Developing a model for university presses

Abstract

This article presents a model for developing a university press based around three guiding principles and six key stages of the publishing process, with associated activities. The model is designed to be applicable to a range of business models, including subscription, open access and hybrid. The guiding principles, publishing stages and strategic points all constitute the building blocks necessary to implement and maintain a sustainable university press. At the centre of the model there are three interconnected main guiding principles: strategic alignment, stakeholder relationships and demonstrating impact. The publishing process outlined in the outer ring of the model is made up of six sections: editorial, production, dissemination, preservation, communication and analytics. These sections were based on the main stages that a journal article or monograph goes through from proposal or commissioning stage through to publication and beyond. The model highlights the overall importance of working in partnership and building relationships as key to developing and maintaining a successful press.

Keywords

• University presses
• open access
• Plan S
• publishing workflows