For Authors

Please send your publication request in digital form to the [program director] responsible for your area of expertise. If available, please include your complete manuscript as an open text file (e.g., Word) as well as a PDF, along with a brief description, and your academic CV.

If you would like to publish a qualification thesis (habilitation thesis, dissertation), please also send us PDF files of the reviews. All documents will of course be treated confidentially.

Check list for publication requests:
√  Complete manuscript as an open text file and PDF
√  Short description
√  Academic CV
√  For qualification theses, PDF files of the reviews

Qualification theses are published in series appropriate to their content in order to give them their ideal platform. You can find a list of our series here. As a rule, your manuscript will be reviewed by the responsible program director and the series’ editors. The requirements for acceptance and the duration of the review vary depending on the series. Our program directors will be happy to provide you with more information.

Please send your publication request digitally to the relevant editorial contact. Information on publication in Mohr Siebeck's journals and on preparing the manuscript as well as contact details for manuscript submission can be found under Works > Journals at the respective journal under "Manuscripts".

Mohr Siebeck Service Packages for Books - OA and non-OA

Publishing with Mohr Siebeck includes a wide range of publishing services, including author support, quality assurance (content/formal/technical), typesetting, metadata, dissemination on relevant platforms, distribution of the print edition if applicable, and marketing.

New! To enable you to make a transparent choice of the publication model that suits you best, we are going to offer various service packages as of August 1st, 2023:

Basic OA is an Open Access publication of the eBook. In the Classic and Premium modules, a print edition with different features will be added.

Classic OA includes a standardized typesetting process according to specified design patterns (font: Times New Roman), a guaranteed print run in soft cover (paperback) with crediting of expected print revenues against the publication fee, the obligatory copies of dissertations to be delivered to the faculty/university, and 5 complimentary copies for you as the author.

Premium OA includes an individual typesetting process in Mohr Siebeck style (choice of font: Garamond, Minion, Bembo), a guaranteed print run (as with the Classic OA module) with a cloth binding and a dust jacket, the obligatory copies for dissertations, and 10 complimentary copies for you personally.

You do not wish to publish in Open Access? We will continue to offer you the “conventional” form of publication: In addition to the publication of the eBook which can be purchased in our eLibrary, the packages provide for a guaranteed print edition in paperback (Classic non-OA) or with cloth binding (Premium non-OA). The service catalogs correspond to those of the OA variants; in the non-OA modules you will also receive a free electronic copy exclusively for personal use.

Please note: The availability of the modules may vary according to the program area and series; please contact the program editors responsible for further information.

Please click here for an outline of the packages we will offer.

Here we offer an configurator, which you can use to obtain a non-binding initial estimate of the costs to be expected (non-OA variants can also be calculated). You will receive a binding offer from the program editors in charge after your publication has been accepted into the publishing program.

We will be happy to advise you on possible funding applications and support you in the application process, for example by providing the necessary documents.

The results of your research should be available to as broad a public as possible without barriers to access - yet it is important for you to publish on a well-known platform that ensures that your research will be easy to find and will be quoted uniformly? We offer you a widely visible basis for your Open Access work, a basis held in high regard by numerous institutions, which will enable your work to receive the attention it deserves and make it possible for others to make use of your findings.

Your work can be made openly accessible either immediately upon publication or after an embargo period of 12 or 24 months.

With a Creative Commons license, your publication can be used internationally under well-defined conditions. The program editors will be happy to advise you on the choice of license. Your publication in Open Access will be made freely accessible in the Mohr Siebeck eLibrary and posted in the most important international Open Access repositories (OAPEN, JSTOR Open Access Books) as well as listed in important discovery services (e.g. the Directory of Open Access Books/DOAB). Upon request, we can provide you with quarterly usage statistics from the repositories mentioned. Your publication's metadata will be registered with over 450 of the world's leading academic libraries, including the British Library, the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, the Max Planck Digital Library, and numerous university libraries in Germany, Europe, and the United States. In addition, you can post the PDF of your work on institutional or subject-specific repositories yourself at any time. Your publication will be long-term archived using Portico and CLOCKSS, ensuring that it will be available for a long time.

If we have already published one of your works, this can also be transferred to Open Access. Please contact the program editors; they will be happy to provide you with an individual offer.

