In this first edition of MDPI Books Team Spotlight, we sat down with our Commissioning Editor Sarah Hulbert to discuss the current state and future of Open Access book publishing. The driving force behind identifying and acquiring exceptional book projects, Sarah collaborates with authors and editors to find innovative and impactful ideas to enrich our Open Access book collection.
Can you give an overview of your role as a Commissioning Editor at MDPI Books and how it fits into the broader Open Access book publishing landscape?
My role is to bring in new content for the books programme; to research suitable topic areas that would make good books, and to approach prospective authors. Also, to evaluate the viability of speculative proposals that are submitted to MDPI, then to oversee book projects as they progress through the publication cycle.
The Open Access model introduces some additional considerations. Chiefly the funding support to cover Book Processing Charges (BPCs), meaning that my role also encompasses tracking down funding opportunities, understanding the various publishing models, and engagement with librarians and the Open Access community on funding support.
What appeals to you most about working in Open Access book publishing?
When I switched from working in the traditional model to Open Access books, the thing that really chimed with me was looking through the interesting books on Open Access libraries, and being able to dip in and out of anything I fancied reading.
From the reader’s perspective the open access model is very egalitarian, with anyone, anywhere in the world able to read books with no restrictions. I find this very appealing, to genuinely contribute to knowledge on a global scale – who wouldn’t want to be part of that?
Finally, the opportunity to be part of something new – a new model of publishing, and a relatively new books programme, with lots of scope for development and innovation.
What specific criteria do you use to evaluate potential book projects for MDPI Books, particularly in terms of their suitability for Open Access book publishing?
As with traditional publishing, I am looking for the viability of the subject – does it fit with our identity as a publisher? Is it current? Is it part of the academic and research ecosystem? Does It have longevity? Does the author have something new to say on the subject? Does it suit the book format, where discussion and the expansion of ideas can be employed?
The Open Access format does bring about other considerations for books. The readership is likely to be much more international. It will also be more cross-disciplinary, reaching readers who, without the barrier of a purchase price, will likely come to Open Access books that they otherwise would not have read. The Open Access format also allows books to break out of academic constraints and reach an informed wider audience. Open Access books are primarily read online, and some content particularly suits this format.
MDPI Books is known for its commitment to Open Access book publishing. What advantages do you believe Open Access offers for authors, readers, the general public, and the scholarly community?
There’s no question that Open Access has changed the academic landscape. Aside from opening up access to resources, one of the key benefits is flexibility and choice. Readers can read the online version to get a taste of the book, and if they also want it in print format, they can order the hard copy.
Books have a long lifespan, and the digital format allows updates and revisions to be made easily. As publishers, we do not have the sword of profitability returns hanging over us. A traditional publisher will have to invest £10,000-15,000 upfront before book sales start making a return. This means that each book has to achieve its financial threshold to keep the publisher afloat. Without these restraints, Open Access commissioning can be braver, giving opportunities to new voices, early career researchers, and innovative topics and themes that are worthwhile but without an obvious financial return.
Including the general public in the conversation is really important. With specialist books locked in academic libraries, most people don’t know that titles they would find interesting even exist. But a quick Google search will bring you straight to a downloadable Open Access book. I see this as an important step in blurring the barriers of knowledge-based research.
Collaboration is key in academic publishing. How do you work with authors and editors throughout the development and production of a book to ensure their vision is realized while adhering to the standards of academic publishing upheld by MDPI Books?
It is important for us is that the author is involved at every stage and is happy with the final, published book. We collaborate closely on the content, to ensure that the text fits with our goals as a publisher. We want our books collection to have an identity, which I would say is books that are relevant, thorough, useful, clear, concise, and accessible.
The key to ensuring that publisher and author are on the same page is to keep the channels of communication open. Book publishing is a long-term endeavour, and typically operates on a 2–4-year cycle per book. We go through an extensive planning process before a book is contracted to review the project internally and give editorial guidance at the outset, before backing this up with external review and development before we even get to the approval and contract stage. We advise authors on both the content and approach as well as the technical requirements for preparing a manuscript. During the writing stage, we aim to keep in touch with the author to look at sample material, to avoid surprises when the final draft is delivered. The production stage is when a raw manuscript is turned into a published book. The author has input throughout, as we understand that for many authors publishing a book is a significant milestone.
Because book publishing is a long, intensive process, it is important that we, as publishers, understand the other professional and personal commitments an author has. During a three-year project, life factors may well happen, and professional changes are likely. All of these impact the author being able to deliver a manuscript. We are always mindful that we must be supportive of our authors and grateful for the commitment they have made to us. One of the most important things for me as a Commissioning Editor is that the author enjoys the process of writing a book, that it doesn’t become a burden, and that we make things as smooth as possible for them.
I’ve learnt that some authors do not fully understand the Open Access model, especially for books. They may know MDPI because it is such a well-known publisher, but not necessarily that we are 100% Open Access. So, a big part of working with authors is ensuring that they realise what Open Access entails from the author and reader perspectives.
The joy of course is working with authors who fully embrace Open Access principles and have a genuine passion for communicating what they know to a large audience, and want to do so openly and freely.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of academic publishing, what are the challenges you face as a Commissioning Editor, particularly within the context of Open Access book publishing, and how do you navigate them?
