Scottish Universities Press now welcoming submissions from all UK HEIs
We are delighted to announce that Scottish Universities Press (SUP) has expanded its scope to include submissions from researchers at all UK higher education institutions.
The Press initially focussed on books by researchers at SCURL member institutions as part of an incremental start-up plan but has quickly moved to scale up following a successful platform launch in October 2024.
SUP is committed to making high-quality scholarly research available to a global audience without barriers and increasing the impact of academic work.
The first title Conversations with Tim Ingold: Anthropology, education and life by Tim Ingold, Robert Gibb, Philip Tonner and Diego Maria Malara, was published on 22 October 2024 during International Open Access Week. 11 more titles are in the pipeline, with the next books coming in early 2025.
Hannah Whaley, Chair of the SUP Board and Director of Library Academic and Cultural Services at the University of Dundee, said, “As the Chair of Scottish Universities Press I am delighted that we are able to reach beyond our own immediate networks and invite submissions from researchers at all UK higher education institutions.”
Proposals for monographs and edited collections are invited from researchers at any UK institution, using the dedicated submission form available at Submit a book proposal. The Press covers all subject areas that receive submissions, and proposals go through a rigorous peer review process in line with international guidelines.
SUP delivers a full-service publishing model with a strong focus on quality, covering all aspects of production, promotion, dissemination and design. The collaborative model allows production costs to be kept low, ranging from £5,500 to £7,500 (inclusive) depending on the length and complexity of the book. The 19 member institutions are offered further subsidies as part of an annual subscription model, and to reflect their in-kind contributions to operating the Press.
Books are immediately open access on publication, making them freely available to a global audience and complying with funder mandates for open access, such as the UKRI policy introduced in January 2024. Books are available in both PDF and EPUB format, using a Creative Commons license. Print copies are also available for purchase at an affordable price point.
As a library-led initiative, SUP operates on a collegiate basis involving researchers throughout the publication cycle. Authors retain the rights to their work and receive royalties on print copies sold. SUP peer reviewers receive an honorarium to recognise their contribution to the process.
Diego Maria Malara, co-author of Conversations with Tim Ingold, said: “One of the most compelling reasons for publishing with SUP is that it operates on a specific not-for-profit model. The fact that SUP was a library-led initiative run by people that are dedicated to the public circulation of knowledge, rather than top-down commercial enterprises, played a key role in our decision.
“Open access initiatives that prioritise sustainability and fairness deserve more consideration by authors and should be actively supported. It is one thing to publish work but another entirely to ensure that the general public is even aware of the work's existence and can engage with it.”
The launch event for the first book, a fireside conversation with the authors, is available on the SUP YouTube channel at Scottish Universities Press - YouTube.
The second SUP title, Digital editing and publishing in the twenty-first century edited by James O’Sullivan, Michael Pidd, Sophie Whittle, Brigitte Wessels, Michael Kurzmeier and Órla Murphy, will be published in February 2025.
Please get in touch with any questions.