Cambridge University Press (CUP) is testing a new model, “Flip It Open,” to make books openly available after they have sold enough copies to achieve a revenue threshold. CUP has selected 28 titles for this program based on editorial conversations with authors. The books will be sold through CUP’s usual channels. Once each title has reached £8,000 in revenue, it will be made open access on the Cambridge Core platform. At that time a low cost paperback of the title will also be published. Both the digital and paperback versions of the book will include a list of libraries who have purchased the title to contribute to its conversion to open access. This model frees authors from paying fees and relies on libraries’ customary purchases to transition a publication to open access. The pilot will last 18 months and be assessed at its conclusion.
