1 Prepare your proposal

Consider the following before you schedule a scoping consultation with your School Librarian:

Do you have a clear purpose and audience for your open text?

Defining your purpose and audience is one of the most important steps in creating an effective and impactful open text. Ask yourself:

• Who are you writing for? (e.g., first-year undergraduates, postgraduate students, professionals in a specific field)
• What problem are you solving? (e.g., lack of affordable materials, absence of local or culturally relevant content, need for more interactive or inclusive resources)
• How will the textbook be used? (e.g., core reading for a unit, supplementary material, flipped classroom resource)
• What format will it need to be available in (e.g., EPUB, PDF, other)
• What’s the publishing timeframe (i.e., is there a specific timeframe it needs to be published by?)
• Are there any restrictions on making the open text free and openly licensed?
• Do I need to acknowledge any grant funders?
• Is the content to be transferred from another platform? (What’s the reason for adopting or adapting this content?)
• Do you have written permission from the third-party copyright owner (i.e., to reuse their content for this intended purpose)?
• Will you be collaborating on this project, such as with other academics or students?

Your purpose helps you focus on what matters most: improving the student learning experience and filling a gap in current materials. Having a clear audience helps shape the tone, depth, structure, and pedagogical features of your text, whether it includes foundational explanations, advanced theory, case studies, or practical applications.

If you’re unsure, the Western Open Books team (comprising your School Librarian and Western Open Books) can help you map your purpose and audience to learning outcomes and develop a book outline aligned with your teaching goals.

For Academics

Do you have a clear purpose and audience for your open textbook?

Yes, and identifying them early is key to developing a successful and pedagogically sound open textbook.

• Your purpose might be to align with specific learning outcomes, replace costly commercial textbooks, support a flipped or blended learning model, or incorporate localised or culturally relevant examples into the curriculum.

• Your audience could include undergraduate or postgraduate students at Western Sydney University or other institutions, including first-in-family or multilingual learners who benefit from inclusive, accessible resources.

Knowing your purpose and audience guides the structure, tone, content depth, and inclusion of features like activities, videos, and discussion prompts. It ensures the resource is relevant and engaging for your learners.

If you’re unsure how to define this, the Western Open Books team can help you map your textbook’s purpose to your unit guide and shape content that meets your teaching and engagement goals.

For Researchers

Do you have a clear purpose and audience for your open text?

Establishing your purpose and audience from the outset will help ensure your open text has scholarly relevance and broader impact.

• Your purpose might be to disseminate research findings, share practice-based knowledge, contribute to policy or public understanding, or fill a disciplinary gap not served by traditional publishers.

• Your audience could be fellow researchers, practitioners, policymakers, community groups, or interdisciplinary readers beyond your immediate field.

This clarity informs your choice of language, structure, academic tone, and supplementary content (e.g., case studies, datasets, visuals). It also improves discoverability and potential for engagement, collaboration, and citation.

If you’re publishing through Western Open Books, the Western Open Books team can help you define your audience, position your work strategically, and ensure it’s visible, citable, and aligned with your research goals.

Does your proposal meet the Western Open Books acceptance criteria?

Your School Librarian can help you determine whether your proposal meets the following Western Open Books acceptance criteria:

• • There must be a minimum of one Western Sydney University (WSU) author
  • The proposed learning and teaching resource will be used for a specific WSU course or microcredential, or
  • The proposed resource supports the University’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • Conference papers or articles to be published as collections must have been peer reviewed and copy edited.

Have you addressed any questions you might have about open textbook publishing?

To help you get started, we’ve listed some questions that often come up for first-time open textbook authors and responses to consider:

Q. Not Just Another Textbook – What are the differences between an open and standard textbook?

Open textbooks are freely available, openly licensed resources that can be adapted, updated, and shared without cost barriers. Unlike standard textbooks, which are locked under restrictive copyright and often costly, open textbooks empower academics to tailor content for their students, enhance accessibility, and align materials with specific learning outcomes. You retain authorship credit and extend your impact.

Q. Writing Experience – What is my writing experience? Where might I need help with a textbook?

Reflect on your experience with journal articles, book chapters, course materials, grant applications, and peer reviews. You might need support in areas such as content structuring, multimedia integration, referencing, editing, formatting, or peer review. The Library can help with all of these, and we encourage collaboration and adaptation.

Q. Cost – Is there a cost to publish?

There is no cost to WSU authors. Western Open Books is a free service provided by the Library to support open scholarship.

