​CAI Press is the publishing division of Community Associations Institute. Its mission is to provide practical, accurate, and timely resources to community associations. CAI Press welcomes manuscripts that focus on, or are of interest to, community associations, and it gives preference to proposals that are of practical value to the managers, board members, and professionals who serve them.

CAI Press does not pay author royalties; submissions are considered contributions to advance the goals and purposes of CAI. If your book is accepted for publication, however, CAI will bear all costs for publishing and marketing.

When Should You Contact Us?

You may request consideration at any stage of your book's development.

What Should You Submit?

Initially you should submit a proposal for publication that includes as many of the following as possible:

• Contact information about yourself and any co-authors: name, address, phone, e-mail. If you are co-authoring the book, indicate one person with whom CAI Press should communicate.
• List other books or articles you have published, the date of publication, and indicate whether you were the primary author, co-author, or editor. Include a similar list for each co-author or editor, if appropriate.
• Describe briefly your qualifications to write the book you are proposing.
• Provide a detailed outline of the book or a table of contents. If these are not available, please describe briefly the nature and scope of your book.
• Describe why your proposed book is relevant to community associations.
• Estimate the number of books on this topic that are already published, and provide the names of one or two of the most prominent.
• Explain briefly why your proposed book is either different from or better than the other books on this topic.
• Describe the individual who would be most likely to read this book. What are this person's occupation, primary interests, highest education level, and annual income? In your opinion, is the cost of a book an issue for this person?
• Estimate how many people you believe are likely to purchase this book. Explain how you arrived at this number.
• Based on your knowledge of the average buyer, indicate who you believe is most likely to pay for this book—the individual, or his or her employer.
• State whether, in your opinion, your book would do well in retail bookstores such as Barnes & Noble, B. Dalton, or Borders.
• Provide any pertinent information that you believe we should consider that we have not asked for.

Your proposal will not be returned, regardless of the decision. Therefore, you should not send originals. Do not send entire manuscripts in any form, paper or electronic, with your proposal.

What Happens To Your Proposal?

All proposals will be acknowledged and receive due consideration. If your proposal is clearly not appropriate, you will be notified immediately. Otherwise, please allow up to six weeks for us to study and evaluate your information and make a decision. We will seek opinions from several experts on the topic of your book and use their comments in the decision-making process. In some instances, we may contact you for more information or ask for a sample chapter before reaching a decision.

The information you provide will be evaluated from several perspectives. First, does it fit our editorial profile? Would your book be of interest to community associations? Would your book offer new information or treat a topic in a new or particularly useful manner? Second, is there a market for your book? Are there other books on the same topic? How would your book compare to the others in quality and usefulness? And finally, can we expect a reasonable return on our publishing investment with your book?

What if Your Proposal is Accepted?

You will be notified in writing if your proposal is accepted. CAI Press does not guarantee that your book will be published even if your proposal is accepted. Finished manuscripts are subject to peer review and may be rejected or returned for revision.

If We Publish your Book:

You will be asked to sign a letter of agreement defining the rights and obligations of each party—yourself and CAI Press.

You will be asked to submit a recent photo for the book jacket.

You will be required to provide your social security number and date of birth. This information is required on the copyright application and Library of Congress card catalog application.

​You will be required to sign a copyright release assigning your copyright interest in the book to Community Associations Institute.

CAI Press reserves the right to edit your book for editorial style, length, or to improve the product. You will see all changes before the book is printed.

Where to Send Your Proposal

Mail to:
CAI Press
Attn: Acquisitions
6402 Arlington Blvd, Suite 500
Falls Church, VA 22042

Questions?
E-mail: publications(at)caionline.org ​