Trust & transparency
How we work, written down.
Publishing asks authors to hand over years of work. This page documents our process, the ethical lines we hold, the quality controls behind each edition, and where you stand on rights and contracts.
Principles
Four commitments that govern every project.
They are not aspirations. They decide what we agree to, what we decline, and what we put in writing.
Written before it is started
Scope, deliverables, timelines and fees are set out in writing before work begins. If something changes, the change is documented and agreed, not assumed.
Authors keep their copyright
Copyright in the work stays with the author. Anything we are licensed to do is listed by right, territory, language, format and term.
Reported, not projected
Sales, royalty and campaign reporting describes what happened. We do not present forecasts, estimates or ranges as results.
No guaranteed outcomes
We commit to the quality and timing of our own work. We do not promise reviews, rankings, sales figures, awards or retailer decisions, because those belong to other parties.
Documented process
Seven stages, each with a sign-off.
Nothing moves to the next stage until the current one is approved by the person named for it. You always know where your title is.
Stage 01
Enquiry and evaluation
You send the manuscript or project brief. We read it and reply with a written assessment: what we think it needs, what we would do, and what we would not.
Stage 02
Proposal and agreement
A proposal states deliverables, named responsibilities, schedule, fees or revenue split, and the exact rights involved. Nothing starts before it is signed.
Stage 03
Editorial development
Structural, line and copy editing in defined passes. Every change is visible and every author decision on a query is final and recorded.
Stage 04
Production
Typesetting, cover design, proofing and, where commissioned, translation or audiobook recording, each with a documented sign-off point.
Stage 05
Metadata and release
Identifiers, categories, descriptions and pricing prepared once and applied consistently across channels, with the release date confirmed in writing.
Stage 06
Distribution and reporting
Titles supplied to agreed channels, followed by periodic statements showing units, channels, territories and amounts due.
Stage 07
Review and archive
Files, approvals and correspondence retained so an edition can be reissued, corrected or handed to another party if you ask.
Ethical guidelines
The lines we hold, both directions.
An honest agency is easiest to judge by what it refuses. Both lists below are enforced internally and apply to partners working on our titles.
What we do
- Quote fees in full, in writing, before any work is commissioned
- Name the person responsible for each stage of your project
- Disclose when work is carried out by a specialist partner or freelancer
- Say no to projects we are not the right agency to publish
- Keep author decisions on editorial queries final
- Return files and rights on the terms written into the agreement
What we do not do
- Buy, sell, incentivise or write reviews on an author's behalf
- Manipulate rankings, charts or retailer algorithms
- Promise sales figures, bestseller status, awards or coverage
- Charge for services that were not agreed in advance
- Claim copyright in an author's work as a condition of publishing
- Use author manuscripts or data for anything outside the agreement
Quality controls
The checks behind every edition.
Quality is a set of procedures, not a promise. These are the ones we run on print, translated and audio editions.
Two-reader editorial rule
No manuscript is released on a single reader's opinion. A second editor reviews the assessment and the final proof.
Defined editing passes
Structural, line, copy and proof stages are separate and sequential, each with its own checklist rather than one undifferentiated read.
Translation back-check
Translated editions are reviewed by a second native-language editor against the source text for meaning, register and consistency.
Audio quality standards
Recordings are proofed against the manuscript, then checked for levels, noise floor, pacing and pronunciation before delivery.
Metadata verification
Identifiers, contributor names, categories and descriptions are verified against the agreement before any channel receives the file.
Correction path
Errors found after release are logged, corrected at source and re-supplied to channels, with a note of what changed and when.
Rights & contracts
Plain language on ownership.
Rights language is where authors are most often disadvantaged. Here is our position, stated before you read a contract, not after.
Copyright ownership
Copyright in a manuscript belongs to its author. Nothing we produce, edit, translate or record transfers that ownership to us.
Licences, not transfers
Any right we exercise is licensed, and each licence names the right, the territory, the language, the format, the term and the revenue split.
Translation and derivative works
A translated or audio edition is a separate work with its own contributors. Their credits and terms are set out in the same agreement.
Termination and reversion
The agreement states how it ends, what notice is required, and how rights and production files revert to the author.
Third-party material
Quotations, images and lyrics owned by others require permission. We identify what needs clearing; the author confirms the clearance.
Your data
Information you send is used to deliver the work you commissioned and to reply to your enquiry, and is not sold.
Legal notices
This page describes our practices and commitments. It is not a contract and does not vary the terms of any agreement. Where this page and a signed agreement differ, the signed agreement governs.
Site content, including text, layout and imagery, is owned by Meridian Press International or used with permission. Book covers, titles and author names remain the property of their respective rights holders and appear here to identify the works we publish or represent.
Full terms of service, privacy notice, cookie information and copyright contact details are maintained in the Legal Center. Questions about a specific right, territory or agreement are best answered directly, so please contact us rather than rely on a general page.
Raise a concern
If something is wrong, we want to hear it first.
Concerns about a project, an invoice, a credit, a rights question or a copyright claim go to a named person and receive a written reply.
Questions
Trust, answered directly.
Is this page a legal contract?
No. It describes how we work and the commitments we make. Your relationship with us is governed by the signed agreement for your project and by the terms in our Legal Center.
Who owns copyright in my book?
You do. Copyright stays with the author. We work under a licence that lists exactly which rights we may exercise, where, in which language and format, and for how long.
Can you guarantee sales, reviews or bestseller status?
No. We guarantee the standard and timing of our own work. Reader, reviewer, retailer and award decisions are made by others, and any agency promising otherwise is not being straight with you.
How do I know what a project will cost?
Everything is quoted in writing before work starts, itemised by deliverable. If the scope changes, we issue a revised written quote and wait for your approval.
What happens if I am unhappy with the work?
Tell the named lead on your project. If it is not resolved, write to us directly and we will review the file, respond in writing and set out what we propose to do.
Do you disclose when other specialists are involved?
Yes. Where a translator, narrator, designer or editor outside the core team works on your title, we tell you and their credit is recorded.
Next step
Read the process before you sign anything
Ask us for the agreement template, the editorial checklist or a sample royalty statement. We would rather you saw them early.