Open Access Publication Without the $3,000 Fee

The Asia-Pacific Journal of Lifestyle Medicine is waiving all Article Processing Charges for our first 30 papers. Here's why this matters for your research career.

3.4x Open Access articles receive 3.4 times more citations than paywalled articles, according to a 2023 meta-analysis in PLOS ONE.

The catch? Most Open Access journals charge $2,000 to $5,000 in Article Processing Charges. Many researchers—especially those in Asia-Pacific institutions with limited funding—simply can't afford it.

We're changing that. For our founding issue, APJLM is offering:

✓ $0 Article Processing Charge — Full Open Access, no fee. Your institution keeps its budget. Your paper reaches everyone.
✓ Publication in days, not months — Continuous publication model. Accepted papers go online immediately. No waiting for the next issue.
✓ World Scientific credibility — Singapore-based publisher with 40+ years in academic publishing. Your paper lives on infrastructure that lasts.
✓ Founding Author recognition — First 30 authors permanently listed as Founding Contributors. A distinction that grows more valuable as the journal grows.
✓ Reviewer network invitation — Published authors are invited to join our reviewer pool. ORCID-verified recognition for every review.

Why We're Doing This

New journals face a cold-start problem: researchers hesitate to submit because the journal isn't indexed yet, and the journal can't get indexed without papers.

We're breaking that cycle by making our founding issue genuinely attractive. No APC. Fast turnaround. Real recognition. In exchange, you help us reach the 30-paper threshold for Web of Science and PubMed indexing.

This isn't charity—it's alignment. You get a publication that would normally cost $3,000+. We get closer to indexing. Both sides win.

Limited to 30 Papers

This offer exists because we can only process a limited number of papers with the quality and speed we've promised. Once we reach 30 accepted papers, the APC waiver ends.

We're not creating artificial urgency. This is the actual constraint. Our editorial team is small. Our standards are high. 30 papers is what we can handle well.

What We're Looking For

APJLM focuses on lifestyle medicine in the Asia-Pacific context. We're particularly interested in:

→ Digital health & AI interventions for NCD management
→ Implementation science in primary care settings
→ Cost-effectiveness studies of lifestyle interventions
→ mHealth and telehealth for patient follow-up
→ Systematic reviews on the six pillars (nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress, substance, social connection)

Review papers and meta-analyses are especially welcome—they tend to attract more citations, which helps everyone.

Editorial Board

Samuel Wong (CUHK, h-index 74) Labros Sidossis (Rutgers, h-index 61) Carmen Wong (CUHK, h-index 23) Komal Shah (IIPH India, h-index 19) Sitong Luo (Tsinghua, h-index 13) + 8 more from Johns Hopkins, NUS, Loma Linda, AIIMS

Submit Your Paper

Send your manuscript to our editorial team. We'll respond within 5 business days with initial feedback.

Email Your Manuscript

Or contact: [email protected]

Not ready to submit yet?

Register your interest. We'll notify you when the submission portal opens and send you the full author guidelines.

Questions

Is this really free? What's the catch?

Yes, $0 APC for the first 30 accepted papers. The "catch" is that we need papers to get indexed. After indexing, we'll likely move to a hybrid or paid Open Access model. This is a launch offer, not a permanent policy.

How long until publication?

We practice continuous publication. Once your paper is accepted and proofs are approved, it goes online within days. No waiting for quarterly issues.

The journal isn't indexed yet. Will this hurt my career?

Fair concern. Here's the counter-argument: Open Access papers get 3.4x more citations regardless of journal indexing. Your paper will be readable, downloadable, and citable immediately. And as a Founding Author, you'll be recognized as the journal climbs the ladder. Some of today's top journals started exactly this way.

What's the review process?

Standard peer review via Editorial Manager, with reviewer matching through Scopus. Authors can suggest reviewers. Our target: decision within 4-6 weeks of submission.

Can I submit work already on a preprint server?

Yes. We accept submissions that have been posted as preprints.