17 Author kickoff month

By this point in the project, you should have:

• a book outline with chapter summaries, authors and an approximate word count
• signed publishing agreements with the authors
• set up access to Pressbooks for all team members
• established the roles, responsibilities and communication tools of the Library team.

Kickoff month

In the early stages of the project, there is a lot of organising to do and information to share. A good way to avoid overload and ensure that everything necessary is at least mentioned, if not covered in depth, is for the Library team and the authors to meet once a week for the first month. After that, you can stagger the meetings to once every 4-6 weeks or as necessary.

Author onboarding pack

Due to the volume and complexity of the information discussed in the first month, providing the authors with a short Onboarding Pack [.docx, 24 KB] helps communicate essential information they can refer back to.

Week 1

Establish communication channels and tools

Decide how and when the library team and author team will communicate with each other. This will often be influenced by what tools both already use.

For example:

• team meetings once a month via video conference
• Google Space or chat for quick questions
• regular email check-ins with lead author/s and project manager
• Google project folder for document storage.

Establish team roles and responsibilities

It is important to establish a shared understanding of roles and responsibilities at the beginning of the project. The list below provides examples of the responsibilities which will need to be assigned to team members. See Managing large co-author book projects for more information.

In Monash University Library (MUL) projects, the Library is responsible for:

• project management (in conjunction with the lead author/s)
• copyright advice
• organising peer review and copyediting
• organising Indigenous peer review or cultural safety reviews
• supporting citing and referencing
• Creative Commons attribution advice, support and resources
• Pressbooks publishing platform training and troubleshooting
• Pressbooks specialist formatting
• cover design advice
• advice on useful copyright compliant tools or apps
• accessibility advice and support
• final quality check.

The authors are responsible for:

• monitoring grant expenditure
• content production (includes text, images, graphs, H5P activities, etc.)
• proof reading and editing content
• monitoring the book’s word count, so it does not exceed the initial proposal
• uploading and formatting content in Pressbooks,
• using copyright compliant resources
• filling out the Copyright Tracker
• accessibility
• final quality check.

As expected, there is some crossover between roles and some projects will be more complex than others, requiring more support.

Create a publishing schedule

The Publishing Schedule [.docx, 16 KB] is one of the most important project management documents. It establishes the time frames for each publishing stage and helps everyone understand what they need to do and by when.

Introduce the schedule in week one and discuss it with the authors. They will need to decide:

• when the draft for each chapter is due
• how much time will be needed at each stage of the schedule
• whether they will be publishing in sections
• who will be proofreading each chapter.

As peer review and copyediting cannot be organised until due dates are established, this schedule should be completed by the meeting in week four.

Week 2

Introduction to copyright and licensing

Copyright and licensing are often the most complicated elements of publishing an open resource. It is important to introduce central concepts as early as possible and then revisit the topic at every team meeting.

In week two, review the Copyright Basics for OERs [.docx, 18 KB] and the Copyright Tracker [.xlxs, 68 KB] with the authors. It is best to use examples to illustrate what these elements look like in practice.

This week you will need to consider:

• What does the Creative Commons license applied to the work mean?
• Will there be any exceptions to this license?
  •  Is there any Indigenous content that may need a No Derivatives license?
  • Is there any content that the authors need to obtain permission to use?
• Do the authors plan on commissioning any work?
• Do the authors plan on using existing images, research material, drawings, diagrams, etc?
• Prioritise using CC licensed research papers in the reference list.
• Do the authors know how to find CC licensed materials?
• How will items be entered into the tracking sheet, and why is this important?

Writing a CC-licensed book

Many experienced authors do not fully understand how writing a Creative Commons licensed book differs from commercial publishing. The point of using a Creative Commons license is to make the resource as accessible and versatile as possible.

Some common practices may become barriers to this goal. Keeping these in mind while writing and creating content will save time later and create a more open resource.

Some things to avoid:

• Linking to material behind paywalls. It is important to remember that many readers of the book will not have access to subscription databases. Ideally, also avoid linking to websites that have geographic limitations, such as ABC iView.
• Using material that will require obtaining permissions. This can be time-consuming and difficult, and the permissions will need to allow you not only to use but also to republish under a Creative Commons license.
• Using items that do not have a Creative Commons license. It can make downstream use very difficult.