Promoting your book

All our authors and editors benefit from the services of our marketing department. To make your work as visible as possible, we offer the following marketing activities:

• Presentation on the publisher's homepage (including promotional flyer, free use of the work’s public domain cover, and references to reviews of your work)
• A tailor-made initial announcement in our printed and digital Mohr Kurier (our preview of new publications, published three times a year)
• Inclusion in our new publications newsletter (e-mail)
• Where applicable, presentation at conferences at which the publishing house is represented.
• Where applicable, inclusion in special newsletters on specific topics, etc.

If you have any questions regarding the marketing or distribution of your work, please contact the person responsible contact in the relevant department.

Would you like to promote your publication yourself among colleagues in your professional network?

• On our website (your title’s dedicated page) you can download a flyer in PDF format and use the "Share" button to draw attention to your new publication on social networks (Facebook, Twitter).
• You can also forward the PDF flyer to your university’s press office and ask for a press release to be sent to Informationsdienst Wissenschaft (www.idw-online.de). This cannot be done by the publisher, because the Informationsdienst does not accept press releases from publishers.
• You still have the opportunity to draw attention to your title by mentioning it in your publication list and referring to it in your email signature, on your website or in professional networks (LinkedIn, Academia.edu) - gladly also with a direct link to our website.
• In addition, you can add your publication to Wikipedia as literature for suitable articles.
• In the case of eBooks and journal articles, it is advisable to include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) in the publication list. This way, the reference leads directly to the online version of your article in the Mohr Siebeck eLibrary.
• If you are in touch with potential reviewers, please ask them to send an email to reviews@mohrsiebeck.com and request a review copy, stating the reviewing institution.

To be activated as an author by our customer service, please fill out the following form: Apply for author access.

Authors of single works as well as editors are entitled to a discount on our entire program of books and journals from the moment you sign a contract with us. To make use of your discount, please order directly from our web shop; unfortunately, the discount cannot be redeemed on orders placed through a bookshop.

To place an order with a discount you first need to set up an account with us registration page. To have the discount activated by our customer service, please send an email to sales@mohrsiebeck.com stating that you are one of our authors.

After we have verified the information and replied, you can order with your discount. For subsequent orders with the same account, your discount will be deducted automatically. Please note that this discount is not displayed in the shopping basket, but only on the payment page ("Go to checkout"). In the price information, "Price with deducted discount for authors" will then appear.

Orders with discounts can also be sent to the publisher by post, fax or email (to sales@mohrsiebeck.com).

Scope and duration of the transfer of rights

In the publishing agreement or when a work is accepted for publication, the publishing rights are transferred to Mohr Siebeck. Part of this is our exclusive right to reproduce and distribute works or contributions and to make them publicly available.

For monographs as well as adaptations in commentaries, lexicons, handbooks and textbooks (e.g., utb volumes, RGG and HTLS) or similar, it is not permitted to reproduce or distribute material in either printed or electronic form without the permission of the publisher, unless this has otherwise been expressly agreed. Please contact our rights department for more information.

Authors of articles in a journal or collected volume retain the right to reproduce and distribute (e.g., by email) the digital offprint of their own article for private use, but not to make it publicly available (e.g., on the internet, intranet or in a repository).

For journal articles, exclusivity falls away 12 months following publication, and for chapters in edited volumes after 24 months. Correspondingly, you may then (a) reproduce and distribute a print version of your contribution; (b) grant another publisher non-exclusive permission to reprint the article following publication with us; (c) make the print identical version accessible online for non-commercial purposes only by placing it on your own homepage, your institution’s repository, or the likes of academia.edu. In all cases, full reference is to be made to the original Mohr Siebeck publication and, for journal contributions only and where applicable, mention made of the article's DOI (Digital Object Identifier).

Reprint permissions

To request permission to reprint, please complete this form. Please note that we do not grant permissions verbally and that only written requests can be processed. As this can take up to six weeks, please submit your request in good time.
No permission is required for reprinting excerpts of up to around 400 words. The text must nevertheless be accompanied by a full reference to the source.

1.1.    Criteria for Authorship
Mohr Siebeck follows clear, transparent, and fair criteria for authorship and contributorship. We believe that authorship should reflect a significant intellectual contribution to the research or manuscript. Each listed author must have:

⦁    Written an entirely original work or contributed substantially to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the research.
⦁    Approved the final version of the manuscript before submission.
⦁    Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work, including ensuring its accuracy and integrity.

1.2.    Acknowledgements of Contributors
All contributors who do not meet the criteria for authorship should be acknowledged in the manuscript’s acknowledgements section or in the first footnote of an article. Authors are expected to mention these contributors, and the publisher will only intervene in cases where there are indications of misconduct, and such intervention will be conducted in a consensual manner.

