PublishingandPromotingYourOpenMaterials

The Internet and the open-access movement have forever changed the way information is produced and distributed to the public, and publishers are discovering that they must adapt or risk being left behind. Traditionally, publishers have been responsible for peer review, editing, marketing, and distribution, all of which are still important in open publishing. But the role of the publisher is very different in an open environment. The publishers who are the most successful in this new setting are the ones offering support services for self-publishers, utilizing new technologies, coordinating with authors, and are effectively blending print publications with digital (de Vries, 2007). There is still a market for academic publications and there is still money to be made, but publishers need to be flexible and innovative to address the needs of their customers. There are many different reasons that institutions, authors, and publishers choose to make their publication open-access. Academic institutions publish open-access materials because it is good for their image, it can lead to higher quality materials at a lower cost, and it allows them to stay ahead of the curve. For academic authors, publishing is not their primary source of income (in fact for many it provides little to no income at all); they publish to gain publicity and a reputation, and to share their research with the academic community. Open and self-publishing allows authors to get their work published and distributed quickly and efficiently, and as the reputation of open journals improves, they become a viable option for those looking to reach a larger audience (de Vries, 2007; Trenin, 2007). Publishing companies, particularly those who publish textbooks, are choosing to publish more open materials in response to the increased demands for such resources from students, educators, and state and local governments. As open publishing becomes more prevalent, there are questions being raised about the new role of publishers. What does it mean to publish something? How do we maintain a standard of quality in publishing while also allowing free and open participation and contribution? How do open publishers support their business when their product is free? How are open publications promoted and shared?
 * Introduction **

__ Publishing Open Textbooks __ Traditional textbook publishers have been slow to adapt to the changing needs of the consumer and resistant to the open-access movement. This has provided an opportunity for new publishers to move into the market, bringing with them a new approach to textbook publishing. So far, these new publishers are using a variety of methods and business models to regulate, produce, and distribute their materials. One such publishing company is Flat World Knowledge, which is an open textbook publisher. All of the textbooks published by Flat World Knowledge can be used and edited for free. The company makes money by selling printed copies of the textbooks (color or black-and-white) and supplemental materials (such as study guides and audio books) to those who want them. The authors are paid a royalty percentage of all revenue generated from their publication (including supplements and derivative works) (Boezi, 2011). Lulu, another for-profit publisher, offers a different model. Lulu is a print-on-demand publisher that sells books directly to the customer; an option that has become popular with self-publishers. With Lulu there is no cost to the author; the price of the printing is built in to the cost of the book. Unlike Flat World Knowledge, anyone can publish on Lulu. While the books on Lulu are not free (and therefore not truly open), most are reasonably priced because the cost is set by the author. Lulu also offers authors more flexibility and control over their publications (Lulu, 2011). Textbook repositories, such as CK-12, also offer free, open textbooks. CK-12 is a non-profit organization funded by foundations and private donors. The textbooks on this site (called “Flexbooks”) are completely free and customizable. CK-12 only offers their publications in digital form, but recommends that users use a print-on-demand publisher (such as Lulu) if they want a printed copy. As with Flat World Knowledge, authors must submit their manuscripts to CK-12 before they can be published in the repository (CK-12, 2011). __ Publishing Open Journals __ Open-access journals have increased in number and popularity in recent years, as more publishers and authors embrace the open movement (Arnold, 2010). The Directory of Open-Access Journals (DOAJ) currently lists more than 4,500 scientific and scholarly journals that are peer-reviewed. There are many organizations that support open publishing and help to promote open journals through their networks. The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) provides consulting services and planning resources for open-access publishers. The DOAJ offers a guide to publishing open-access journals. The Public Knowledge Project (PKP) offers free journal publishing software and provides links to publications that use their software. These organizations and others offer exposure and guidance for publishing and promoting open journals. Open-access journals, like traditional journals, are published by universities, institutions, and professional organizations. The publishing process is similar for open and traditional journals; an author submits an article, it is subjected to peer or editorial review, revisions are made, and the article is published (often in electronic form for open journals). But there are some major differences between open and traditional journals when it comes to how they are produced and distributed. The greatest difference is that open journals are free. With subscriptions to some traditional medical journals costing as much as $10,000, open journals are becoming a more appealing option, especially for smaller institutions. Another important aspect of open journals is access to a larger audience. For most authors, the primary motivation for publishing articles is to disseminate their research findings to other scholars. This can be done quickly and effectively by publishing in an open-access journal. Open journals also play a greater role in international research, particularly in third world countries where they often do not have the resources and infrastructure to publish, subscribe to, or contribute to traditional journals. There are many organizations, such as Bioline International and the Open Society Institute who provide support and promote international research, and many open journals will waive the publication fees for authors from developing nations (Schmidt, 2010).
 * Publishing **

