LSE Press welcomes proposals for academic books in the social sciences and related disciplines, as well as proposals that bridge disciplinary boundaries. We are particularly interested in book ideas that can shape academic debate, influence public policy and generate public interest in social science research.  

To submit a book proposal, first complete our proposal form, which you can download here.

Your proposal should detail the overall purpose and aims of your book and provide a detailed chapter-by-chapter summary of its contents. We also ask for a sample chapter of text, in a form that is sufficiently well developed to be ready for external scrutiny. 

This article by Professor Sarah Worthington, LSE Press’s Chair, sets out some tips on drafting a successful book proposal.  

On submission, your proposal will be assessed by LSE Press’s commissioning team. If deemed a suitable fit with the Press, you may be asked to provide more information or revise your proposal ahead of the project being sent for external peer review, by at least two reviewers for each project at proposal stage. All proposals are ultimately subject to approval by the LSE Press Editorial Board, who make the final decision regarding all our publications. 

Our book publishing process follows LSE Press’s ethics policy. 

All our books are published fully open access – that is, they are free to read online and to download as pdfs and in epub format. We also publish paperback editions of all our books. 

As an open access press, we are committed to equitable models of publication, and we are often able to publish diamond open access (i.e. fund publications, without fees). We do ask those authors who are able to apply for grants, or who have access to open access funding, to do so. To find out more information, please contact LSE Press directly. 

Financing your LSE Press open access book Book publication charges

LSE Press welcomes proposals for monographs and edited collections that fit our mission to publish social science research with the potential to influence academic debate, public policy and the broader conversation. For authors with access to funding to support open access publication (e.g., via UKRI funding, research grants or institutional support) our book publication charges (BPCs) are set out below. Word Count Book Publication Charge Up to 60,000 words £5,500 60-125,000 words £7,500 Over 125,000 words Bespoke pricing – please discuss with our Managing Editor at lse.publishing@lse.ac.uk Please note for books with a high number of images or special features extra fees may apply – please discuss your requirements with our Managing Editor. All fees are subject to VAT, where applicable. Diamond open access publication For authors and editors who do not have access to funding for open access book publication, LSE Press is able to waive fees for a certain number of titles per year that fit our mission. This applies to authors and editors based at any research institution across the globe, whether LSE based or not. If you do not have access to funding but would like to discuss your project with us please get in touch with our Managing Editor.

If you have any questions about publishing with LSE Press, please get in touch via email at LSE.Publishing@lse.ac.uk