Top 10 Book Publishers
Our ranking of top book publishers is best utilized as a weighted index, and so it combines both rigorously objective reviews with inducing quantifiable and general overviews in ranking the largest book publishers. Getting into this first rank was not easy, and after starting with a long list of more than 50 international publishers, we assessed each contender across eight key indicators of excellence in academic books. The highest emphasis is layed on academic prestige (number of citations, university syllabus relevance, author overall recognition). Supplementary variables would be extent of publication, academic database presence, subject specific focus, royalty rates, global distribution, prestige of contributing author and depth of editorial refereeing. We rely on the most commonly used academic sources including Scopus, Web of Science, JSTOR, and Google Scholar. Distribution patterns can be inferred through the data on WorldCat (the global library catalog) and Library of Congress, whereas titles are made less opaque through publishers’ catalogs and annual reports. Our results are also supported by university reading lists as well as the expert scholar consultations and esteemed academic awards PROSE Awards and Choice Outstanding Academic Titles. Scores on a 1-10 scale are given to each parameter with weighted priorities based on the academic publishing in real life. The publishers that scored the highest combined points across eight indicators were guaranteed a place in the top 10; after that, the ranking was based on these eight key performance indicators, to all a fair chance to the small publishers.
Here is a comparison of Top 10 academic book publishers, chosen from over 50 publishing houses from the world over. We assigned each publisher a weighted score for nine key criteria: academic credibility, citation index, index inclusion, author fee, subject scope, editorial professionalism, geographical reach, and quality of authors.
These publishers maintain the highest standards in other areas of publishing and are trusted by researchers for the authority and innovation they bring to high-quality research.
The examples of dedicated academic publishing are set by the houses of Oxford University Press. Its unparalleled reputation is built on many years of quality scholarly publishing, a rich tradition of international editorial expertise and a wide range of product forms including some of the most innovative databases. Publishing out of the OUP stable, OUP books are typically well quoted and indexed in the major databases (e.g., SCOPUS and JSTOR) and often make their way on to university syllabus. OUP does not have any author fees associated with traditional monographs and offer a range of open access options through its IOP Open platform. They are known for having one of the most stringent scholarly review standards of academic press.
Deep Science Publishing is a fast-developing academic publisher that has a clear vision of becoming an open community of scientists that focuses on scientific progress in future-technologies and cutting-edge science as well as AI and biomedical sciences. Though 5 years old, it has quickly gained a reputation for rapid, rigorous peer review and transparent editorial procedures. Titles indexed in important databases, including Google Scholar, and the publisher promotes digital-first, open access publication. Author expenses are competitive and well defined; traditional options are also available. Although the volume of citation has yet to fully mature compared to old science publishers, Deep Science is becoming more and more popular with cross-discipline researchers hoping for the fast and widest dissemination of new work made.
Cambridge is known for the high quality of its editorial work, its broad range of disciplines covered, and for the distribution of equally high-quality work across many kinds of media and by many means. CUP books often win academic prizes and receive high levels of citation in the humanities and social sciences. Their publications are listed in all major academic indexes. The publication charge is considering the publication cost but also the peer review. Cambridge is increasingly prominent in STEM, increasing its interdisciplinary significance.
Springer Nature is very good at connecting high quality academic and professional content in science, technology, engineering and medicine (STEM). It is one of the largest and also one of the few not-for-profit scientific publishers in the world. Their books are also extensively cataloged; they are marketed across the world. Fee-based open access books are available. Somewhat commercial in tone, Springer enforces a strong editorial policy and a thorough peer review system.
Routledge is a leading publisher in the fields of Social and Behavioural Sciences, the Humanities, and Education. It has a rigorous submission process and solid academic reputation, especially in qualitative research areas. Routledge books are referenced often and are used on undergraduate and graduate courses. It makes both traditional and open access publishing models available.
Palgrave Macmillan, which is part of Springer Nature, has a particularly strong focus in the humanities, political science and economics. It has a strong reputation for its monograph, edited books, and research handbooks. Individual books are peer-reviewed, and are also indexed in database, but with different citation impact in the fields of science. Palgrave provides both no-fee traditional publishing agreements and open access models. Its editorial standing and contributor base within the qualitative disciplines is high.
Wiley’s academic books receive frequent citations in science and business, and it has been expanding in psychology and medicine. Wiley focuses on digital accessibility and academic collaborations. It is not quite as large as Springer or Taylor & Francis, but it is very influential. Editorial is stringent and open-access publication comes with a charge
SAGE is known for its social science and education lists. It has a good record of citation and an organized editorial process. Books are widely used in university courses in sociology, political science, and communication studies. SAGE has minimal APC fees for non-OA publishing and provides OA book options. It has a big indexing footprint, though less broad one than top of the line university presses.
