Our vision

At Open Book Publishers we are changing the nature of the traditional academic book. Our books are published in hardback, paperback, pdf and ebook editions, but they also include a free online edition that can be read via Google Books. We are proud to say that our online editions are currently being accessed by hundreds of readers each month in over 120 countries. In addition, our digital publishing model allows us to extend our books well beyond the printed page. On our website, we produce online supplementary material, including extra chapters, reviews, links, image galleries and other digital resources — these can be found on the individual product page for each book. 

Open Access: the future of academic publishing
We are in the midst of what journalists are calling an "academic spring". Researchers are realising that the high cost of academic books and journals means that only a select readership can access their work. Open Access helps spread educational materials to everyone, globally, not just to those who can afford it. It is increasingly becoming a requirement for publicly-funded research to be made available in Open Access format and we are able to achieve this quickly and effectively. Open Book Publishers, a signatory of the Budapest Open Access Initiative, shows that an Open Access model of publishing can be sustainable.


Setting the research agenda
A great deal of valuable research is getting overlooked by publishers because it is in a field that is not considered to be commercially viable. Most academic jobs and promotions are now based on publishing record, so this means that the academic presses have a huge amount of power in setting our research agenda. Open Book Publishers' non-profit ethos means that we are able to choose titles based on academic merit alone. 
Independent review process
We take the refereeing process very seriously to ensure our publications are of the highest academic standard. All book proposals and final manuscripts are peer-reviewed by at least two specialists within the relevant field.

Printed editions
Despite the popularity of our digital and online editions, demand for printed books is still high. We use print-on-demand technology to provide top quality paperback and hardback editions of each monograph at affordable prices. Our books are printed in the UK and the USA and can be ordered from any country. Any revenue we generate goes back into publishing more high-quality monographs.

Our future
Having established that an Open Access publishing model is sustainable, we are looking to expand our operations. While continuing to produce high-quality academic books, we are also moving into academic journals and educational resources. As the "academic spring" takes hold, our experience and expertise in Open Access formats allows us to help existing journals move to an OA model. Ultimately we are aiming to become the primary hub for free peer-reviewed research in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Environmental policy
All paper used by Open Book Publishers is SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative), and PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes) Certified. Book jacket paper is dual certified by FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and SFI. All paper used for jackets is manufactured using electricity generated by renewable wind power. All books are printed on acid-free paper.