The Authors Collective

Author Participation Guidelines

1. Welcome to The Authors Collective

The Authors Collective is part of Resources for Faith and Practice (RFP), a Christian ministry that makes thoughtful resources available to people exploring faith and seeking to put faith into practice.

The Authors Collective exists to support independent Christian authors by helping readers discover their books and other resources. We aim to provide a platform through which authors can introduce their work, connect with readers and make their resources more accessible.

Participation is offered without a standard membership or listing fee. Authors are welcome to contribute a voluntary koha towards the work of RFP, but this is entirely optional.

These guidelines describe the expectations, responsibilities and working relationship between RFP and participating authors. They are intended to encourage a cooperative relationship based on mutual respect, clear communication and a shared commitment to making worthwhile resources available.

2. Our respective roles

RFP provides a website and related promotional opportunities through which participating authors can present their work to readers.

Depending on the arrangements made with an author, RFP may provide:

• An author profile and biography.
• Listings and descriptions of books and other resources.
• Links to external retailers, including Amazon.
• Listings in the RFP online store for sales within New Zealand.
• Promotional activities, including email campaigns and website announcements.
• Administrative assistance relating to listings, orders or payments where agreed.

 

RFP is not a conventional publisher. Unless separately agreed in writing, authors remain responsible for the following:

• their own writing,
• publishing decisions,
• book content,
• providing stock,
• pricing and discounts,
• provision of mailing lists,
• publication arrangements and ongoing availability of their work.

 

Authors retain responsibility for their own work and for meeting the obligations that apply to them. RFP is responsible for the services it agrees to provide and for meeting its own legal obligations.

Participation in The Authors Collective does not create an employment relationship, partnership or joint ownership of either party’s intellectual property.

3. Suitability of content

The Authors Collective is intended for independent authors whose work is consistent with the purpose of Resources for Faith and Practice.

We welcome thoughtful Christian writing that encourages reflection, learning, spiritual growth and the practical expression of faith. We recognise that Christian authors hold different theological perspectives and that respectful disagreement can contribute to meaningful discussion.

RFP reserves the right to decide which authors and resources are included on the website. Inclusion does not mean that RFP endorses every statement or theological position expressed in an author’s work.

Authors are expected to engage respectfully with readers, other authors and the wider Christian community. Content that is unlawful, misleading, abusive, discriminatory or inconsistent with the purpose of RFP may be declined or removed.

4. Information supplied by authors

Authors are responsible for providing accurate, complete and up-to-date information about themselves and their work.

This includes, where relevant:

• Author biographies and profile photographs.
• Book titles, subtitles, descriptions and cover images.
• ISBNs and other publication details.
• Retail prices and availability.
• Links to author websites, social media pages and external retailers.
• Relevant promotional material.
• Information about stock, delivery or other arrangements needed for sales through the RFP online store.

 

Authors must promptly advise RFP of significant changes, including revised book details, changes in price, unavailability of stock, new editions or broken external links.

Authors must ensure that they have the necessary rights and permissions for all material supplied to RFP, including text, photographs, illustrations, cover designs and promotional graphics.

RFP may correct minor typographical or formatting errors and make reasonable edits to improve consistency, readability or presentation. Substantive changes to an author’s work or the meaning of supplied content will be referred to the author where practicable.

5. Intellectual property and website design

Authors retain ownership of their books, manuscripts, original content, cover designs and other intellectual property, subject to any rights held by publishers, illustrators or other parties.

By supplying material to RFP, authors grant RFP permission to use that material for the purposes agreed with the author, including displaying it on the website and using it in relevant promotional activities. This permission does not transfer ownership to RFP.

RFP’s website design, branding, original graphics, page layouts, templates and other material created for the website remain the property of their respective owners. Participation in The Authors Collective does not give authors ownership of, or an unrestricted right to reproduce, these elements.

Authors may link to their pages and resources on the RFP website and may share relevant promotional material supplied or approved for that purpose. Any broader use or reproduction of RFP’s original design or creative material requires permission.

Neither party may use the other party’s name, logo or intellectual property in a way that suggests an endorsement, relationship or authority beyond what has been agreed.

6. Book listings and sales

RFP’s website serves an international audience. Authors’ profiles and book pages may link to external retailers, including Amazon, so that readers outside New Zealand can find and purchase their books.

The RFP online store is intended to facilitate book purchases by customers in New Zealand. A book’s inclusion in the store is subject to agreement between RFP and the author and to the practical arrangements required to sell and supply that book.

6.1 Responsibility for book sales

The intended arrangement for books sold through the RFP online store is that the author remains the seller and RFP facilitates the sale on the author’s behalf, where that arrangement is appropriate and reflected in the actual sales process.

Under this arrangement, the author remains responsible for the book as a product, including the accuracy of its description, its availability, the rights and permissions associated with it, and the supply of stock where applicable.

