Why Choose Gorgias Open Access?

The question we hear most from our authors is, “How can I make sure that my research gets into the hands of as many people as possible?” The answer is to make your research open access. At Gorgias, we already pursue several strategies to make your books widely available: by providing books in both print and digital formats to the top library vendors, exhibiting at high-impact conferences in your field and using international distributors all over the world. As effective as these methods are, they still move more slowly than many people have come to expect from the new digital age.

Gorgias Open Access enables you to spread your ideas as quickly and to as many people as possible. In order to ensure that you are reaching the people you want, we will not only host your material on our website, but also give you a PDf to be read in your own repository.

What are the Benefits of Open Access?

• Increased Impact

Open access publications remove deterrents like time and cost, attracting readers who would otherwise not purchase the book. We hold open access publications to the same high standards that we use for our print books, so that readers know that they are receiving the same excellent research through our website as they would through a library.

Additionally, while we index our print publications through a wide range of venues, open access publications have the added advantage of being indexed by professional open access academic societies as well as search engines like Google. This means that someone searching for a topic in your field is more likely to find and choose your publication within the first crucial phases of research.

• Ethics

Open access is often championed as “the right thing to do,” and it isn’t hard to see why. More than ever, libraries are being forced to cut back their expenses, widening the gap between libraries at large universities and those at small colleges or public schools. Making your work open access levels the playing field. Your work will be available to scholars no matter which school they are affiliated with, as well as independent researchers and interested laypeople.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Where is the content available?

When your book is open access, we will make it available both on its product page and in a special digital repository, available at no cost to anyone with an internet connection. We'll also let you put it on your website or in your institutional repository.

• Does Open Access really make a difference?

Several studies have shown that open access does make a difference, sometimes a big one. A recent study mentioned in the Times Higher Education found that open access consistently generated more citations and a greater readership across more than 2,000 articles. The project leader concluded, “[T]he analysis shows that open access has positive effects for both authors and readers.” (You can read more here or access the original study here.)

• What are the requirements to make a work Open Access?

Our biggest requirement is quality. It’s important to us that our open-access titles carry the same reputation for high standards that our print books do, and each one goes through the same rigorous peer-review process before we offer an open access option.

• I published my book years ago. Can I still join the program?

Yes. All of our previously published authors will have the opportunity to request to join the program at a reduced rate. Contact helpdesk@gorgiaspress.com for more details.

• What will happen to the print version of my book?

Although your book will be freely available to everyone, we will continue to offer a print version of your book to anyone who prefers reading pages to reading on a screen. Additionally, we will release a softcover version of your book at a significantly reduced price.

• Fees and Licensing

With our tradition of “publishing for the sake of knowledge,” we are excited about the possibilities of open access for spreading ideas more quickly and effectively than ever before. However, publishing of any sort costs money. As Harvard professor Peter Suber has put it, “Free is ambiguous. . . We know that open-access literature is not free (without cost) to produce.” (You can read more of what he means here, or De Gruyter Open's concise explanation of why open access costs money here.)

In order to offset these costs, which are normally paid through print sales, we ask for a subvention from the institution or funding body who sponsored the research.

If you are publishing a book, we charge a flat fee of $5,995 (compare £5,900 (Manchester University Press), €10,000 (De Gruyter), or $17,500 (Palgrave-MacMillan)).

If you are publishing a chapter, we charge a flat fee of $1,300 (compare $2,800 (Oxford University Press), €1,000 (De Gruyter), or $2,600 (Palgrave-MacMillan)).

In the case of independent scholars or scholars from developing countries who would like to make their work open access, reduced rates and 12 month payment plans are available. Contact us at helpdesk@gorgiaspress.com for details.

• What if I publish more than one book/chapter with Gorgias?

In order to reward repeat funders, we offer the Gorgias Open Membership Program to anyone who submits more than one publication. Members receive a 15% discount on direct payments.