5.1 Purpose
Rupkatha Books is committed to a publishing model that is transparent, equitable, sustainable, and independent. Where publication charges apply, they support the editorial, production, technological, and preservation infrastructure required to publish high-quality born-digital Open Access books.
The ability to pay shall never influence editorial decisions. All editorial assessments, peer review, and publication decisions are conducted independently of financial considerations.
This policy should be read together with the Open Access Policy, Editorial and Peer Review Policy, and Copyright and Licensing Policy.
5.2 Sustainable Open Access Publishing
Rupkatha Books operates a sustainable Open Access publishing programme supported through a combination of:
- Book Processing Charges (BPCs), where applicable;
- institutional publishing agreements;
- university partnerships;
- research grants;
- library-supported publishing initiatives;
- scholarly societies;
- governmental and international funding programmes; and
- strategic publishing partnerships.
The publisher continually explores innovative and community-supported publishing models that reduce financial barriers while ensuring the long-term sustainability of Open Access scholarly publishing.
5.3 Book Processing Charges
Where applicable, a Book Processing Charge (BPC) contributes to services that may include:
- editorial administration;
- peer-review management;
- copy-editing and proofreading;
- language editing where required;
- professional typesetting and layout;
- cover design;
- digital accessibility enhancement;
- metadata creation and registration;
- DOI and ISBN registration;
- website publication and hosting;
- indexing and discoverability;
- long-term digital preservation;
- repository deposit; and
- global dissemination and promotion.
The amount of any applicable BPC depends on the scope, complexity, and production requirements of the publication and is communicated transparently before a Publishing Agreement is signed.
5.4 No Submission or Review Fees
Rupkatha Books does not charge for:
- submission of book proposals;
- preliminary editorial assessment;
- peer review;
- editorial evaluation; or
- consideration for publication.
Publication charges, where applicable, arise only after a manuscript has been accepted for publication and the parties have entered into a formal Publishing Agreement.
5.5 Waivers
Rupkatha Books recognises that access to research funding varies significantly across institutions and countries. To promote equitable participation in scholarly publishing, the publisher may offer:
- full or partial fee waivers;
- discounts for eligible authors;
- institutional publishing agreements;
- grant-supported publication opportunities; and
- other forms of financial assistance.
Waiver requests are assessed independently of editorial evaluation and shall have no influence on publication decisions.
5.6 Funding Disclosure
Authors should disclose all relevant sources of research or publication funding, including grants, institutional support, sponsorships, collaborative agreements, or other financial assistance.
