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Regulations for Publishing Activities at the Medical University of Varna

 

SECTION I

General Provisions

Article 1.

(1) These regulations govern the main provisions related to the management and implementation of publishing activities at the Medical University of Varna (MU-Varna).

(2) The management of publishing activities at MU-Varna is carried out by specialized bodies, whose status, functions, and activities are regulated in Section II of these regulations.

(3) Publishing activities at MU-Varna are carried out by Varna Medical University Press, hereinafter referred to as the “publishing house” for brevity.

(4) The Publishing Department has the status of a support unit at MU-Varna.

Article 2.

(1) The activities of the publishing house include the preparation, printing, and publication of textbooks, educational aids, scientific journals and non-periodicals, reference materials, publications and printed materials for scientific events, as well as for the advertising and promotional activities of the University, internal publications of MU-Varna (reports, regulations, procedures, guidelines, etc.), and printed materials for the educational and administrative activities of MU-Varna.

(2) The publishing house may accept orders for services outside the scope outlined in the previous paragraph, for which the client pays a fee determined according to the procedure in Section VI.

(3) The publishing house may also carry out other activities that do not conflict with its subject of activity and contribute to the efficient use of resources and the satisfaction of the needs of MU-Varna.

Section II:

Governing Bodies

 

Article 3. The governing bodies of the publishing activities are: the Vice-Rector for Research and the Publishing Council, supported by the Publishing Department.

Article 4. The Vice-Rector for Research:

  1. Leads, organizes, coordinates, and supervises the publishing activities of the Medical University of Varna (MU-Varna) and reports to the Rector;
  2. Proposes to the Rector the approval of the composition of the Publishing Council and any changes to its composition;
  3. Proposes to the Academic Council (AC) for approval the Annual Publishing Plan accepted by the Publishing Council;
  4. Approves the Internal Procedure for assigning orders for publication and distribution of publishing production;
  5. Approves reviewers for non-periodical publications;
  6. Carries out other activities related to the leadership and development of the publishing activities at MU-Varna.

Article 5. (1) The Publishing Council consists of an odd number of members:

  • Chairperson;
  • Vice-Chairperson;
  • At least one representative from each professional/educational/scientific field;
  • One representative from the following administrative departments: Legal Department, Human Resources, Security, Publishing Department, Educational Department, Library;

(2) The Rector of MU-Varna is the Chairperson of the Publishing Council, and the Vice-Rector for Research is the Vice-Chairperson.

(3) The composition of the Publishing Council is approved by the Academic Council (AC) of MU-Varna.

(4) The functions of the Publishing Council:

  1. Ensures compliance with the requirements for the published educational and scientific literature;
  2. Discusses proposals for the Annual Publishing Plan and approves a version for submission to the AC.

(5) The Publishing Council is convened by its Chairperson. The meetings are regular if at least half of its members are present. Decisions are made by a simple majority.

(6) A protocol of the meeting is drawn up, which is signed by the Chairperson of the Publishing Council and the Secretary, appointed by the head of the Publishing Department.

(7) Meetings of the Publishing Council may also be held remotely using electronic communication tools. The members of the Publishing Council are sent the items for review in the agenda and draft decisions for each item, as well as documents to be discussed and voted on. Within seven working days of receiving the email, each member of the Publishing Council sends their opinion on the agenda items and the attached documents, as well as their voting preferences, to all members. The protocol is prepared based on the submitted opinions and the voting outcomes, and is signed by the Chairperson and the Secretary.

(8) In cases where agreement cannot be reached, disputed issues are deferred to the next meeting of the Publishing Council for discussion and voting.

Article 6. The Publishing Department provides organizational and technical support to the Vice-Rector for Research and the Publishing Council by:

 

  1. Interacting with the Vice-Rector for Research on issues related to publishing activities;
  2. Organizing the publication of the materials listed in Article 2;
  3. Preparing documentation related to contracts with authors, translators, editors, publishers, distributors, etc., and additional agreements to employment contracts with authors, as well as accounting and payments for them;
  4. Systematizing proposals for inclusion in the Annual Publishing Plan and presenting them for discussion at the Publishing Council meeting;
  5. Publishing the approved Annual Publishing Plan on the MU-Varna intranet and website;
  6. Proposing reviewers for the manuscripts of non-periodical publications to the Vice-Rector for approval;
  7. When necessary, making proposals to the Publishing Council or the Vice-Rector for Research regarding changes to the Publishing Regulations and the Internal Procedure for the assignment of publishing orders and distribution of publishing production;
  8. Checking the submitted manuscripts of non-periodical publications for compliance with the requirements specified in Appendix 1;
  9. Checking submitted manuscripts of articles for MU-Varna periodicals for compliance with the relevant Author Guidelines;
  10. Conducting plagiarism checks on each new manuscript and notifying the Publishing Council and the Vice-Rector for Research in case of any detected plagiarism;
  11. Organizing the editing/proofreading, pre-press preparation, design, and printing of the publication, coordinating with authors on all corrections, formatting, and design;
  12. Preparing offers for services under Article 2, Paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Regulations;
  13. Organizing the acquisition of ISBN, ISSN, or ISMN registration for publications.

