SoA Scotland and Publishing Scotland announce voluntary code

The Society of Authors Scotland (SoAS) and Publishing Scotland have announced a joint venture in the shape of a voluntary code to improve the relationship between authors and publishers.

The Author Accord sets out to promote the “spirit of best practice”, outlining how the relationship between the two parties should operate when an idea for a book is embarked upon. It has been created to be complementary to the Publishers Association (PA) Code of Practice on Author Contracts and the Publishing Scotland Code of Conduct.

Adherence to the code is not legally binding, but represents “an act of faith at a time when lines are getting blurred and distinctions between self-publishing and traditional publishing are being challenged.”

The code states: “The business relationship, between author and publisher, often has a personal dimension and this is the area where misunderstandings and disagreements can arise.”

To find out more, see the SoA website.

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