__ Self-Publishers __ Self-Publishing has become increasingly popular as an alternative to traditional publishing. Initially, self-publishing was considered “vanity publishing”, and was used primarily by people whose manuscripts were not accepted by traditional publishers. But more and more, self-publishing is being seen as an alternative for those authors who want more control over how their work is produced and distributed. The advent of the eReader has leveled the playing field for self-publishers, and major companies, such as Amazon, are getting involved in the industry and making it even easier for authors to self-publish (Fowler & Trachtenberg, 2010). While not exactly the same thing as open publishing, as the self-publishing movement evolves there is increasing overlap with the principles of open publishing. __ Hybrid model __ Traditional publishers are trying to adapt and stay relevant in an increasingly open environment, and some are taking initial steps towards making their content more open by adopting some hybrid models. One hybrid model is where the author pays for an article in a traditional journal to be made open-access (sometimes called “paid access” or “sponsored article”). Another is for a journal to make some articles open while others remain accessible by subscribers only. The “delayed-access” model is where articles are made open after a specific amount of time when they are only available to subscribers.

__ Submission Process and Peer Review __ The submission process for open publications varies greatly. Sometimes publishing is as simple as posting an article or materials to a repository, other times the submission process is as rigorous and thorough as traditional publications. Some open textbook publishers, such as Flat World Knowledge, use a traditional approach, where authors submit a proposal, and if accepted they write a manuscript, work with editors, and eventually publish. The end result is similar to traditional print textbooks; the only difference is that these open textbooks can be used and modified for free. Curriki, another open publisher, uses a repository where all users can submit their work. They try to control quality to some extent by having experts in the field rate materials. Open journals also have a wide range of approaches for submission and review. Many open journals are peer-reviewed, just like traditional journals, but sometimes even the peer review process is different for open-access journals. The Public Library of Science journal //PLoS One// is considered peer-reviewed, but reviewers are only reviewing whether the methods and analysis were sound, not whether the results are significant (Giles, 2007). Meanwhile, other open-access journals rank at the top of their fields. //PLoS Biology//, also from the Public Library of Science, is considered a top-tier journal, with low acceptance rates and an impact factor of 12.9, ranking it #1 out of 76 in the Journal Citation Report's biology category (Butler, 2008). In order to be successful and sustain an open publication or project, the sponsoring organization or institution must choose a funding model that is consistent with their objectives. Below are examples of the most common funding models and examples of projects which are supported through those models:
 * Funding Models **
 * ** Type of Model ** ||  ** Definition **  ||  ** Example **  ||
 * Endowment Model || -a project receives base funding

-a funds administrator manages the funds and the project is sustained by interest earned on those funds || Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy ||
 * Donation Model || -a project deemed worthy and supported by community request

-donations received in the form of money or content/code programming || Wikipedia

Apache Foundation ||
 * Membership Model || -a coalition of interest organization are invited to participate

-each organization contributes a seed amount, annual contribution, or subscription; these funds generate revenue for the service || Sakai Educational Partners Program ||
 * Conversion Model || -give the product/publication away for free, then convert the consumer to a paying customer || Elgg

LAMS ||
 * Contributor-Pay Model || -contributors pay for the cost of publication and the provider makes the publication available for free || PLoS Open Access ||
 * Sponsorship Model || -various companies support the project through sponsorships || MIT iCampus Outreach Initiative

Stanford on iTunes project ||
 * Institutional Model || -an institution manages and supports the open publication/resource || MIT

OpenCourseWare project || Table 11.1 ( //Source: // Downes (2006), Trenin (2007), Yuan L., MacNeill S., & Kraan, W. (n.d//.//) )

