Referee selection is the single most consequential editorial decision in a book life, and it is made by the chair of our review committee rather than by the commissioning editor. That separation is deliberate.
Why the editor does not choose
A commissioning editor has already decided they want the book. Asking them to pick its judges introduces exactly the conflict peer review exists to remove.
The three-referee shape
Where possible we appoint one senior specialist, one mid-career scholar working directly in the area, and one reader from an adjacent field. The adjacent reader is the one who catches unexamined assumptions.
Who we will not appoint
Recent co-authors, doctoral supervisors and departmental colleagues. Authors may nominate referees and may also name people they would prefer we avoid, with reasons.
