Outreach to former and current authors
understand the Opening the Future model or, indeed, have any knowledge of open access publishing in general. There is, for example, no guarantee that authors have heard of book processing charges and it can be a dangerous field to open. However, they can present a very compelling case to the library about possibly avoiding future BPCs, especially if they are an author you have a lengthy relationship with, by paying a much smaller fee to contribute to flipping your press’ frontlist.
Emails to these individuals should:
• Be addressed from a known and trusted figure, such as the acquisitions editor who worked with the author previously.
• Be specifically actionable. The email should clearly ask the author to reach out to a particular librarian, if possible with a name and contact address.
• Require as little work on the author’s part as possible. Use the below templates to attach the email that you would like the author to send to the library.
• Be personalised so as not to come across as marketing spam.
• Comply with all General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provisions for opt-out if an author does not wish to hear any more.
Sample Email to Author
Dear X,
[insert your personal greeting]
I am writing to let you know of an innovative Open Access scheme at [insert press name]. In order for this scheme to work, and for new scholarship to be well supported, I am asking for your help with contacting your library.
Opening the Future is a membership programme for university libraries whereby they subscribe to a selection of our titles and in return we use their membership fees to publish new scholarship in
Open Access format, freely available to all and with no author facing fees. You can find more details on the scheme at [insert web address].
Our books will continue to be available in print, but the pandemic has shown that not only are digital editions essential for research and teaching, but that they must also be affordable.
If you were able, please, to write to your library requesting that they sign up to support the initiative, it would be of great help. I attach a sample email you can use (copied below) and I believe the correct library contact is: [insert contact detail here]
With your - and their - help we can begin to eliminate Book Processing Charges for scholars that do not have access to research funder budgets. And we can freely disseminate new scholarship far and wide.
With many thanks for your consideration and best wishes, [insert your name]
Sample Template Email to Library from Author
Dear [insert librarian name],
My publisher, [insert press name], runs and open access initiative called
Opening the Future, which I would like you to consider supporting.
With annual fees of between [€£$insert figure] and [€£$insert figure] per institution this is a low- risk way of supporting a model that can be scaled up throughout the world of smaller university presses. [insert press name] is offering collections of excellent backlist titles, the subscription fees of which will be used to publish the frontlist open access.
In essence [insert press name] has launched a collective subscription model that, through its membership scheme, makes library funds go further: achieving the dual objectives of increasing collections and supporting Open Access. The small annual fee would get the name of university term access to [insert number] titles, becoming perpetual access after three years; the membership revenue is used exclusively to publish new OA monographs.
The initiative aims to move away from unaffordable BPCs and spread costs more equitably.
There are further details on the website and signing up takes only a few minutes through a simple form at [insert signup URL]. I would encourage you to consider membership and feel free to contact the press for further details.
With many thanks for your consideration and with apologies if I have not addressed this email to exactly the right library colleague - I would be grateful if you could pass this on,
Outreach to Frontlist Authors
The degree of enthusiasm for open access varies hugely between authors. Nonetheless, frontlist authors who are convinced of the merits of OA make for powerful allies. Writing to authors in this category is particularly efficacious, when a work is in press or under contract, as they will often be keen to help the press to thrive.
Many of the same principles apply as in the above outreach to backlist authors, except that the relationship here is likely to be warmer and more active. The key is to do as much work on behalf of the academic as possible so that it is easy for them to write to their librarian.