Once the UBC Press Publications Board has approved a manuscript for publication and Press management has determined that it is financially feasible, a contract is issued and a deadline set for submission of the final and complete manuscript and accompanying materials.

The contract sets out the responsibilities of the Press and of the author. The author grants the Press an exclusive licence to publish the work. Copyright is usually registered in the Press’s name because it will be administering rights. Ownership of copyright, however, remains with the author. The contract establishes the royalties, division of rights income, and the gratis copies of the book that the author receives. It also describes the deadlines that the author must meet and stipulates requirements for financial subsidy. For edited works, the primary editor(s) will be offered a contract and asked to arrange for all contributors to sign sub-agreements.