Author FAQs

Our pricing is designed to be simple, transparent, and aligned with your success. We operate primarily on a hybrid model: you invest in professional publishing services, and we share in royalties when your book sells.

For a full breakdown of current packages, editorial options, and royalty structures, please see: Publishing Rates – Doctors Explain & MedClarity .

In general, your publishing investment covers services such as:

• Professional editing and proofreading
• Cover design and interior layout
• File preparation for digital and/or print formats
• Basic launch and distribution support

Royalties are shared according to the package you select, so that we only earn when your book is earning as well. You always retain your intellectual property.

Yes. The MedClarity Journal offers both ebook and print publishing services tailored to medical, public health, and healthcare-related manuscripts.

If you have a complete manuscript (or a nearly complete draft), our editorial and production team can:

• Edit and refine your text for clarity, accuracy, and narrative impact
• Design a professional cover that fits your topic and audience
• Format your book for ebook platforms and/or print-on-demand
• Prepare final files suitable for distribution through our channels

As a MedClarity author, you remain the publisher of your own work. You retain your rights and choose where and how your book appears, in line with our content guidelines and publishing agreement.

Yes. Because we publish medical, health, and social-impact content, we follow rigorous ethical and quality standards. We do not accept plagiarized, misleading, exploitative, or purely AI-generated manuscripts, and we are especially careful with clinical claims, patient stories, and vulnerable populations.

You can read our full, extended policies here: MedClarity Journal Content Guidelines .

These guidelines explain what types of manuscripts we cannot accept (for example, explicit pornography, hate speech, mass-produced low-content books, or unverified health claims) as well as the kind of rigorous, thoughtful work we actively encourage.

For manuscript uploads, we accept common word-processing formats, including:

• .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word)
• .odt (OpenDocument Text)
• .rtf (Rich Text Format)
• .txt (plain text, for simple manuscripts)

If you already have an EPUB file that has been professionally formatted, we can review it for ebook distribution. However, we may still recommend edits or adjustments to ensure it meets our quality and technical standards.

We recognize that many authors now use AI tools for brainstorming, outlining, or language polishing. We support AI-assisted writing as long as:

• The author remains the true creator and intellectual owner of the work
• All medical and scientific claims are personally verified by the author
• AI use does not introduce plagiarism, hallucinated references, or unsafe advice

We do not accept manuscripts that are fully generated by AI or large language models without substantial human authorship and revision.

For nonfiction, especially in medicine, public health, and psychology, we may request documentation of your subject-matter expertise. Non-credentialled AI-generated health content will be declined.

For security, quality, and logistical reasons, we are unable to work with the following:

• Physical storage media (thumb drives, CDs, DVDs, external drives)
• Physical printed copies sent for scanning or transcription
• Handwritten manuscripts submitted for typing or resale

All submissions must be uploaded through our digital system using supported file types (Word, ODT, RTF, TXT, or EPUB where applicable). If you need help converting a handwritten or scanned manuscript into a digital file, we recommend working with a professional transcription or formatting service before submitting to us.

Any physical materials mailed to us cannot be processed and will not be returned.

Our goal is to make high-quality medical and health content accessible to as many readers as possible, especially across Africa and the Global South.

Depending on your package and the nature of your book, distribution may include:

• Major online ebook and print-on-demand retailers
• Selected library and institutional channels
• Doctors Explain and MedClarity-branded digital platforms
• Direct sales through events, conferences, and partner organizations

Specific channels and territories will be outlined in your publishing agreement. We prioritize distribution routes that match your readership—clinicians, students, patients, policymakers, or the general public.

After your final files are approved and ready for release, we coordinate with our distribution partners to list your book.

Typical timeframes are:

• Ebooks: often within a few days at most major online stores
• Print-on-demand: usually 1–3 weeks for full availability
• Libraries and institutions: may take longer depending on cataloguing and internal review processes

Exact timelines vary by platform and territory, but we monitor listing progress and can provide guidance during your launch.

Royalty payments depend on the reporting and payment schedules of our various retail and distribution partners. In general:

• Sales are reported to us on a monthly or quarterly basis
• Partners typically pay out 30–90 days after the end of the period when a sale occurred
• Once funds are received and reconciled, MedClarity processes your royalties in the next payment cycle

Payment methods and thresholds (for example, minimum payout amounts) will be specified in your publishing agreement and author dashboard.

As an author, you remain responsible for tracking your own income for tax purposes in your country of residence. We recommend discussing your book income with a qualified tax professional.

Tax obligations vary widely depending on your country of residence, your citizenship, and applicable tax treaties. MedClarity will provide records of royalties paid, but we do not provide individual tax advice.

In general:

• You are responsible for declaring and paying any taxes owed on your royalties
• We may be legally required to collect certain forms or documentation before paying you
• Some payments may be subject to withholding tax depending on jurisdiction

We strongly recommend that you consult a local tax advisor or accountant to ensure compliance with relevant laws.

If you already have professional cover art, you can submit it according to our specifications. If not, our design team can create a custom cover as part of your publishing package.

For ebooks, we typically require:

• A tall, portrait-oriented image (for example, 1600×2400 pixels or higher)
• Common image formats such as JPEG or PNG
• Clear inclusion of your book title and author name

For print, we will either generate a wraparound cover based on your front cover art or work from a designer-supplied print-ready file that includes spine and back cover. We will provide a template specific to your trim size and page count.

We can help you secure ISBNs for your MedClarity-published editions. In many cases, we provide an ISBN as part of your publishing package so that your book can be properly catalogued and discovered.

Depending on the issuing agency and arrangement:

• The MedClarity Journal or Doctors Explain may appear as the vendor or imprint of record
• The ISBN may be intended specifically for use with your MedClarity edition

If you wish to publish separate editions elsewhere (for example, a different version through another platform), we generally recommend purchasing your own independent ISBNs for those editions. We can advise you on the best approach during the setup phase.

In line with our author-first philosophy, you remain the owner of your intellectual property. Under most of our packages, you may download the final files we prepare for you (such as EPUB or print-ready PDFs) for your own archival or promotional use.

Any restrictions on using those exact files with third-party distributors will be clearly spelled out in your contract. Where possible, we aim to give authors the flexibility to repurpose their content, while still respecting the work and costs involved in our production services.

Many authors come to us after self-publishing or working with another distributor, seeking stronger editorial support, new editions, or better alignment with African health and medical audiences.

You may still be able to work with MedClarity as long as:

• You hold the necessary rights to create a new edition or redistribute your work
• Your existing agreements are non-exclusive or have expired
• Any previous versions are managed in a way that avoids confusion for readers

We will review your situation on a case-by-case basis and help you determine the best path forward.

No. The MedClarity Journal does not publish erotica or pornographic material. As outlined in our content guidelines, we do not accept:

• Explicit sexual content created primarily for arousal
• Content involving minors or non-consensual acts
• Material that glamorizes exploitation, abuse, or sexual violence

Mature topics related to sexual and reproductive health, gender-based violence, or intimate relationships may be considered when treated with clinical, ethical, and narrative care, and when clearly aligned with our mission to educate, inform, and advocate for health and justice.

We publish a range of formats—from concise guides and essays to full-length books. There is no fixed maximum word count for digital editions, but extremely large files may need special handling.

For print, technical constraints such as trim size and paper type place practical limits on page count. We will advise you during production if your manuscript is unusually short or long for your chosen format.

In general, we are more concerned with clarity, depth, and purpose than with hitting a specific word count. A focused 80-page guide can be more powerful than a rambling 400-page manuscript.