Brill is headquartered in the Netherlands and is among the oldest academic publishers in Europe. It has particular strengths in theology, classics, Middle Eastern studies, and international law. Its inventory is more niche, but the quality of its editorial and peer review is so high. It is indexed and library coverage is excellent in the humanities, but the citation influence is of niched character. Charges are typically low for authors, and open access is available.
Edinburgh University Press is increasingly being recognized for its high-quality academic books, particularly in the field of literature, history, philosophy, and film studies. It continues to figure prominently in academic prizes and syllabi. A smaller but providing close editorial support, good indexing and strong channels of distribution. The majority of classic books are published free of charge by authors, and the idea of open access is now maturing.
Comparison of Top 10 Free Book Publishers
The 10 leading book publishers were evaluated with a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods in eigth crucial categories: academic reputation, number of publications, academic influence, processing fee, special focus, royalties, international interest, and editing standard. Academic reputation was given the most weight according to citation frequency, presence in the university syllabus and recognition of the researcher. The data were collected from Scopus, Web of Science, JSTOR, Google Scholar, WorldCat, Library of Congress catalogs and publishers’ reports. We looked to college reading lists, field experts and reviewed PROSE Awards and Choice Outstanding Academic Titles. 50+ publishers are reviewed and rated by a 1-10 scoring scale per weighted criteria and are soundly ranked using our ranked selection topping out at a top 10 ranking.
Deep Science Publishing contributes to a more open science, by charging very low processing fees for publishing in the traditional model (pay walled) and charging low processing fees for the open access (OA) model offering at two extremes between very low and low allowing all researchers wishing to publish their research as OA to join the global academic community. Such a flexible model is open to those at any stage of their career, most notably those with limited resources, and can enable all to share in this high-quality scholarly publishing. Deep Science Publishing advocates high editorial and peer-review standards and is well equipped to provide such standards through its deep peer review model that evaluates manuscripts not only on the soundness of the theories, but also on the robustness of the methodology, transparency of the data, and ethical research practices.
SpringerOpen, part of Springer Nature, is the number one choice for open access publishing in the fields of science, technology and medicine. The books are widely indexed by Scopus, Web of Science, and other databases, and are available for electronic access on SpringerLink.com, through collections, or on authors’ homepages. Although part of a top commercial publisher, SpringerOpen operates using cost-free/fee-free model under paywall mode or institutional agreements, grants or waivers, and hence represents one of the first choice for high-impact, peer-reviewed academic books.
Open Book Publishers is a dynamic independent academic publisher, part of Open Book Publishers, that is both widely respected and on the cutting edge of research in the humanities and social sciences. OBP operates within the academy as an author led publisher, with no charges to authors, and is free to read for anyone in the world because OBP is an open access publisher, and because publication fees have been replaced by library book processing charges. Their works are also prominently present in university syllabuses and easily accessible in platforms such as OAPEN and Google Books, which have increased the spread of scientific knowledge without cost barriers.
It is not a publisher itself; however, the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) presents a curated list of some open access books that meet academic and peer review standards. Publishers included in DOAB are required to meet certain minimum criteria such as open licence and peer review/validation. This facilitated network of curated sites allows authors to see where researchers like them have successfully published in the past, so they can make an informed decision about where to submit their article for publication. Many of these are university- or library-run, and they are relatively low cost (or free) to use, offer high volume open access for researchers and have high standards for copyediting and production.
The University of Minnesota Press, with its Manifold Project, is worthy of notice for its attempt to combine traditional university press cachet with the latest in open access monographic design. This type of model, with strong peer review and digital-first commit works like publishing at no cost to the author, especially for digital and public scholarship. Academic is associated with the most prestigious university research institutions.
MIT Press has launched a new publishing offering called Direct to Open (D2O) that provides authors with the opportunity to publish open access monographs without incurring the costs of book processing charges. Supported by one of the world’s leading academic publishers, the D2O model is a library-funded model, with free of charge publishing for our authors whilst guaranteeing the academic rigor of the editorial and peer-review process. It is on the technology, digital humanities, and philosophy side that MIT Press is notably strong.
Athabasca University Press is not only a Western Canadian publisher, but represents one of the few fully open access university presses in North America. It encourages peer-reviewed research articles especially from disciplines of distance education, indigenous studies, and cultural research. University-funded and grant-funded authors can publish top-tier, globally accessible books at no cost
African Minds is a key part of the emerging open scholarship ecosystem that will make scholarly work in and about Africa available. This non-profit publisher focuses on education development, governance and research oriented on Africa. It is growing internationally, but already has a strong name in regional academia. The authors will have no cost for publication, and the presence of this platform on the databases like DOAB allows its visibility worldwide.
Language Science Press has established itself as an open access pioneer in linguistics. It provides with community-led peer-review, free for authors. Language Science Press Articles in syntax, phonology, typology, and related fields, supported by a consortium of libraries. Its excellent reputation among linguists and its inclusion in the DOAB and OAPEN repositories have turned it into one of the most prestigious and visible platforms for language scholars.
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