Governance & Ethics Statement
Willows & Wood Publishing operates as an independent UK publisher committed to ethical, transparent, and sustainable publishing practices. Our governance framework is informed by established industry standards, including principles consistent with guidance promoted by the Society of Authors, and is designed to protect authors, agents, and the integrity of the publishing process.
Publishing Model
Willows & Wood Publishing operates under a traditional publishing model.
- We do not charge authors any fees for submission, editing, design, production, or publication.
- We do not operate pay-to-publish, hybrid, or vanity publishing services.
- All publication decisions are made on editorial and commercial merit.
Authors are offered publication only through a formal written contract.
Contracts, Rights & Transparency
All publishing agreements are issued in writing and clearly set out the rights granted, term, territory, formats, royalty structure, and reversion provisions.
Rights are acquired only where necessary for publication and exploitation of the work.
Contracts provide for clear reversion of rights where agreed conditions are not met.
Authors and agents are encouraged to seek independent advice before entering into any agreement.
Royalty accounting is conducted transparently and in accordance with contractual terms.
Editorial Independence & Standards
Editorial decisions are made independently and are not influenced by financial contribution from authors or third parties.
Manuscripts are assessed against our stated acquisition criteria and publishing strategy.
Acceptance of a submission is never guaranteed and is subject to internal editorial approval.
We reserve the right to decline submissions or withdraw from consideration at any stage prior to contract.
Submissions & Fair Dealing
Submissions are accepted from both agented and unagented authors in accordance with our published guidelines.
All submissions are reviewed consistently and without preferential treatment.
We do not provide editorial feedback on declined submissions due to volume.
Unsolicited revised submissions are not considered unless expressly invited.
Submission does not create any obligation on the part of the Publisher.
Equality, Accessibility & Professional Conduct
Willows & Wood Publishing is committed to fair and respectful professional conduct.
Harassment, abuse, or inappropriate conduct towards staff, contractors, authors, or contributors will not be tolerated.
We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, neurodivergence, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or background.
Reasonable adjustments are made to ensure accessibility in our communications and processes where appropriate.
Data Protection & Confidentiality
All submissions and personal data are handled in accordance with UK data protection law.
Submitted material is treated as confidential and used solely for the purposes of editorial assessment.
Personal data is not shared with third parties without lawful basis or consent.
Further details are set out in our Privacy Policy.
Accountability & Review
As an independent press, Willows & Wood Publishing regularly reviews its policies and practices to ensure continued compliance with legal requirements and evolving industry standards.
This statement reflects our current governance framework and may be updated where necessary.