What an APC is and why we charge it
An Article Processing Charge (APC) is the fee that funds the publication of an accepted article under an open-access model. Because Open Access Pub publishes everything we accept under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license with no subscription walls and no reader paywalls, the costs of editorial management, peer-review administration, professional production and permanent archiving cannot be recovered from readers or libraries. They are met instead by a single charge associated with publication.
Our model is straightforward. There is no fee to submit a manuscript and no fee to read a published article. Open Access Pub is funded primarily through APCs, and the charge applies only once a manuscript has been peer-reviewed and formally accepted. Submitting your work and having it considered by our editors and reviewers costs you nothing.
The principle in one line
You pay nothing to submit and nothing to read. A single APC is payable only if—and after—your article is accepted for publication.
How much will I pay?
We publish 198 peer-reviewed journals, and the APC is set per journal rather than as one flat figure across the portfolio. Most of our journals charge US$1,200 per accepted article. Across the full portfolio, APCs range from US$1,080 to US$2,400 depending on the journal.
The exact APC for any given journal is published on that journal's own page and listed in our journal directory, so you can confirm the figure before you submit. Browse titles and their charges in All Journals.
What your APC covers
The APC supports the full publication process from acceptance through to permanent availability of the version of record. A single charge covers all of the following:
- ✓Editorial handling and peer-review administration
- ✓Professional production, including HTML, PDF and JATS XML typesetting
- ✓Crossref DOI registration for the article
- ✓Indexing deposits and metadata distribution
- ✓Permanent hosting and digital archiving
- ✓Promotion of the published work
Waivers & discounts
★ Ability to pay is never a barrier to publishing with us
Waiver requests are assessed independently of editorial decisions. Asking for a waiver has no bearing whatsoever on whether your manuscript is accepted, and editors and reviewers do not see your waiver status when making their decision.
We offer the following forms of support. To be considered, please request a waiver or discount before or at the point of submission by writing to [email protected] with the relevant details.
- ✓Low- and lower-middle-income economies: partial waivers are available on a case-by-case basis, assessed according to need.
- ✓Students: a reduced flat student rate (commonly around US$540, varying by journal) applies on presentation of a valid student ID.
- ✓Editors and reviewers: discounts of up to 30% may be available. These are not combinable with other waivers.
- ✓Independent of acceptance: all waiver and discount decisions are made separately from the peer-review and editorial process.
When and how you pay
You pay only on acceptance. There is nothing to pay at submission and nothing to pay during peer review. Once your manuscript has been formally accepted, our team will email you a secure payment link together with details of the applicable charge for your journal and any waiver or discount that has been agreed.
| Stage | What you pay |
|---|---|
| Submission | Nothing — there is no submission fee. |
| Peer review | Nothing — review and editorial handling are free to authors. |
| On acceptance | The journal's APC (less any agreed waiver or discount), paid via the secure link we email you. |
| Reading the published article | Nothing — the article is open access under CC BY 4.0. |
Withdrawals
You may withdraw a manuscript at any time. If a manuscript is withdrawn more than three days after submission, a withdrawal/processing charge of 30% of the journal's APC applies, reflecting the editorial and administrative work already undertaken on the submission. Manuscripts withdrawn within three days of submission are not subject to this charge.
If you intend to submit your work elsewhere, you must first obtain formal confirmation of withdrawal from us. This protects you and the wider scholarly record by ensuring a manuscript is not under consideration at two venues at once. To begin a withdrawal, contact [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay anything to submit?
No. Submission is free, and so is peer review. A charge applies only after a manuscript has been accepted for publication.
Are there any hidden charges?
No. The APC for your journal is the only charge, and it is published in advance on the journal's page and in All Journals. There are no submission fees, no page charges, no color-figure fees and no reader charges. The only other charge that can arise is the withdrawal charge described above, and only under the conditions stated.
Can I get a waiver?
Possibly. We offer partial waivers for authors from low- and lower-middle-income economies, a reduced student rate, and discounts of up to 30% for editors and reviewers. Request consideration before or at submission by emailing [email protected]. Waiver decisions are made independently of the editorial decision on your manuscript.
What license will my article be published under?
All articles are published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license, and authors retain copyright in their work. You can read more about what this means on our Open Access page.
Where can I read the full fee and ethics policies?
Our complete policy set, including how we handle post-publication corrections and retractions, is available on the Policies page.
Ready to submit your research?
Start with a free submission—you will only ever be asked to pay once your work has been peer-reviewed and accepted. Have a question about charges, waivers or eligibility first? Our team is glad to help.