A Memoir provides the opportunity for publishing single major works that are too lengthy to be considered for Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (JVP) articles, as well as collections of shorter papers with a single theme (e.g., symposium proceedings) that might appropriately be published in a single volume. The Memoir is published and mailed with an issue of the JVP.

Each year the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (Society) will support publication of one Memoir that does not carry any page charges to the author for a total of 200 printed pages. Page charges would be applicable beyond the initial 200 printed pages. Additional Memoirs may also be published as supplements to the same volume of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology (JVP), but authors will be responsible for the full cost of publication and the added mailing cost. Costs vary depending on the length of the Memoir, the number of figures, and the amount of color requested. Proposals for these additional Memoirs should be sent directly to the Memoir Editor and Senior Editors for evaluation and discussion of costs.

REVIEW PANEL

A review panel comprising the Memoirs Editor and four additional SVP members will review the proposals and make a decision based on quality and likely appeal to a broad spectrum of Society membership. The Review Panel’s specialist areas will cover a broad range of vertebrate paleontology subdisciplines. The Senior Editor, Managing Editor and Memoirs Editor will be responsible for appointing the panel subject to the approval of the President of the Society. Members will serve three-year terms with staggered appointments for the original five members to ensure continuity.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

A 3–5 page proposal is requested that outlines the content of the proposed Memoir and its relevance to the Society in general, including:

• Justification for the topic’s broad interest to the JVP readership
• A detailed outline of the proposed memoir
• SUBSTANTIAL evidence of progress on the manuscript (e.g., completed sections of text, illustrations; these should be sent as separate files and do not contribute to the 3-5 page limit)
• A schedule that details the proposed timeline for submission and review
• Estimated length of the manuscript (text, number of tables, and number of figures)
• Number of illustrations and whether any will be rendered in color
• A list of potential reviewers.

SUBMISSION AND SELECTION DEADLINES AND INFORMATION

A single round of submissions will take place each year for intended publication sometime during the following year.

• Proposals for the 2021 series should be submitted by May 31, 2022
• Potential authors will be notified of the panel’s decision.

In the event that two exceptionally high quality proposals are received in the same competition, the selection panel has the option to accept both, but delay the publication of one until the following year. This would potentially have a knock-on effect for competitions in subsequent years.

SELECTED MANUSCRIPT SCHUEDULE

The manuscript must be submitted through Manuscript Central no later than November 1 of the same year, but preferably earlier. The complete revised manuscript must be available for final approval by the Memoirs Editor no later than June 30 of the following year. This provides a period of up to two months for review followed by 6 months for revision. This schedule will ensure that the Memoir can be published as a supplement to issue 5 or 6 of that year’s JVP. If the submission is received earlier, it may allow publication as a supplement to an earlier issue of the volume.

All submitted manuscripts must follow JVP style exactly, with high-quality illustrations in JVP-acceptable formats. Submission of a color cover illustration is mandatory.

All proposal submissions are to be sent to Patrick O’Connor.

Questions? Contact Patrick O’Connor.