Section III:

Publishing Technology

 

Article 7. (1) The publishing house prepares its plan based on the needs for educational, scientific, and other literature in the following order:

  1. orders from the Academic Council (AC), the Rector, and their deputies;
  2. textbooks and educational aids by full-time faculty from the Medical University of Varna (MU-Varna);
  3. periodical publications of MU-Varna;
  4. monographs and studies by full-time faculty from MU-Varna;
  5. other literature.

(2) The Annual Publishing Plan is approved by the Academic Council by the end of each calendar year.

(3) By decision of the Academic Council, the Annual Publishing Plan of the publishing house may be amended and supplemented upon the proposal of the Vice-Rector for Research in the following cases: introduction of new courses; changes in the university’s priority scientific directions; urgent proposals accompanied by manuscripts in important fields for MU-Varna; increased demand for titles on specific medical topics.

(4) The Annual Publishing Plan includes the following parts:

  1. publications for the purposes of the prospective student campaign, with attributes: format, volume, circulation;
  2. publications and printed materials for the purposes of the prospective student campaign, educational, scientific, and administrative activities, with specific titles and circulations determined for each case by report;
  3. regular periodical publications (both traditional and online) with attributes: title, frequency, circulation, and deadline for publication, as well as appendices to the periodical publications, with specific titles and circulations determined for each case by report;
  4. textbooks and educational aids with attributes: author, title, format, volume, circulation, publication deadline;
  5. reprints of publications included in the specific publishing plan, as well as those approved in previous years’ publishing plans, in case of depletion in the commercial network and the warehouse of the Medical University of Varna.

Article 8.

(1) Educational literature is published for the courses included in the current curriculum of MU-Varna, corresponding to the content of the adopted syllabi.

(2) For the same course, educational aids with different purposes may be published.

(3) When necessary, priority is given to reprints of textbooks, educational aids, and collections for prospective students.

Article 9.

(1) Every year by November 15, the departments, with the approval of the respective Dean, submit their proposals to the Publishing Department for textbooks and educational aids to be published in the next calendar year. These proposals are reviewed by the Publishing Council.

(2) The proposals are made in accordance with the need for educational literature and the readiness of the manuscript, considering:

  1. the approved curriculum;
  2. the approved syllabi;
  3. the printed and available educational literature in the respective field;
  4. the number of students studying the respective course.

(3) No later than November 25, the Publishing Council reviews the submitted proposals, rectifies any discrepancies, and refines the volume and circulation of the publications. In addition to textbooks and educational aids, the Publishing Council also reviews other received proposals for publication and prepares a draft of the Annual Publishing Plan.

(4) In the case of proposals for publishing translated works, the Publishing Department of MU-Varna performs the necessary activities for acquiring the copyright for translation and distribution.

 

Article 10. The volume of each textbook/educational aid in the plan is determined by the Publishing Council upon the proposal of the departments, based on the type of publication and the number of hours allocated for the respective course in the curriculum.

Article 11. The circulation of published literature is determined by the Publishing Council depending on the number of students enrolled in the course over a four-year period and the availability of similar literature on the market.

Article 12.

(1) The author signs a publishing contract with MU-Varna, granting the exclusive right for publishing, re-publishing, and distribution to the publisher for a period of three years.

(2) In the case of an author collective, the authors may notarize the authorization of one of them to sign the contract with MU-Varna for publication.

(3) In cases where the author has an employment relationship with MU-Varna, an additional agreement is signed as part of the employment contract. The author is compensated in accordance with the applicable internal salary regulations and this publishing rule.

(4) When submitting articles for publication in the scientific journals of MU-Varna, the author signs a Declaration of Authorship under Article 18 of the Copyright and Related Rights Act. The declaration may be submitted in person or electronically through the MU-Varna platform “Scientific Online Resource System.”

Section IV:

Manuscript Preparation

 

Article 13.

(1) When publishing educational and scientific non-periodical literature, the author submits the manuscript to the Publishing Department at least three months before the scheduled publication date in the Annual Publishing Plan.

  1. The manuscript is reviewed by the Publishing Department for technical discrepancies and plagiarism and is then forwarded to the selected reviewer(s).
  2. Manuscripts that do not meet the requirements outlined in Appendix 1 of these rules are not accepted.
  3. Manuscripts that receive a positive review are revised by the author in accordance with the recommendations in the review and submitted to the Publishing Department for editing, technical, and artistic design.
  4. The editor/proofreader performs the editing and proofreading work, coordinating the changes with the author.
  5. The editor submits the manuscript approved by the author for layout and prepress. The design of the cover and the internal layout are coordinated with the author.
  6. The author may not insert new texts (formulas, tables, figures, etc.) after the edited material is submitted for prepress.

(2) (Amended – protocol No.13/11.12.2020). The organization of the publication of scientific periodicals is regulated in detail by separate Internal Rules, which are approved by the Academic Council of the university.

Article 14. The assignment of orders, printing, and distribution of publishing products are carried out according to the Internal Procedure for Assigning Orders for Publishing and Distributing Publishing Products.

