For authors
Fees and waivers
Open access publishing has real production costs, which we cover through an article processing charge (APC) rather than reader subscriptions or paywalls. There is no charge to submit, and no charge if your manuscript is not accepted.
Standard APC
€200
€200 is the full amount you pay: nothing is added at checkout. Charged only once a manuscript is accepted for publication, before it goes into production.
Waivers and discounts
- 50% waiver for corresponding authors based in low-income and lower-middle-income economies, per the World Bank's income classification. Write to us when your acceptance invoice arrives and we reduce it to €100. The request comes after acceptance, so it never affects the editorial decision.
- 50% discount for editorial board members of a Lyra journal, on articles they submit after their appointment.
- 50% discount for reviewers who have completed a review for a Lyra journal, on articles they submit afterwards.
- LCSAI launch offer: the APC is waived for the first 20 accepted articles in LCSAI, counted at acceptance.
Policies
- No submission fees, and no charge for manuscripts that are rejected.
- Authors may withdraw a submission at any point before paying the invoice, at no cost.
- Once an article is accepted and published, the APC is non-refundable.
- The APC is entirely separate from the editorial decision – acceptance is based on peer review alone.
Frequently asked questions
What does the APC cover?
Editorial management, peer review coordination, typesetting, DOI registration, hosting, and permanent open access to the published article – everything between an accepted manuscript and a citable publication with a Crossref DOI.
When do I pay?
Only after your manuscript is accepted, and before it moves into production. You'll never be asked to pay to submit, and there's no charge if your manuscript is rejected, or withdrawn before you pay the invoice.
Can my institution or funder pay instead of me?
Yes – the APC can be paid by the author, their institution, or their funding body. Let the editorial team know before your manuscript is accepted if a purchase order or invoice to a third party is needed.
I can't afford the APC even with a waiver – what are my options?
Write to us when your acceptance invoice arrives. Requests beyond the reductions listed above are considered case by case.
See also our Open Access policy. Questions about fees or waivers? Contact us at editorial@lyrascience.org.