World Conservation Bookstore
 You are here: Publishing Guidelines > Other Publishing Information
Bookstore
IUCN Books Online
World Conservation
IUCN Library
Publishing Info
Media Centre
Site Map
Home page
Publishing Guidelines
I
IUCN and Publishing
II
Planning a Publication
III
Preparing a Publication
IV
Other Publishing Information
V
Using Publications to Communicate the Message
VI
Closing a Project

Publishing Guidelines
IV. Other Publishing Information

1. Currently, IUCN’s electronic publishing consists of posting PDFs of its printed publications on the World Wide Web. We are beginning to explore moving into more sophisticated digital publishing and will update this section accordingly.

Creating a PDF from printed matter
2. All printed publications should be produced electronically as PDF files. The designer, typesetter or printer will be able to convert the files to PDF.

3. PDF files should be processed as screen ready. If the files are large, such as books or journals with many colour photographs, they should be divided into sections and then linked together with bookmarks. This enables them to load more quickly.

4. Photographs used on a website should be between 72-100 dpi. You may need to reduce the dpi of the original photographs (usually 300dpi) for publication on the website. Remember to ensure that you have obtained copyright release for the use of photographs in both electronic media and in print.

5. The publication should be “locked” so it cannot be changed or altered in any way.

6. IUCN must always be cited as the source of the information, i.e. the credit/copyright page must be included.

7. A PDF of all IUCN publications must be forwarded to the IUCN Headquarters Library for the Knowledge Resources Depository.

See Annex 9 for a Checklist of items for co-publishing

1. IUCN regularly co-publishes with other organizations. There are essentially two types of partner with which IUCN co-publishes:

  • Members, donors, other not-for-profit organizations
  • Commercial publishers

Co-publishing with members, donors and other not-for-profit organizations
2. IUCN welcomes co-publishing with members, donors and other not-for-profit organizations. The relative advantages and disadvantages should be evaluated. Advantages include:

  • Partners can take advantage of each other’s scientific expertise.
  • Partners can take advantage of each other’s membership and distribution networks.
  • Partnerships foster collaboration and cooperation.

Some points to be aware of are:

  • IUCN can lose full editorial control.
  • IUCN may not be able to retain copyright
  • Partners are dependent on each other respecting financial and timetabling conditions.
3. Below are points to consider when entering into a co-publishing agreement with another organization:
  • Parties must agree on responsibility for content, management of the overall project, design, production, print and/or electronic distribution, and the level of financial contribution to be made by each party.
  • IUCN should be a main copyright holder to enable the organization to freely disseminate its material. At a minimum, joint copyright should be negotiated.
  • Placement of logos should be agreed at the outset.
  • IUCN must approve final content before the publication goes into production.
  • IUCN must approve final design and layout before the publication goes into final production.
  • Parties should agree on the amount of stock each organization will receive.
  • Parties should agree on distribution, sales and marketing and whether copies can be made available to the World Conservation Bookstore.

Co-publishing with commercial publishers
4. IUCN welcomes co-publishing with commercial publishers. The relative advantages and disadvantages should be evaluated. Advantages include:

  • Publisher takes most of the financial risk associated with producing the publication.
  • IUCN becomes associated with a well-known, credible publisher.
  • IUCN may be able to negotiate royalty payments for contribution of scientific material and expertise.
  • IUCN is able to take advantage of the publisher’s distribution networks.

Some disadvantages to be aware of are:

  • IUCN may not be able to retain copyright. This prevents further use and distribution of our material.
  • Production times in commercial publishing are often much longer.
  • IUCN may lose editorial control.
  • IUCN staff may be required to provide considerable input. The project could become time-consuming.
  • IUCN is usually required to buy in stock to help cover production costs.
  • The publications may not necessarily reach IUCN’s main audiences.
  • IUCN may not able to put the finished publication on the website.

Conditions for acceptance of commercial publishing proposals
5. In addition to reviewing the advantages and disadvantages above, there are certain conditions which should be met before you co-publish with a commercial publisher:

  • Both the commercial publisher and IUCN must benefit from the collaboration in terms of profile enhancement.
  • The collaboration must lead to an understanding of the importance of IUCN’s work amongst a wider audience than IUCN can reach by itself.
  • IUCN must obtain benefits that assist it to pursue its Mission and Programme of work.
  • The real costs of the collaboration must be borne by the commercial publishers.

6. The following criteria should be used to assess these conditions:

  • The publication must meet a standard of quality that IUCN can endorse in terms of scientific credibility.
  • The publication has a high potential for wide distribution amongst primary IUCN audiences.
  • The publication has the potential to reach IUCN’s secondary audience to enhance awareness of the importance of conservation and sustainable development amongst a significant segment of the general public.
  • The real costs to IUCN are covered (staff time, including secretarial support, telephone and fax costs, overheads, volunteer compensation).

Negotiating the contract
7. Although many commercial publishers have their own standard agreements, below are points to consider when you begin negotiating a contract:

  • Ensure IUCN retains copyright or agree to joint copyright as a minimum.
  • Ensure that IUCN’s contribution to the publication is duly acknowledged and given prominence.
  • Agree rights reversal within a specific time period should the publication go out of print.
  • Ensure that IUCN will receive a PDF of the final document for the IUCN website. This may be subject to a time exclusion clause.
  • Discuss fees for the contribution of scientific material and expertise.
  • Ensure IUCN sees a final copy of the proofs to approve content.
  • Agree on a number of copies of the final document to be made available to IUCN for sale through its own catalogue and bookstore.

