We will focus initially on publishing monographs and edited collections in the two-year pilot phase of the Press (2022-2024). Books are published fully open access on our platform and we 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, from 2025 onwards. 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.

SUP publishes work by researchers with an affiliation to any UK HEI. Co-authors do not need to be from a UK institution.

As the press develops there may be scope to extend beyond UK authors.

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

SUP invites proposals for monographs and edited collections in any subject from staff at UK institutions.

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

If you would like to discuss a potential book proposal then please contact Paul Clarke, SUP Commissioning Editor, at editorial@sup.ac.uk.

The Press publishes 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 & Procedure 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 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 are available to purchase on a print on demand basis at a reasonable price point. Books are available to purchase via the SUP platform and from all major booksellers.

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

A production charge is payable upon acceptance of the final manuscript. The production charge for SCURL member institutions ranges from £3500 to £5500. For non-SCURL institutions the charges range from £5500 to £7500. The final cost depends on content length and complexity. Please see the Costs section for more information.

SUP operates on a not-for-profit basis. We aim to discover the true costs of digital publishing and to keep those costs as low as possible for participating institutions. Due to the subsidised model we are able to offer lower charges compared to larger commercial publishers.

SUP is aware that not all researchers will have funding to cover the production charges.

The open access funding landscape across institutions is complex and ever changing and there is currently a variation in approach. 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.

It is likely that more funding will become available for open access book publishing in the future and SUP is committed to exploring new publishing models.

We do aim to support authors in locating funding to cover the production charge. Please contact us.

SUP is funded on a subsidy model through subscriptions from SCURL member libraries. The subscription fee covers the fixed costs of running SUP, such as staffing costs and platform hosting fees.

SUP operates on a not-for-profit basis with any surpluses being reinvested for the benefit of all HEIs.

SUP does not normally publish unrevised theses but will consider proposals for monographs based on PhD research. In proposals authors must clearly explain how the proposed book will differ in structure, narrative, tone and content. Sample chapters should also demonstrate change from the published 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 currently publishes monographs and edited collections. We will expand to publish other types of content from 2025 onwards, starting with textbooks and then journals. More information will be available on the SUP website soon.

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 dimensions 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 book 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.

Members serve a minimum term of two years and up to a maximum of four years. Vacancies will be advertised on the SUP website.

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 on any subject. 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 our social media accounts:

Bluesky

LinkedIn

Instagram

YouTube

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