New Video Series Helps Authors Understand Publishing Contracts

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The Office of Scholarly Communications has created a new video series to help authors understand their publishing contracts. Publishing Contracts for Books comprises four videos and is available online at no cost to users as part of the Writing and Publishing: Resources for Researchers and Scholars Research Guide. These videos are designed to help prospective book authors as well as anyone who provides copyright information.

Topics covered in the series include copyright ownership, copyright as a package of rights, open access and open licenses, and contract termination. An introduction to copyright can be found in the Copyright and Fair Use Research Guide, and a comprehensive overview of Creative Commons licenses is available in the Creative Common Licenses Research Guide. 

The Office of Scholarly Communications aims to provide the information and expertise necessary for U of A authors to successfully navigate the publishing world. 

"University presses have been working hard in the past few decades to move the publishing culture that has often alienated new scholars, especially those who represent identity groups that historically have been disproportionately affected by institutional gatekeeping and privileged contact," said David Scott Cunningham, editor-in-chief of the University of Arkansas Press. "The complexities of rights acquisition, contract terms and access limitations comprise exactly the kinds of structural barriers that can keep smart people out, so I'm grateful for resources like these that help pave the way to more inclusive lists and more diverse readerships. All writers looking to publish work and protect their voice should have this clarity and wisdom in their toolkit."