Article 15.

(1) When printing the book on paper and electronic media, the last page includes the publisher’s imprint, providing information about: the publishing house, the title of the book, the names of the author(s), editor(s), reviewer(s), language editor/proofreader, the year of publication, ISBN/ISMN/ISSN.

(2) The logo of the Medical University of Varna must be placed on all publications.

(3) A QR code must be placed on the corresponding publication, which includes the title of the publication and a link to the publication in the publisher’s catalog.

(4) The Publishing Department performs the deposit according to the Law on Mandatory Deposit of Printed and Other Works and the Declaration of Distributors and Media Service Providers.

(5) (Deleted – protocol No.29/03.09.2021).

Article 15a. (New – protocol No.29/03.09.2021) Reprints of specific publications are carried out regularly throughout the year. Before the beginning of each academic year, the Publishing Department makes a written inquiry to the Educational Department regarding the expected number of students in disciplines and courses and the projected number of prospective students for the following year. The Publishing Department adjusts the upcoming reprints based on the received information and prepares a report, which is agreed upon by the Vice-Rector for Research. With the positive opinion of the Rector of MU-Varna, additional agreements are signed to the employment contracts or publishing contracts with the authors.

Section V:

Distribution

 

Article 16.

(1) The distribution of publishing products is assigned to individuals or legal entities.

(2) A contract is signed with the distributors, specifying the terms of the commercial realization of the publishing products.

(3) Distributors of the publishing products of MU-Varna can be:

  1. bookstores (including online bookstores) of MU-Varna – for all publications;
  2. warehouses of MU-Varna – for the necessary forms and documents for the administration of MU-Varna or for sale in the bookstores of MU-Varna, for sales related to University events, for direct sales, or under distribution agreements;
  3. units of MU-Varna – for brochures, flyers, posters for scientific events, and other internal publications of MU-Varna;
  4. individuals or legal entities under a contract with a discount or through consignment sales.

(4) The amount of commission fees and discounts is specified in the contract with the distributor – individuals or legal entities – and is no more than 40% of the provided products.

Article 17.

(1) The bookstores (including online bookstores) of MU-Varna can distribute educational, scientific, auxiliary literature, as well as goods received from external publishers, individuals, and legal entities, for the needs of the educational, scientific, sports, and creative activities of MU-Varna.

(2) For the publications and goods under paragraph 1, MU-Varna signs purchase contracts with discounts or for consignment sales.

(3) The amount of commission fees and discounts for MU-Varna is no less than 10% of the sold products.

 

Section VI:

Pricing

Article 18.

(1) The price of the publishing products intended for subsequent sale is determined by a commission appointed by the Rector and is approved by the Rector or a person designated by them.

(2) The price of services under Article 2, paragraphs 2 and 3 is determined and updated according to the price list approved by the Academic Council.

Article 19.

(1) The price of publishing products is determined according to a methodology adopted by the Academic Council and depends on the costs incurred in production, due remuneration, taxes, commissions, and all expenses for the specific publication. Pricing is also aligned with market indicators.

(2) The price determined in accordance with the previous paragraph may be reduced if it is found that the product is unsellable, damaged due to extraordinary circumstances but still usable, or if there is unsold inventory. Price reduction is carried out according to Article 18, paragraph 1, and may only take place no earlier than six months after the distribution of the respective publication has started.

(3) Libraries and universities, as well as those purchasing educational literature in a one-time order of more than 50 copies, are entitled to a 10% discount off the cover price.

(4) Only one type of discount under paragraph 3 may be applied per purchase.

 

Section VII:

Remuneration

 

Article 20. For the assigned publishing rights, the author receives:

(1) Royalties amounting to 15% of the sales price of the edition intended for distribution in the commercial network, calculated based on 90% of the print run for VAT-inclusive editions and 70% for VAT-exclusive editions.

(2) Free copies according to Article 47 of the Copyright and Related Rights Act, for which, in the case of a publishing contract, the author must pay the due personal taxes according to the Personal Income Tax Act to the cash register or bank account of MU-Varna. In the case of an additional agreement to the employment contract, the due personal taxes are withheld from the author’s salary.

(3) The royalties are paid after the publication is registered in the MU-Varna warehouse and a report from the head of the Publishing Department is approved by the vice-rector for research.

(4) Free copies are provided to the author after their arrival in the MU-Varna warehouse.

(5) Royalties for individuals who have an employment relationship with MU-Varna but have not worked during the month of payment due to statutory leave (e.g., due to temporary incapacity, pregnancy, childbirth, maternity, etc.) are paid with their first salary after returning to work.

(6) If the employment relationship is terminated before the individual returns to work, they should receive their royalties upon termination of their employment contract.

Article 21. Contracts with external contractors may be signed for activities related to the publishing and publication of educational and scientific literature (translation, editing, proofreading, reviewing, magazine administration, database and platform entry for referencing, etc.). The remuneration under these contracts is determined according to Article 18, paragraph 2.

 

SECTION VIII

Sponsorship and Advertising

Article 22.

(1) This section regulates the receipt, distribution, and use of funds received from advertising or sponsorship.

