APC and Fees

No. There is no charge to submit or review a manuscript. A charge applies only if your article or chapter is accepted.

After acceptance you receive an invoice by email. Authors in India pay by UPI in rupees. International authors pay by PayPal.

The location of the corresponding author decides the group. International groups follow the World Bank income classification: high and upper-middle income, lower-middle income, and low income.

No. Only the single best discount applies, up to 50%. The editorial board offer and the first volume of a launch journal are free and are not capped. A discount does combine with the licence you choose. After any discount or licence reduction, the charge never falls below the administrative fee shown in the rules above.

You choose the licence when your work is accepted. The more open the licence, the higher the charge. CC BY 4.0 is the standard open access licence and carries the full charge. CC BY-NC and CC BY-NC-ND cost less because they limit reuse. If you prefer closed access, you pay only the administrative fee.

Check your funder or institution first, because some funders require CC BY.

An authored book of up to 200 pages has one charge, shown in the table above. Longer books are quoted on request.

For an edited book, the editor pays a one-time registration fee. Each chapter author then pays the chapter charge. Discounts and licence options apply to the chapter charge, not to the registration fee.

Tick it in the calculator to see the estimate, then tell us when you submit or when you receive the invoice. We may ask for a short proof, for example a supervisor letter for the early-career discount.

You can ask for a hardship waiver after acceptance. It is decided separately from the editorial decision, so asking never affects whether your work is published.

GST at 18% is added to the invoice for authors in India, after the discount. The calculator shows it as a separate line. International authors are not charged GST.

Rates may be revised in June and December. The rates on this page are the current rates. See also the cancellation and refund policy and the open access policy.

Article Processing Charges are fees charged by publishers to cover the costs of publishing academic articles in open access journals. These charges support the various stages of publication, including peer review management, manuscript preparation, web hosting, and making the article freely available to readers worldwide. Unlike traditional subscription-based models where readers pay to access content, APCs shift the cost to authors or their institutions.

You typically need to pay APCs when publishing in fully open access journals or when choosing the open access option in hybrid journals (journals that offer both subscription and open access options). The payment is usually required after your paper has been accepted for publication but before it is published. Some journals may request APC payment during submission, but this is less common.

APC fees vary significantly across publishers and journals. Top-tier open access journals might charge between €2,000 to €9,500 per article. Mid-range journals typically charge €1,200 to €2,500. Some journals, particularly those in developing regions or supported by institutions, may charge lower fees or no fees at all. Factors affecting the fee include:

• Journal's prestige and impact factor
• Publisher size and infrastructure
• Included services and features
• Geographic location and market

Several options exist to reduce or avoid APC payments:

• Institutional agreements: Many institutions have agreements with publishers that cover or discount APCs for their affiliated researchers
• Waivers and discounts: Many journals offer full or partial APC waivers for researchers from low- and middle-income countries
• Research funding: Many funding bodies include provisions for APC payments in their grants
• Alternative venues: Consider journals that don't charge APCs while maintaining quality standards

APCs typically cover these services:

• Manuscript handling and peer review management
• Editorial oversight and communication
• Technical editing and formatting
• XML markup and metadata creation
• Platform hosting and maintenance
• Long-term digital preservation
• Article promotion and indexing
• Customer support for authors and readers
• DOI registration and maintenance

APC payments may be tax-deductible as professional expenses in some jurisdictions. However, this varies by country and specific circumstances. Consult with your institution's financial office or a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.

If you cannot pay the APC, consider these options:

• Contact the journal about waiver possibilities
• Explore funding options through your institution
• Consider publishing in a subscription-based journal
• Look for quality journals with lower or no APCs
• Check if your co-authors' institutions can cover the cost

To verify if an APC request is legitimate:

• Check if the journal is listed in trusted databases like DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals)
• Verify the publisher's membership in organizations like OASPA
• Ensure the APC amount matches what's listed on the journal's website
• Confirm the payment is requested through official channels
• Watch for red flags like dramatically lower fees or pressure to pay quickly

Yes, many funding agencies now recognize APCs as legitimate research costs. When writing grant proposals:

• Include estimated APC costs in your budget
• Check your funder's specific policies
• Consider potential increases in APC rates
• Include contingency funds for additional publications
• Document the importance of open access publishing

Submission fees are charged when you submit a manuscript, regardless of acceptance. They are typically much lower than APCs and cover initial processing costs. APCs are charged only upon acceptance and cover the entire publication process. Some journals charge both fees, but this is relatively uncommon.

Publishers typically determine APC amounts based on:

• Operational costs (staff, infrastructure, systems)
• Journal impact factor and prestige
• Market competition
• Additional services offered
• Geographic location and target author base
• Publishing volume and economies of scale
• Institutional partnerships and agreements

When planning your publication budget:

• Research current APC rates for target journals
• Account for potential annual increases
• Check for institutional agreements
• Consider alternative funding sources
• Factor in possible additional charges
• Keep records for tax purposes
• Plan for potential submission fees

To request an APC waiver:

• Check the journal's waiver policy before submission
• Submit your request as early as possible
• Provide clear justification
• Include relevant documentation
• Demonstrate financial need if required
• Follow up professionally
• Consider alternatives if denied