Something that we are keenly aware of is maintaining standards and publishing ethics. The spectre of plagiarism, AI-generated content, and misunderstandings about publishing ethics and principles are not uncommon. We mitigate this as best we can by working with established and credible authors, employing all the checks we have access to through technology and old-fashioned manual evaluation, and reviewing thoroughly.
Another challenge for publishers is with all the demands on an academic’s time, it can be difficult to recruit reviewers, and authors too of course. The review process is fundamental to maintaining the publication integrity we strive for, and of course we want to find the right reviewers, but have found that this is something that is difficult for people to fit into their busy schedules. I think this is something publishers across the board are experiencing. Academics have so many calls on their time, I never know how they manage it all.
Funding support is the major challenge I have experienced related to the Open Access model. There is a clear divide between high- and low-income countries, and it has been my biggest frustration to have submissions from researchers in the Asian and African regions that would make great books but hit the hurdle of lack of access to funding support. This is something we have been working on extensively. We have researched funding agencies and spent time with authors submitting applications, we have made links with the few dedicated Open Access book funders, we are exploring equitable collective funding models, and sharing the burden of publication costs where possible. If a book is a great prospect, with an outstanding author we would never want lack of access to funding to be a barrier to publishing it. Ultimately, the quality of the book and the contribution it makes to MDPI’s publishing output is the outstanding factor for us.
Because it is new, and being promoted so heavily by national research agencies, Open Access is the big new thing in publishing. This means that many publishers have explored the model, and it is a crowded market, with authors having their pick of publishers. Traditional publishers are converting to hybrid publishing models, and new university presses are emerging that offer hosting platforms (but not necessarily full editorial services). I am seeing a growing divide between what some in the industry call ‘commercial publishers’ and ‘ethical publishers’, and I wonder if some authors are swayed by these labels, which I think are misconceptions.
The Open Access book publishing landscape is not yet as established as Open Access journal publishing, but it is slowly evolving. Have you noticed any significant changes or trends in recent years?
In a way, the newness of Open Access book publishing has been a good thing for us, as it has brought us innovative, forward-thinking authors who are engaged with developments in publishing and communications.
You are right though; it is a very fast-moving field. Funding models are ever-changing, sometimes complex, and a bit boring and frustrating for authors to deal with. The number of similar but slightly different models out there makes it a headache for librarians, authors, and publishers to deal with. I hope that a more streamlined system evolves. That may involve publishers collaborating.
Open Access has encouraged many new, small publishers to establish new presses, including independent, genre-specific, and university presses. This is the opposite of what has happened in traditional publishing in the last 20 or so years, where small publishing houses became subsumed by large, established publishers, leading to a smaller number of megalithic publishers. Whether this is a good thing or creates fragmentation in the publishing industry, I’m not sure. It certainly creates some complexities in the different models available to authors, and it has encouraged a move away from the traditional publishing activities of deep editorial engagement and thorough production processes towards an emphasis on platform hosting, metrics, discoverability, digital downloads, and policy compliance.
Relative to journals, one of the big issues for Open Access books is the lack of metrics available that work specifically for the book format. I believe there are many reasons for this, including the terminology that is inputted into systems are varied – “books”, “monographs”, “collections”, etc. Similarly, there is confusion with metadata inputting. The journal format is well set up for this, but books contain too many variations in format and organisation.
The next big development in Open Access publishing I believe is greater support from national research agencies, which I think will drive a significant upsurge in Open Access publishing. UKRI’s new policy on supporting long-form publications that came into force in January 2024 will be significant and introduce many academics to the concept of Open Access books.
The key to understanding the value of Open Access books comes in using them. As people find them online and download and read them, they will become as familiar as the book on your shelf, and hopefully more authors will choose to publish in the Open Access format as a first option. As publishers, we need to promote and preserve the package of the book, as distinct from journal articles and online content. With online content, it is easy to get lost in the noise and for formats to become blurred. Books must always be books, so that they can be provocative, controversial, confrontational, discussion-based, witty, and thought-provoking, with a personality of their own.
Finally, how will publishers need to evolve to meet the needs of authors and readers in this changing landscape?
I do feel that sometimes authors and readers get left out of the conversation when publishers and libraries focus on the models that work best for them. We need to keep in touch with both, to ensure we are delivering content in a way that meets their needs. The crucial thing is that we as publishers keep asking them what they want and how they have found their experience, rather than telling them how they should prepare and consume content.
The book format will always appeal to traditionalists, and my feeling is that publishers should retain what works in this format and not try to shape it into something it is not, while bringing in features that enhance the author’s and reader’s experience such as links in the text, creating inclusive typeset design functionalities, title recommendation tools, and better metrics and reporting.
For most authors, their primary interest is in creating content, so in terms of evolution, publishers need to absorb as much of the process as possible. And for readers, finding out about new books is key, so discoverability and promotion are things publishers can work on for their benefit, perhaps even engaging with some of the methods from traditional publishing.
Interested in publishing your academic book as Open Access? See our guide on how and why you should publish your academic book as Open Access with MDPI Books.