Frequently Asked Questions
Author FAQs
-
Print: Authors interested in publishing a monograph should start by submitting a proposal; additional information can be found on the Prospective Authors page. Those interested in publishing with one of the Press’ journals should refer to the guidelines for the respective journal.
Digital: The process for creating and distributing digital texts is more flexible, so interested parties should Contact Us with details about their project. The digital team can create new digital texts for courses, digitize print publications, and/or tailor one of our existing digital texts for your specific course - all depending on pedagogical needs.
-
The Press publishes works from the humanities, social sciences, and STEM, as well as works focused on the US Military Academy. The Press does not publish works of fiction.
-
The West Point Press aims to be a best-in-class publisher for print and digital publications, and the unique position of the Press enables us to do that.
Advantages of Publishing with the West Point Press
Authors pay no fees to publish their work, and print publications are distributed at no cost to readers. This Platinum Open Access model means greater exposure, citations, and engagement with open-access material, as well as greater collaboration and a faster impact.
Digital publications can be distributed any number of ways - including user purchases/rentals, or at no cost. Of course, digital publications have a number advantages, including: instantaneous updates, reader analytics for iterative authoring, infinite portability, and direct access to sources and cited content. We also have a team of specialists who design and build sophisticated interactive content for our books, dramatically increasing student engagement, comprehension, and performance.
-
Print: Authors who publish with the West Point Press retain their copyright. The Press publishes under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. This license allows readers to share (copy and distribute) the content in any medium or format as long as they: (1) give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made; (2) do not use for commercial purposes; and (3) do not distribute derivatives.
Digital: authors or the Press can retain the copyright, depending on how the project is structured.
-
Print: Authors incur no costs when publishing with the West Point Press. The press assumes all financial responsibility for editing, design, indexing, production, and distribution of the works it publishes.
Digital: Production costs can (1) be amortized in the cost of the book, (2) paid for by the author/institution, (3) covered by the West Point Press, or (4) some combination of the former.
-
Yes. The West Point Press has a sophisticated, user-friendly, drag-and-drop Builder that allows authors to build their own texts. Or, for more complex projects, the Press’ digital team can build the text and any bespoke interactives alongside author guidance.
-
Authors with Builder access can make changes to digital texts themselves, or coordinate with the Press for more complex projects.
-
New print monographs undergo a formal submission and review process, and are printed/distributed at no cost to the author. The publication process for journals is specific to each; please refer to individual journals for criteria.
Digital publications do not have a formal submission and review process. They can be used for a wide variety of projects, from signature course texts to digital supplements and one-off projects. Distribution flexibility means costs can be incurred by purchasing users, the author, a sponsoring institution, the Press, or any combination thereof.
Student FAQs
-
Digital texts can be purchased at app.rowan.nyc; just select the appropriate text, add to your card, and securely checkout. Your bookshelf is available at the same portal, where you can access and interact with your book at any time.
-
The Press’ digital portal - app.rowan.nyc - can be accessed on any device. Please note that books are specifically formatted for computer screens and iPads (in landscape); smaller screens trigger reformatting. Chrome and firefox browsers are recommended.
-
Yes. When logged in, click on your user avatar, and select settings. You can change your username (email), password, or name. Please note that email changes will send a confirmation email; you need to click the link in the email to process the change.
-
Not a problem. Click the “forgot password” link on the login page. You will enter your email, and if an account exists, a link will be sent where you can reset your password.
-
When checking out, enter the promo code in your cart, and the proper adjustments will be applied.
-
-
If your book can be rented, a rental option will be seen below the buy button. Rented texts are only available for the length of the course (usually about five months).
Instructor FAQs
-
For a more expansive understanding of what the Press’ digital texts can do, refer to the Advantages of Our Digital Texts. There are many, including:
Time-Space Comprehension: precise and sophisticated interactives allow students to visualize across space and time.
Instantaneous updates: Books are continuously updated, so students always have access to the most current version.
Easy distribution: without publishing companies, printers, or other gatekeepers, books can reach a worldwide audience instantaneously.
Efficiency Gains: a variety of interactive features allow students to more efficiently understand key information, with impressive learning outcomes.
Rigorous Scholarship: content can be layered that allows students to expand on precise topics and link directly to primary sources.
Dynamic Feedback: aggregate analytics provide instructors with real-time data that helps them improve content.
Full-Spectrum Learning: by regularly alternating between sensory requirements, the digital books keep students engaged, reduce fatigue, improve retention, and accommodate a wide variety of learning styles.
Infinite Portability: no books needed; students can access their content anywhere with their device(s).
-
If you would like to use one of our existing digital texts, or a portion thereof, in your class, please contact us and we can easily set up a custom volume for you. This is often done with our comprehensive surveys of military history, leadership development, military science, counterterrorism, and other titles.
-
The process for developing digital texts is much more flexible than for print, so please Contact Us with relevant details to get the project started.
-
If you have access to our Builder portal, you can make changes to the book and request them to be deployed (published) for students. Or you can request that our team make the changes if you don’t have Builder access, or if the changes are more complex. We always review texts before deploying for quality control.
-
Digital texts can be purchased and accessed any time via our portal at app.rowan.nyc.
-
Yes. Our books include author tools that allow instructors to see aggregate analytics on how students use the book, how long they spend on a page, when they exit chapters, and other key metrics. This feedback allows authors to revise content in real time and dramatically improve content.
-
That is up to instructors/course directors. If there would be a tangible benefit for students having lifetime access, purchase is recommended so that students can always see the most up-to-date content. Otherwise, rentals provide access to students only for the term of the course.
-
That is not a problem. The Press has worked with many bookstores. For our digital texts, we can presell unique access codes to bookstores, which they can resell to students. Students simply checkout with their books and enter the code.
-
Please refer them to the student FAQs. If they are still having trouble, they can Contact Us directly.
Miscellaneous FAQs
-
Yes. The West Point Press is a proud member of the Association of University Presses. As a member, the West Point Press joins a group of over 150 nonprofit scholarly publishers with high editorial and professional standards who stand with a common mission to ensure academic excellence and cultivate knowledge.
-
The West Point Press developed its policies and procedures using guidance from (1) Best Practices for Peer Review from the Association of University Presses and (2) Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing, Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
-
The Press’ policies and practices are designed to ensure the rigor of the scholarly publication process and to protect the interests of the author, the Press, and the US Military Academy. The Press takes allegations of personal or professional misconduct, plagiarism, conflicts of interest, validity and reproducibility of data, ethical misconduct, and misappropriation of intellectual property seriously and strives to maintain the highest ethical standards.
-
The Press views diversity and inclusion as vital to encouraging vigorous discussion and innovation. The Press’ hiring and acquisitions practices are designed to encourage different perspectives.
-
Platinum Open Access is the publishing model the West Point Press uses for print monographs. This means readers have unencumbered access to the content published by the Press without payment of any fees. Further, authors pay no publication fee and all the costs of publishing are covered by the Press. The Press’ open access model ensures publishing decisions are based on the quality of the work and the overall contribution to the existing literature—not on generating revenue.
-
The West Point Press publishing model does not rely on any form of advertising revenue. Advertisements are not related in any way to the editorial decision-making process.