The impact of open access on academic book publishing: Opportunities and challenges for authors and publishers

Abstract:  Open access (OA) has transformed academic book publishing, offering authors and publishers new opportunities and challenges. OA makes academic books more accessible, visible, and citable by removing paywalls, democratizing knowledge dissemination and promoting global collaboration. With mandates from governments and funding agencies worldwide, publicly funded research is increasingly expected to be freely accessible. Authors can reach diverse audiences outside academia through OA, enhancing societal impact. OA publishing models face issues like quality perception, copyright management, and financial sustainability. Publishers must adapt traditional revenue streams to OA's open frameworks while maintaining editorial and production standards. OA's author-pays model may marginalize scholars from resource-constrained regions by denying them access without institutional or financial support. Lack of standardization across OA licenses and funding mechanisms hinders adoption and scalability. In contrast, crowdfunding, institutional subsidies, and transformative agreements are addressing these issues and paving the way for inclusive and sustainable OA publishing. This chapter examines how technological advances, policy frameworks, and market forces affect OA in academic book publishing. It recommends best practices and strategies for authors and publishers navigating the OA landscape by analyzing recent trends and case studies. The paper concludes that OA's potential and challenges must be addressed collaboratively and adaptively to ensure equitable and impactful academic publishing in the digital age.