A Relaunch of the Visible Evidence Book Series at Columbia University Press
Investigating Visible Evidence (IVE), published by Columbia University Press and edited by Jane Gaines, Faye Ginsburg, Michael Renov, and Pooja Rangan, relaunches the landmark Visible Evidence book series previously published by the University of Minnesota Press.
Founded and edited by Jane Gaines, Michael Renov, and Faye Ginsburg—and later joined by the late Brian Winston as a fourth editor—the original Visible Evidence series helped define the field of documentary studies. At a time when public confidence in the “real” was increasingly in question, the series offered a vital forum for rigorous engagement with nonfiction media. Through anthologies on major topics such as feminism and documentary, queer documentary, and mockumentary, as well as focused studies of home movies, Holocaust imagery, national media practices, and individual filmmakers, Visible Evidence advanced original ethnographic research and critical inquiry into visual representation across cinematic and artistic forms.
Building on this foundation, Investigating Visible Evidence expands the series’ global and contemporary scope. The series reexamines the history of documentary media while addressing the urgent challenges and possibilities facing nonfiction in the twenty-first century. We welcome projects that engage documentary media in relation to digital filmmaking, historiography, activism and social movements, political trauma, climate crisis, media infrastructures, and emerging forms of audiovisual practice worldwide.
Full series information, along with Columbia University Press proposal and manuscript submission guidelines for prospective authors, is available on the Columbia website.
While Columbia University Press provides detailed information about proposal preparation and manuscript submission, the pathway for projects seeking inclusion in the Investigating Visible Evidence series involves an additional step.
We encourage prospective authors to think of the series structure as a set of concentric circles moving toward the Press editor. The Press editor serves as the central decision-maker regarding whether a proposal will be sent out for peer review. Because the Press manages a high volume of submissions, the IVE Series Editors and Advisory Board aim to help authors refine and position their projects before formal submission.
Our goal is to support prospective authors in developing the strongest possible proposal and manuscript materials prior to their submission to the Press.
We envision this as a process with multiple points of entry:
Advisory Board members regularly bring promising projects to the attention of the Series Editors, who then work with authors to facilitate submission to the Press editor.
While Columbia University Press does accept partial manuscripts, proposals accompanied by a full manuscript often move more quickly through the review process. We especially encourage first-time authors and those on tenure timelines to reach out early so we can help you navigate the process strategically.
Series Editors
Advisory Board
We welcome inquiries and look forward to supporting innovative scholarship that advances the study of documentary media worldwide.