Introduction

EXO - Beyond the Cell is committed to providing high-quality, peer-reviewed research to the global community without subscription barriers. Our funding model relies on article processing charges (APCs) to cover the costs associated with the publication process. Below, we outline the fees and policies for the journal.

Current APC Policy

The journal does not charge any Article Processing Charges (APCs) until January 1, 2030. All articles are published free of charge for authors.

Future APC Policy

Starting from January 2, 2030, a fixed APC of USD 2600 (excluding tax) per article will be applied. Any future introduction of APCs will be clearly announced in advance on the journal website and will not affect manuscripts already under review or accepted for publication.

APC fees are only for accepted articles that have been peer-reviewed.

Costs Covered by APCs

The APCs charged are essential to cover the various costs associated with high-quality academic publishing. These include:
• Editorial management: Salaries and stipends for Editors, editorial staff, and administrative support.
• Peer review: Coordination and management of the peer review process, including communication with reviewers and handling of review reports.
• Copyediting and proofreading: Ensuring the manuscript is free from grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors and conforms to the journal's style guide.
• Typesetting: Formatting the manuscript to meet the journal's layout standards, including the preparation of figures, tables, and supplementary materials.
• Online hosting and maintenance: Costs for hosting the journal's website, maintaining the online submission system, and ensuring long-term archiving of published articles.
• Indexing and DOI registration: Fees associated with registering DOIs and ensuring that articles are indexed in major databases.
• Marketing and promotion: Activities to increase the visibility and accessibility of the journal's content, including social media promotion and participation in academic conferences.
• Technical infrastructure: Maintenance and updates of the software and hardware used for the submission system, peer review process, and online publication.
• Long-term archiving: Ensuring that all published articles are archived in a permanent and reliable manner.

Editorial Independence

Editorial decisions are made solely based on the quality and relevance of the submitted work. The ability to pay APCs does not influence editorial decisions.

Updated in April, 2026