8. A copy of each publishing contract should be forwarded to Publications Services. Should you need help in contract negotiation, please contact Head - Publishing.

1. IUCN retains copyright on all of its published material, scientific research and project information. This should be agreed at the outset of any negotiations with co-publishers.

2. IUCN retains copyright so that it is able to freely disseminate its information in all media, e.g., in print, on the World Wide Web, on CD-Rom.

3. All IUCN publications should contain the following copyright notice on the credits page:

© 2005 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

© 2005 Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature et de ses ressources

© 2005 Unión Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza y de los Recursos Naturales

4. In the case of co-publishing with a partner, IUCN will agree to joint copyright, if required.

See Annex 10 for a downloadable Copyright request form

Material on which IUCN holds copyright
1. IUCN receives many requests from third parties to reproduce and use material on which IUCN holds the copyright. IUCN encourages the wide use of its material and usually grants permission for the reproduction of its material for educational or other non-profit purposes provided the source is fully acknowledged.

2. Permission to reproduce IUCN copyright material for resale or for other commercial purposes must be sought in writing from IUCN.

3. Copyright permission is granted by the IUCN Headquarters Library. A form has been developed to facilitate the approval process for translations by third parties. See Annex 10. If you receive a request for copyright permission, please forward the form and request that it is returned to the Library.

Reproducing material where copyright belongs to a third party
4. When preparing a publication it will sometimes be necessary to seek permission from a third party to include material for which someone other than IUCN holds copyright.

5. When material is under joint copyright, you will need to write to all copyright holders to seek permission.

6. When including material in a publication, permission should be sought in writing from all the copyright holders well in advance. The following information should be included in all requests:

  • Details of the material (text, photograph, picture, illustration) that you are seeking permission to use
  • Source of the information (book, monograph, magazine, journal, etc.)
  • Complete citation, if known, including full title, author(s), date of publication, page numbers, paragraph numbers
  • Intended use of the reproduced material, including format
  • Number of copies of the material to be produced
  • Intended distribution of the material
  • Sales strategy

7. It is essential to request permission for multiple and future uses of the material for re-packaging in different media, including in print, CD-Rom, the World Wide Web.

1. IUCN has three official languages, English, French and Spanish. Wherever possible, IUCN tries to produce its publications in all three of its official languages.

2. In addition, many regional and country offices also publish in local languages. It is important that publications be produced in local languages to be relevant to local audiences and to ensure effective outreach.

3. Statutory documents are published in all three languages and the Union is responsible for their translation. Ownership of this material in the three languages remains with IUCN.

How to choose the translator
4. The quality of a translation is very important. A poor translation will reflect poorly upon IUCN. In addition, weak translations can sometimes change the meaning of the content!

5. For this reason, when selecting the translator, it is important to follow a few basic guidelines:

  • Ensure that the translator is translating into his/her mother-tongue. (If this is not possible, for instance in the case of certain rarer languages, ensure that the translator has sufficient experience of translation into the language in question).
  • Check that the translator has sufficient experience. We recommend that the first time you use a particular translator you ask for examples of previous work.
  • Check that the translator has a thorough knowledge of the subject matter, the correct terminology, etc.
  • Agree the deadline for the work from the outset. Ask the translator to inform you in a timely manner of any delays/problems with meeting the deadline.
  • Always ensure that you provide the translator with final copy. Altering text mid-way through the translation process can lead to delays and errors.
  • Always agree the fee with the translator at the outset. In the event of any changes mid-way through the process that are liable to increase the cost, the translator should inform you in a timely manner and new/additional fees may need to be negotiated.
  • Publications Services keeps up-dated lists of translators and details of fees. For information contact the Publications Information Assistant.
IUCN Glossary for translation
6. Publications Services maintains a glossary of official IUCN translations in the three statutory languages. This document will shortly be available on the IUCN website. It should be made available to all translators of IUCN material. Any terms which are not included in the Glossary but for which translations are required should be communicated to the Publications Officer.

See Annex 11 for Translation permission form

Translation requests received from third parties
1. Sometimes IUCN is approached by third parties wishing to translate key IUCN publications into other languages. IUCN policy is to grant permission for these translations. Such requests should be referred to the Publications Officer in Publications Services.

2. Organizations and individuals wishing to translate IUCN publications into other languages must provide the following information in their requests:

  • Name
  • Position
  • Name of their organization/academic institution/publishing company
  • Address
  • Details of the material they wish to translate including, a full citation, full title, author(s), date of publication, date of the edition they are seeking to translate if applicable
  • Copyright holder (is IUCN the sole copyright holder, or is the information subject to joint copyright?)
  • Language(s) into which they plan to translate the publication
  • Details of the translator
  • Intended format of the translated publication
  • Intended use of the translated material (for academic use, e.g. for teaching a course, in a book to be published, in a magazine, etc.)

3. If the request is received from a commercial publishing company and the final translation is intended for sale, the question of payment for the material needs to be discussed and agreed beforehand.

4. Agreements about a possible financial, or other, contribution by IUCN to the translated edition should be made at the outset of the project. Where possible, the initiator should take the financial risk involved in producing the publication.

5. A form has been developed to facilitate the approval process for translations by third parties. See Annex 11. Please note that there are additional conditions which are included in the form. If you receive translation request, please forward the form and request that it is returned to the Publications Officer in Publications Services.

 

<<< BACK             NEXT >>>

Publications Services Unit, 219c Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, United Kingdom
• Tel: +44 1223 277894 • Fax: +44 1223 277175 • Email: books@iucn.org
webmaster@iucn.orgCopyright © 1995-2006 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. All rights reserved.