Terms and Conditions

Last updated: 23rd January 2026

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern your use of the Embla Books Online Submissions Portal (the “Portal”). The Portal is operated by Embla Books, an imprint of Bonnier Books UK Limited (“we”, “us”, “our”).

By submitting any material through the Portal, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not use the Portal.

1. Purpose of the Portal

The Portal enables writers to submit literary works, proposals, or excerpts (“Submissions”) for our consideration for potential publication.

Submission of material:

  • Is solely for review and evaluation purposes
  • Does not constitute an offer, acceptance, or commitment to publish
  • Does not create any contractual, fiduciary, or confidential relationship unless and until a separate written publishing agreement is executed by both parties

We may reject Submissions for publication in our sole discretion.

If we wish to take your Submission forward for publication, we will contact you and any publication of your work will be subject to a separate agreement.

2. Ownership of Submissions and Licence

You retain all right, title, and interest, including copyright, in your Submission.

By submitting material via the Portal, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to:

  • Store, copy, and transmit your Submission
  • Review and evaluate your Submission internally
  • Use your Submission for administrative and record-keeping purposes

This licence is strictly limited to evaluation and related internal processes. No ownership rights are transferred, and your Submission will not be published, sublicensed, or otherwise exploited without a separate written agreement.

3. Originality and Author Warranties

By submitting material, you confirm that:

  • The Submission is your original work and you are the sole author, or you have the authority of all co-authors to submit it
  • The Submission does not infringe any intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of any third party
  • The Submission is not defamatory, obscene, or otherwise unlawful
  • You are at least 18 years old

You acknowledge that we rely on these confirmations when reviewing Submissions.

4. Confidentiality and Similar Works

We respect the originality of the work submitted by authors and treat all Submissions with professional care and integrity.

While we do not publicly disclose Submissions and handle them within our editorial processes, we cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality.

You also acknowledge that Embla Books, Bonnier Books UK Limited, other Bonnier imprints, and parties engaged by us in the evaluation process may be independently reviewing or developing works that are similar in genre, theme, subject matter, or general concept to your Submission.

Such similarity may arise coincidentally and does not indicate copying, misuse, or infringement of your Submission. By submitting your work, you agree that no claim will arise against Embla Books or Bonnier Books UK Limited solely on the basis of the existence of similar works, provided that your Submission is not copied or otherwise used without your permission.

5. Our use of AI Tools

5.1 AI-assisted processing

We may use artificial intelligence (“AI”) tools to assist with administrative organisation and categorisation of Submissions. AI tools are used to support workflow efficiency and do not make final editorial or publishing decisions.

We partner with Storywise, an AI-assisted discovery and workflow management platform designed to help publishers manage new submissions.

As part of the submission review process:

  • Your Submission may be processed using Storywise’s tools on our behalf
  • Storywise acts solely to support organisation and does not acquire ownership of your work
  • Your Submission will not be used to train AI models

If we reject your submission, you may be offered the option to opt in to the Storywise discovery network. Participation in the Storywise network is entirely voluntary and subject to Storywise’s own terms and privacy policies which can be found on their website here.

6. Disclosure of AI-Generated Content

You must clearly disclose if your Submission contains material generated or substantially assisted by AI tools.
We reserve the right to reject or remove any Submission that:

  • Contains undisclosed AI-generated material, or
  • Raises concerns regarding originality, authorship, or copyright

7. Submission Requirements

Submissions must comply with the format, file type, word count, and other requirements specified on the Portal.

We may decline to review Submissions that do not meet these requirements.

8. No Obligation to Review, Respond, or Publish

Submission of material does not guarantee that:

  • Your Submission will be reviewed
  • You will receive feedback or reasons for rejection
  • We will enter into correspondence with you

All decisions regarding review and publication are made at our sole discretion.

9. Withdrawal, Retention, and Deletion

You may request withdrawal of your Submission by contacting us using the details on Embla’s website here.

Submissions will be retained according to our data retention schedule as set out in the Bonnier Books UK Privacy Notice. Limited metadata (such as author name, title, and submission date) may be retained for record-keeping.

Retention and deletion are subject to applicable legal and regulatory obligations.

10. Data Protection and Privacy

When you submit material through the Portal, we collect and process personal information such as your name, contact details, and other information relating to your Submission.

We process this information primarily on the basis of our legitimate interests in managing, evaluating, and administering submissions, and in communicating with you about your Submission. Where you choose to opt into additional services, such as participation in the Storywise discovery network, we may also rely on your consent for that specific purpose.

Your personal data will be processed by trusted third-party service providers, including Storywise. Such providers act on our instructions and do not acquire ownership of your personal data or your work.

Personal data will be retained only for as long as necessary for submission-related purposes and in accordance with our retention policies. Reasonable technical and organisational measures are in place to protect personal data. Access to Submissions and associated personal data is restricted to those involved in the submissions review process or who require access for administrative or legal reasons.

Further details about how we process personal data, including information about international transfers and your rights under data protection law, are set out in the Bonnier Books UK Privacy Notice, which applies to use of the Portal.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we shall not be liable for:

  • Any loss of opportunity, income, or reputation arising from use of the Portal
  • Any decision not to review or publish a Submission
  • Any technical failure, delay, or interruption affecting the Portal

Nothing in these Terms limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence or for fraud.

12. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. Updated versions will be posted on the Portal and will apply to Submissions made after the date of posting.

13. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and any dispute arising from them shall be governed by the laws of England. The courts of England shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

14. General

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

Our failure to enforce any provision does not constitute a waiver of that provision.

Contact

If you have any questions about the Portal or these Terms, please contact us via the details provided on the Embla website here.