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).