Consider Publishing Options

Open access books are assigned a Creative Commons (CC) licence which is a public copyright licence that enables the free distribution of otherwise copyrighted work. In other words, it describes how others can share, reuse and build upon your research.

Your employer may have specific services available to help you when publishing a book open access. You will also be required to adhere to their policies.

There are advantages and disadvantages to self-publishing an academic book. Advantages include speed and autonomy. Disadvantages include the labour involved and the lack of peer review, quality assurance, dissemination and marketing support provided by a reputable press. This article explores these issues and the tools and platforms that can enable you to self-publish.

When considering which model to choose, what are the fundamental differences between an open access book and a non-open access book?

Publishing open access means your book or chapter can be read, reviewed, shared, and cited without depending on readers buying it or libraries stocking it. Open access therefore greatly increases the opportunities for your work to be read widely and to have an impact on the world.

Usage metrics can help you to demonstrate the reach and impact of your open access book. You should speak with publishers about the kinds of usage metrics that will be available once your book has been published.

This article discusses the particular benefits of open access book publishing with respect to distribution, online portfolios, and impact and ethics for early career researchers, while addressing important challenges of publishing open access.

The Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) is the largest resource to find open access book publishers, with around 400 publishers listed. Other ways to find open access book publishers include the OAPEN list of compliant publishers, the list of OASPA members, and various platforms that host open access books. Self-publishing may also be an option for you.