by Jenna Colley

Peter English can tell a great story. After graduating from a small college in Massachusetts in 1988, he took off for the jungles of Ecuador to research and record mixed-species flocks of birds. Peter has since worked as a bird-tour guide through central and south America, a mechanic in Quito, and a repairman at a resort in Belize. He has floated down the Amazon with only a water bottle and a compass and barbecued on the beaches of Ecuador, all while continuing his research. In May, Peter will receive his Doctorate in Zoology from the University of Texas, and upon publication of his dissertation, will be known throughout respected circles as the world's leading expert in Ecuadorian birds.

Now, whether you think his story sounds intriguing is really not the point, because for every person that doesn't care there are at least two people that do. At least Shannon Davies thinks so. Davies is one of three editors for the University of Texas Press, who have offered Peter and many like him a book deal to publish his research along with his personal essays.

The main mission of the UT Press is to "serve the people of Texas...and produce books of general interest for a wider audience, covering in particular the history, culture, arts and natural history of the state." The press also publishes a wide range of cutting-edge research, introducing theories and discoveries that have strongly impacted the fields in which they are regarded. Although the press enjoys publishing works by UT faculty or subjects that focus on Texas, they maintain a reputation as a major publisher of international research. New to the press is an emphasis on accounts of contributions of African and Native Americans, Latinos and women.

Since its beginning in 1950, the UT Press has published over 2,000 books and 12 running journals, nine of which are sponsored by academic institutions within the University. Many of the press's books have won such prestigious awards as the Ralph Waldo Emerson Award, The Outstanding Translation Award and the Chicago Folklore Prize. The press publishes about 90 books a year and has a staff of 50. Three editors handle all new proposals that are divided among separate schools of thought from Women's Studies to World Archeology.

Book ideas are brought to the editors in several ways. They are either referred by colleagues within the university or are submitted by the prospective authors themselves. Once a manuscript is chosen by one of the editors, it is presented to the Faculty Advisory Committee, a group consisting of faculty members appointed by the President of the University and the Faculty Council. This committee then reviews the reports on each manuscript and must give the final approval before the book is published. The UT Press also has its own marketing department that pushes new books throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Latin America and Asia. The Press averages about 50,000 orders a year. It also handles audio visual media and CD ROMs, ranging in subject matter from Bats: Myth and Reality to Wiyuta: Assiniboine Storytelling with Signs. In 1995, the Association of American University Presses and the Coalition for Networked Information chose the press as a participant in a new program that advances university presses in the networked information environment and encourages cooperation between the press, library and computer center.

The press gets its main funding from the sale of its books and journals while still receiving money from the University. It also receives subsidies from the National Endowment for the Humanities, foreign agencies, other universities, individual donors and foundations.

Although the press doesn't publish original fiction or poetry, it does welcome all other submissions. If you are thinking about pitching an idea, send a cover letter describing your work, a table of contents, a sample chapter, resume or curriculum vitae, and a self-addressed stamped envelope with sufficient postage or a check for the amount of postage to University of Texas Press, PO Box 7819, Austin, Texas 78713-7819. Indicate on the envelope to which editor it should go: Theresa May for Social Science, Shannon Davies for Natural Sciences, or Jim Burr for Humanities.