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The cost of journal publishing: a literature review and commentary

“…An assumed overhead of 50% was added to salaries. Lustig 15 reports an average cost of about $1,200 per published manuscript at the American Physical Society including 'editorial and . .…”

“…Lustig 15 reports that it costs about $420 per manuscript received, and $600 per article published, to referee and edit the articles, and $600 for composition and production. A detailed model of first-copy costs is given by Tenopir and King, 11 which can be used by those who wish to compare their costs with costs developed by others.…”

“…It goes without saying that commercial publishers seek to make a profit; however, some writers point out that most not-forprofit societies in fact aim to achieve a surplus. For example, Lustig 15 mentions that net returns of 30% and more have not been uncommon for not-for-profit scientific societies in the United States and UK. On the other hand, the American Physical Society (APS) consistently budgeted for a surplus of 10% or less; this may be atypical, since unlike many societies, APS is mandated to do no more than break even.…”