Our publishing process

Books

Check our welcome guide to publish books with us

Proposal

To ensure a smooth process, we ask that all prospective authors to share the following details in advance:

Type of publication
Expected title and subtitle
Aims
Abstract
6 Keywords
Full author or editor information and list of contributors
Structure and chapter outline
Timeline and current status

Please send your proposal to openpress@tilburguniversity.edu. We are happy to discuss your ideas and guide you through the next steps.

Quality assurance

While we do not currently manage an in-house peer review process, we strongly encourage authors and editors, especially scholarly and edited volumes, to arrange appropriate peer review as part of their preparation. At present, the responsibility for organizing and overseeing peer review lies with the author(s) or editor(s). Although we do not yet provide formal peer review support, we are happy to discuss best practices and offer guidance to prospective editors who wish to strengthen the academic rigor of their publication. Enhancing peer review support is an important area we aim to improve as our publishing program evolves.

The review process should be open by default: reviewers and writers are allowed to be open about their identities. The author is also allowed to share the manuscript or preprint before publication, to arrange a thorough scholarly discussion. On request of the author, the peer review procedure may also be executed blind (with anonymous author) or double blind (anonymous author and anonymous reviewers).

Reviewers are asked to write a statement, addressing the soundness of the methodology and conducted research, the structure of the argumentation; the utilization of proper data handling, referencing and FAIR principles. The statements will be forwarded to the author of the submitted manuscript. On basis of mutual agreement of authors and reviewers, these statements are also allowed to be published openly (on ResearchEquals, Open Science Framework, or another Open Science Platform).

Additionally, the reviewers are asked to provide a (confidential) verdict, with three options: 1.) the manuscript can be published as it is, 2.) the manuscript needs rewriting, or 3.) the manuscript is not suited for publication. In case a reviewer reckons the manuscript to be deficient, the publication process will be aborted or postponed. The Editorial Board is responsible for weighing review reports and deciding on publication.

Copyright and open licensing

When publishing with us, authors and editors remain the copyright holders of their work. We do not require copyright transfer. Instead, we use open licenses to ensure your work can be shared, reused, and cited in meaningful ways, while preserving your rights as the creator.

We work with all Creative Commons licenses and will help you select the option that best aligns with your goals. By default, we recommend the CC BY (Attribution) license, which allows for maximum dissemination and reuse with proper credit to the author.

As the copyright holder, you are responsible for:

Ensuring that your manuscript is original and does not infringe on third-party rights
Obtaining permission for any copyrighted materials (images, tables, extended quotations, etc.) used in the publication
Properly crediting all sources and contributors
Selecting and understanding the implications of your chosen Creative Commons license

Our colleagues at the Copyright Information Point (part of the University Library) are also available to assist with more complex questions around copyright, reuse of third-party content, and permissions.

Production

We collaborate with a trusted network of external professionals to provide the production services once your manuscript is completely finalized. These consist of typesetting and cover design.

We collaborate with the following partners:

We coordinate the design of your publication's interior layout and cover in close consultation with you. Our goal is to ensure readability, consistency, and a visual identity that reflects both academic standards and your book’s unique character.

While we do not offer in-house copyediting, we strongly recommend professional editing for clarity, consistency, and language quality. We are happy to connect authors with experienced freelance editors who specialize in academic texts. Please note that authors are responsible for the costs and coordination of copyediting services.

Your final manuscript is typeset into a publication-ready format (PDF, EPUB, and/or HTML), optimized for digital access and print-on-demand.

Proofing process

We follow a two-step proofing process to ensure a high-quality final product:

First Proof

You receive a complete typeset version of your manuscript. This is your opportunity to review formatting, layout, and minor corrections. Please note that major content changes are not possible at this stage

Second Proof

After your feedback is implemented, you receive a second, near-final version for final review. Only minor, non-structural changes are accepted at this stage.

Metadata

We take care of assigning and distributing high-quality metadata to ensure that your publication is properly identified, cited, and widely discoverable across academic and library platforms.

Each publication receives a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), providing a persistent and citable link to your work

We assign one International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) to the print version of the publication.

