplied your main argument in our agreed form and structure but not yet your rebuttal, we'll pay you A$750; if it occurs after you've supplied both your main argument and your first rebuttal, we'll pay you the full A$1,000. Our tendering the appropriate payment to you will be full settlement of our obligations to you. You also accept we may, from time to time, vary our terms in respect of another writer or writers and you agree we remain free to do so without affecting our agreement with you.
      • Revised and new editions: Later, after we've published the book containing your contribution, it's possible we may want to publish a revised or rewritten edition. In such a case, we may ask you to work with us again for that new edition and on the same terms and warranties as applied for your earlier contribution. However, we reserve the flexibility to choose substitute writers as we see fit and without having to give you any reasons. In such cases, we and our substitute writer will be free to use all or any of the "Why..." and "Because..." headings used in the earlier book if we wish without attribution to you.
      • Withdrawal: We also reserve the right to cease publication of the book containing your contribution at any time as we see fit, including removing it from sale or from our web sites, without having to give reasons.

      • Other important terms if we proceed with you

      • Moral rights and copyright

        What you write and how we publish it are important both to you and to us. The integrity, contents and design of our series, and the work we've already and will continue to put into it, as well as our marketing, promotion and brand-building for it are also important to us.

        Many of our writers will be passionate and public advocates for their side of their relevant debate and will want to continue writing on that topic elsewhere. We encourage that.

        The only restrictions we impose are that you won't allow your other writings to appear in a potentially competing "for-and-against" debate-style publication, or in a format similar to our "Why/Because" format we've outlined in our submission requirements above, or in a design, style or format substantially similar to our series' or the relevant book's (especially our design features, layout, callout boxes and typography).

        To further those imperatives, if you make a submission to us that we proceed with, you'll be:

        • asserting to us your moral right to be identified in the book and on our website for the series as the author of your contribution,
        • assigning your ownership of its copyright to us (but retaining your freedom to write elsewhere subject to the qualifications above), and
        • acknowledging that we own the copyright in our series' and our book's design, design features, layout, callout boxes, typography, and in our "Why/Because" format and our "two-books-in-one" debate format, and that you have no claim over them.

        This will facilitate us investing in, developing and promoting our series, as well as potentially distributing it via a variety of means, forms, devices and languages to a wide range of readers (for example, print, audio, audio-visual, electronic and digital, including on our or others' websites), to reproduce, disseminate, publish, transmit, modify, adapt, translate, create derivative works from, distribute and display your contribution, or incorporate some or all of it in other works, to take advantage of new technologies as they arise to store, communicate or distribute authors' work, as well as to help protect against copyright and moral rights violation.

        If we need you to give us any other documents or do anything else so we can benefit from the warranties, indemnity and other agreements set out in this document, you will do so at our reasonable request and expense. We may withhold publication until this is done.

      • Warranties and indemnity


        If you make a submission to us that we proceed with, we'll be doing so on your warranty that the work you provide to us:

        o is your original work in its entirety (except for edits we make)

        o expresses your original ideas (except where these are in the public domain or, if not, that you will give due attribution to the relevant person)

        o contains nothing defamatory, false, misleading or deceptive (including all assertions or statements of fact, citations and references) and that our publication, distribution and sale of it is lawful

        By making your submission, you'll also be warranting that, subject to this Agreement, you are the sole owner of copyright in and all other rights to your work, that your grant of rights to us and others in this Agreement will not infringe any other person's rights or constitute a breach of any other agreement, that you have obtained copyright clearance and all other licences or permissions from any relevant rights holders for any material included in your work that does not constitute fair dealing permitted under applicable copyright laws, and that the biographical details and credentials you provide to us about yourself for publication by us are true, not misleading, and have not been challenged by others.

        You'll also be acknowledging that if you breach any of these warranties, Pantera Press and others may suffer loss, damage and expense. Accordingly, you indemnify Pantera Press and our directors, officers, employees, agents, distributors and booksellers against all loss, damage and expense incurred or suffered directly or indirectly by them as a result of us publishing, selling or distributing your work.

      • Limitation


        If you make a submission to us that we proceed with, you'll also be acknowledging that if you have any claim, including for negligence, against us, our directors, officers, employees, agents, distributors and booksellers, we can settle that claim in full by tendering A$500 to you (in addition to any payment due for your contribution) to your address last known to us.

      • ABN/GST registration


        If you are an Australian resident contributor and you carry on a business, you must have an Australian Business Number (ABN) to do business with us. If that business has a current or projected annual revenue of A$50,000 or more, you must also be registered for GST. Prior to payment to you, we will ask you to confirm your ABN/GST status and may also need to ask you to give us a tax invoice including your ABN. If we are required to pay GST, we will add it to the payment due to you.

      • Place of contract


        Though our writers may be located anywhere, we are based in Sydney, Australia. To keep our costs down, our writers agree that their contract with us is to be treated as if made in Sydney, and that the law that applies there is the law that applies to this agreement.

    • Where to post your completed submission to us:

      After you've considered all the above, please post to us:

      • your cover letter (containing all the information mentioned earlier), together with

      • your outline of your main argument (using the structure specified earlier),

      to us at our postal address as follows:

      Small books debating big topics
       Pantera Press Pty Limited "
      P.O. Box 357
      Seaforth 2092
      NSW Australia

      Thank you. We very much look forward to reading your submission.

      Pantera Press



      In this document, "Pantera Press", "we", "us", and "our" refer to Pantera Press Pty Limited of the above address; "You" and "your" refer to a person who makes a submission to us for this series.

      This version of this document was posted on Pantera Press's website (www.panterapress.com) on 17 September 2009

      Copyright © Pantera Press Pty Limited