Common Creative Commons misunderstandings

• Images, articles, and other items that are openly available online are not automatically CC licensed.
• You will need to acquire the consent of the photographer AND the person in the photo to publish photographs under a CC license.
• Existing permissions from research participants or previously commissioned work do not include permission to publish under a CC license and will need to be obtained again.
• If you are using online tools (such as Pikotchart) to create content you will need to check their Terms and Conditions to see if they allow outputs to be relicensed.

Refer to the Copyright and Creative Commons and Licensing chapters for more detailed information.

Week 3

Style guide and style sheet

Review the OER Style Sheet [.docx, 164 KB] and Style Guide with the authors and encourage them to customise them as needed. Not all authors will be accustomed to using a style sheet in their writing however we have found it is a vital tool in recording stylistic decisions and communicating these to co-authors and the copyeditor. Underutilised style sheets have been the cause of much confusion and inconsistency!

The Monash OER Style Sheet is pre-populated with information, including a recommended style guide and an Accessibility Checklist [.docx, 21 KB]. We have also added some specific examples of common inconsistencies.

Introduction to Pressbooks

Access to Pressbooks should be set up during the planning stage; however, it is best to introduce the platform functions at the authors’ point of need. This may vary depending on the functionality of the book they are writing and the publishing workflow.

The most important consideration at this stage is the publishing workflow. Will the authors write directly into Pressbooks or will they write in a word processor such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs and import into Pressbooks? This decision needs to be made early on as it impacts a number of stages in the publishing process.

Additionally, there are several Pressbooks features that will impact how writers set up their chapters.

Look at the information in the Before Authors Start Writing and Tips and Tricks for Pressbooks chapters with the authors. Make decisions about:

• the publishing workflow
• the chapter structure – which formatting and design features of Pressbooks will the book utilise and how can the team write with these in mind? (Add these decisions to the OER Style sheet)

Week 4

Monash accessibility checklist

Considering accessibility early in the process is important as it impacts how chapters are written. The checklist highlights some main considerations but is by no means exhaustive. Review the Accessibility Checklist [.docx, 21 KB] and the Accessibility Principles and Tools chapter with the authors. Sometimes authors may disagree with or have questions about specific elements and it is best to come to a shared understanding as soon as possible. If there is an element of accessibility that occurs frequently or is frequently overlooked, it may be useful to add it to the style sheet (see the link information example in the OER Style Sheet [.docx, 164 KB]

Peer review suggestions and processes

Whether the work will have an open review or blind/double-blind peer review depends on a number of considerations. Discuss the information in the Managing Peer Review chapter with the authors and decide which would be most suitable.

Monash University Library has used either blind or double-blind peer review for its first four open textbook projects. The most important consideration is that the peer review employed is appropriate for the work and the context.

Funding considerations and outsourcing work.

It is important to review what work may be outsourced and how any available funding will be allocated early on.

Some issues to consider:

• Hiring artists, designers, or photographers to create content can be expensive, particularly as they will need to sign a CC BY license agreement. It also takes time to organise.
• Using student work or outsourcing to students.
• Copyediting is based on the estimated word count supplied by the authors at the beginning of the project. Discuss the financial implications on the budget if the word count vastly exceeds expectations
• Will the work require Indigenous peer review or cultural safety review/editing? How will this be financed?

Authors may also allocate funding to:

• cover teaching or marking.
• hire an assistant to proofread, or upload and format content in Pressbooks.
• pay for copyright permissions (see the Copyright chapter for specific information and advice).

Next steps

There is a lot of information to consider in a short time, and the project manager will need to revisit these elements regularly in upcoming meetings. In particular, it will be important to mention copyright at every meeting.

The next steps:

• Follow up and confirm decisions made in the first four meetings.
• Arrange peer review and copyediting (this can only be done once the publishing schedule dates are set).
• Work with authors on establishing the use of the style sheet to make and record formatting and writing decisions.
• Revisit information on writing, Pressbooks, and accessibility.
• Discuss how to attribute Creative Commons resources.