Like any other industry, a publishing business also has best practices, ethics, and principles that govern behaviour between parties in the industry. Below are some important terms and conditions for prospective authors to know and understand when engaging Nossob Press.
1. Authorship
The overriding principle in the Nossob Press definition of authorship (also a common or standard definition) is that only the person, or persons, who made significant contributions to a work, such as a book, an illustrated book, a children's book, a manuscript, or research, among others, will be credited as the author, or authors, of specific work.
For example, the full names of both the author and the artist, and / or illustrator, will appear on the cover of a children's book, as the most significant contributors to that specific work.
Significant contributions to work are defined as:
- Origin and formulation of idea(s)
- Design and plot, and / or plot design
- Design and execution
- Illustrating or writing a signification portion or section.
Where two (2) or more persons have contributed to a work, as in the case of collaborations, the person who made the most significant contribution to a work, such as the originator of the idea and designer and / or plot-planner, will be the first named author, followed by the names of the other authors.
The burden of responsibility for accurate, correct authorship and acknowledgement rests with the author, or authors, of a work.
2. Duplicate Publication
Duplicate publication takes place when the author, or authors, of an existing work attempt to have published, as original work, the same work that is / was published elsewhere, either substantially, or in its entirety, where “elsewhere” is defined as in a journal, a magazine, a newspaper, in an e-mail, on blogs, online, on social media, or by a publisher in another geographical jurisdiction. Authors may not submit, as original work, work that is / was already published, including book chapters, or identical work published elsewhere, or substantially similar work published elsewhere.
Republication of a work in another language does not qualify as “duplicate publication” provided the original work is declared and disclosed as the original source of a translated work to the publisher, at the time of manuscript submission.
3. One Manuscript, One Publisher at a Time
It is a golden rule in the publishing industry that the author, or authors, will submit manuscripts to one (1) publisher at a time, and not one (1) manuscript to different or multiple publishers, at the same time. The understanding is that only if a publisher rejects a manuscript, should a manuscript be sent to another publisher for consideration.
It is essential for the author, or authors, to abide by and uphold this rule to ensure that duplication publication and, ultimately, copyright infringements do not occur.
4. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as taking another person's ideas or writing and using them as if they were one's own. Plagiarism applies to both published and unpublished ideas, and electronic (e.g. internet publications, social media, online, e-mail), as well as print versions of material. Plagiarism may occur at any point in the writing process, from planning or plotting a book, to writing for publication.
Always remember, all sources of ideas that were not conceived by the author, or authors, must, therefore, be credited because such ideas are, legally and technically, someone else's property. The emphasis is on “sources”, including, and meaning, personal communications and comments from other authors and / or persons and / or publications who originally came up with or presented an idea.
Where authorship of a work is disputed, the Law invariably finds in favour of the original source(s) of ideas, meaning, the person, or persons, and / or publications who originally came up with, or presented an idea.
It is for this reason that the author, or authors, of a work, are strenuously encouraged to make and keep notes, and recordings, and records, regarding a work, and to ensure that all ideas are properly attributed to the correct sources.
5. Accuracy of Reporting
Authors of non-fiction works are ethically and legally obligated to present a true and accurate account of their research process in the narrative, and a true and accurate account of their investigative and research findings.
6. Role of Reviewers
The editor or publisher reserves the right to appoint external reviewers of a work, such as field and / or industry experts and / or peer reviewers. The editor or publisher may also take on this role themselves. The role of reviewers is to evaluate a work submitted for publication, to provide written feedback to the author, or authors, to ensure standards of quality, such as accuracy, are maintained.
Editors, publishers, and reviewers are ethically and legally obligated to maintain the confidentiality of the author, or authors, while assessing and evaluating a work, such as a book, an illustrated book, a children's book, a manuscript, or research, among others.
7. Ownership Rights of the Author
The ownership rights of the author, or authors, to a specific entitled work, such as a book, an illustrated book, a children's book, a manuscript, or research, among others, is sacrosanct, meaning, protected and upheld by local and international Law, as their intellectual property (IP).
The ownership rights of the author, or authors, are always respected at Nossob Press, and for this reason:
- Authors are only required to submit the first three (3) chapters for initial review, electronically, and not their entire work, such as a book, an illustrated book, a children's book, a manuscript, or research, among others.
- No part or section of an author, or authors' work may be circulated to others nor quoted outside Nossob Press, except in confidential written communication between the author and Nossob Press.
The general principle confirming serious misconduct in the publishing industry is intention to cause others to regard as true that which is not true, such as deception regarding and / or disputed authorship of a work, and / or plagiarism. Deception may be by intention, by reckless disregard of possible consequences, or by negligence.
Nossob Press is obligated to take all allegations, rumours, and suspicions of misconduct seriously, and reserves the right to reject a work, such as a book, an illustrated book, a children's book, a manuscript, or research, among others, on such grounds. Accusations of even minor misconduct, such as unacknowledged minor contributions, may have serious implications for authors.
9. Black-listing and Sanctions
In the publishing business, authors who have plagiarised others' work in the past, or who are consistently accused and found guilty of publishing misconduct, will often attempt to submit work using pen names, pseudonyms, or under the names of their family members and / or friends, which is misconduct in itself. For this reason, works submitted under pen names or pseudonyms will not be accepted.
Such authors are, consequently, black-listed and sanctioned from submitting manuscripts to Nossob Press for review under their full names, known pen names, pseudonyms, family and / or friends' names.
Please note: Nossob Press does not publish “fanfic” (fan fiction) as these works may be, and are considered to be derivative works of original, copyrighted works. In most cases, fan fiction is created without the authorisation and permission of the author, or authors, of original, copyrighted works, meaning, fanfic authors are legally not permitted to sell nor to benefit from such works.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. The accompanying images were sourced online from Freepik. Should you require additional information, have comments or queries, please contact Anya at Nossob Press via nossobpress@gmail.com.
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