How to submit your thesis in print with a publisher and in digital form simultaneously

Open Publishing LMU

The series "Doctoral theses of the LMU" and "Habilitation theses of the LMU"

The University Library has joined forces with a publishing service provider to enable you to publish your thesis simultaneously in both print and, via the repository "Elektronische Hochschulschriften" (Electronic theses), in electronic form. Your print publication will appear in the series "Doctoral theses of the LMU" or "Habilitation theses of the LMU" in DIN A5 format.

Publication will be according to the terms of the Creative Commons Licence CC-BY 4.0 or CC-BY-SA 4.0

Publishing through Open Publishing LMU fulfils your statutory requirement to publish your work in print. This requirement stipulates that you must submit between 2 and 6 copies of your thesis to the Publication Services Theses, depending on the regulations governing your doctoral or habilitation thesis. Your agreement to the simultaneous publication of your thesis in the repository "Elektronische Hochschulschriften" is a pre-requisite.
We regret it is not possible to first submit your thesis using the digital option and then to apply for publication in print via Open Publishing LMU.

Who is eligible for this offer?

This offer is available to anyone who has successfully completed a doctoral or habilitation thesis at the LMU.

What charges apply?

• A standard charge of € 330 (plus 19% VAT) will be made.
• Obligatory purchase of 10 copies at author's price (retail price minus 40%)

For example: The bookshop price for a thesis of 300 pages with 10 pages in colour is € 42, while the price per author copy is € 25.20. After publication is complete you can apply to VG Wort to be registered as an academic author. You can then submit your print publication for inclusion in the VG Wort royalty fees distribution programme, and your online publication for inclusion in the special distribution scheme.

How does it work?

1. Contact the Referat Elektronisches Publizieren (Electronic Publications Department) by email at: publizieren@ub.uni-muenchen.de
2. Then send us a sample chapter from your thesis formatted according to the guidelines Check-list for "Open Publishing LMU"

3. You then sign a contract with the University Library for the publication of your thesis with a publication service provider. The contract is valid for 5 years and governs costs, services and usage rights. You grant non-exclusive rights of use for both the print and digital versions, which means that you can also publish your thesis elsewhere, and in another form, if you so desire. You also agree to publication under either the CC-BY 4.0 or CC-BY-SA 4.0 terms of the Creative Commons Licence.
   In addition, you are required to sign the Submission form for electronic theses.

   • Submission form for electronic theses

4. When you have finished proofreading your manuscript, use our Check-list for "Open Publishing LMU" to help you format it correctly.

5. Send your formatted and proofread thesis, including the faculty title page, to us. Please include a separate document containing illustrations and graphics, an abstract with a short biography for the back cover, and keywords for the entry in the Verzeichnis lieferbarer Bücher (German books in print, VLB).

   • Leaflets with sample title pages for all faculties

6. We will convert your manuscript to the layout required by "Dissertationen der LMU" or "Habilitationsschriften der LMU" and create the PDF file for printing. This PDF file will be returned to you for approval.

7. After you have approved the file you will receive the proof copy. If any further corrections are needed a new proof copy will be created, for which an additional charge of € 54 (plus 19% VAT) plus the price of one author copy will be made.

8. After you have given your final approval the book will be printed, and the title assigned an ISBN. It will be submitted for listing by the Verzeichnis lieferbarer Bücher (German books in print, VLB) and online booksellers, and can be obtained from the online book trade and publishers for at least five years. The publisher will take responsibility for submitting the required legal deposit copies to the German National Library (DNB).

9. The publisher will send you your copies, minus the deposit copies that go to the Publication Services Theses, and the invoice. The number of copies requested by the doctorate regulations will be sent directly to the Publication Services Theses, which will upload your dissertation to the repository "Electronic Theses". You will be informed of both.

10. The Publication Service Theses will immediately forward the mandatory copies to the offices responsible for issuing the appropriate Doctoral Certificate (Deanery, Doctoral Examinations Office, and Study Office). It will take between 4-8 weeks for the Certificate to be prepared.

Duration: Depending on our workload it will take about 12 weeks from receipt of your final approved manuscript until you sign your author's contract.

Theses already published in the series "Dissertationen LMU" and "Habilitationsschriften der LMU"