Open access is now the standard for journal publishing, but what about books? Open access for books and book chapters is gaining momentum, especially as major funders like Wellcome Trust and UKRI begin to require it. This page is your guide to understanding how open access works for books, what models are available, and how you can get started.
Want to know which funders require open access for books? Use the Jisc open access policy finder for funder open access requirements.
What Are the Models for Open Access Books?
Open access books can be published in a few different ways. Many universities and commercial presses now offer open access options. There are also new open access publishers emerging that only publish open access content. Book publishing is expensive and requires significant upfront investment. Many titles don’t earn back their costs through sales. There is also less research funding in book-based disciplines. These issues mean that open access for books is evolving more slowly than for journals. It is also why funders are offering more flexible support for open access books.
There are two main models for open access books:
Green Open Access
You upload your accepted manuscript via Elements for deposit in Apollo.
Things to know:
- embargo periods are common; your book might not be openly available right away
- some publishers allow you to negotiate shorter embargoes or include open access terms in your contract. Some publishers may charge for shorter embargo periods. We recommend avoiding these fees
- you may be able to use rights retention, which lets you keep the right to share your manuscript openly
You can learn more about rights retention in this Unlocking Research blog post by Rupert Gatti.
Gold Open Access
The final published version of your book is made freely available by the publisher.
How it's funded:
- through book processing charges (BPCs). Book processing charges are designed for those in receipt of grant funding and many funders allow you to charge these fees to your grant or include them in the original budget proposal.
- via library memberships, print sales, or collective funding models.Examples include:
- Open Book Collective: Supports open access publishing through a collective funding model without charging authors.
- CEU Press: Purchase of the backlist to support open access publishing of the frontlist, without charging authors.
- Cambridge University Press – Flip it Open: Books become open access if enough copies are sold in the first two years.
- MIT Press & University of Michigan Press: New books are made open when enough libraries subscribe to older titles.
Note: Some publishers charge high BPCs, up to and sometimes more than £12,000. These are usually intended for grant-funded projects where the fees could be charged to your grant or included in the original budget proposal. Currently, the library does not offer funding for these charges and aims to support models that don’t exclude authors based on cost.
Where Can I Find an Open Access Book Publisher?
The best place to start is the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB). It lists thousands of academic, peer-reviewed, open access books. Use filters for subject and language to find publishers who work with authors in your area.
You can also explore:
- OAPEN: Lists publishers that meet the open access requirements of European research funders like ERC, Wellcome, and Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
- OASPA: A membership organisation for trusted open access publishers.
Need Help Navigating Your Options?
Whether you're planning your first open access book or looking to meet funder requirements, we're here to help. If you have questions or need advice on licensing, please contact the Open Access team.