(2) MU-Varna has the right to enter into contracts for sponsorship and advertising with legal entities and individuals, who, under the corresponding contractual conditions, may receive advertising space in its publications, according to the advertising tariffs adopted by the Academic Council.

(3) MU-Varna may enter into a contract with an “official sponsor,” who receives the right to display on the back of the title page or any page chosen by them (provided the publishing concept is not violated): “The publications of the university press are carried out with the kind support of …”, “… is the official sponsor of the university …”, or any other suitable and mutually agreed text.

(4) In the case of more than one applicant for advertising, the more favorable offer for MU-Varna is chosen, or advertising space is provided to all sponsors.

(5) The contract specifies exactly which and how many publications the sponsor has the right to display their logo or advertise.

 

Transitional and Final Provisions

  • 1. The regulations are issued on the basis of Article 30, para. 1, item 14 of the Higher Education Act.
  • 2. The regulations were adopted by the Academic Council’s decision from 12.08.2020, Protocol No. 7, and come into force from the date of adoption.
  • 3. The regulations are amended and supplemented in the manner of their adoption – amended by decisions of the Academic Council according to Protocol No. 13/11.12.2020, Protocol No. 29/03.09.2021.
  • 4. This regulation repeals the Rules for Publishing Activities at the Medical University of Varna, adopted by the Academic Council’s decision No. 17 from 16.10.2013, amended by Protocol No. 23/03.02.2014, amended by Protocol No. 32/21.07.2014, amended by Protocol No. 38/19.12.2014, amended by Protocol No. 47/07.07.2015, amended by Protocol No. 19/27.02.2017, amended by Protocol No. 23/15.05.2017, amended by Protocol No. 24/14.06.2017, amended by Protocol No. 26/18.09.2017, amended by Protocol No. 34/23.04.2018.
  • 5. Ongoing procedures that have not been completed by the date of adoption of these regulations will be completed under the conditions and procedures of the Rules for Publishing Activities at the Medical University of Varna, adopted by the Academic Council’s decision No. 17 from 16.10.2013, amended by Protocol No. 23/03.02.2014, amended by Protocol No. 32/21.07.2014, amended by Protocol No. 38/19.12.2014, amended by Protocol No. 47/07.07.2015, amended by Protocol No. 19/27.02.2017, amended by Protocol No. 23/15.05.2017, amended by Protocol No. 24/14.06.2017, amended by Protocol No. 26/18.09.2017, amended by Protocol No. 34/23.04.2018.

 

Appendix 1

Technical Requirements for Preparing Manuscripts

When submitting materials for prepress, the documents must be prepared in MS Word for Windows as follows:

  1. Educational and Scientific Literature
  • Publication with format 210 x 297 mm (A4). The manuscript should be prepared as an A4-sized document, with 20 mm margins on all sides of the printable area, using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 12 Pt, line spacing Multiple: 1.15, with corresponding page numbering.
  • Publication with format 148 x 210 mm (A5). The manuscript should be prepared as:

o A document with A5 format, 20 mm margins on all sides of the printable area, and using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 10 or 11 Pt, line spacing Multiple: 1.15, with corresponding page numbering, or

o A document with A4 format, 20 mm margins on all sides of the printable area, using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 14 Pt, line spacing Multiple: 1.15, with corresponding page numbering.

  • Publication with format 165 x 240 mm. The manuscript should be prepared with document size 165 x 244 mm, 20 mm margins on all sides of the printable area, using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 11 or 12 Pt, line spacing Multiple: 1.15, with corresponding page numbering.
  1. Theses and Abstracts
  • Abstracts with format 148 x 210 mm (A5). Recommended total volume up to 60 pages. The manuscript should be prepared as:

o A document with A5 format, 20 mm margins on all sides of the printable area, using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 10 or 11 Pt, line spacing Multiple: 1.15, with corresponding page numbering, or

o A document with A4 format, 20 mm margins on all sides of the printable area, using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 14 Pt, line spacing Multiple: 1.15, with corresponding page numbering.

  • Theses with format 210 x 297 mm (A4) – 20 mm margins on all sides of the printable area, using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 12 Pt, line spacing Multiple: from 1.15 to 1.5, with corresponding page numbering.
  1. Articles for Journals

The manuscripts should conform to the Author Guidelines for each specific publication, available at: http://journals.mu-varna.bg.

Regardless of whether they are embedded in the manuscript text, all figures and graphics should be provided in separate files in their original file format (images should be in graphic format, such as jpg, png, eps), and their names must correspond to the figure numbering in the text. The explanatory text for each figure or table should be placed in the text next to its reference. Scanned images must have a resolution of 300 dpi.

All graphics and diagrams, whether included in the manuscript text or not, must be in an editable format.

The images must be the property of the author or MU-Varna. Graphics and diagrams must be the author’s property. The use of materials (images, graphics, and diagrams) from other authors is only allowed with the written consent of the respective author from whom they are sourced.

When publishing textbooks and educational materials in electronic format (on CD/DVD), all requirements for printed publications must be followed, and the final publication should be recorded in security pdf or another electronic format.REGULATIONS

for Publishing Activities at the Medical University of Varna

 

SECTION I

General Provisions

Article 1.

