An opportunity not to be missed! MDPI Books warmly invites all Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities (SSAH) researchers to submit a proposal to its inaugural book competition. The winning entries will be published free of charge on the MDPI Books platform. The selected authors will be able to showcase their expertise to a global audience, contributing to broader conversations on the role of SSAH in addressing key global challenges.
Entries will be judged by subject experts from MDPI Books. The judges are looking for entries that make an important contribution to knowledge and demonstrate the following:
- An original contribution to the field;
- A clear, well-structured argument;
- Methodological soundness;
- Relevance to current societal or academic debates and clear engagement with the state of the art;
- Interdisciplinary potential.
Selected proposals will be invited to proceed to the next stage, which includes peer review in accordance with MDPI Books’ editorial standards.
Submissions are now open, closing on 31 August 2025.
“Researchers in the Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities (SSAH) make substantial contributions to public discourse and explore topics of broad public interest,” says Laura Wagner, head of books division at MDPI. “However, they often work within formats such as books and may have limited financial resources for open access publishing. At MDPI, we recognize both the value of their work and the challenges they face and we are committed to supporting greater accessibility and impact in these fields. The competition will broaden accessibility and impact in these fields of research by providing the opportunity to publish in open access at no cost to the authors, helping their work reach wider audiences.”
Eligibility
- The competition is open to researchers working within the Social Sciences, Arts, and Humanities.
- Proposals can be submitted by an individual or predefined team of authors.
- Both monographs and edited volumes with a clear, coherent concept are eligible.
- Proposed books should aim for a length of between 30,000 and 90,000 words.
- All proposals must be original, unpublished, and intended for open access publication under a CC BY license with MDPI Books.
- There are no restrictions based on career stage, geographic location, or institutional affiliation.
Submitting a Proposal
Entries can be made by completing an online application form, following the Guidelines for Manuscript Submission. All proposals must clearly indicate they are being submitted for the ‘Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities Book Competition’. Book publication is contingent on successful peer review and final approval processes. Authors of non-selected proposals will be contacted to explore alternative funding options or publication pathways with MDPI Books.
