Codes of Practice and Complaints Procedure
Publisher Members Code of Practice
Publishing Scotland requires its Publisher Members to adhere to
its Code of Practice in all dealings with their authors.
Download the Publishers
Members Code of Practice (PDF).
Complaints
There may be instances which breach our member Code of Conduct,
such as non-payment of royalties due, or failing to revert rights
correctly. The complaints procedure can be invoked only after
attempts to resolve the dispute with the member have failed. Prior
to contacting us you are advised to put your complaint in writing
to the senior person at the company eg Managing Director,
Proprietor, Partner/Owner. This ensures that the member has been
formally notified of the complaint and to give the member the
opportunity to attempt to resolve the complaint before it comes to
Publishing Scotland.
If that has failed and you have a complaint about a member
(see member list) please put your complaint in
writing and send it in confidence to our Chief Executive,
Marion Sinclair. We will endeavour to resolve the issue as
best we can.
Our Articles of Association (see PDF) details the following severe
circumstances in which we would act to expel a member:
"5. A member shall cease to be a member of the Company in any of
the following circumstances:
5.2 If the member is demonstrated to have failed to comply with
the Code of Practice for Publisher members, and a resolution to
this effect is passed by the Board of Directors at a meeting
convened to consider such resolution of which he/she shall have
been given a reasonable opportunity of attending and being heard;
or
5.3 If he/she is removed from membership by a resolution of the
Members passed by four-fifths of the votes cast upon such
resolution at a meeting specially convened to consider such
resolution of which he/she shall have been given a reasonable
opportunity of attending and being heard; or
5.4 If, being a firm, the estates of the firm or of any of the
partners are sequestrated or the firm suspends or compounds with
its creditors; or
5.5 If, being a corporation, it goes into liquidation,
administration or receivership; or
5.6 failure by such Member to make payment of any sums lawfully
due by such Member to the Company within six months of due
date."
Author and Publisher Voluntary Code of Practice
This author and publisher voluntary code is the result of a
collaboration between the Society
of Authors in Scotland and Publishing
Scotland developed from an idea by Sara
Sheridan. It is offered in the spirit of best
practice, and to further good relationships between publishers and
authors.
Download the Author
and Publisher Voluntary Code (PDF).
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
See Publishing Scotland's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
(PDF).