Author Permissions Guidelines

Effective Date: June 28, 2025

Synsto Publishing ("Synsto", "we", "our", "us") is committed to upholding international standards for ethical, legal, and professional publishing. These Author Permissions Guidelines explain what authors are required to confirm, declare, and provide before and during the publishing process.

These guidelines must be read alongside our Terms and Conditions, Author Rights Guidelines, Cancellation and Refund Policy, and Privacy Policy.

By submitting a manuscript to Synsto, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to comply with these guidelines in full. Non-compliance may result in rejection, removal of published works, withholding of earnings, account termination, and legal action.

1. Originality and Ownership

1.1 Declaration of Originality

By submitting any work to Synsto, you irrevocably and legally declare that:

The submitted work is entirely your own original creation, authored by the named author(s) listed in the submission.
The work has not been previously published in any form — print, digital, online, or through any self-publishing platform — unless explicitly disclosed and approved in writing by Synsto prior to submission.
You are the sole legal copyright owner of the work, or you hold all necessary licences, rights, and permissions to submit it for publication.
The work does not infringe any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, or any other intellectual property right of any third party.
The work does not contain plagiarised, copied, or substantially derived content from any other source without proper attribution and authorisation.
All third-party content included in the work (text excerpts, images, data, figures, song lyrics, poetry, code, etc.) has been properly licensed, falls within fair use or fair dealing as applicable in your jurisdiction, or is in the public domain.
The work does not contain defamatory, libelous, obscene, unlawful, or harmful content.

1.2 Author Bears Full Legal Liability

Synsto acts as a publishing platform only. The author bears full, exclusive, and personal legal liability for the originality, accuracy, and legality of all submitted content.

If any third-party copyright claim, defamation claim, or legal action arises from your submitted work at any time — before or after publication — you agree to:

Accept full responsibility for all legal consequences, costs, damages, and compensation payable to any claimant.
Fully indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Synsto, its directors, employees, and agents from all claims, losses, legal fees, and damages arising from your submission.

Synsto's screening of submissions using plagiarism detection tools does not transfer or reduce the author's legal responsibility. The author remains solely liable regardless of whether any issue is detected before or after publication.

In the event of a verified claim, Synsto reserves the right to immediately unpublish the work, withhold all earnings, permanently ban the account, and disclose the author's identity and submitted documents to the claimant or legal authorities. See our Terms and Conditions for full details.

1.3 Copyright Ownership Until Agreement

You retain copyright of your work until a publishing agreement is formally signed. Upon acceptance, Synsto may require either a copyright transfer or an exclusive publishing licence covering all formats (print, digital, audiobook, translations) and worldwide distribution, as specified in your individual contract.

1.4 Reversion of Rights

If a work goes out of print or distribution ceases, rights may revert to the author subject to the terms of the publishing agreement. Reversion conditions will be clearly stated in your contract.

2. Permissions for Third-Party Content

2.1 Author's Responsibility

You are solely responsible for obtaining all necessary permissions for any third-party content included in your work. Synsto does not obtain permissions on your behalf. Failure to secure required permissions may result in rejection or post-publication removal without refund.

2.2 What Requires Permission

You must obtain written permission from the copyright holder before including any of the following in your work:

Text: Quotes, excerpts, or passages exceeding 300 words from a single source, or 500 words total from multiple sources within the same work.
Images: Photographs, illustrations, artwork, diagrams, maps, or screenshots not created by you.
Tables and Figures: Data, charts, graphs, or statistical tables from other publications or proprietary sources.
Other: Song lyrics, poetry, software code, multimedia content, or any other copyrighted material regardless of length.

2.3 How to Obtain and Submit Permissions

Contact the copyright holder (publisher, author, estate, or rights agency) in writing.
Obtain written permission specifying use in all formats (print, digital, audiobook, translations) and worldwide distribution.
Submit copies of all signed permission letters or emails along with your manuscript to editorial@synsto.com, including the source, credit line, and any conditions imposed by the copyright holder.

2.4 Fair Use and Fair Dealing

Limited use of copyrighted material may be permitted without formal permission if it genuinely qualifies as fair use (USA), fair dealing (UK, India, Commonwealth), or an equivalent exception under your jurisdiction's copyright law — for example, for purposes of criticism, commentary, review, or education. If you rely on a fair use or fair dealing defence, you must document your rationale clearly and be prepared to defend it legally. Synsto does not provide legal advice on fair use and is not responsible for any claim arising from your reliance on this exception.

2.5 Public Domain Material

Material in the public domain requires no permission but you must verify its status and cite all sources correctly. As a general guide, works are typically in the public domain 70 years after the death of the creator under the Berne Convention, though this varies by country. It is your responsibility to confirm public domain status in all territories where the work will be distributed.

3. Ethical Standards

3.1 Authorship

List only those individuals who made a genuine and significant intellectual contribution to the work as named authors. You must obtain written consent from all co-authors before submission. The following are strictly prohibited and will result in immediate rejection or removal:

Ghostwriting (submitting a work written entirely by another person as your own).
Guest authorship (crediting someone who made no intellectual contribution).
Omitting legitimate contributors who made significant intellectual contributions.

