Crowdfunding Your Open Access Book

Open Access (OA) book publishing is transforming the academic landscape by making scholarly content freely accessible to readers around the world. By removing subscription fees and paywalls, OA ensures that important academic and professional knowledge can reach wider audiences, increase citation rates, and accelerate research progress across disciplines. However, despite these benefits, many authors and editors face a significant hurdle: funding.

Unlike traditional publishing models that may be subsidized by institutions or publishers, OA book publishing often requires authors or editors to cover processing charges upfront. These fees, used to support peer review, formatting, production, marketing, distribution, and long-term access, can be substantial. When institutional funding or grants aren’t available, the cost of OA publishing can feel prohibitive. But a growing and innovative solution is making OA book publishing more accessible: crowdfunding.

What is Crowdfunding in OA Book Publishing?

Crowdfunding involves pooling small financial contributions from a large number of individuals or organizations to fund a project. In the context of OA publishing, this means authors and editors can raise money for their book by engaging their academic networks, professional peers, libraries, and the broader public. Contributors may be enticed with preorders, exclusive access, signed copies, or acknowledgments in the published work, allowing them to become active participants in the dissemination of new knowledge. More than just a funding method, crowdfunding builds a community around a book project before it’s even published. It fosters early interest and reader engagement while creating momentum for the book’s launch.

Popular Crowdfunding Platforms for OA Books

Several platforms support OA book projects directly or can be creatively adapted for academic publishing.

Kickstarter and Indiegogo

Among the most well-known crowdfunding platforms, both Kickstarter and Indiegogo allow authors and editors to present their OA book idea, set funding goals, and offer tiered rewards to backers. While not exclusive to academic publishing, these platforms offer wide reach and flexibility, making them ideal for authors and editors with an established network or promotional strategy.

Unglue.it

Launched in 2012 by Gluejar, Inc. (now a program of the Free Ebook Foundation), Unglue.it was the first crowdfunding platform specifically built for OA publications. It helps authors and editors and rights holders "unglue" their previously published works by raising funds to make them openly accessible under a Creative Commons license. Unglue.it’s model is especially attractive to libraries, offering tailored services that help institutions support OA conversion efforts.

Publishizer

A hybrid between a crowdfunding and a publishing platform, Publishizer allows authors and editors to pitch book ideas, presell copies, and potentially attract traditional publishers or OA publishers interested in the project. While not strictly OA-focused, Publishizer can be an effective platform for authors and editors who want to demonstrate market interest and gather funds for OA publication.

Library-Based Crowdfunding Models

Crowdfunding for OA books isn’t limited to individuals. Libraries are increasingly working together to co-fund the conversion or creation of OA monographs.

Knowledge Unlatched

Knowledge Unlatched (KU) offers a collaborative OA funding model where libraries around the world contribute to "unlatch" scholarly books and make them OA. Titles are offered in curated collections, simplifying the decision-making process for libraries and enabling them to support OA publications in batches. KU initially focused on flipping previously published books to OA but now also supports new, front-list titles. For authors and editors working with publishers partnered with KU, this presents a streamlined path to OA funding.

Reveal Digital

Reveal Digital extends the library crowdfunding model to the digitization and open access distribution of special collections. Although its focus is more on curated archival content than monographs, Reveal Digital illustrates how collaborative library funding can expand open scholarship beyond traditional formats like journal articles.

Why Crowdfund an OA Book?

OA book publishing ensures that your scholarly work reaches the widest possible audience, enhancing its visibility, impact, and long-term accessibility. According to Knowledge Unlatched, OA books are not only more frequently read, but they are also cited more often, offering tangible benefits to your academic profile and your discipline. Crowdfunding allows you to retain the benefits of OA while overcoming the barrier of upfront costs. It invites your academic and professional community to invest in the success and dissemination of your work, and helps foster a broader culture of openness and collaboration in research publishing.

Preparing An OA Book for Publication? Choose eContent Pro’s Professional Copy-Editing Services

As you prepare your OA book for publication, keep eContent Pro’s professional copy-editing services (Standard Editorial Package) in mind. Whether your book is an authored or edited volume, our Standard Editorial Package—which includes professional copy editing, proofreading, and formatting according to publisher guidelines, and a similarity report (plagiarism check)—will significantly enhance the clarity, consistency, and overall quality of your manuscript. A polished and professionally prepared book strengthens your reputation and increases the likelihood of your title being indexed in major databases, cited by peers, and widely disseminated.

Let us help ensure your OA book makes a lasting impact. Click here to upload your manuscript for a quote.

About eContent Pro

Headquartered in Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA, eContent Pro is a trusted global provider of high-quality professional copy editing and editorial services tailored for academic and professional authors. Since 2015, we have proudly supported thousands of writers, researchers, and editors in enhancing the clarity, accuracy, and impact of their written work. From manuscripts and journal articles to book chapters and beyond, our team of expert editors ensure each document is meticulously refined to meet the highest standards of publication. With a strong commitment to speed, precision, and personalized care, eContent Pro delivers flawless publication-ready content to authors across a variety of disciplines.

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