We will focus initially on publishing monographs and edited collections in the two-year pilot phase of the Press (2022-2024). Books will be published fully open access on our platform and we will provide the option to buy print copies.

SUP defines a monograph as an authored book on one topic or theme written entirely by a single author or by joint authors who share responsibility for the whole book.

An edited collection is defined as book in which individual chapters or contributions have been written by different authors. The editor must have had sole responsibility, or be identified as having made a substantial contribution to the editing, choices for inclusion and underpinning process of investigation.

We plan to extend to publish other types of content, such as textbooks and journals, after the two-year pilot phase. SUP decided to focus on monographs and edited collections in the first phase of the press due to changes in UKRI open access policy that will affect these outputs from 2024 onwards.

The press will initially publish work from researchers with an affiliation to one of the 18 participating institutions. Co-authors do not need to be from a member institution.

As the press develops there may be scope to publish works by external authors.

The press will accept submissions on any subject. The press won’t be selective about discipline and welcomes interdisciplinary works. 

SUP launched an open call for content in February 2023 and is now inviting proposals for monographs and edited collections in any subject from staff at member institutions.

The book proposal form and guidance can be found here: Submit a Monograph Proposal

The Press will publish all content open access using Creative Commons licences. While SUP prefers CC BY-NC, this is not restrictive and authors can select the CC licence they require. The Press will always ensure that the correct licence type is applied for any book or article with relevant funding (e.g., CC BY for UKRI). Use of Creative Commons licences will also ensure alignment with the principles of Plan S. Please get in touch if you wish to discuss licence types.

All proposals and manuscripts go through a rigorous peer review process. The SUP Editorial Board has responsibility for the quality control of press output through oversight of the peer review process. Please view the Peer Review Policy and Process for more information.

SUP invites academics to join the SUP peer review network. If you are interested in reviewing for SUP then please register your details here https://forms.office.com/e/u5FieCLdww.

Your details will be added to our database of potential peer reviewers and we will contact you with suitable opportunities for peer review.

Scottish Universities Press (SUP) depends on an extended network of peer reviewers offering their time and expertise to support our Editorial Board in reaching publication decisions.

In recognition of the value we place on this input, SUP offers peer reviewers an honorarium for completed reviews of both the proposal and the full manuscript.

Print copies will be available to purchase from the SUP platform on a print on demand basis.

Authors will earn royalties on the sale of print copies of their monograph. The details will be determined at the contract stage.

A Production Charge will be payable by the author or their employer/funder upon acceptance of a book for publication. The Production Charge ranges from £3500 to £5500 depending on content length and complexity. Please see the Costs section for more information.

The Press will operate on a not-for-profit basis. The Press aims to bottom out the true costs of digital publishing and we aim to keep those costs as low as possible for participating institutions. The aim is to offer much lower charges compared to larger commercial publishers.

SUP is aware that not all academics at participating institutions will have funding to cover the production charges.

The OA funding landscape across institutions is complex and ever changing. There is currently a variation in approach across institutions. In some cases, universities have central funds to support open access so there will be a route to financing publication at institution level, while others are currently scoping the support they can offer. SUP aims to survey our member institutions in 2023 to provide more clarity on this.

We do aim to support authors in locating funding to cover the Production Charge. Please contact us so that we can check the situation at your home institution.

In the initial two-year start-up period the Press will be funded on a subsidy model through subscriptions from participating libraries. The subscription fee will cover staffing costs and platform hosting fees.

SUP will operate on a not-for-profit basis with any surpluses being reinvested for the benefit of participating HEIs.

SUP does not publish unrevised theses. Proposals for monographs based on PhD research will be considered. The submitting author should demonstrate how the monograph will differ to the thesis.

SUP is aiming to create further guidance and support for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) looking to publish their first book. We are currently scoping this area and will provide further information soon.

SUP will publish monographs and edited collections by academics at participating institutions in the pilot phase of the Press (2022-2024). We will expand to publish other types of content, such as textbooks and journals, from 2024 onwards.

The online platform is currently being developed in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, using OMP software. The aim is for the platform to launch with the first content in 2023. Please check the website for updates.

SUP aims to explore the opportunities of digital publishing, and this includes supporting multi-media content (e.g. video and sound) in our publications. We will work closely with our authors throughout the production process to incorporate multi-media content.

There will be no maximum or minimum page length or dimension for the book. SUP is keen to explore the opportunities of a not-for-profit institution-led press, and this involves publishing short and long form content.

SUP requires the payment of a production charge that varies according to book length and complexity. If your monograph falls outside the bands described on the Costs page we will work to create a bespoke charge at the contract stage.

The first Editorial Board has now been appointed and met for the first time in September 2022.

The need for additional editorial boards (i.e. to cover different content types or to provide subject specific coverage) will be reviewed as the Press develops.

Please get in touch to speak to us about other opportunities for involvement in the development of the Press.

No, SUP will publish research in any subject by academics at our member institutions. We are not focused on Scottish topics, despite our name!

We will publish updates on the SUP website and via our newsletter and blog.

You can also view any updates on the SUP Twitter account.

Please also feel free to contact us with any feedback or questions.