Before Library submission

Just prior to submitting your manuscript to the Library:

• Check that you have completed these tasks before you publish your open textbook. Add an SDG if it is aligned with any Sustainable Development Goals, e.g.,
  • Select the following subject under ‘Additional Subjects’: Relating to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • Add the specific SDG at the end of the Short Description, e.g., This activity is aligned with SDG1 – No poverty.

• Decide which format(s) you want your work available to be downloaded. The most popular formats are EPUB, PDF (for digital distribution), and PDF (for print). Note that end users can only download the formats you have exported your work. If you have made changes to the original text since the files were downloaded you will need to replace the downloaded files. To do this you will need to delete the current downloaded files, then export the files again to make them available for downloading.

• If only certain chapters will be made visible/released at a time, password-protect the chapters which are yet to be completed so they are not visible to the users.

• Notify the Scholarly Publishing Consultant when it’s ready to be released/published (made public), and they will arrange for your content to appear in the Western Open Books catalogue and discoverable from the Library search box. If the content of your work is greater than 1,500 words it will also be visible in the global Pressbooks Directory.

• If you create intellectual property (a “Project”) on the platform, the Project and its associated Intellectual Property Rights shall be owned by the author or Western Sydney University, as applicable.

For information about copyright in Australia and Creative Commons licensing and attribution, visit A Guide to Creative Commons.

Submitting your manuscript to the Library

Contact the Scholarly Publishing Consultant when you are ready for the Library to upload your manuscript to the Western Open Books.

If you have a large amount of content, discuss with the Scholarly Publishing Consultant whether you would like have it uploaded in sections, e.g., chapter-by-chapter.

After the content has been checked and approved for uploading into Western Open Books, the Scholarly Publishing Consultant will assign a Western Open Books shell (book template). After the files are uploaded, the Digital Publishing Library will liaise with the author to work on the layout and design of the content only, and not change the text.

After the Library has imported the Word file into Western Open Books, the author will receive a link to their open textbook ‘Shell’ (open textbook webbook template).

After Library Submission

Upon Library submission, you can expect the following pre-publication activities:

• Your manuscript will be reviewed by the University Copyright Officer and you will receive advice on any changes that should be applied.
• The Library will generate a Turnitin Similarity Report and share it with you.
• Once any changes have been incorporated, the Digital Publishing Librarian will upload and format your content in Western Open Books. The Library will liaise with you throughout this process.
• The Digital Publishing Librarian will also design a cover image with a Western Open Books visual identity (‘logo’) for you.
• When this stage is completed, the Scholarly Publishing Consultant will liaise with you to coordinate peer review by two (2) external subject experts. This can take six (6) to eight (8) weeks, excluding author review and feedback.
• When this stage is completed, the Scholarly Publishing Consultant will coordinate external supplier to copyedit and proofread the manuscript. This can take one (1) to two (2) weeks, excluding author review and feedback.
• During this time, the Library will also index and catalogue your text and update the Book Info on the Western Open Books platform.
• After the Scholarly Publishing Librarian has checked and approved the quality of the open textbook, downloadable files will be made available, and the textbook will be published and catalogued in external open text repositories.

Additional resources

• Pressbooks. Book Creation
• Pressbooks. Simple 5 Step Guide to Making a Book with Pressbooks
• Pressbooks. Modifying and Open Textbooks: What You Need to Know
• Pressbooks. Bring your content into Pressbooks. Pressbooks User Guide
• Burnett, M., Elder, A., and Gruber, A.M.. Importing and Exporting Content for Pressbooks. OER Primer for Iowa Regents Institutions. IOWA State University
• OER Production Team. Images and Files, Pressbooks Guide: a reference for OER creators using Pressbooks. BCcampus