From: Phill Jones <[log in to unmask]> Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2019 10:29:07 +0100 Hi Brian, Those are all good questions. A few years ago I remember asking that very question and being surprised by how complicated the answers I got were. There has always been a bit of complexity and arguably obfuscation around what publishers charge authors. A few years back, I once asked a publisher how much they charge authors to publish with them in subscription journals and was told that there were no publication charges. I knew that wasn't strictly true because I'd published in one of their journals so I pressed them with specific terms and found out that they did, in fact charge 'colour plate fees' although they were adamant that they'd never charge page fees because they viewed that as wrong. So yes, there are sometimes submission fees, page charges, and colour plate fees (although the latter may be rarer these days). Subscription journals don't charge APCs though, as you noted, that's the term used in author-pays OA models. The best thing to search for in the literature is 'total cost of publishing' Here's one such article https://doi.org/10.3390/publications3040248 I confess that I can't give you a primer on the state of the art, as I haven't been following that particular debate that closely lately. Here's also a good blog post with some links you might find helpful https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2019/06/04/the-gold-rush-why-open-access-will-boost-publisher-profits/ Take a look at the JISC report that's linked out from there. Phill Jones, PhD Double L Digital p +44 131 6675707 c +44 7462 942232 On Wed, 16 Oct 2019 at 03:19, LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > From: Brian Simboli <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 09:30:40 -0400 > > Some questions, if I may. > > 1. Has anyone collected current data about author charges imposed across > STEM areas to publish one's manuscript **non-open access**? > > So much of the focus appears to be on APCs defined as charges to > publish one's article OA, but what of traditional author charges for* > non-OA *(toll access) publication? If memory serves, years ago I talked > to someone in earth sciences who heard about APCs but said, well, we've > always been paying to publish! If that is true, again, what are the > current trends in author charges for non-OA publishing of articles--not > just for color illustrations or plates, but also merely to publish one's > article shorn of any such enhancements? > > Also: of those journals that are not entirely OA but that offer an > author's choice to publish OA at a fee, what proportion of them also have > author charges if they don't exercise the OA option? That is, cases of > hybrid journals, to which OA charges are* superadded* to already existing > "traditional" author charges? > > (I'm avoiding use of terminology like "gold publishing", given the usual > terminological complexity that attends such terms.) > > It does seem like traditional author charges just to publish toll access > don't get much attention, and they should, if we're to fully grasp the > economic complexities of journal publishing. > > 2. Re. APC's, I noticed the claim here > > > https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2019/06/19/guest-post-do-authors-have-any-power-over-publishers/ > > that "APCs are already rising faster than inflation when fully open access > journals make up around 15-20% of the market for journals or articles, so > imagine what could happen if demand was increased further by Plan S-style > mandates." > > In my view, if true, there are absolutely no surprises there. After all, > there was never any reason why the pricing of APCs would not reflect the > price dynamics of toll access publishing. Anyhow, assuming that there is > inflationary pressure in APCs, are there similar inflationary pressure to > impose charges on authors for non-OA publication of their articles (in the > way described above)? > > 3. Am I right that the term APC is used across the industry *solely* for > OA publication of articles, and not more "traditional" author charges? It > appears to be the case. > > Thanks > > -- > > Brian Simboli > Science, Mathematics, and Psychology Librarian > Library and Technology Services > E.W. Fairchild Martindale > Lehigh University > 8A East Packer Avenue > Bethlehem, PA 18015-3170 > (610) 758-5003; [log in to unmask] > Profile & Research guides <http://libraryguides.lehigh.edu/prf.php?account_id=13461> > >