The manual outlines the exact editorial standards and operational philosophy behind the massive pocket-series created by E. Haldeman-Julius. The author addresses the unique problem of maintaining high sales velocity and strict quality control across thousands of inexpensive titles, explaining that books must sell out their first edition within a year to justify publication.
The text establishes that the series focuses primarily on self-education and self-improvement rather than original philosophy or obscure academic treatises. Many traditional genres like original poetry, literary criticism, and general history are heavily represented or closed to new submissions, leaving specific gaps in sports, commercial skills, practical trades, and hobbies.
Prospective writers are instructed never to submit unsolicited finished manuscripts or vague inquiries. Instead, they must first pitch a specific idea accompanied by proof of their qualifications. Once the editor grants an assignment, the writer faces a strict sixty-day deadline to deliver work that matches the precise typographic and mechanical specifications.
Mechanical requirements dictate specific lengths of either thirty-two or sixty-four pages, corresponding to exact word counts achieved through standardized typewriter spacing. The manual details formatting rules for paragraphs, dashes, italics, footnotes, and the prohibition of halftones in favor of simple black ink line drawings.
Finally, the guide covers style consistency based on established dictionaries, detailing rules for spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. The text concludes by encouraging knowledgeable specialists in unrepresented practical fields to pitch their ideas directly to the editorial office for potential inclusion in the series.