1.3.    Authorship Disputes
Disputes over authorship will be handled in line with COPE’s guidance, and authors are encouraged to resolve conflicts internally before involving the publisher.

1.4.    Multiple Submissions and Redundant Publications
Multiple submissions or redundant publications will only be considered in exceptional cases and under strict conditions. These include situations where a work or contribution has previously been available only in another language, where a contribution to an edited volume is integral to its purpose and cannot be obtained otherwise, or where the contribution represents a substantially revised and expanded version of prior work.
Authors of such volumes are required to secure any rights with the publishers of the original versions.

2.1. Originality and Permissions
Mohr Siebeck respects and protects the intellectual property rights of authors. Authors are required to ensure that their work is original and does not infringe on any third-party intellectual property rights. Any necessary permissions must be obtained for material that is copyrighted or owned by another entity.

2.2. Publication Exclusivity
Authors must confirm that their work has not been published elsewhere and is not under consideration by another publisher, unless explicit agreements have been made.

2.3. Copyright Transfer
Upon acceptance, Mohr Siebeck may request the transfer of certain rights, depending on the publication model (e.g., traditional copyright transfer or Creative Commons licensing). For all Open Access publications, the CC licensing applies. We do not require or advise our authors to choose a specific CC license.

Our AI policy aims to safeguard the publishing process while allowing for the ethical use of AI-assisted technologies where appropriate. By adhering to these guidelines, Mohr Siebeck ensures that our authors’ intellectual property is being protected while allowing the ethical use of AI-assisted technologies where appropriate.

3.1 Authors
3.1.1 What is Allowed
⦁    Authors can use AI tools to enhance the language, grammar, and readability of their work before submission. Any such use of AI must be disclosed and clearly stated in the manuscript. The authors must specify the name of the tool and its role in preparing the manuscript and inform the editors or the publisher upon submission of the manuscript. By publishing the article under their name, the authors approve of all changes that were being made to their original manuscript. They take full responsibility for the text submitted to the publisher.
⦁    AI tools can be employed for administrative tasks such as organizing references or formatting text.

3.1.2 What is Prohibited
⦁    AI cannot be used to generate original content or perform any form of academic research on behalf of the author. AI cannot be credited as an author or co-author of any work.

3.2 Editors and Reviewers
3.2.1 What is Allowed
⦁    Editors may use AI tools to assist with administrative tasks only if it is fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

3.2.2 What is Prohibited
⦁    Editors, editorial assistants, or reviewers are not allowed to upload manuscripts or part of manuscripts into external AI tools.
⦁    AI cannot be used to assess or review the quality or content of submitted manuscripts. Editors must ensure that the review and decision-making process remains human-driven, without the involvement of external AI technologies.

3.3 Publisher
3.3.1 How Mohr Siebeck May Process Manuscripts with AI Tools
⦁    Mohr Siebeck may use AI tools that are developed internally or licensed for specific tasks and that are fully compliant with the GDPR regarding the use and storage of personal data. These tools must adhere to Mohr Siebeck’s data security and privacy guidelines and are subject to rigorous evaluations for bias and accuracy. 

4.1    Authors
Authors are required to disclose any financial, institutional, or personal relationships that could be viewed as influencing the research or its interpretation.

4.2    Reviewers
In general, reviewers must recuse themselves from reviewing manuscripts where a conflict of interest exists, such as professional relationships involving dependencies with the authors or a financial interest in the research. However, in small scholarly communities, it is inevitable that professional relationships may exist between authors and editors, such as when a doctoral student wishes to publish their revised dissertation in a series edited by their supervisor or examiner. In such cases, any potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed to the editorial board. To ensure an impartial review process, the editorial board will assign the manuscript to an independent reviewer with no ties to the author or the editor in question. The editor with the conflict of interest will be excluded from all decision-making related to the manuscript.

4.3    Editors
Editors must manage conflicts transparently and ensure that the review process remains unbiased and impartial.

5.1 Data Sharing Encouragement
The integrity of academic research depends on transparency, accessibility, and the ability to reproduce results. Mohr Siebeck encourages authors to share underlying data, methodologies, and supplementary materials that allow for verification and replication of their results, unless legal, ethical, or confidentiality reasons prevent it.

5.2 Repositories
We support open science principles and recommend that authors deposit their data in recognized repositories when appropriate while respecting privacy laws and other ethical considerations.