Traditional publishing companies typically have two departments that handle the promotion of a publication: a marketing department and a publicity department. They may also have a sales department. The marketing department promotes a publication with things that are bought, such as advertisements. The publicity department promotes a publication using things that are free, such as book reviews and social media (Moran, 2008). Promoting a publication is important to a traditional publisher, because they want a return on their investment. In open publishing, the job of promotion generally falls on the author or sponsoring institution. __ Marketing/Sales __ Traditional publishers dedicate a certain percentage of the expected revenue from a book for promoting and marketing. This money is used to publish and distribute catalogs, create and publish advertisements, and to send out direct mailings to important prospective customers. Currently, however, publishers spend less on print advertisements (such as magazine or newspaper ads) than they did previously, opting instead for email and website advertisements (Germano, 2008). __ Publicity __ Promoting and marketing a publication goes hand in hand with increasing publicity. The more attention and “buzz” that is created about a publication, the easier it is to promote it. Here again, traditional and non-traditional (self and open) publishers and authors take many of the same approaches. Some publishers have publicity departments, other smaller or self-publishers may choose to hire a publicist. The publicity department handles press releases, booking events, and distributing promotional materials. Many times authors will be booked for speaking engagements, book signings, and talk shows, particularly if it is a well-known author or a highly anticipated publication. Publicists distribute chapter samples and review copies, making sure that the publications reach people who are influential in the field (Germano, 2008). There are also many free ways that authors and publishers can promote a publication. Authors could mention their book on their website or blog, their publisher’s website (if using a publisher), and their university’s or company’s website. Authors can also create websites or Wikipedia pages that promote their work. Authors can review other publications in the field and encourage colleagues to write reviews of their work (Sloane, 2011). __ The Role of Social Media __ The Internet and social media have changed the way that publications are advertised and promoted. As people become more connected it becomes even more important to be able to effectively harness the Internet to promote a publication. Traditional, self, and open publishers and authors are using these services to attract attention to their publications. Blogs are an effective way to reach many people who have similar interests and gain some attention for a publication. Authors who have a blog could include links to their publication, link to other blogs about related topics, participate in blog carnivals, list their blog on directories, and join communities about related topics. In addition to that, authors could comment on the blogs of others and encourage other bloggers to link to them. The influence of social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter on marketing and promotion cannot be overstated. These are important tools for //anyone// who is promoting //anything//, but they are especially valuable to someone who is promoting open publications or is working with a small budget. Authors can use these services to set up fan pages, link to related pages, and send out updates and announcements. In addition to these sites, sites such as YouTube, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, and MySpace offer similar publicity methods and may reach a potentially different population of people. Many academic fields also have social media sites. Authors and publishers can join and post information about their publications on the sites related to their subject. __ Promoting Journals __ Traditional print journals are promoted in part by reputation, which is based on peer-review status, impact factor (how many times articles from the journal are cited), the directories where they are indexed, the quality of the editorial board and sponsors, and the acceptance rate for the journal (Dennen, 2011). While open-access journals share some of these same qualities, they face some unique challenges. Despite the fact that open-access journals are as likely to be peer-reviewed as traditional print ones, many academics still have concerns about the quality and reliability of open-access journals (Schmidt, 2010). They are often indexed on directories for open-access journals, such as the DOAJ, but are often left off of the most respected directories, which can make it difficult to gain authors and readers.
 * Promotion **

__ Promoting Textbooks __ The textbook industry is currently a 10 billion dollar industry, and the price of textbooks continues to climb (Heller, 2011). One of the most vocal groups promoting open-access textbooks are students who are struggling to keep up with rising textbook prices. Organizations such as Student Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) are leading the campaign to adopt open-access textbooks in response to increased prices. State governments are also getting involved and promoting open-access textbooks. California is starting to adopt all-digital textbooks, and expects to save $400 million dollars by using open source textbooks for science and math. Other states, such as Virginia, Indiana, and Florida are considering similar initiatives (United States Department of Education, 2010). In 2006, the House Committee on Education started an investigation into the rising price of textbooks. The final report included adopting open-source materials as a possible solution (Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, 2007). It is impossible to know for certain what the future of academic publishing will be, but one thing that is undeniable is that the open-access movement will continue to play a major role in the way materials are produced and distributed. Already there have been major changes in the publishing industry compared to a generation ago due to advances in technology and the open movement. Traditional publishers have begun to alter their models in response to these developments, and new companies are entering the field with fresh perspectives and drastically different approaches. Textbook publishers are beginning to offer more options and more user control. Journal publishers are finding ways to make their articles accessible to all; increasing the impact of scholarly research. Self-publishers are using new services to distribute and produce their work, while maintaining control of content and revenue. And all publishers, traditional and open alike, are finding new ways to promote and distribute their work by taking advantage of social networks and other services. All of these different methods of publishing raise the question: is simply making something available on the internet tantamount to publishing? Many authors are choosing to self-publish their texts or simply publish excerpts or entire books on their websites. By definition, bloggers are published authors, especially those that cross the line into journalism or academic topics. Digital repositories such as Curriki and Connexions allow anyone to publish and share their materials. As publishing methods evolve, so too does our understanding of what it means to publish. There are more options available to authors now than ever before, resulting in more information being available to more people. The needs of consumers and authors are constantly changing, but new publishing methods will continue to find ways to meet them.
 * Summary **

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