Beyond the Academic Publishing Crisis: Building an Open Access Nonprofit Actually Works
The Academic Publishing Crisis: A Tipping Point in 2024
The recent mass resignations at the Journal of Human Evolution—as reported in ArsTechnica—weren’t just another academic protest. They were a mirror reflecting two decades of structural transformation in scholarly publishing. The editors’ concerns hit home:
- AI implementation without notification
- Reduced support
- $3,990 submission fees
They joined Syntax, Critical Public Health, and NeuroImage in opposing profit-driven publishing models by refusing to work for the organizations.
The Future of Academic Publishing: Innovation in Open Access
In 2006, Drew Davidson and I saw this collision coming. So, we launched ETC Press, an experimental open-access imprint housed at Carnegie Mellon University. We became one of the leading publishers of work about games, education, and society before turning over the reins to CMU Press in early 2024.
Watching the 20th editorial board resignation since 2023 reminded us how important it was to continue finding new publishing models that serve authors. Late last year, we launched Play Story Press with a bold vision:
- Diamond open-access nonprofit model ensuring sustainable, author-first publishing
- Complete author ownership of intellectual property rights
- Free, unrestricted access to all publications
- Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) for all work ensuring proper citation
- Rapid 1-2 month publishing timeline from submission to publication
Moving Forward: Making Open Access an Affordable Reality
The current upheaval in academic publishing is a rallying cry for change. Our work has shown—and continues to show—that academic freedom and open access aren’t merely aspirational goals. They are achievable realities.
The current transformation in academic publishing shows how innovative models can address the field’s longstanding challenges while better serving the academic community. In the coming weeks, I’ll detail how we used technology to streamline our work and reduce production costs.