Q. Why Should I Give My Work Away? – Do I have concerns about releasing my textbook with an open-copyright licence?

Common concerns include loss of income, loss of control, and limited recognition. However, open textbooks typically earn greater visibility, support student success, and are increasingly recognised in promotion and grant processes. Open access enhances your global reach and academic profile while ensuring proper attribution and licensing.

Q. Copyright and Open Licences – Do I understand how open-copyright licences work, and how to explain them?

Refer to the WSU Intellectual Property (IP) Policy. Authors typically retain copyright in research outputs, including scholarly books, unless other agreements apply. For open textbooks, authors also generally retain copyright under WSU’s IP provisions.

Creative Commons licences allow you to control how others use your work. For example, CC BY requires attribution, CC BY-NC prevents commercial use, and CC BY-SA requires adapted works to remain open. The Library can help you choose a licence, apply it correctly, and communicate its meaning to others.

Q. Concerns About Plagiarism – Do I understand how plagiarism relates to an open textbook?

Open licensing does not eliminate copyright protection. Plagiarism—using your work without attribution—remains unethical and unacceptable. Open textbooks should include citation and reuse statements that reinforce your authorship. The Library will help you correctly attribute reused materials and safeguard your work.

Q. Quality – Do I understand all aspects of textbook quality? Am I prepared to ensure high quality?

Quality in open textbook publishing refers to the academic rigour, structural clarity, pedagogical design, accessibility, and editorial polish of your work. It includes rigorous peer review, alignment with learning outcomes, proper citation, and adherence to scholarly standards.

It’s essential to distinguish between “quality” and “prestige.” Quality refers to the effectiveness, accuracy, and helpfulness of your resource in meeting your students’ learning needs. Prestige, on the other hand, often refers to the perceived status of the publisher or outlet, which may not always align with accessibility or pedagogical relevance. Open textbooks can be high-quality, peer-reviewed, and widely adopted even if they are not associated with traditional commercial publishers.

Western Open Books supports quality through transparent peer review, professional editing, and adherence to academic integrity. High-quality open textbooks enhance your teaching, expand your reach, and enhance your academic profile.

Q. How does peer review work?

Western Open Books employs a double-open peer review process, where both the author and reviewer identities are concealed from each other. This approach fosters transparency and collegial feedback. Authors receive structured review reports before acceptance.

Q. What support is available?

The Library provides comprehensive support throughout the publishing process, including:

• Copyright review and Creative Commons (CC) licensing guidance.
• Editorial and formatting advice, plus manuscript templates.
• DOI minting and metadata management for discoverability.
• Help develop a realistic timeframe for publishing, typically 12–24 months for an open textbook.
• Coordination of peer review and quality check stages.
• Assistance with book promotion, including social media, repository visibility, and Library news.
• Coordination of a book launch.
• Help from your School Librarian to find and incorporate suitable open-access resources into your book.
• Coordination of expert translations: The Library can assist in sourcing NAATI-certified translators or bilingual subject experts to translate your open textbook into another language. Translation projects are prioritised where they support curriculum inclusivity, international collaboration, or multilingual student cohorts.

Q. Can I update my book later?

Yes. Revised editions can be submitted through a formal update process, accompanied by a new version history.

Q. I’m time-poor – what are my options for publishing an open textbook?

There are several practical options:

• Adapt an existing open textbook: Modify or localise content from an open textbook under a CC licence.
• Collaborate with colleagues: Share writing, reviewing, or editing tasks across a team.
• Nominate co-authors: Invite sessional staff, learning designers, or HDR students to contribute.
• Apply for the Academic Development Program (ADP): Use approved ADP time for authorship.
• Submit a module or chapter: Instead of a whole book, contribute a themed section to a larger work.
• Release a beta version for feedback: Publish an early version to trial with students and collect feedback to improve it before the final version.

Browse the Library FAQs

These Library FAQs will help address other questions you might have about publishing open textbooks.

Do you have a good understanding of Creative Commons licensing?

Knowing the difference between each licence will help you:

• • Identify suitable open content and textbooks for re-use
  • Correctly attribute (openly license) your open text
  • Determine licence compatibility (use this Creative Commons License Compatibility Chart for guidance)
  • Watch these videos about Creative Commons (CC) licensing and combining CC licences. Test your Creative Commons licensing knowledge with these interactive games included in the Guide to Creative Commons.

Your School Librarian can help you find suitable Creative Commons (CC) licensed materials, such as high-quality open textbooks, to adapt or adopt for local context and closely align with the curriculum or for microcredentials.

The University Copyright Officer will also provide expert advice and support on copyright matters and open licensing, including,

• • Seeking permissions on your behalf to use third-party content
  • Attributing your open textbook