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OMP Press Manager Guide: Administering Your Scholarly Press

This comprehensive guide is for Press Managers responsible for administering an Open Monograph Press (OMP) installation. It covers press configuration, user management, workflow setup, catalog administration, and day-to-day press operations.

Understanding the Press Manager Role #

Press Managers have the highest level of access within a press. You oversee all aspects of press operations and configuration.

As a Press Manager, you are responsible for:

  • Configuring press settings and policies
  • Managing users and assigning roles
  • Setting up workflow stages and review processes
  • Administering the catalog and published books
  • Monitoring press performance and statistics
  • Maintaining press quality and standards
  • Coordinating with editors and staff

Accessing Press Management #

Logging In:

  1. Go to your press website
  2. Click Login and enter your credentials
  3. Access the Dashboard

Press Management Areas:

Your left menu panel provides access to:

  • Submissions: Manage all submissions
  • Catalog: Administer published books
  • Settings: Configure press settings
  • Users & Roles: Manage users and permissions
  • Tools: Import/export and utilities
  • Statistics: Usage reports and metrics

Part 1: Press Settings Configuration #

Masthead Settings #

Go to Settings → Press → Masthead

Press Name:

Your official press name as it appears throughout the site.

Press Initials:

Short abbreviation (e.g., “AUP” for Academic University Press).

About the Press:

Comprehensive description including:

  • Press mission and history
  • Subject areas and focus
  • Editorial approach
  • Contact information

Editorial Team:

List your editorial board, advisory committees, and key staff. Include names, titles, and affiliations.

Press Contact:

  • Primary contact name
  • Contact email address
  • Mailing address
  • Phone number

Contact Settings #

Go to Settings → Press → Contact

Configure contact information for:

  • Principal contact (general inquiries)
  • Technical support contact
  • Submissions inquiries

Each contact can have:

  • Name
  • Title/Position
  • Email
  • Phone

Description Settings #

Go to Settings → Press → Description

Summary:

Brief description for listings and catalogs.

Description:

Extended description of press scope, mission, and offerings.

Funding Acknowledgment:

If the press receives grant funding, acknowledge sponsors here.

Part 2: Website Settings #

Appearance Settings #

Go to Settings → Website → Appearance

Theme:

Select and configure your press theme:

  1. Click on the installed theme
  2. Configure theme-specific options
  3. Save changes

Press Logo:

  • Upload your press logo
  • Recommended formats: PNG or SVG
  • Consider mobile display

Homepage Image:

Featured image for the homepage.

Favicon:

Small icon for browser tabs (16×16 or 32×32 pixels).

Press Stylesheet:

Add custom CSS to modify theme appearance.

Setup Settings #

Go to Settings → Website → Setup

Information:

Configure content blocks for:

  • For Readers (information about accessing content)
  • For Authors (submission information)
  • For Librarians (licensing and access)

Navigation Menus:

Configure primary and user navigation:

  1. Go to Navigation Menus
  2. Edit Primary Navigation Menu
  3. Add, remove, or reorder menu items
  4. Create custom menu items as needed

Lists:

Configure how lists display:

  • Items per page in lists
  • Number of links shown in pagination

Date and Time:

  • Date format
  • Time format

Plugins #

Go to Settings → Website → Plugins

Installed Plugins:

View and configure available plugins.

Plugin Gallery:

Browse and install additional plugins.

Key Plugin Categories:

  • Blocks: Sidebar content blocks
  • Generic: Various functionality additions
  • Themes: Visual themes
  • Import/Export: Data migration tools
  • Reports: Statistics and reporting
  • DOI Registration: Crossref, DataCite, etc.

Enabling/Disabling Plugins:

  1. Find the plugin in the list
  2. Click the checkbox to enable/disable
  3. Click Settings (blue arrow) to configure

Part 3: Workflow Settings #

Submission Settings #

Go to Settings → Workflow → Submission

Metadata:

Configure what metadata authors must/can provide:

  • Keywords (enable/disable, required/optional)
  • Categories
  • Coverage fields
  • Additional metadata fields

Components:

Define file types authors can upload:

  1. Review existing components (Book Manuscript, Chapter, etc.)
  2. Add new components if needed
  3. Configure each component’s settings:
    • Name
    • Type (dependent, supplementary)
    • Options

Submission Checklist:

Items authors must check before submitting:

  1. Click Add Item to create checklist items
  2. Enter the requirement text
  3. Order items as needed
  4. Authors must check all items to submit

Author Guidelines:

Detailed instructions for authors including:

  • Formatting requirements
  • File type specifications
  • Style guide to follow
  • Submission preparation steps

Privacy Statement:

How author data will be handled. Required for GDPR compliance.

