STEPS TO EDIT AN EXISTING TEXTBOOK

Step 1: Check license to confirm that the open textbook you want to adapt has a license that allows modification and redistribution on the scale you need.

Step 2: Identify the format  of the open textbook you’d like to modify. Formats include PDF, EPUB, MOBI and more. 

Step 3: Assess the editability of the format you are choosing. For example, textbooks containing mathematical or scientific notation, non-roman alphabets, or diacritic language characters may require specific editing software.

Step 4: Determine access - you’ll want to decide where and in what format students can access your revised open textbook. Some students prefer reading a printed version; others prefer reading online or using an e-reader. Also, you will need a stable place to keep your textbook so that students can access it. Options include distributing the open textbook via your: institutional repository, learning management system (LMS), personal website and campus bookstore.

Step 5: Publish your textbook - remember to give proper attribution and choose an open license based on how the textbook you adapted was licensed. Solicit feedback as a way to identify errors and fix them.

Note: if you decide to publish your new textbook with an open license, you must ensure that all of the material within it is openly licensed. 

Publishing Platforms

You may want to consider what authoring and publishing platforms you're in a position to support in your publishing program. Some programs leave it up to the author to work in whatever program they're comfortable in. However, that may mean a lot of editing and formatting for someone else in order to make the textbook accessible or available in a clean, portable format. There are many, many publishing platforms and tools. A few are frequently leveraged for open textbook production, and those are highlighted here.

Open Author

Get started using our OER authoring tool, Open Author. This video walks you through how to author and remix; including how to add and format content, import and attach resources, embed media, add co-authors, check for accessibility, describe your resource, select a license, align to standards, publish, and download. Created by ISKME. Licensed Creative Commons BY-NC-SA.

Pressbooks

Authors can write directly in Pressbooks or import the manuscript into it later. It's built on WordPress, so anyone familiar with using WordPress and a WYSIWYG may be comfortable using this tool. In addition to a making an online book, you're simultaneously creating your book in a variety of file formats, including EPUB, PDF, HTMLBook, and XML formats.

Ketida

KetidaLinks is an open source, web-based editing and production workflow tool that makes format-flexible documents. It includes project management capabilities, including the option to establish deadlines, assign reviewing tasks, manage communication, and set permission levels. Authors can review and respond to edits directly in the online system.

LaTeX

For authors who are writing textbooks that include formulas, LaTeX is sometimes preferred to Pressbooks. (However, you can now use LaTeX within Pressbooks) LaTeX is a typesetting system designed for making technical and scientific documents, and is available as free softwareLinks to an external site.. LaTeX is pronounced LAH-tekh or LAY-tekh.

Google Docs & Microsoft Word

Arguably the two most popular authoring tools for writing textbooks are Google Docs and MS Word.

Google Docs is free and online. It allows for multiple authors and editing, which can work well for groups writing together. Collaborators can @ each other with comments, make suggestions, and track revisions. You can also upload existing files to Google Docs, and export to both PDF and EPUB.

Microsoft Word is a tool available for purchase and installation on a personal computer. Most people have access to it through their institution. Users have to deliver the file to others in order for them to access it, usually via email or online file sharing. It's possible to track changes and to ask others to leave comments and suggestions. You can save a Word file as a PDF.

OERPUB Textbook Editor

The Textbook Editor tool enables authors to create OER artifacts from scratch and arrange them into textbooks. The Editor tool works only in Chrome for now and requires a GitHub login.

Common Roles

It takes diverse expertise to produce a consistent, quality publication. In addition to the author, there are typically many other people involved in textbook production. Involving as many people in these key roles as possible per project will result in a consistent publication. You may have in-house expertise in the areas listed below, or choose to work with freelancers. 

• Copy editor: Ensures the textbook makes sense and has a consistent structure and voice.

• Developmental Editor: Provides consultation on content structure and flow at the early stages.

• Graphic Designer: Designs cover and potentially other content, including illustrations and infographics.

• Instructional Designer: Identifies consistent design elements for best student learning and textbook consistency. Similar to developmental editor.

• Librarian: Ensures copyright, open license, public domain, and other compliance.

• Marketer: Provides marketing plan and support to promote the book.

• Printer: Provides print copies.

• Project Manager: Ensures the success of the project by managing people, timelines, and processes to get the book to print. 

• Proofreader: Reviews the textbook for grammatical, spelling, and typographical errors and makes corrections.

• Typesetter: Creates consistent appearance of the textbook’s text, layout, and spacing.

Funding

In terms of money, open textbooks are free for students, faculty, and anyone else to use. But they’re not free to produce. If your institution decides to publish an open textbook, you'll need to think about how you're going to compensate not only the author but, potentially, others involved in the process as well. The cost of producing an open textbook is often underestimated.

Funding and compensation come in different forms. Besides cash, in-kind contributions should be considered. For example, you may be able to offer much of the necessary support by providing access to instructional designers, librarians, or in-house copy editors.

Typically, the creation of an open textbook is funded (often through grants) by:

• Government (provincial or state, federal)

• Philanthropic organizations (e.g., Hewlett Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)

• Professional societies (e.g., Association for Psychological Science)

• Consortia (e.g., Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction)

• A faculty author’s post-secondary institution (grant, release time, in-kind contributions, other)

Your library's publishing program may help authors by helping them find external funding, or by soliciting funding from within the institution. In the latter case, funding can take the form of a grant program, an award, or a stipend. 

Sample Manuscript Information Sheet