(1) These regulations govern the main provisions related to the management and implementation of publishing activities at the Medical University of Varna (MU-Varna).

(2) The management of publishing activities at MU-Varna is carried out by specialized bodies, whose status, functions, and activities are regulated in Section II of these regulations.

(3) Publishing activities at MU-Varna are carried out by Varna Medical University Press, hereinafter referred to as the “publishing house” for brevity.

(4) The Publishing Department has the status of a support unit at MU-Varna.

Article 2.

(1) The activities of the publishing house include the preparation, printing, and publication of textbooks, educational aids, scientific journals and non-periodicals, reference materials, publications and printed materials for scientific events, as well as for the advertising and promotional activities of the University, internal publications of MU-Varna (reports, regulations, procedures, guidelines, etc.), and printed materials for the educational and administrative activities of MU-Varna.

(2) The publishing house may accept orders for services outside the scope outlined in the previous paragraph, for which the client pays a fee determined according to the procedure in Section VI.

(3) The publishing house may also carry out other activities that do not conflict with its subject of activity and contribute to the efficient use of resources and the satisfaction of the needs of MU-Varna.

Section II:

Governing Bodies

 

Article 3. The governing bodies of the publishing activities are: the Vice-Rector for Research and the Publishing Council, supported by the Publishing Department.

Article 4. The Vice-Rector for Research:

  1. Leads, organizes, coordinates, and supervises the publishing activities of the Medical University of Varna (MU-Varna) and reports to the Rector;
  2. Proposes to the Rector the approval of the composition of the Publishing Council and any changes to its composition;
  3. Proposes to the Academic Council (AC) for approval the Annual Publishing Plan accepted by the Publishing Council;
  4. Approves the Internal Procedure for assigning orders for publication and distribution of publishing production;
  5. Approves reviewers for non-periodical publications;
  6. Carries out other activities related to the leadership and development of the publishing activities at MU-Varna.

Article 5. (1) The Publishing Council consists of an odd number of members:

  • Chairperson;
  • Vice-Chairperson;
  • At least one representative from each professional/educational/scientific field;
  • One representative from the following administrative departments: Legal Department, Human Resources, Security, Publishing Department, Educational Department, Library;

(2) The Rector of MU-Varna is the Chairperson of the Publishing Council, and the Vice-Rector for Research is the Vice-Chairperson.

(3) The composition of the Publishing Council is approved by the Academic Council (AC) of MU-Varna.

(4) The functions of the Publishing Council:

  1. Ensures compliance with the requirements for the published educational and scientific literature;
  2. Discusses proposals for the Annual Publishing Plan and approves a version for submission to the AC.

(5) The Publishing Council is convened by its Chairperson. The meetings are regular if at least half of its members are present. Decisions are made by a simple majority.

(6) A protocol of the meeting is drawn up, which is signed by the Chairperson of the Publishing Council and the Secretary, appointed by the head of the Publishing Department.

(7) Meetings of the Publishing Council may also be held remotely using electronic communication tools. The members of the Publishing Council are sent the items for review in the agenda and draft decisions for each item, as well as documents to be discussed and voted on. Within seven working days of receiving the email, each member of the Publishing Council sends their opinion on the agenda items and the attached documents, as well as their voting preferences, to all members. The protocol is prepared based on the submitted opinions and the voting outcomes, and is signed by the Chairperson and the Secretary.

(8) In cases where agreement cannot be reached, disputed issues are deferred to the next meeting of the Publishing Council for discussion and voting.

Article 6. The Publishing Department provides organizational and technical support to the Vice-Rector for Research and the Publishing Council by:

 

  1. Interacting with the Vice-Rector for Research on issues related to publishing activities;
  2. Organizing the publication of the materials listed in Article 2;
  3. Preparing documentation related to contracts with authors, translators, editors, publishers, distributors, etc., and additional agreements to employment contracts with authors, as well as accounting and payments for them;
  4. Systematizing proposals for inclusion in the Annual Publishing Plan and presenting them for discussion at the Publishing Council meeting;
  5. Publishing the approved Annual Publishing Plan on the MU-Varna intranet and website;
  6. Proposing reviewers for the manuscripts of non-periodical publications to the Vice-Rector for approval;
  7. When necessary, making proposals to the Publishing Council or the Vice-Rector for Research regarding changes to the Publishing Regulations and the Internal Procedure for the assignment of publishing orders and distribution of publishing production;
  8. Checking the submitted manuscripts of non-periodical publications for compliance with the requirements specified in Appendix 1;
  9. Checking submitted manuscripts of articles for MU-Varna periodicals for compliance with the relevant Author Guidelines;
  10. Conducting plagiarism checks on each new manuscript and notifying the Publishing Council and the Vice-Rector for Research in case of any detected plagiarism;
  11. Organizing the editing/proofreading, pre-press preparation, design, and printing of the publication, coordinating with authors on all corrections, formatting, and design;
  12. Preparing offers for services under Article 2, Paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Regulations;
  13. Organizing the acquisition of ISBN, ISSN, or ISMN registration for publications.