Categories:

Create subject categories for organizing submissions:

  1. Click Add Category
  2. Enter name and description
  3. Assign parent category (for subcategories)
  4. Set display order

Review Settings #

Go to Settings → Workflow → Review

Review Mode:

Select default review mode:

  • Anonymous reviewer / Anonymous author (double-blind)
  • Anonymous reviewer / Disclosed author (single-blind)
  • Open

Restrict File Access:

Control whether reviewers can access all submission files or only those selected by editors.

Enable One-Click Review Access:

Allow reviewers to access submissions directly from email links.

Response and Review Deadlines:

  • Response deadline (days to accept/decline request)
  • Review deadline (days to complete review)
  • Reminder settings

Review Forms:

Create custom forms for reviewers:

  1. Click Review Forms
  2. Click Create Review Form
  3. Add form items:
    • Text fields
    • Radio buttons
    • Checkboxes
    • Dropdown menus
    • Text areas
  4. Configure each item:
    • Question text
    • Response options
    • Required/optional
    • For author or editor only
  5. Save and activate the form

Review Guidance:

Instructions for reviewers on evaluation criteria and process.

Competing Interests:

  • Require competing interest disclosure
  • Configure competing interest statement

Publisher Library #

Go to Settings → Workflow → Publisher Library

Store reusable files accessible to editorial team:

  • Style guides
  • Contract templates
  • Submission templates
  • Guidelines documents

Adding Files:

  1. Click Add File
  2. Enter title
  3. Select file type
  4. Upload the file
  5. Configure access (public or editorial only)

Emails #

Go to Settings → Workflow → Emails

Email Templates:

Customize automated notification emails:

  1. Find the template to modify
  2. Click Edit
  3. Modify subject and body
  4. Use available variables:
    • {$authorName} – Author name
    • {$submissionTitle} – Book title
    • {$pressName} – Press name
    • {$editorialContactSignature} – Editor signature
  5. Save changes

Common Templates to Customize:

  • Submission acknowledgment
  • Review request
  • Revision request
  • Accept/decline notifications
  • Copyediting notifications
  • Publication notification

Email Signature:

Default signature for editorial emails.

Prepared Emails:

Create saved templates for common messages.

Part 4: Distribution Settings #

Go to Settings → Distribution

Indexing #

Configure how search engines find your content:

Search Engine Indexing:

  • Enable indexing
  • Add custom metatags
  • Register with Google Scholar

Access #

Configure content access:

Access Policy:

  • Open Access (all content freely available)
  • Subscription (content behind paywall)

Delayed Access:

Embargo periods before open access.

Permissions #

Copyright:

  • Copyright holder (author, press, or other)
  • Copyright year

License:

  • Choose license type (Creative Commons, etc.)
  • Configure license URL
  • Display license on book pages

Payments #

If your press charges fees:

  • Configure payment methods
  • Set up fee types
  • Manage payment plugins

Part 5: Users and Roles Management #

Managing Users #

Go to Users & Roles → Users

Searching Users:

  • Use the search box for name/email
  • Filter by role
  • Browse alphabetically

Adding Users:

  1. Click Add User
  2. Complete user information:
    • Name
    • Email
    • Affiliation
    • Country
    • Username
    • Password
  3. Select initial role(s)
  4. Send notification email (optional)
  5. Click Save

Editing Users:

  1. Find the user
  2. Click the arrow next to their name
  3. Select Edit User
  4. Modify information as needed
  5. Save changes

User Actions:

  • Edit User: Modify user details
  • Disable: Temporarily prevent login
  • Remove: Remove from press
  • Login As: Access their account (for troubleshooting)
  • Merge User: Combine duplicate accounts

Managing Roles #

Go to Users & Roles → Roles

Default Roles:

OMP includes standard roles:

  • Press Manager
  • Press Editor
  • Series Editor
  • Production Editor
  • Copyeditor
  • Layout Editor
  • Proofreader
  • Author
  • Volume Editor
  • Internal Reviewer
  • External Reviewer
  • Reader

Editing Roles:

  1. Click the arrow next to a role
  2. Click Edit
  3. Configure:
    • Role name
    • Abbreviation
    • Permission level
    • Stage assignments
    • Role options
  4. Save changes

Permission Levels:

  • Press Manager: Full access to all settings
  • Press Assistant: Access to assigned workflows
  • Series Editor: Access to series submissions
  • Reviewer: Access to review tasks only
  • Author: Access to own submissions only
  • Reader: Public access only

Creating New Roles:

  1. Click Create New Role
  2. Select permission level
  3. Enter name and abbreviation
  4. Assign to workflow stages
  5. Configure role options
  6. Save

Role Options:

  • Permit submission metadata edit
  • Show in contributor lists
  • Has explicit access to submissions

Site Access Options #

Go to Users & Roles → Site Access Options

User Registration:

  • Open (anyone can register)
  • Require account validation
  • Disable registration

Role Self-Assignment:

  • Allow users to self-register as authors
  • Allow self-registration as reviewers

Part 6: Catalog Management #

Catalog Overview #

Go to Catalog → All Monographs

View all books in your catalog:

  • Published books
  • Unpublished entries
  • Search and filter options

Series Management #

Go to Catalog → Series or Settings → Press → Series

Creating a Series:

  1. Click Add Series
  2. Complete series information:
    • Title
    • Description
    • ISSN (if applicable)
    • Series editors
  3. Configure display options:
    • Path (URL slug)
    • Image
    • Ordering
  4. Save series

Managing Series:

  • Edit series details
  • Assign books to series
  • Reorder series display
  • Archive inactive series

Category Management #

Go to Catalog → Categories

Creating Categories:

  1. Click Add Category
  2. Enter:
    • Name
    • Description
    • Parent category (for hierarchy)
    • Image
    • Path
  3. Configure display options
  4. Save

Category Hierarchy:

Create nested categories for detailed organization:

  • Social Sciences
    • Sociology
    • Political Science
    • Economics

Spotlights #

Go to Catalog → Spotlights

Feature specific books on your homepage:

  1. Click Add Spotlight
  2. Select the book to feature
  3. Enter spotlight title and description
  4. Choose spotlight type:
    • Home Page
    • Category Page
  5. Set display order
  6. Save

Managing Published Books #

Editing Published Books:

  1. Find the book in the catalog
  2. Click to open
  3. Navigate to Publication tab
  4. Click Unpublish if changes needed
  5. Make edits
  6. Republish

Creating New Versions:

For significant updates (OMP 3.2+):

  1. Open the published book
  2. Click Create New Version
  3. Make changes
  4. Publish new version
  5. Old version remains accessible

Removing Books:

Only remove if absolutely necessary (breaks scholarly record):

  1. Unpublish the book
  2. Archive or delete as appropriate
  3. Consider retraction notice instead

Part 7: Submissions Management #

Submissions Dashboard #

Go to Submissions

Submission Queues:

  • My Queue: Submissions requiring your action
  • Unassigned: New submissions needing editor assignment
  • Active: All in-progress submissions
  • Archives: Completed, declined, or deleted submissions

Assigning Submissions #

For Unassigned Submissions:

  1. Open the submission
  2. Click Assign in Participants panel
  3. Select editor role
  4. Choose the editor
  5. Configure notification
  6. Confirm assignment

Monitoring Progress #

Tracking Submissions:

  • Use filters to view specific stages
  • Check for overdue items
  • Monitor review completion
  • Identify bottlenecks

Submission Statistics:

Go to Statistics → Editorial Activity

View metrics on:

  • Submissions by status
  • Days in review
  • Acceptance/rejection rates
  • Editor workload

Handling Problem Submissions #

Stuck Submissions:

  • Check for missing editorial decisions
  • Verify reviewer assignments
  • Ensure files are present
  • Contact assigned editor

Declined Submissions:

OMP 3.3+ allows reversing declined decisions:

  1. Open the archived submission
  2. Find the decline decision
  3. Click Revert Decision
  4. Submission returns to active status

Part 8: Statistics and Reports #

Available Statistics #

Go to Statistics

Usage Statistics:

  • Book views
  • File downloads
  • Geographic distribution
  • Time-based trends

Editorial Statistics:

  • Submissions received
  • Days to decision
  • Acceptance rates
  • Reviewer statistics

Generating Reports #

Report Generator:

  1. Go to Statistics → Report Generator or Tools → Statistics
  2. Select report type
  3. Configure date range
  4. Choose output format
  5. Generate report

Available Reports:

  • Usage Statistics Report
  • Review Report
  • Subscriptions Report (if applicable)
  • COUNTER Reports (if configured)

Using Statistics for Management #

Identify Issues:

  • Long review times indicate reviewer problems
  • High decline rates may signal scope issues
  • Low downloads suggest discoverability problems

Demonstrate Value:

  • Report to stakeholders on press activity
  • Justify resources and funding
  • Show growth and impact

Part 9: Import/Export Tools #

Go to Tools → Import/Export

Native XML Import/Export #

Export complete press data in XML format:

  • Full submission records
  • User information
  • Settings

Useful for:

  • Backup
  • Migration
  • Archive

ONIX Export #

Export book metadata for distribution:

  1. Configure ONIX settings
  2. Select books to export
  3. Generate ONIX file
  4. Submit to distributors

Quick Submit #

Import content directly to production:

  1. Enable Quick Submit plugin
  2. Configure settings
  3. Use to add backlist titles
  4. Bypass editorial workflow

Users Export/Import #

Manage user data:

  • Export user list (CSV/XML)
  • Import users from other systems
  • Merge during migration

Part 10: Day-to-Day Operations #

Regular Tasks #

Daily:

  • Check submission dashboard
  • Monitor email notifications
  • Respond to urgent issues
  • Review system alerts

Weekly:

  • Check unassigned submissions
  • Monitor overdue reviews
  • Review production queue
  • Update spotlights

Monthly:

  • Generate statistics reports
  • Review editorial metrics
  • Check system logs
  • Update content as needed

Quarterly:

  • Review workflow efficiency
  • Assess reviewer pool
  • Update policies if needed
  • Plan catalog development

Communication Best Practices #

With Authors:

  • Respond promptly to queries
  • Provide clear submission guidelines
  • Keep authors informed of status
  • Be professional in rejections

With Reviewers:

  • Send clear instructions
  • Provide reasonable deadlines
  • Acknowledge contributions
  • Maintain reviewer database

With Staff:

  • Regular editorial meetings
  • Clear assignment protocols
  • Documentation of procedures
  • Training for new staff

Quality Control #

Submission Quality:

  • Enforce formatting requirements
  • Check metadata completeness
  • Verify file integrity
  • Maintain standards

Publication Quality:

  • Final review before publishing
  • Metadata verification
  • Link checking
  • Format testing

Troubleshooting #

Common Issues:

Users Can’t Log In:

  • Verify account exists
  • Check password reset
  • Confirm account is enabled
  • Check role assignments

Submissions Not Appearing:

  • Check submission status
  • Verify category/series assignment
  • Confirm publication format approval
  • Clear cache if needed

Email Problems:

  • Verify email configuration
  • Check spam filters
  • Test email delivery
  • Review email templates

File Upload Errors:

  • Check file size limits
  • Verify file format
  • Clear browser cache
  • Check server space

Part 11: Press Policies #

Developing Press Policies #

Submission Policy:

  • What you publish
  • What you don’t accept
  • Simultaneous submission rules
  • Prior publication policy

Review Policy:

  • Review type (blind, open)
  • Number of reviewers
  • Review criteria
  • Author revision expectations

Publication Policy:

  • Open access status
  • Copyright terms
  • Licensing
  • Embargo periods

Ethics Policy:

  • Plagiarism handling
  • Conflicts of interest
  • Corrections and retractions
  • COPE compliance

Documenting Policies #

Create clear documentation:

  1. Write policies in plain language
  2. Publish on website (About pages)
  3. Include in author guidelines
  4. Reference in email templates

Enforcing Policies #

Consistent Application:

  • Apply policies uniformly
  • Document exceptions
  • Update policies as needed
  • Train staff on policies

Part 12: Growing Your Press #

Building Author Relationships #

  • Attend academic conferences
  • Network with scholars
  • Develop series around expertise
  • Maintain author satisfaction

Expanding Reach #

  • Optimize for search engines
  • Register with Google Scholar
  • Apply for DOAB listing
  • Pursue indexing opportunities

Quality Development #

  • Seek external reviewers
  • Join scholarly press associations
  • Pursue library partnerships
  • Consider peer review improvements

Strategic Planning #

  • Set annual goals
  • Track performance metrics
  • Assess market opportunities
  • Plan catalog development

Quick Reference: Press Manager Checklist #

Initial Setup:

  • [ ] Press settings configured
  • [ ] Theme selected and customized
  • [ ] Workflow settings complete
  • [ ] User roles defined
  • [ ] Review forms created
  • [ ] Email templates customized

Ongoing Operations:

  • [ ] Submissions monitored daily
  • [ ] Editors assigned promptly
  • [ ] Statistics reviewed regularly
  • [ ] Policies maintained
  • [ ] Staff trained

Quality Maintenance:

  • [ ] Publication standards enforced
  • [ ] Metadata quality verified
  • [ ] Catalog organized effectively
  • [ ] User experience optimized

OMP Support from Altechmind #

Setting up and managing a scholarly press requires expertise. Altechmind Technologies provides comprehensive OMP support—from initial configuration to ongoing maintenance and staff training.

Our Services Include:

  • OMP installation and configuration
  • Workflow optimization
  • Staff training programs
  • Custom theme development
  • Migration from other platforms
  • Ongoing maintenance and support

Explore OMP Services →

Contact Us →

About This Guide #

This guide is based on OMP 3.5. Settings and interface elements may vary depending on your installation and plugins. For official documentation, visit the PKP Documentation Hub.

Related Guides:

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