Lantern Publications & Lantern Kids
Our publishing standards
We want to publish books that serve our community and represent our faith well. That takes careful work, and it also means being honest about what we can do better.
Here is how we approach the work, from checking a source to preparing the finished book. We have also set out our rules on AI and how you can help us identify and correct errors.
Why this matters to us
At Lantern, we want to make the knowledge and teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (as) available to more people, in books they can read, learn from and return to. We care about what we publish, and we want you to have confidence in the work that carries our name.
That means taking the time to understand a manuscript, checking its sources and working carefully with its author or translator. We want the English to read well, but it must still say what the author meant. Both matter.
For us, this work comes with a responsibility before Allah. We are trying to do the very best we can and to fulfil our hujjah. We want to represent our faith well, be honest about our limitations and be willing to put things right when we get them wrong.
What this means for our books
This applies to Lantern Publications and Lantern Kids. A children’s story needs a different kind of attention from a classical translation or a scholarly study. We agree what each book needs before the work begins, including who will edit it and where specialist help is needed.
The sections here explain what we are working towards and what we ask of the people who work with us. We are still learning and improving. Some earlier titles may need another look as we develop these standards, and we welcome your help with that.
Checking our sources
We want readers to be able to see where a claim comes from. Wherever possible, that means going back to the original source and giving a reference that can actually be followed. If we are relying on a later commentary or someone’s interpretation, that should be clear.
A reference shows where something is written. It does not automatically establish that it is authentic or that all scholars agree with it. Where there is uncertainty or a difference of opinion, we need to say so.
Taking care with religious and historical claims
Our work is rooted in mainstream Shia scholarship and recognised sources within that tradition. When a book discusses other Muslim traditions or perspectives, we want to represent them fairly and read their sources in context.
Qur’anic passages need checking against the Arabic, with the verse reference and translation identified. Narrations need a source that readers can trace. Finding a hadith in a collection is not the same as establishing its authenticity, and we must be careful about that distinction. The same care applies to religious rulings and theological claims.
When a question needs specialist knowledge, it goes to someone with that knowledge. Names, dates and historical claims also need checking. If only part of a work has had specialist review, we should say that rather than leave readers with the impression that every line has been checked.
Bringing the meaning across
Our translations are interpretive and, where needed, interpolative. By that we mean bringing out meaning that the original reader could understand from the context, but which an English reader may need a little help to see. We begin with an identified source text and edition, and work carefully to bring its meaning into readable English.
Language carries cultural references, shared assumptions and ways of speaking that do not always travel with the words. A literal, word-for-word translation can leave a reader with the sentence but without the point the author was making. We want our readers to understand what is being communicated, especially when they are unfamiliar with the language or culture of the original.
Small words can make a big difference. “May” is not “must”, and “some scholars” is not “all scholars”. We do not want a translation to give an author a certainty they did not express, or to smooth away a distinction just because it is difficult to explain.
Explaining without changing the author’s meaning
Sometimes that means making an implied connection explicit or supplying a short explanation in the English. Those choices need to be grounded in the source and its context. They are not permission to add a new argument, remove a qualification or put our own opinion into the author’s mouth.
We explain the translation approach for the edition and make clear where we have supplied further explanation, whether in the text, a translator’s note or the introduction. Readers should be able to distinguish the author’s meaning from a translator’s commentary. If a work has been shortened or adapted, or a difficult reading has had to be reconstructed, we need to say so.
Translators are expected to check their work against the source. A qualified second reader checks passages where a mistake would have serious consequences, along with a recorded sample of the rest. Some projects need a full bilingual review. We should be clear about which kind of review a book has had.
Arabic, transliteration and technical terms need careful attention too. An automated transcription or an AI translation cannot stand in for checking the source.
How we work through a book
A book passes through several hands. We need everyone to know what they are responsible for, whether they are translating a chapter, checking a reference or reading the final proof. Sometimes one person takes on more than one role, but the responsibility should still be clear.
- Start with the book. Agree who it is for, which sources it uses, what work it needs and who will do that work.
- Read and edit carefully. Work through the writing and references, and bring in the right person when a question needs specialist knowledge.
- Work through the questions. Keep a record of decisions and get the author’s or translator’s approval for wording changes.
- Read it again in its final layout. Check the proofs and corrections, then complete the approvals needed to release the book.
We keep a record of changes and questions so the author or translator can see what has been suggested and approve changes to the wording. A small edit can change a religious or legal meaning. If a question has not been answered, we cannot simply treat the silence as approval.
We also ask reviewers to be honest about what they have checked and what they have not. A manuscript can look polished and still contain a wrong reference or a mistranslation. Important unresolved questions need to be dealt with before the book is released.
Getting the book ready for readers
We want our books to be comfortable to read and easy to use. That includes the type size, the way notes are set out, clear images and the proper display of Arabic and other scripts. The design should help you read the book.