3.2 Conflicts of Interest

Disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationship that could be perceived as influencing the content of your work — including funding sources, affiliations, and commercial interests — in your cover letter at the time of submission.

3.3 Research Ethics

Where your work involves research:

Human subjects: Comply with the Declaration of Helsinki. Obtain informed consent from all participants, protect their privacy, and secure ethics committee or institutional review board approval before conducting research. Submit documentation of approvals with your manuscript.
Animal studies: Adhere to applicable international guidelines including the ARRIVE guidelines. Obtain all relevant institutional and regulatory approvals and submit documentation with your manuscript.

3.4 Plagiarism and Self-Plagiarism

Do not copy text, ideas, data, or other content from any source — including your own previously published works — without proper attribution. All submissions are screened using industry-standard plagiarism detection tools. Detection of plagiarism or self-plagiarism at any stage will result in:

Immediate rejection or removal of the work.
No refund of any fees paid.
Permanent account suspension.
Notification to relevant parties if required by law.
Full legal and financial liability remaining with the author.

3.5 Defamation, Privacy, and Harmful Content

Your submitted work must not contain:

Defamatory or libelous statements about any identifiable person or organisation.
Content that violates any individual's right to privacy.
Content that incites violence, hatred, or discrimination.
Unverified factual claims that could harm a third party's reputation.
Sensitive personal data of real individuals without their informed consent.
Any content that breaches applicable laws in India or in the countries where the work will be distributed.

The author bears full legal liability for any claim arising from such content. Synsto is not liable for the content of author-submitted works.

4. Licensing and Rights

4.1 Publication Rights Granted to Synsto

Upon acceptance, you may grant Synsto exclusive rights to publish, reproduce, distribute, translate, and create derivative works from your submission in all media (print, ebook, audiobook, online) worldwide. The specific rights granted will be set out in your publishing agreement.

4.2 Author's Retained Rights

You retain the right to be credited as the author. Depending on your publishing agreement, you may also retain the right to reuse portions of your work for personal, teaching, or academic purposes with proper attribution to Synsto as publisher.

4.3 Open Access

Where mutually agreed, your work may be published under a Creative Commons licence (such as CC BY), permitting free access and reuse with attribution. This will be specified in your publishing agreement.

4.4 Translations and Adaptations

Synsto may seek to commission translations, audiobook productions, or other adaptations of your work. You will be consulted before such arrangements are made, with terms addressed in your publishing agreement.

5. Submission Process

5.1 What to Submit

Your submission must include:

Complete manuscript file.
Cover letter including title, genre, word count, author biography, and disclosure of any conflicts of interest or previously published versions.
Permissions log listing all third-party content used, the copyright holder, permission status, and credit lines.
Copies of all signed permission letters or emails for third-party content.
Research ethics approvals where applicable.

5.2 Identity Verification

Before publication, all authors must provide valid government-issued identity documentation. Accepted documents include Aadhaar Card or PAN Card (India), Passport (all countries), National Identity Card (international authors), or Driver's Licence where accepted as national ID. Submissions will not proceed to publication without verified identity. See our Author Rights Guidelines for full details.

5.3 How to Submit

Email your manuscript and all required documents to:

Editorial submissions: editorial@synsto.com
Subject line: Submission: [Title] – [Genre/Category]

File size limit: 10 MB per email attachment. For larger files, use a secure file-sharing link (Google Drive, Dropbox, or WeTransfer) and include the link in your email.

5.4 Review Timeline

Our editorial team will acknowledge receipt of your submission within 5 working days. The full review process typically takes 5–10 working days depending on submission volume and complexity. Incomplete submissions — missing permissions, identity documents, or required declarations — may delay or prevent publication.

5.5 Non-Returnable Submissions

Submitted materials including manuscripts and permissions documents will not be returned. Materials that are not accepted may be securely destroyed after the review period.

6. International Compliance

These guidelines are designed to comply with the following international standards and laws:

Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
WIPO Copyright Treaty
Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) Principles
Indian Copyright Act 1957
Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 (DPDPA) — India
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) — European Union
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) — United States
U.S. Copyright Act (17 U.S.C.)
Declaration of Helsinki (research ethics)
ARRIVE Guidelines (animal research)

7. Additional Terms

7.1 Liability

Authors are solely liable for all legal claims arising from copyright infringement, plagiarism, defamation, privacy violations, or any other ethical or legal breach in their submitted work. Synsto reserves the right to reject any non-compliant submission at any stage without liability.

7.2 Accessibility

Synsto strives to make all digital publications accessible in accordance with WCAG 2.1 guidelines where applicable. Authors are encouraged to provide accessible source files and describe all images and visual content.

7.3 Data Protection

Personal data provided during the submission process is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Data Safety page, and applicable data protection laws. Submission data is used solely for the purposes of manuscript review, publishing, and legal compliance.

8. Contact Us

For questions about permissions, submissions, authorship, or these guidelines:

Editorial and submissions: editorial@synsto.com
General enquiries: info@synsto.com
Website: www.synsto.com

Synsto

Synsto Publications Author Permissions Guidelines