The academic and reference publisher ABC-CLIO is seeking qualified contributors (professors and grad students) for the 9-volume Industrial Revolution in America series. Each volume in this general reference series is devoted to a distinct industry that played a significant historical role in the expansion of U.S. industrial power and trade. Industries targeted for coverage in individual volumes include the following: Textiles; Steam Shipping; Mining and Petroleum; Railroads; Communications; Agriculture and Meatpacking; Iron and Steel; and Automobiles. An overview volume closes out the series.

The contents of each volume will be divided into the following topical chapters: Origins and Development; Innovations and Inventions; Entrepreneurs and Companies; Work Force; Societal Impact; Environmental Impact; Gilded Age Literature and Art; Labor Organizations; Immigration; Current Status. Chapter lengths run 8,000-12,000 words. Compensation for each chapter ranges from $750 to $950, depending on length. Contributors will also receive authorial credit in the published volumes.

We are currently seeking qualified contributors to research and write chapters for the Iron/Steel, Steam Shipping, and Railroad volumes, with a deadline of May 20, 2004. Assignments for other volumes (with 2005 deadlines) will be made in the coming weeks as well.

If you are interested in contributing to this series, please contact series editor Laurie C. Hillstrom for more information, including sample chapters and guidelines. Please provide a brief summary of your background. Thank you.