6.1 Human and Animal Research
All publications by Mohr Siebeck must comply with ethical standards in research, including but not limited to human and animal research. Any research involving human subjects or animals must have been conducted following ethical guidelines and approved by the relevant ethics committees. Authors must provide information on ethical approval and consent in their manuscripts.

6.2 Informed Consent 
Authors must confirm that informed consent was obtained from human subjects involved in research and that their privacy was protected in accordance with applicable laws.

6.3 Vulnerable Populations
Special care must be taken in research involving vulnerable populations, and authors must demonstrate how they ensured ethical standards were met.

7.1 Plagiarism Definition and Consequences
Mohr Siebeck does not tolerate plagiarism in any form. Authors are required to ensure their work is original and properly cited. 
As a standard procedure, we check manuscripts for plagiarism using CrossRef’s Similarity Check, powered by Turnitin’s iThenticate. This ensures that submitted works adhere to ethical and scholarly standards by identifying any unacknowledged similarities with existing published materials.
If plagiarism is detected, either before or after publication, Mohr Siebeck will take appropriate action, which may include correction, retraction, or barring the author from future submissions. Retracted texts are not deleted from our eLibrary, but will be clearly marked as plagiarism, ensuring that corrections are transparent and understandable for readers.

7.2 Misconduct Investigations
Any violations of ethical standards will be investigated by Mohr Siebeck in accordance with COPE’s guidelines. This includes research misconduct such as data falsification or fabrication.

8.1 Transparency
Mohr Siebeck is committed to maintaining a high standard of review. We promote fairness, transparency, and rigor in the review process to uphold the quality of academic scholarship. We do not believe that a single form of review fits the needs of all kinds of journals or book series. In consultation with the editors of a journal or a book series, we agree on transparent, fair, and rigorous review processes for each journal or series. Detailed information regarding the review process for each publication is available on the respective journal or series websites.

8.2 Impartiality
Manuscripts are reviewed impartially, and reviewers – be they external reviewers or members of the editorial or advisory board – are selected based on their expertise. We ensure that the evaluation process is free from personal, academic, or financial biases. In cases where the publisher solely decides on the acceptance of manuscripts for certain series, impartiality is maintained by ensuring that all decisions are guided by scholarly merit and relevance. For these series, the publishing directors typically obtain an external (single-blind) peer review to support their decision-making process.  These series, curated by the publisher, are clearly identified as such on their respective series websites.

8.3 Reviewer Responsibilities
Reviewers are required to maintain confidentiality, provide objective and constructive feedback, and complete their reviews in a timely manner. They must also disclose any conflicts of interest not immediately apparent and adhere to COPE’s Ethical Guidelines for Reviewers.

9.1 Editorial Practices
Mohr Siebeck is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion within its editorial practices. We strive to ensure diverse representation among authors, editors, and reviewers.

9.2 Eliminating Bias
We take proactive steps to eliminate bias in the review process, ensuring a fair and equitable assessment of all submitted work.

10.1 Initial Complaints
We are committed to fair and transparent processes for handling complaints and appeals regarding any aspect of our publications. Complaints should be addressed to the editor-in-chief or managing editor of the relevant journal or series.

10.2 Escalation Process 
If the issue remains unresolved, it may be escalated to the publication’s editorial board and, if no solution is reached, then to the respective publishing director at Mohr Siebeck for further review.

10.3 Appeals Process 
Authors who wish to appeal decisions on rejected manuscripts may do so by submitting a formal appeal letter, including any relevant supporting information. All appeals will be carefully reviewed by the editorial board and the publishing director in charge.

10.4 Confidentiality and Impartiality
Complaints and appeals are handled confidentially and impartially to maintain the integrity of the process.

10.5 Full Disclosure
Mohr Siebeck requires full disclosure of conflicts and reserves the right to take appropriate actions to mitigate any influence they might exert on the publication process.

11.1. Corrections
Authors are required to inform the editor-in-chief, managing editor, and publishing director if they identify substantial errors or inaccuracies in their published work that could mislead readers or distort the intended meaning. Minor typographical or stylistic issues do not fall under this requirement. Mohr Siebeck will issue corrections, retractions, or updates as necessary on the journal’s or volume’s website, accompanied by a clear explanation of the reasons for the action.

11.2. Retraction and Correction Categories 
We adhere to COPE’s Retraction Guidelines to ensure the correction process is transparent, swift, and fair. Corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern are clearly categorized and communicated to maintain the integrity of the research record.

12.1. Preservation of Access
To ensure long-term accessibility, each of our journal articles or book publications, including their metadata, are archived with either Portico or CLOCKSS.