It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint: Launching and Sustaining the Momentum for Open Access Journals

While starting an open access journal can lead to exciting new venues for scholarship, the initial enthusiasm of a journal’s founders can wane when faced with the daunting task of keeping the momentum going after the first issue is launched. Even with a steady source of funding from a scholarly society or institution, many factors can play into the demise of an OA publication. A journal requires an active editorial board, a pool of reliable reviewers and copy editors, and the ability to attract authors with high-quality content. Furthermore, a journal must also continuously attract readers who will then cite articles published in the journal. In order to do this, a journal must be disseminated to the appropriate audience, which means indexing in directories and databases, search engine optimization, and networking with organizations that can help publicize new issues. How well the editorial staff manages these many considerations can be the difference between a publishing endeavor that flourishes and one that does not. This presentation will address the potential challenges of launching an OA journal and provide strategies for maintaining a viable publication on a long-term basis. Examples of both successful and unsuccessful OA journals will be used to demonstrate best practices and pitfalls of open access publishing