Mary E. Laur
Executive Editor
I oversee our program of writing reference guides, including The Chicago Manual of Style and The CSE Manual; the two “Turabian” books, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations and Student’s Guide to Writing College Papers; and The Craft of Research.
I am actively seeking new guidebooks for writers and editors—and teachers of writing and editing. I have a particular interest in works that demystify the writing and publishing process (The Business of Being a Writer; What Editors Do; The Design of Books) as well as professional guides for editors (The Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction; The Chicago Guide for Freelance Editors; Medical Editing). My books encourage the development of skills in and across genres and contexts, from academic writing (Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks; The Dissertation-to-Book Workbook; Writing Science in Plain English) to creative genres (Writing Fiction; Storycraft) and journalism (The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking; “The Girl in the Window” and Other True Tales; Sound Reporting). And I welcome books that help everyone from job applicants (Why You, Why Me, Why Now) to lawyers (Legal Writing in Plain English) apply writing skills in professional contexts.
I also acquire works for our Chicago Guides to Academic Life series, which has recently featured titles ranging from The Chicago Guide to College Science Teaching to Getting In.
And I oversee the Press’s cartography list, including the landmark series The History of Cartography, popular map books (A History of America in 100 Maps; The Writer’s Map), and a limited number of scholarly titles.
My training as a historian (Northwestern University; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) and as a nonfiction writer has shaped both my commitment and my approach to the books I acquire.
I am pleased to work with senior editorial associate Andrea Blatz.
Prospective authors are encouraged to consult our submission guidelines. We also provide an overview about publishing with Chicago here.