RFP is responsible for the administrative services it has agreed to provide. These may include displaying the book listing, receiving orders, processing payments and accounting for sales proceeds. RFP does not automatically undertake responsibility for publishing, printing, holding stock, packing, dispatching or fulfilling orders.

The author remains responsible for supplying and fulfilling orders unless RFP has expressly accepted those responsibilities. Any agreed division of responsibilities must be clear before the book is made available for purchase.

The author and RFP must ensure that the arrangement presented to customers, including the identity of the seller, checkout information, customer terms, payment process and order fulfilment, is consistent with the way the sale actually operates. Describing RFP as an agent does not, by itself, determine the legal status of a transaction.

If a different sales arrangement is used, the responsibilities of the author and RFP must be agreed in writing before sales commence.

6.2 Stock, delivery and customer enquiries

The author is responsible for ensuring that books listed as available can be supplied, unless another arrangement has been agreed.

Before a book is listed for sale, the author and RFP will establish who is responsible for stock, packing, dispatch, postage, delivery enquiries, returns and refunds. These responsibilities will be communicated clearly to the parties involved.

Where RFP receives customer enquiries or complaints relating to a sale, it will respond to matters within its agreed role and refer other matters to the responsible party where appropriate.

Nothing in these guidelines removes any rights customers have, or any legal obligations that apply to the author or RFP.

6.3 External retailers

Where a book listing links to Amazon or another external retailer, the purchase is generally made through that retailer and is subject to the retailer’s own purchasing and fulfilment arrangements.

RFP is not responsible for the external retailer’s stock, pricing, delivery, customer service or payment processing, except to the extent that RFP has expressly agreed to a particular responsibility.

Authors are responsible for advising RFP when external links or publication details need updating.

6.4 Availability and continued listing

RFP may update, suspend or remove a listing if a book becomes unavailable, information is inaccurate, an author requests removal, or other reasonable circumstances require it.

RFP does not guarantee a particular level of website traffic, sales, promotion or continued placement on the website.

7. Costs, payments and records

There is no standard fee for participating in The Authors Collective or having an agreed author profile or book listing on the RFP website.

However, costs may arise in connection with individual books or sales. These may include printing, postage, packaging, payment-processing fees, refunds, returns or other expenses.

Before a book is offered for sale through the RFP online store, the author and RFP must establish how relevant costs will be handled, who will bear them, and how and when the author will receive the proceeds of sales.

Where RFP receives money on an author’s behalf, RFP will keep appropriate records of the orders and payments it handles and account for the amounts received in accordance with the agreed arrangements. Any agreed deductions or adjustments must be transparent and consistent with those arrangements.

RFP’s intention is to facilitate the availability of authors’ work rather than retain a profit from book sales. The handling of sales proceeds must reflect the agreed sales arrangement and the actual transactions.

RFP will forward book sales income to the author’s designated bank account no later than 30 days from the date of sale.

Authors and RFP are each responsible for meeting their own applicable tax, accounting and other statutory obligations. Neither party should assume that the arrangements described in these guidelines determine the tax treatment of a transaction.

8. Voluntary koha and support for RFP

Authors are welcome to make a voluntary koha towards the work of Resources for Faith and Practice.

A koha is optional. It is not a condition of participation, listing, promotion or access to services.

A koha is separate from book-sale proceeds and must not be treated as a fee or deduction from an author’s sales unless a separate, explicit arrangement has been agreed.

Contributions will be handled in accordance with the arrangements communicated by RFP. Authors should not assume that a contribution is tax-deductible or that it receives any particular tax treatment.

9. Promotion and email communication

RFP may promote participating authors and their resources through the website, email campaigns, social media and other channels available to the ministry. Contact details may be obtained through purchases made via the RFP online store or supplied by an author for an agreed promotional purpose. These sources of contact information will be treated appropriately and used only in accordance with applicable privacy requirements, relevant permissions and the purposes for which the details were obtained.

RFP respects the privacy of authors’ mailing lists and the relationship authors have established with their readers. To that end:

• Author-directed promotion: RFP will not undertake a specific promotional campaign for an author’s books without the author’s request or agreement. This does not prevent RFP from making general announcements about the website or The Authors Collective, or from making editorial decisions about website content.
• Use of author mailing lists: RFP will not use an author’s mailing list to directly market another author’s books or resources unless the contributing author has expressly agreed to that use. Any such use must also comply with applicable privacy and electronic marketing requirements.
• Confidentiality of contacts: RFP will not disclose or provide an author’s mailing list or individual contact details to another author for their own use without appropriate author agreement and lawful authority.
• Website and service communications: RFP may use contact details to communicate relevant information about website changes, store operations, orders or services where the contact details may lawfully be used for that purpose. Such communications will respect applicable privacy requirements and contact preferences. Promotional messages will be handled in accordance with the relevant consent and electronic marketing requirements.

RFP’s promotional activities are undertaken at its discretion, taking account of relevance, available time, audience interest and the overall purpose of the website. Participation does not guarantee that a particular book, author or campaign will be promoted, or that any particular sales result will follow.

