Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1995 15:06:45 +0100
From: Peter Churcher <peter.churcher@GBPUB.COM>
Subject: Gordon&Breach Policies

On behalf of International Publishers Distributor (IPD), the distributor of
Gordon and Breach (G&B) titles, I would like to address points raised in
recent messages on Serialst concerning the policies of G&B.

G&B publishes its journals based on the flow of papers accepted for
publication not, as Ms Lively postulated, on the number of orders received.
 This practice enables G&B to publish research more quickly than most other
publishers with whom authors sometimes must wait until the next available
issue is scheduled to print.  Although this means issues of G&B journals are
not published on a strict monthly or quarterly basis,  annual renewal
invoicing  in Autumn reflects G&B's projection of  the number of pages that
will be published in the next calendar year.  In most cases the projections
are accurate but sometimes an unexpected surge of papers may necessitate
publishing a double issue, or issues in quick succession, so that
publication of material is not delayed.  Also, there can be an unexpected
decline in papers accepted for publication leading to publication of fewer
issues than were invoiced in the prior Autumn.  However,  we will not issue
Autumn renewal invoices for those journals that still may be publishing the
current year's issues well into the next year.

In 1996 G&B will begin publishing  monthly Communications journals both in
print and on-line, as  supplements to many of its established journals.
 These will contain pre-reviewed synoptics and abstracts of papers currently
under review, including publication of original letters.   The primary
purpose of the Communications journals will be to communicate the authors'
research more quickly and to provide readers with monthly previews of
upcoming volumes.  Also, subscribers will be better able to anticipate the
flow  of papers for that particular journal.    Subscribers will begin
receiving their first Communications journal issues in Spring of '96.

Regarding G&B's cancellation policy:  We believe it is a fair and standard
practice that a subscription can not be cancelled after the issues have
begun publishing.  The purpose of this is more to ensure the operational
efficiency of subscription fulfilment than anything else.

As for the question raised about G&B's willingness to take on any "financial
risk", I can only point out that the financial risk is already taken when
the publisher signs a contract  to begin a new journal, especially in G&B's
case where each  journal is designed to meet the specific needs of a finite,
but important, group of specialists.  This risk can only be assessed by G&B
after several years of financially supporting an international editorial
board, accommodating the unique production and distribution requirements of
a dispersed group of authors and readers and marketing a new publication
whose acceptance by  specialist readers is uncertain .    Actually,
subscribing to a G&B journal involves less financial risk than does
subscribing to a journal of more general coverage as more material in a G&B
journal is relevant to the readers' specialized area of interest.

Thank you.

Peter Churcher
International Publishers Distributor