Publishing book open access only -- is this bad?

[widget1999]

Hi all:

I'm going through the process of talking with different presses about turning my dissertation into a book. I'm getting some interest, which is really nice, but some of them are suggesting an open access-only route that involves shared costs and has no printed manuscript -- just digital.

Is this a bad idea? Beyond the cost, I'm wondering what others' thoughts are insofar as if it would be considered prestigious or not once tenure review time comes around. These are top presses and they say the open access route is still peer reviewed. But I wanted to check with the sociological hive mind first.

Thanks!

[Cautious]

I'd be very cautious here, if you want this to count toward tenure. And I definitely recommend staying away from anything with shared costs, seems like a scam / vanity press (or at least something that could appear as such).

Personally, I really like the idea of open access. But I'm thinking about this more post-tenure, and definitely not something I would pay for. Just my two cents.

[widget1999]

Thanks, I appreciate the honesty!

[Scammy Scammerson]

While there are plenty of legit journals that are going this way, I haven't seen a reputable book publisher do this. Sounds very scammy. Even if they are legit, I agree with Cautious - this looks bad to tenure reviewers, department chairs, and other colleagues. Run away.

[zoefoster]

Although many trustworthy periodicals are moving in this direction, I haven't seen a reputable book publisher follow suit. Sounds extremely shady. Even if they are true, I concur with Cautious that this will seem awful to department chairs, tenure reviewers, and other coworkers. Move away.