1. www.openbookpublishers.com Lucy Barnes

2. Today I will discuss… What is Open Access publishing?
OBP: who we are and what we do
Turning your thesis into a monograph

3. What is Open Access publishing?
Freely available
On the public internet
For unrestricted use and reuse
No paywalls!

7. Open Access makes research available
Have you ever tried to download an journal article only to hit a paywall?
Have you ever needed a book that the library doesn’t have?
Have you ever had to scrape together the money to pay £80-£120 for a monograph?
Open Access is intended to solve these problems

8. Open Access = more readers
Average monograph: copies in its lifetime
Priced at £80 - £120: university libraries
Each of our books is viewed, on average, 400 times in a single month
Our books never go out of print

10. How is it funded? BPCs = Book Processing Charge
APCs = Article Processing Charge
No charges at OBP
If a publisher charges fees: ask why!

11. Peer review OA or not: find out about peer review
This information should be available on the publisher’s website
All our books go through a rigorous peer-review system: internal and external

12. Publication process at OBP
Quick turnaround time:
3 months for peer review; 3 months from final submission of MS to publication
We work closely with our authors – they value this
Scholar-led: rigorous peer-review and editing process

13. What does an Open Access book look like?
We do a complete set of editions
Our OA editions (PDF, HTML, XML) = same master file as paperback, hardback and ebook editions
Just a PDF? Or even just a Word file?
Embargo?

14. Images and multimedia
Digital publication allows you to think differently about how you present your work
Video material: e.g. World Oral Literature series
Audio material: e.g. Rameau’s Nephew by Diderot
Other possibilities: social editing; interactive textbooks

15. Readership statistics!

17. Copyright – learn about it!
Many authors don’t know enough about copyright
Non-OA publishers often ask you to sign it over to them
OA publishers should not (OBP don’t!) Republish, reuse – one of the benefits of OA
Read the contract!

18. Turning the thesis into a monograph
You will need to revise it!
Cut / shrink lit review, methodology section – fold that into your intro and chapters. Go straight to the argument.
Remember –in a book monograph you are the authority. Develop your own scholarly voice.
Don’t worry about the title too much…

19. Basics of the book proposal
Use the form!
What is your book about – clear, non-specialist language
Other books in the field – how is yours different?
Don’t overclaim

20. Basics of the book proposal… continued!
Images and multimedia: flag
Know about who WE are
Be efficient and professional in your communication
Make people want to read the book!

21. Top tips
Send your dissertation examiners’ report in with the MS (if positive!)
Have a compelling one-line summary of your book for your cover – the famous “elevator pitch”…

22. Any questions…?