Section III:

Publishing Technology

 

Article 7. (1) The publishing house prepares its plan based on the needs for educational, scientific, and other literature in the following order:

  1. orders from the Academic Council (AC), the Rector, and their deputies;
  2. textbooks and educational aids by full-time faculty from the Medical University of Varna (MU-Varna);
  3. periodical publications of MU-Varna;
  4. monographs and studies by full-time faculty from MU-Varna;
  5. other literature.

(2) The Annual Publishing Plan is approved by the Academic Council by the end of each calendar year.

(3) By decision of the Academic Council, the Annual Publishing Plan of the publishing house may be amended and supplemented upon the proposal of the Vice-Rector for Research in the following cases: introduction of new courses; changes in the university’s priority scientific directions; urgent proposals accompanied by manuscripts in important fields for MU-Varna; increased demand for titles on specific medical topics.

(4) The Annual Publishing Plan includes the following parts:

  1. publications for the purposes of the prospective student campaign, with attributes: format, volume, circulation;
  2. publications and printed materials for the purposes of the prospective student campaign, educational, scientific, and administrative activities, with specific titles and circulations determined for each case by report;
  3. regular periodical publications (both traditional and online) with attributes: title, frequency, circulation, and deadline for publication, as well as appendices to the periodical publications, with specific titles and circulations determined for each case by report;
  4. textbooks and educational aids with attributes: author, title, format, volume, circulation, publication deadline;
  5. reprints of publications included in the specific publishing plan, as well as those approved in previous years’ publishing plans, in case of depletion in the commercial network and the warehouse of the Medical University of Varna.

Article 8.

(1) Educational literature is published for the courses included in the current curriculum of MU-Varna, corresponding to the content of the adopted syllabi.

(2) For the same course, educational aids with different purposes may be published.

(3) When necessary, priority is given to reprints of textbooks, educational aids, and collections for prospective students.

Article 9.

(1) Every year by November 15, the departments, with the approval of the respective Dean, submit their proposals to the Publishing Department for textbooks and educational aids to be published in the next calendar year. These proposals are reviewed by the Publishing Council.

(2) The proposals are made in accordance with the need for educational literature and the readiness of the manuscript, considering:

  1. the approved curriculum;
  2. the approved syllabi;
  3. the printed and available educational literature in the respective field;
  4. the number of students studying the respective course.

(3) No later than November 25, the Publishing Council reviews the submitted proposals, rectifies any discrepancies, and refines the volume and circulation of the publications. In addition to textbooks and educational aids, the Publishing Council also reviews other received proposals for publication and prepares a draft of the Annual Publishing Plan.

(4) In the case of proposals for publishing translated works, the Publishing Department of MU-Varna performs the necessary activities for acquiring the copyright for translation and distribution.

 

Article 10. The volume of each textbook/educational aid in the plan is determined by the Publishing Council upon the proposal of the departments, based on the type of publication and the number of hours allocated for the respective course in the curriculum.

Article 11. The circulation of published literature is determined by the Publishing Council depending on the number of students enrolled in the course over a four-year period and the availability of similar literature on the market.

Article 12.

(1) The author signs a publishing contract with MU-Varna, granting the exclusive right for publishing, re-publishing, and distribution to the publisher for a period of three years.

(2) In the case of an author collective, the authors may notarize the authorization of one of them to sign the contract with MU-Varna for publication.

(3) In cases where the author has an employment relationship with MU-Varna, an additional agreement is signed as part of the employment contract. The author is compensated in accordance with the applicable internal salary regulations and this publishing rule.

(4) When submitting articles for publication in the scientific journals of MU-Varna, the author signs a Declaration of Authorship under Article 18 of the Copyright and Related Rights Act. The declaration may be submitted in person or electronically through the MU-Varna platform “Scientific Online Resource System.”

Section IV:

Manuscript Preparation

 

Article 13.

(1) When publishing educational and scientific non-periodical literature, the author submits the manuscript to the Publishing Department at least three months before the scheduled publication date in the Annual Publishing Plan.

  1. The manuscript is reviewed by the Publishing Department for technical discrepancies and plagiarism and is then forwarded to the selected reviewer(s).
  2. Manuscripts that do not meet the requirements outlined in Appendix 1 of these rules are not accepted.
  3. Manuscripts that receive a positive review are revised by the author in accordance with the recommendations in the review and submitted to the Publishing Department for editing, technical, and artistic design.
  4. The editor/proofreader performs the editing and proofreading work, coordinating the changes with the author.
  5. The editor submits the manuscript approved by the author for layout and prepress. The design of the cover and the internal layout are coordinated with the author.
  6. The author may not insert new texts (formulas, tables, figures, etc.) after the edited material is submitted for prepress.

(2) (Amended – protocol No.13/11.12.2020). The organization of the publication of scientific periodicals is regulated in detail by separate Internal Rules, which are approved by the Academic Council of the university.

Article 14. The assignment of orders, printing, and distribution of publishing products are carried out according to the Internal Procedure for Assigning Orders for Publishing and Distributing Publishing Products.

