A catalogue amount is not a publisher invoice. Confirm the total, coverage and responsibility for each charge in writing.
Understand the two parts of a publication budget
Publisher charges may apply to submission, processing or publication. PublicationHelp support is a separate service: journal selection, permitted submission guidance and editorial follow-up. A journal can charge no author publication fee while independent support still has a service cost. Free reader access alone does not establish free author publication.
Some directory profiles have confirmed package information; others explicitly say that package coverage needs confirmation. Check the profile’s current fee explanation and agree a written quote before proceeding. Our profile review is not a guarantee of acceptance, current indexing or a particular publication date.
Compare the quote with the publisher’s fee policy
The Think. Check. Submit. checklist asks whether fees, their purpose, currency, timing and any waivers are clear. Use the current publisher policy for the exact journal and article type. Ask about mandatory extras and distinguish them from optional services.
Record the journal, manuscript type, publisher charge and currency, support scope, total customer amount and currency, and any conditions. Where currencies differ, agree the conversion basis and any transfer charges. A waiver is available only when the publisher confirms that it applies; do not budget for an unapproved discount.
Keep publisher timing separate from our payment commitment
Customers pay PublicationHelp after journal acceptance under the agreed terms. Some publishers nevertheless require payment before review. Our policy does not change a publisher’s terms or automatically commit us to financing that charge.
Agree responsibility for an early publisher fee and the consequences of rejection, withdrawal or a change of target before any submission. If the terms remain unresolved, pause that target and discuss an alternative. Uploading a manuscript to our enquiry form creates neither a paid order nor a journal submission.
Before proceeding, make the agreement concrete
Ask us to explain the current profile, the tasks we can perform and any instructions requiring the author to submit directly. Authors keep responsibility for the research and approve the manuscript and editorial responses.
Keep the quote, applicable fee policy and correspondence together. If the target journal or scope changes, discuss a new agreement. Read the service and payment terms before committing; this website currently does not take online payments.
Your next-step checklist
- Exact journal and article type identified
- Publisher amount, currency and payment stage recorded
- Mandatory extras and waiver eligibility checked
- Support scope and total customer amount agreed
- Early-fee responsibility and rejection or withdrawal terms agreed
- Acceptance milestone and service terms understood
Sources and further reading
These independent resources explain the general process. They do not endorse PublicationHelp.