We deliver publication metadata to major catalogues and discovery services, including:

• OCLC Knowledge Base This makes your publication visible in library catalogues

• Tilburg University Research Portal Your publication is registered in Pure, the university’s research information system, which also ensures indexing in Google Scholar and OpenAire, and increased visibility within the academic community

• [In Progress] National Catalogue of the Netherlands University Presses Open Press is contributing to the development of a shared catalogue for further expanding national and international reach of the Netherlands University Presses publications

Digital Preservation

All publications are deposited in the institutional repository Tilburg University Open Repository. Through this platform, the digital version is automatically preserved via the Royal Library of the Netherlands (KB).

For books that undergo peer review, we also ensure broader and durable preservation through:

OAPEN Library
Your full-text publication is deposited in the Open Access Publishing in European Networks (OAPEN) Library, a trusted platform for long-term storage and dissemination of open access books
Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB)
The metadata for your peer-reviewed book is submitted to DOAB, enhancing visibility while signalling its quality and academic integrity

Dissemination

Digital distribution

Internal Platforms - Open Press Tilburg University Platform (Manifold) ( our digital publishing platform offers an enriched reading experience with features like media embedding, annotation, and chapter navigation) - Tilburg University Research Portal - Tilburg University WorldCat Discovery

External Platforms - Edusources (Textbooks) - Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB)* - OAPEN Library* *For peer reviewed publications

Print distribution (print-on-demand)

Internal Channels - Open Press Tilburg University Webshop - Our own webshop offers direct purchase options for print editions at fair prices. We work in close collaboration with MijnBestseller

External Channels - Bol.com (Netherlands and Belgium) - Boekhandels Nederland - Amazon (Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, United States, United Kingdom)

Promotion strategies

While we do not yet offer full-scale marketing services, we are working to expand our promotional support for authors. We currently offer: - Each publication is featured in a dedicated post on our LinkedIn channel, highlighting the work and providing direct access to the publication - We aim to collaborate with Tilburg University’s Schools to include featured publications in relevant internal newsletters - We are developing a format for short author interviews to be published on the Library Research Support Team blog, offering authors a space to discuss the motivation, relevance, and impact of their work in a more personal way - We encourage authors to organize book launch events, whether in-person or online. We are happy to assist with planning, promotion, and connecting with potential hosts or moderators within the university community

General publishing guidelines

Recommended manuscript lengths

Monographs: 50,000 to 80,000 words
Edited volumes: 70,000 to 100,000 words
Individual chapters of edited volumes: 5,000–7,000 words
Textbooks: 60,000 to 100,000 words

Manuscript elements

Title Page (Title and subtitle; Author(s) or editor(s) names; Institutional affiliations)
Table of Contents (Include page numbers and chapter titles)
Introduction (Outline the purpose, scope, and relevance of the work)
Main Body (Organized into chapters or sections with clear headings; Consistent formatting and citation style. We recommend using APA Style. More information about this can be found here
Conclusion (Summary of key points and potential impact or recommendations)
References (Properly formatted citations using a consistent academic style. We recommend using APA Style. More information about this can be found here
Appendices (if needed) (Supplementary material)
Acknowledgements (Optional section recognizing contributions and support)
Contributor Biographies (Short bios for authors/editors)
Back cover blurb (Short description between 100-200 words)

File delivery

Full manuscript: Please deliver the manuscript in a Word file. For edited volumes, we kindly request that you deliver a separate Word file per chapter
Tables and Figures: Tables and figures should be delivered as separate files, preferably in TIF, EPS or JPG format; Ensure that each figure includes a caption with appropriate source attribution. Authors are responsible for securing permission to use any third-party content.

Author support

We work closely with colleagues from the Library research support team, namely with the Copyright Information Point (for advice on copyright, reuse permissions, and rights clearance, especially when incorporating images, figures, or other external content into your work); and the Open Access Information Point (for questions about open access publishing, funder requirements, and Creative Commons licensing).

Forthcoming

Contrasts and Contradiction

Europe's Christian Heritage