Article 15.

(1) When printing the book on paper and electronic media, the last page includes the publisher’s imprint, providing information about: the publishing house, the title of the book, the names of the author(s), editor(s), reviewer(s), language editor/proofreader, the year of publication, ISBN/ISMN/ISSN.

(2) The logo of the Medical University of Varna must be placed on all publications.

(3) A QR code must be placed on the corresponding publication, which includes the title of the publication and a link to the publication in the publisher’s catalog.

(4) The Publishing Department performs the deposit according to the Law on Mandatory Deposit of Printed and Other Works and the Declaration of Distributors and Media Service Providers.

(5) (Deleted – protocol No.29/03.09.2021).

Article 15a. (New – protocol No.29/03.09.2021) Reprints of specific publications are carried out regularly throughout the year. Before the beginning of each academic year, the Publishing Department makes a written inquiry to the Educational Department regarding the expected number of students in disciplines and courses and the projected number of prospective students for the following year. The Publishing Department adjusts the upcoming reprints based on the received information and prepares a report, which is agreed upon by the Vice-Rector for Research. With the positive opinion of the Rector of MU-Varna, additional agreements are signed to the employment contracts or publishing contracts with the authors.

Section V:

Distribution

 

Article 16.

(1) The distribution of publishing products is assigned to individuals or legal entities.

(2) A contract is signed with the distributors, specifying the terms of the commercial realization of the publishing products.

(3) Distributors of the publishing products of MU-Varna can be:

  1. bookstores (including online bookstores) of MU-Varna – for all publications;
  2. warehouses of MU-Varna – for the necessary forms and documents for the administration of MU-Varna or for sale in the bookstores of MU-Varna, for sales related to University events, for direct sales, or under distribution agreements;
  3. units of MU-Varna – for brochures, flyers, posters for scientific events, and other internal publications of MU-Varna;
  4. individuals or legal entities under a contract with a discount or through consignment sales.

(4) The amount of commission fees and discounts is specified in the contract with the distributor – individuals or legal entities – and is no more than 40% of the provided products.

Article 17.

(1) The bookstores (including online bookstores) of MU-Varna can distribute educational, scientific, auxiliary literature, as well as goods received from external publishers, individuals, and legal entities, for the needs of the educational, scientific, sports, and creative activities of MU-Varna.

(2) For the publications and goods under paragraph 1, MU-Varna signs purchase contracts with discounts or for consignment sales.

(3) The amount of commission fees and discounts for MU-Varna is no less than 10% of the sold products.

 

Section VI:

Pricing

Article 18.

(1) The price of the publishing products intended for subsequent sale is determined by a commission appointed by the Rector and is approved by the Rector or a person designated by them.

(2) The price of services under Article 2, paragraphs 2 and 3 is determined and updated according to the price list approved by the Academic Council.

Article 19.

(1) The price of publishing products is determined according to a methodology adopted by the Academic Council and depends on the costs incurred in production, due remuneration, taxes, commissions, and all expenses for the specific publication. Pricing is also aligned with market indicators.

(2) The price determined in accordance with the previous paragraph may be reduced if it is found that the product is unsellable, damaged due to extraordinary circumstances but still usable, or if there is unsold inventory. Price reduction is carried out according to Article 18, paragraph 1, and may only take place no earlier than six months after the distribution of the respective publication has started.

(3) Libraries and universities, as well as those purchasing educational literature in a one-time order of more than 50 copies, are entitled to a 10% discount off the cover price.

(4) Only one type of discount under paragraph 3 may be applied per purchase.

 

Section VII:

Remuneration

 

Article 20. For the assigned publishing rights, the author receives:

(1) Royalties amounting to 15% of the sales price of the edition intended for distribution in the commercial network, calculated based on 90% of the print run for VAT-inclusive editions and 70% for VAT-exclusive editions.

(2) Free copies according to Article 47 of the Copyright and Related Rights Act, for which, in the case of a publishing contract, the author must pay the due personal taxes according to the Personal Income Tax Act to the cash register or bank account of MU-Varna. In the case of an additional agreement to the employment contract, the due personal taxes are withheld from the author’s salary.

(3) The royalties are paid after the publication is registered in the MU-Varna warehouse and a report from the head of the Publishing Department is approved by the vice-rector for research.

(4) Free copies are provided to the author after their arrival in the MU-Varna warehouse.

(5) Royalties for individuals who have an employment relationship with MU-Varna but have not worked during the month of payment due to statutory leave (e.g., due to temporary incapacity, pregnancy, childbirth, maternity, etc.) are paid with their first salary after returning to work.

(6) If the employment relationship is terminated before the individual returns to work, they should receive their royalties upon termination of their employment contract.

Article 21. Contracts with external contractors may be signed for activities related to the publishing and publication of educational and scientific literature (translation, editing, proofreading, reviewing, magazine administration, database and platform entry for referencing, etc.). The remuneration under these contracts is determined according to Article 18, paragraph 2.

 

SECTION VIII

Sponsorship and Advertising

Article 22.

(1) This section regulates the receipt, distribution, and use of funds received from advertising or sponsorship.

