Palgrave Macmillan's new publishing initiative enables authors to publish research in a mid-length format, between journal articles and monographs, allowing for quicker dissemination of new work. With an average production time of 9 weeks and an open access program, the initiative responds to the academic community's demand for alternative publishing models. Surveys indicate a strong interest in mid-length publications, with many academics satisfied yet desiring more up-to-date literature.

1. Breaking Boundaries in Scholarly Publishing
www.palgrave.com/pivot
breaks down the boundaries of
academic publishing by enabling authors to publish their
research at lengths between that of a journal article and
a scholarly monograph.
Publishing within 12 weeks of acceptance after full
peer-review, new research will reach the market quickly
for greater impact.
Projects published with are:
at lengths between a journal article and a scholarly
monograph, in the region of 25-50 thousand words
focused on new and important research
both authored or edited collections
Published digitally, titles are available to libraries through
their library supplier or via Palgrave Connect. They are
also offered as print editions or as ebooks for individuals.
Palgrave Macmillan recently announced a new Open Access
programme across all publication formats: titles,
journal articles and monographs.
With Palgrave Open, Palgrave Macmillan is taking the lead in
responding to the academic community’s request for an alternative
publishing model to sit alongside traditional methods.
Speed of Production – the average production time for a title is 9
weeks. Sporting Times by Kath Woodward published in just 5 weeks.
Length of Publications – the average page count for a
title is 134 pages.
Number of titles – launched in October 2012 with 21
titles across the Humanities and Social Sciences. Many more titles
are due to publish throughout 2013.
Research and reading habits
Most respondents are satisfied with the quantity and quality of literature within their field, however 60% said that they wished
they could be more up-to-date
Working papers and conference papers were the formats that were most likely to be read online. Monographs were most likely
to be read in print. Articles were the format that the greatest proportion (38%) said they read online and in print equally
Keeping up-to-date with news and opinions
All content types were considered to be useful (research articles, monographs, chapters of monographs, working papers and
conference papers) by at least half of respondents. Review articles received the most positive response, with 93% finding them
useful
While most were satisfied with the volume of news and opinion content available, 1/4 of respondents would like to see more
news content and editorials
View on publishing formats
58% of those surveyed responded that they ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ that it would be a good idea to have a mid-length
publication format
 Of those plus those that were indifferent, 84% said that they were ‘likely’ or ‘quite likely’ to considered publishing in this new
format
 For articles, over 2/3 (64%) were of the view that they are generally about the right length, with those who disagreed tending to
feel that they are a little too long
By listening to academic surveys, Palgrave Macmillan has been able to develop its products and services according to what the
market needs. offers an alternative format for publishing scholarly research. The Open Access programme for all
publication formats strengthens Palgrave Macmillan’s commitment to liberating scholarship from traditional formats and business
models.