Open monograph business models | Scholarly Communication

"Business model: Freemium  ... Because under the open access model the reader can obtain the work for free, costs need to be covered in different ways. Many of the new initiatives offer a basic service where the monograph is available free online, but a premium is charged for advanced features and functionality.  This model is called Freemium, invented by OpenEdition. OpenEdition Freemium is an innovation in the domain of open-access academic publishing. It is based on a hybrid economic model combining open-access to information and paid services generating income for the producers of its resources.  Libraries and publishers fund the project to create a sustainable alliance to promote open-access in the humanities and social sciences. Two-thirds of income is allocated to those journals and partner publishers who adopt the freemium model. The other third enables us to develop the platform. All income created by OpenEdition Freemium is then reinvested in the development of open-access academic publishing ..."