(2) MU-Varna has the right to enter into contracts for sponsorship and advertising with legal entities and individuals, who, under the corresponding contractual conditions, may receive advertising space in its publications, according to the advertising tariffs adopted by the Academic Council.

(3) MU-Varna may enter into a contract with an “official sponsor,” who receives the right to display on the back of the title page or any page chosen by them (provided the publishing concept is not violated): “The publications of the university press are carried out with the kind support of …”, “… is the official sponsor of the university …”, or any other suitable and mutually agreed text.

(4) In the case of more than one applicant for advertising, the more favorable offer for MU-Varna is chosen, or advertising space is provided to all sponsors.

(5) The contract specifies exactly which and how many publications the sponsor has the right to display their logo or advertise.

 

Transitional and Final Provisions

  • 1. The regulations are issued on the basis of Article 30, para. 1, item 14 of the Higher Education Act.
  • 2. The regulations were adopted by the Academic Council’s decision from 12.08.2020, Protocol No. 7, and come into force from the date of adoption.
  • 3. The regulations are amended and supplemented in the manner of their adoption – amended by decisions of the Academic Council according to Protocol No. 13/11.12.2020, Protocol No. 29/03.09.2021.
  • 4. This regulation repeals the Rules for Publishing Activities at the Medical University of Varna, adopted by the Academic Council’s decision No. 17 from 16.10.2013, amended by Protocol No. 23/03.02.2014, amended by Protocol No. 32/21.07.2014, amended by Protocol No. 38/19.12.2014, amended by Protocol No. 47/07.07.2015, amended by Protocol No. 19/27.02.2017, amended by Protocol No. 23/15.05.2017, amended by Protocol No. 24/14.06.2017, amended by Protocol No. 26/18.09.2017, amended by Protocol No. 34/23.04.2018.
  • 5. Ongoing procedures that have not been completed by the date of adoption of these regulations will be completed under the conditions and procedures of the Rules for Publishing Activities at the Medical University of Varna, adopted by the Academic Council’s decision No. 17 from 16.10.2013, amended by Protocol No. 23/03.02.2014, amended by Protocol No. 32/21.07.2014, amended by Protocol No. 38/19.12.2014, amended by Protocol No. 47/07.07.2015, amended by Protocol No. 19/27.02.2017, amended by Protocol No. 23/15.05.2017, amended by Protocol No. 24/14.06.2017, amended by Protocol No. 26/18.09.2017, amended by Protocol No. 34/23.04.2018.

 

Appendix 1

Technical Requirements for Preparing Manuscripts

When submitting materials for prepress, the documents must be prepared in MS Word for Windows as follows:

  1. Educational and Scientific Literature
  • Publication with format 210 x 297 mm (A4). The manuscript should be prepared as an A4-sized document, with 20 mm margins on all sides of the printable area, using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 12 Pt, line spacing Multiple: 1.15, with corresponding page numbering.
  • Publication with format 148 x 210 mm (A5). The manuscript should be prepared as:

o A document with A5 format, 20 mm margins on all sides of the printable area, and using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 10 or 11 Pt, line spacing Multiple: 1.15, with corresponding page numbering, or

o A document with A4 format, 20 mm margins on all sides of the printable area, using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 14 Pt, line spacing Multiple: 1.15, with corresponding page numbering.

  • Publication with format 165 x 240 mm. The manuscript should be prepared with document size 165 x 244 mm, 20 mm margins on all sides of the printable area, using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 11 or 12 Pt, line spacing Multiple: 1.15, with corresponding page numbering.
  1. Theses and Abstracts
  • Abstracts with format 148 x 210 mm (A5). Recommended total volume up to 60 pages. The manuscript should be prepared as:

o A document with A5 format, 20 mm margins on all sides of the printable area, using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 10 or 11 Pt, line spacing Multiple: 1.15, with corresponding page numbering, or

o A document with A4 format, 20 mm margins on all sides of the printable area, using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 14 Pt, line spacing Multiple: 1.15, with corresponding page numbering.

  • Theses with format 210 x 297 mm (A4) – 20 mm margins on all sides of the printable area, using Arial or Times New Roman font, size 12 Pt, line spacing Multiple: from 1.15 to 1.5, with corresponding page numbering.
  1. Articles for Journals

The manuscripts should conform to the Author Guidelines for each specific publication, available at: http://journals.mu-varna.bg.

Regardless of whether they are embedded in the manuscript text, all figures and graphics should be provided in separate files in their original file format (images should be in graphic format, such as jpg, png, eps), and their names must correspond to the figure numbering in the text. The explanatory text for each figure or table should be placed in the text next to its reference. Scanned images must have a resolution of 300 dpi.

All graphics and diagrams, whether included in the manuscript text or not, must be in an editable format.

The images must be the property of the author or MU-Varna. Graphics and diagrams must be the author’s property. The use of materials (images, graphics, and diagrams) from other authors is only allowed with the written consent of the respective author from whom they are sourced.

When publishing textbooks and educational materials in electronic format (on CD/DVD), all requirements for printed publications must be followed, and the final publication should be recorded in security pdf or another electronic format.