At IBPA, professionalism matters. We believe, as a community of professionals, that the production of content of lasting financial and/or cultural value is just as important as securing open markets for this content.

(See also: A Code for Our Community)

IBPA members pledge to understand and adhere to copyright law so they can ensure that authors and other creators are properly compensated. In addition, they are honest and fair in their dealings with readers and do not mislead them with false promises or manipulated reviews.

In short, as part of the independent publishing community, IBPA members pledge . . .

1. To uphold the highest standards of our industry, to create works of lasting financial and/or cultural value, and to pursue editorial, design, and production excellence.
2. To respect the rights of authors and other creators and stakeholders, to observe all copyright laws and conventions, and to never knowingly publish plagiarized work.
3. To reward authors and contributors for their work, to be honest in our financial dealings, to write contracts in understandable language, to resolve all disputes promptly and fairly, and to foster equal opportunity in our workplaces.
4. To not mislead readers or buyers with false promises, inflated sales data, or manipulated reviews.
5. To recycle and reuse and to follow green practices.

The Code of Ethics above was approved by the IBPA board of directors in October 2013. Special thanks to Peter Goodman of Stone Bridge Press for drafting IBPA’s Code of Ethics and Steve Mettee of The Write Thought for conceptualizing it.

Starting at just over $10 a month for small publishers, IBPA membership benefits independent publishers of all sizes. Through our strength in numbers, you have clout – your voice will be heard.

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