Once a book has been typeset, it needs another careful read. Text can go missing, references can break and corrections can affect the pages around them. We need to check that a requested correction has actually been made and has not created another problem.
Print and digital checks
Before printing, we check the book’s dimensions, margins, fonts, images and cover, as well as the ISBN and contributor names. Where a physical proof is available, we inspect it. If we proceed without one, that decision and its limitations need to be recorded.
Digital books need their own checks. Readers need to be able to find their way around, follow notes and use the text at a comfortable size. A PDF that looks good on a printed page is not necessarily an accessible digital book.
Images and maps need proper sources, permissions and credits. Their captions need to be accurate too. We explain our use of AI images and cover design in the AI Use section.
AI use in our books
We do use AI to generate images and to help with cover design. We have much stricter rules for the writing, translation and scholarly work in our books. Here is where we draw those lines.
The writing in our books
Our books are written by people. We do not use generative AI to produce the manuscript, develop its arguments or write passages for publication in place of an author’s work.
Our editors work with the author or translator to make the writing clearer while keeping its meaning and voice. Changes to the wording need the relevant approval. We do not use AI-generated rewriting to get around that process.
Translation and checking sources
Our approach to translation depends on understanding context and cultural meaning, including what may need to be made explicit for an English reader. That takes human judgement and careful checking. An AI-generated sentence can sound convincing and still get the meaning wrong.
AI-generated translations, transcriptions, quotations, references and summaries are not verified sources. Qur’anic passages, hadith and religious claims still need checking against the appropriate texts by people with the knowledge to do so.
AI cannot give a book scholarly clearance. We remain responsible for what we publish and the evidence we ask readers to rely on.
Keeping manuscripts private
We do not allow confidential manuscripts, source translations, substantial extracts, comments or proofs to be uploaded or pasted into generative AI services. This includes AI translation and summarising tools, and other AI tools that process manuscripts.
A paid account, a “private” setting or an option to turn off training does not, on its own, make this acceptable. Manuscripts must stay within the agreed working arrangements. The limited proofreading exception below has its own conditions.
Proofreading and other tools
We allow a limited exception for ordinary proofreading with Grammarly. Model training must be switched off, the settings must be checked, and its use must meet the project’s confidentiality requirements. Generative rewriting, content generation and manuscript summarisation must all remain disabled.
If we cannot confirm those settings and conditions, the editor must use local proofreading tools or edit manually. Suggestions still need to be read and judged by a person, and wording changes still need the relevant approval.
We can also use approved non-generative tools for jobs such as formatting, file conversion, searching and reference management. They must not change the source text or make scholarly decisions without checking.
AI images and cover design
We do use AI to generate images and help with cover design. That can include developing an idea or creating imagery that becomes part of the finished artwork. We want to be open about that.
Our team is responsible for choosing and approving the artwork. We need to check that it suits the book, its readers and its religious and cultural context. An AI image cannot be treated as a record of a historical event, an authentic portrait or evidence for a religious claim.
We still need to consider permissions and the terms attached to the tools and material we use. Human illustrators and designers deserve proper credit, and we should not mislead readers about how an image was made.
The responsibility stays with us
Whatever tools we use, the responsibility stays with us and the people working on the book. We still have to check sources, approve the work and deal with mistakes.
This policy applies to books we publish ourselves. Books from other publishers sold through From Our Shelf have their own publishing arrangements.
If you want to ask about AI use in a particular book, please email info@lanternpublications.com with the title and edition. We will keep reviewing these rules as the tools and our work develop.
Our limitations and putting things right
We are trying to do this work properly, but we are human and we will miss things. Sometimes a source is difficult to find, a passage has more than one possible reading, or a mistake gets through several rounds of checking. The amount of review we can do also depends on the people and expertise available for a particular book. We need to be honest about that.
These are the standards we are working to uphold. They are not a promise that every book is free of errors, or that every earlier title has already been through every check described here. Where something is uncertain or still needs work, we should say so.
Respecting the people we work with
The people who write, translate, research, illustrate and edit our books deserve proper acknowledgement. If we use someone else’s work, we need to credit it and check the permission to use it. We also need to respect the agreements we have made with our contributors.
Manuscripts, proofs, agreements and private editorial discussions should stay with the people assigned to the project. Reviewers should also tell us about any connection or interest that might affect their judgement.
Please help us improve
We may come back to a book we have already published, look again at a translation or source, and fix something we missed. We want to keep improving the books we put out, including those already on your shelf.
Please help us with this. If you notice a mistake, an unclear passage or a reference that does not seem right, let us know. Send us the passage and, if you can, the source or reason behind your concern. We may not always reach the same conclusion, but we want to consider what you have raised fairly and ask for specialist advice where it is needed.
When a correction is confirmed, it should be included in the relevant reprint, digital update or revised edition. If we make a substantial change, we should explain it rather than present the book as though nothing has changed.
You can write to us at info@lanternpublications.com. Please include the title, edition and page or passage. You are also welcome to ask about how a book was prepared, including whether AI was used.