Guidelines for Contributors

• The works were composed during the period 1600 to 1700,
• No editions of those works are commercially available in print,
• No editions have been posted on line.

Consult the WLSCM General Editor regarding ambiguous cases. Editions of any type of music may be submitted, from short lute and keyboard pieces to selections from (or even entire) operas and oratorios. Arrangements, such as modern guitar adaptations of seventeenth-century keyboard music, are not suitable

The edition should consists of at least two parts, each contained in a separate file: an introduction and the edition proper (the score). 5he introduction should be submitted as a Microsoft Word file. The score should be submitted as a Finale (2010 or earlier) or a Sibelius (6 or earlier) file. For other formats (e.g., scanned manuscript copy), consult the General Editor. Submit all materials in electronic form, either as e-mail attachment or on a CD-ROM; please do not mail hard (paper) copies.

Format and Style

Prospective contributors are urged to examine the editions already published on the WLSCM site to get a sense of the preferred format and style (see Catalogue). For the introduction and other prefatory materials (critical reports, texts and translations), follow the JSCM Style Sheet, Sections 1 through 8. Disregard all references to HTML mark-up, since WLSCM texts are published as PDF rather than as HTML files.

Note to prospective submitters: Please carefully note the following requirements for submitted editions. Editions cannot be reviewed until these requirements have been met, and failure to observe them will delay the reviewing and publication process.

1. Editions should be submitted as email attachments, or, if they are very large, on a disk.
2. To preserve anonymity during the reviewing process, the name of the editor must not appear anywhere in the edition or prefatory materials. After the edition has been accepted and is prepared for publication, the editor's name will be added in the headings, copyright notices, etc.
3. Both scores and introductory texts must be formatted in US letter format (8.5 x 11). In text programs such as Microsoft Word, this is handled by Page Setup in the File Menu. In Finale go to Page Layout Tool, Page Layout Menu, Page Size. In Sibelius, go to the Layout Menu, Document Setup. Use only "portrait" orientation, even for tables.
4. Provide adequate margins (approximately 1 inch or 24 mm) in both the edition and introductory materials, especially at the top and bottom. WLSCM will add headers and footers to every page identifying the work, composer, and editor.
5. In scores, the parts ordinarily should apear in the following order: winds (woodwinds above brasses), strings, voices, continuo or basso part. Seeing the voices immediately above the continuo line often is helpful to the organist/choir director or to the person realizing the continuo. Please consult the General Editor if for appropriate reasons a different order is preferred.
6. The introduction and/or score should clarify which elements of the edition reflect the source and which are editorial changes or additions. The introduction must list the source(s) that formed the basis of the edition, including the library (see Library Abbreviations) and call number, or the name of the original publisher and place and date of publication. The introduction should provide a description of editorial procedures (changes of clefs, handling of accidentals, beaming, corrections, etc.).
7. For the introductory materials please use standard fonts, such as New Roman Times, and do not use columns.
8. Use footnotes rather than endnotes, and carefully format all citations as specified in the JSCM Style Sheet,.
9. Pay careful attention to note spacing. Make sure that it is comparatively even, and neither too narrow nor too wide, so as to provide an attractive appearance to the reader/performer. In particular, for sections with measures of three whole notes or half notes (tempus perfectum or prolatio major) the spacing should not be appreciably wider then would be encountered in 3/4 or 6/8 meter.
10. Ordinarily a single file should be submitted for the score each composition (cantata, sonata, suite, etc.). Do not divide a work into several files, unless it contains exceptionally long movements (please consult the General Editor).
11. Reviewers often ask to see the source, or, at least, a few sample pages. If available, it would be helpful to include those when submitting the edition.

Title pages are optional. WLSCM will provide an index page in standard format for the entire edition.

Recordings

If available, recorded performances can be submitted, along with the editions or after publication. If of acceptable quality, they will be posted as streaming audio. For additional guidelines regarding the submission of recordings, consult the General Editor.

Permissions and Copyrights

For publication on the WLSCM site, permissions from the owners of the sources are usually required. Similarly, for the posting of recorded performances permission must be obtained from the performers. We recommend, however, that prospective editors wait with requesting permissions until they have received confirmation of the acceptance of their edition.

The editors remain the owners of the copyright to their edition. However, they are responsible for any expenses involved in the preparation of their edition, including fees charged by institutions that own the sources.

For questions, contact Alexander Silbiger, General Editor, WLSCM.

(rev. July 20, 2009)