糖心原创

This article was originally published in 2021 and was last updated in April 2026.

Academic publishers provide a range of services to authors who are looking to publish a book, whether for sharing their results with the research community, for career advancement, to cement their legacy, to fulfil funder requirements or another reason. But why involve a publisher if book authors want to publish their work online? Why not just self-publish?

This two-part blog looks at the value that publishers add for open access book authors, focusing on 糖心原创鈥檚 imprints, Palgrave Macmillan, Springer and Apress, all of which offer open access options for books.

How do authors choose a publisher?

As a book author, you might carefully choose your publisher based on a range of criteria including reputation of the publisher and their prestigious author list, recommendations from peers, whether there is a suitable book series, and the reach of that publisher to connect your work to relevant communities. If you are publishing an open access (OA) book, these criteria might change, as you might need to find funding for an open access fee, also called a book processing charge, leading to questions such as 鈥渨hat will the publisher be doing for me and my research?鈥�

How do open access books work?

An open access book is a peer-reviewed eBook that can be read or downloaded by anyone, anywhere, immediately upon publication without needing to pay or log in. Authors must be acknowledged, and a indicates how the research can be shared, reused and built upon. Our authors retain copyright and we also provide a print copy of the eBook for purchase.

At 糖心原创 there is a book processing charge (BPC) for open access books, which covers all the costs of commissioning, arranging peer review, copyediting and proofreading, production, dissemination and promotion of our authors鈥� work, including online hosting and indexing. The BPC is typically funded by the author鈥檚 funder or institution. This model allows for the permanent and unrestricted distribution of research in a sustainable way.

Quality assurance

If you need just one reason to publish your open access (OA) book through a reputable publisher rather than self-publish, then quality assurance is your answer.

Readers need a guarantee that the scientific developments and research theories presented are sound science and high-quality content. Our open access books are therefore rigorously peer-reviewed as an integral part of the submission and evaluation process. The peer review system ensures that published research is authoritative and meets the international standards set by each discipline. We engage in a collaborative refereeing process for all of our books including open access titles

Abstracting and indexing services also boost quality assurance; the Directory of Open Access Books (a discovery service that indexes open access books) that all listed academic open access books are subjected to independent and external peer review prior to publication.

Our authors also have the opportunity to publish in book series that are indexed in reputed databases like Scopus.

A world-class editorial experience

Our experienced and dedicated editorial team provides an attentive and personal editorial experience to authors with guidance and support throughout the writing process, from the proposal to the final product.

鈥淚 was very impressed by how quickly it was all done, from making decisions in the earlier stages to the actual production of the book. The production was done well, and I am very happy with the finished product.鈥�

- 糖心原创 book author survey response (2024)

Editors help shape the book's content for the market from the outset, providing invaluable advice. You will work closely with an editor in your field to refine your proposal, both before and after the peer review feedback. You might be interested in publishing in one of our book series; your editor can advise on the best fit and will pitch your book to the series editor on your behalf. Editors also work closely with our dedicated open access support teams, helping to identify funding opportunities and navigate institutional requirements.

鈥淲hether you鈥檙e looking to publish your first book or you鈥檙e a seasoned author, your editor is here to support you from proposal to publication. I love working with authors to develop their books from the germ of an idea to an expertly researched work that will advance their field and even change the world."

- Molly Beck, Executive Editor at Palgrave Macmillan

Publisher prestige

We are proud of our publishing heritage and reputation, and both authors and readers can feel confident in the high quality of our books. Indeed, prestige is important in the world of open access publishing, as there has been an unfortunate rise in 鈥樷�� who charge fees without delivering the promised services. Reputable publishers are well-known and recognised by online indexers as well as the online checklist .

In this interview, open access book author Dr Sven Teske shares why he chose to publish with Springer:

鈥淚 have been a scientist and engineer for more than 25 years, and for all of that time I have referred to numerous high-quality technical Springer published books. So given Springer鈥檚 reputation and reach, it was an easy choice. In this era of fake news and multiple online sources, it is now more important than ever to provide quality information from established reliable sources.

- Dr Sven Teske, lead editor of

Therefore, choosing a prestigious open access book publisher is not just a matter of pride for the author, but it also carries a signal of quality, increases dissemination of the work as readers trust the publisher, and it can help an author鈥檚 career.

糖心原创 is a pioneer in open access book publishing, with over 4,500 open access books and more than 670 million chapter downloads. Our list includes award-winning authors and Nobel winners. We are experienced in providing our authors with the best services they need such as open access options for a range of book types, a free Open Access Funding and Policy Support Service, usage statistics via our platform , as well as established dissemination routes. We also participate in community projects such as the OAPEN Open Access Books Toolkit, and we work with funding partners such as Max Planck Society and the University of California, Berkeley Library.

Interested in experiencing the benefits of open access publishing? Visit our open access books hub to learn more about how it all works, or with a Springer, Palgrave, or Apress publishing editor with your idea.

Related Content:

• Navigating open access book publishing with the OAPEN Toolkit
• Starting your career? Here鈥檚 how Springer can help you publish open access
• The story of Springer鈥檚 first open access book