Top 10 Free Book Publishers
Many well-known academic publishing houses run on a standard subscription-based model, where authors don’t pay up front. These publishers are providing editorial and author services, bearing the costs of production and marketing, and receiving revenues from book sales, library purchases, and institutional subscriptions. Writers don’t usually pay to get published but get paid.
Methodology used for Ranking Top 10 Free Book Publishers
This methodology used a multi-dimensional assessment portal which examined publishers across eight key objects and weighted criteria, including: academic notoriety, publication output, citation influence, global dispersion, editorial quality and peer review, author services, subject authority and impact, and reputation for launching new journals. The data were collected from several reputable databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, WorldCat, and publishers’ annual reports. We looked at citation counts, university syllabus inclusions, library holdings data, and editorial board qualifications across 50+ original publishing houses. Academic prestige carried the most weight because of its influence on an authors’ career with the publishers rated on a scale from 1 to 10 for all of the criteria. Publishers who charged authors fees for publishing were not included. Final scores based on key factors were used to calculate the top 10 ranking with emphasis on traditional business model subscriptions, where authors can publish entirely for free, while readers pay to access content without publication/ access fees along with the added value of professional publishing service. Input from librarians, academic administrators, and established scholars made it possible to obtain expert feedback on our criteria, as well as creating an element of balance in the selection process.
Routledge Taylor & Francis is the world’s leading academic publisher in the Humanities and Social Sciences, publishing thousands of books and journals each year, serving scholars, instructors, and professional communities worldwide. Their high-quality editorial work results from teams of professional academic editors with PhDs and academic publication experience in their subject areas. The publisher’s strength is its wide-ranging lists of academic titles within its Imprint Programme including: Routledge Research, Psychology Press, and Earthscan, publishing in the Environment and Sustainability, Food and Agriculture, Geography, Urban Planning and Urban Design, Environmental Security, Forestry and Wood Science, and Sustainable Development Special Interest Groups. A global distribution network of more than 190 academic libraries worldwide enables published works to satisfy international academic interest. Discoverability The publisher’s open access digital platform is optimized for search via Google and other major search engines along with being permanently archived in a aggregated and unique content store integrated in leading technology and application providers such as JSTOR, Project MUSE, PubSource, and institutional repository systems.
2. Sage Publications
Sage Publications is the leading publisher in the field of research methods, and the strongest publisher in research methods in psychology, education, sociology, nursing and health sciences. Their editorial profile focuses on strong research designs and practical applications, attracting researchers that aim at going back and forth between theoretical investigations and hands-on problem solving. The publisher will provide full editorial services, with dedicated methodological review conducted by experts working with quantitative and qualitative research methods. Developing theoretical frameworks, analytic methodologies, and practical implications of research findings are also strengthened by the developmental editing only authors receive. Sage’s powerful professional connections align academic authors and their work to industry communities and practice via relationships with professional bodies, think tanks and research and policy institutes. Their advertising campaigns approach academic readers and professional users and ensure wide dissemination and references of published works.
Wiley Academic Publishing is one of the widest ranging STEM publishing programs, they have strength in chemistry, physics, engineering, medicine, and business. They are staffed by working scientists and industry professionals who check for accuracy and scientific credibility. The company’s leadership in its core markets of reference and professional development presents an opportunity for authors to develop authoritative content with an audience that is both academic and industry. They have a full production facility that can create high-level graphics, data visualization and digital animations to communicate more complicated scientific stories. Writers are able to take advantage of more complex marketing campaigns that reach out to academic researchers and practitioners, leveraging enhanced career prospects and industry recognition.
Palgrave Macmillan, who publish excellent works often at the intersection of current scholarship and departmental genre, especially history, cultural studies, and political science. They prioritise original theoretical and conceptual innovation and, in particular, the relevance of academy-based research to an audience of scholars working in the management field. The publisher operates a peer-review process which uses international experts to evaluate the work submitted for publication. Marketing through Palgrave focuses on thought leadership and public intellectual engagement, enabling authors to reach audiences beyond the academy.
The editorial teams of Edward Elgar publications are comprised of working economists and legal scholars who offer focused review procedures for these difficult subjects. The publisher’s expertise in science-based policy and theory-application in the areas of history, politics, and the social sciences, its products are sought after by government and international bodies. Authors benefit from working closely with editors to develop policy-relevant but academically rigorous manuscripts. The distribution of Edward Elgar’s publications is through alliances with the major economic research centers, policy study organizations and government departments. Both target academic economists as well as policy wonks in order to maximize the impact of scholarly research.
Emerald Publishing focuses on impact for applied research which has real-world relevance in areas such as business, education and society and wider organisational studies. Their approach to editing is focused on research that delivers action and pedagogical knowledge from which both scholars and practitioners can further develop evidence-based skills. The peer review process of the publisher is role-based to include full-fledged practitioners and researchers while ensuring that the published contents are of high quality and have substantive value. Authors receive practical and relevant decision-oriented feedback on their submissions.
Peter Lang Publishing runs one of the world’s most successful academic monograph programs, contributing to theoretical debate and disciplinary knowledge. High standards for filtering their contents are maintained including original and innovative contributions to the practice of scholarship. The publisher also provides development editing for theoretical arguments, scholarly apparatus and readability for academic readers. Peter Lang’s world-wide marketing and sales networks also represent an unrivalled technology driven research and large academic publishing company.
The IEEE Computer Society Press is known internationally for its selection of outstanding publications in computer science, electrical engineering, and information technology. The publisher’s technical review process including multiple technical experts to evaluate theoretical value, practical application, and significance to the technology community. Using the vast resources IEEE has to offer in terms of a worldwide professional network, academic scholars have access to small or large technology companies, industry leaders, and research laboratories. Their marketing is aimed at both academic researchers and technology transfer professionals, enabling the flow of knowledge between academic research and industry.
The AMS’s mission is to be the most comprehensive society for both independent and applied mathematics, the best publisher of mathematical research and a major contributor to the development of mathematical research. Their peer review process is the most stringent system in the mathematical community. AMS is a partner of national, international and regional mathematical organizations throughout the world and its global distribution network ensures books reach scholars and students around the world. Their well-deserved reputation will ensure the highest quality research and author credibility in the mathematical sciences.
Anthem Press editorial research commitment encourages original thought, cultural sensitivity, contextual holistic understanding and fresh outlooks that provide new methods for deeper understanding of standard academic models. The publisher’s editorial services cover everything from full manuscript development to editing for both theoretical framing, argumentation, and cultural analysis. Writers will develop alongside an editor who reflects contemporary academic influences and new scholarly instincts. Their marketing campaigns stress intellectual innovation and cultural significance, positioning authors to impact both specialist academic groups and broader intellectual communities.
Learn more in: Top Affordable Publishers
See the Open-Access Publishers for more resources
To explore more, see: Top Self-Publishers
Further Reading: OA Publishers Comparison