Abstract: When Idaho’s historic journal of record faced unsustainable production costs, declining circulation, and reduced subscription revenues, editors had to consider new options. They decided upon an electronic delivery and archival format with a print-on-demand component, and a marketing plan driven by social media. The result was far better than they ever could have imagined.

Life and Death of an Historic Journal

Irony made itself known in Idaho when in 2001, the state’s journal of historical record, became history. It was that year when Idaho Yesterdays, published since 1951, ceased to exist. It did not remain a relic long. A cadre of scholars from Boise State University and Idaho State University had a plan to revive the journal from the ashes. And that they did.

In 2004 Idaho Yesterdays reappeared. What was once a typically stodgy publication for scholars was reborn in full color, and with wide ranging scholarship. It was not your father’s historical journal. It was glorious. But, the new-found success of the reborn journal brought with it new realities.

What was once a quarterly journal, was now published only biannually. Even with the reduced publication schedule, the full color, exquisite design consumed a much larger budget than the previous publication. And the subscription mechanism and publication marketing apparatus at the State Historical Society had fallen behind and was unable to support the increased cost of the publication through subscription revenues.

The future of the new Idaho Yesterdays was in jeopardy just two years after restarting the presses. By the third year of publication, the University team faced the prospect of again discontinuing the journal when the Historical Society could only commit to publishing three more issues. With soaring costs, and a declining subscription base, the phoenix of historical journals again faced extinction.

The Proposal

Open Access Press founder Chris Blanchard (a professional web developer and graduate history student) came to Idaho Yesterdays with a solution: turn IY into a peer-reviewed online journal, with a print-on-demand component.

The Result

Open Access Press configured an open source, online submission management and journal publication system for the journal editors. The new system also contains subscription management and payment processing tools.

Built in submission management tools simplify editing tasks.

Authors have the benefit of being able to submit their work directly to the journal through an automated submission process that outlines requirements. Since the software also manages the submission, review times are faster meaning work gets published in a more timely fashion. AND since the journal is Open Access, authors should see an increase in citation and distribution of their scholarship.

And now for the first time scholars and lay historians have free and immediate access to everything published by the journal – nothing is locked away in a private subscription based database. For those who want a print copy or subscription to the printed journal, Open Access Press configured on-demand printing of all issues cataloged at the site, and easy payment through an e-commerce system.

In the end, the State Historical Society saved thousands of dollars annually moving the journal online and adding a print on demand component. The Open Access Press can likely help you do the same.