RFP may invite an author to contribute information or promotional material for a campaign. Authors are responsible for ensuring that the information and materials they provide are accurate and that they have the necessary rights and permissions. Where an author supplies a mailing list, the author is responsible for ensuring that the list was obtained lawfully and may be used and disclosed for the agreed purpose. RFP may decline to use a list if its source, permissions or compliance cannot be established.

Author-provided mailing lists

An author may propose that RFP use an author-provided mailing list to communicate with readers about relevant books or resources. Any such use must be agreed in advance.

The author is responsible for ensuring that the email addresses were obtained lawfully and that the necessary consent or other lawful basis exists for the proposed use and disclosure of the list. The author must also ensure compliance with applicable privacy and anti-spam requirements.

RFP may decline to use a list if its source, permissions or compliance cannot be established to RFP’s satisfaction. Purchased, harvested or otherwise inappropriately obtained email lists will not be accepted.

Where RFP agrees to send a campaign, RFP retains responsibility for the campaign’s timing, frequency, presentation and final content, including the inclusion of appropriate unsubscribe arrangements. RFP does not guarantee that a campaign will be sent.

An author must not assume that supplying a mailing list gives RFP permission to use it for unrelated purposes or to retain it indefinitely.

10. Website administration and changes

RFP manages the website and determines its overall structure, design, content organisation and technical operation.

RFP may make changes to the website, its design, categories, navigation, promotional features or online store as the ministry develops. It may also change or discontinue a service or feature where necessary.

Authors may suggest improvements or request changes to their own listings. RFP will consider reasonable requests but cannot guarantee that every request will be implemented or that changes will be made within a particular timeframe.

RFP will take reasonable care when updating author content but cannot guarantee uninterrupted website availability, permanent archiving or the preservation of every listing or page.

Authors should retain their own copies of manuscripts, images, biographies and other supplied materials.

11. Conduct and responsibilities

Authors are expected to communicate respectfully and constructively with RFP, other participating authors and readers.

Authors must not knowingly provide false or misleading information, infringe another person’s rights, misuse customer information, or use their participation in The Authors Collective to imply an endorsement that has not been given.

RFP will aim to communicate clearly, treat authors fairly and handle agreed responsibilities with reasonable care. Authors are encouraged to raise concerns directly with RFP so that issues can be addressed promptly.

Where a concern cannot be resolved through ordinary communication, both parties should make a reasonable effort to reach a practical and fair resolution.

12. Ending participation

Participation in The Authors Collective is voluntary. An author may request to leave the collective or have their profile or listings removed by contacting RFP.

RFP may also end an author’s participation or remove material where the content is no longer suitable, these guidelines have been materially breached, information or permissions are inadequate, or other reasonable circumstances make continued participation inappropriate.

Where practicable, RFP will explain the reason for a significant decision and allow the author an opportunity to respond. Immediate removal may be necessary where there are legal, privacy, safety or other urgent concerns.

When participation ends, RFP will remove or update the relevant material within a reasonable timeframe, taking account of technical and practical constraints.

Ending participation does not remove obligations relating to outstanding orders, payments, refunds, customer information or other matters arising before participation ended. The parties will cooperate to resolve any such matters in accordance with their agreed responsibilities and applicable law.

13. Changes to these guidelines

RFP may update these guidelines as the collective, website or relevant legal requirements develop.

Where a change materially affects participating authors, RFP will make reasonable efforts to communicate the change to them.

Authors who continue participating after an update are expected to follow the current guidelines, subject to any applicable legal requirements and any specific written arrangement that remains in force.

Where a specific written arrangement between an author and RFP deals with a particular matter differently from these general guidelines, that arrangement will apply to that matter to the extent that it is valid and consistent with applicable law.

14. Joining The Authors Collective

Authors interested in joining The Authors Collective should contact Resources for Faith and Practice to discuss their work and the resources they would like to make available.

Before an author profile or book listing is published, the author must provide the information and permissions reasonably required by RFP and confirm that the proposed content is suitable for the website.

Before a book is offered for sale through the RFP online store, the author and RFP must also establish the practical arrangements for that book. These include the seller’s identity and responsibilities, pricing, stock availability, order fulfilment, postage, returns and refunds, payment processing, sales reporting and payment of proceeds.

These details may be recorded in a separate written arrangement for the particular author or book. The arrangement must reflect how the transaction will actually operate and must be consistent with the information provided to customers.

By participating in The Authors Collective, authors agree to work within these guidelines and to communicate openly with RFP about matters that affect their listings, promotional activities or sales.

We look forward to working with authors who share our desire to make thoughtful, worthwhile resources accessible to readers.

Resources for Faith and Practice (RFP)

Thoughtful resources for a deeper faith.

These guidelines describe the intended working relationship between RFP and participating authors. They do not replace any separate written sales arrangement or the legal obligations that apply to either party. Authors and RFP should obtain appropriate professional advice where the legal, tax or accounting treatment of a particular arrangement is uncertain.