Angewandte Chemie APC and Open Access: Wiley's Flagship Chemistry Journal and the DEAL Effect

Like JACS, Angewandte Chemie operates in a field where subscription publishing is still the norm. Most papers in Angewandte are published behind the paywall. The author pays nothing, and researchers at subscribing institutions (which includes virtually every university with a chemistry program) access papers normally.

This matters because it changes the OA decision calculus. In fields like biology, where funders aggressively mandate open access, the APC is often unavoidable. In chemistry, many funders (particularly in industry and some European national programs) don't require immediate OA. The subscription route remains a perfectly viable, cost-free option.

That said, the momentum is clearly toward OA. The German DEAL agreement has accelerated this shift for Angewandte Chemie specifically, since a disproportionate share of the journal's authors are based in Germany.

The DEAL consortium (an alliance of German research institutions) negotiated a transformative agreement with Wiley that covers both journal access and OA publication for German researchers. For Angewandte Chemie, the impact has been enormous.

Because Angewandte Chemie is published by Wiley-VCH (headquartered in Weinheim, Germany) and affiliated with the German Chemical Society, Germany is its home market. A substantial portion of its authors are German or Germany-based. For these researchers, the DEAL agreement has effectively made OA publishing in Angewandte cost-free.

This has created an asymmetry. German authors publish OA in Angewandte at no cost through DEAL. Researchers in the US, UK, or Asia who want OA must pay $5,500-$6,000 unless their institution has its own Wiley agreement. The DEAL effect has boosted Angewandte's OA content significantly, but the benefits are unevenly distributed.

Wiley has Read & Publish agreements in several other countries:

The US, again, lacks a national deal. Individual universities negotiate their own Wiley agreements. Check your library. If your institution has a Wiley Read & Publish agreement, the Angewandte Chemie OA APC is covered automatically.

For researchers without institutional coverage, $5,500-$6,000 is a significant expense. Most chemistry grants don't specifically budget for APCs at this level. You may need to draw from departmental OA funds or request a rebudget.

Automatic waivers: Corresponding authors in Research4Life Group A countries (low-income nations) receive full APC waivers.

50% discount: Authors in Group B countries (lower-middle-income nations).

Hardship waivers: Available on request. Wiley's policy states that financial circumstances don't influence editorial decisions.

GDCh member discount: Members of the German Chemical Society receive a small APC discount (typically 10-15%). Given the DEAL agreement covers most German authors already, this primarily benefits GDCh members at non-DEAL institutions.

Wiley promotional waivers: Wiley occasionally offers promotional APC waivers for specific article types or during journal anniversaries. These are unpredictable and shouldn't be relied on for budgeting.

1. Communications are the flagship format. Angewandte Chemie built its reputation on short, high-impact Communications (typically 5-6 pages). Full articles ("Full Papers") and Review articles are also published, but Communications are what researchers mean when they say "I have an Angewandte paper." The same APC structure applies to all formats.

2. The journal has a distinctive editorial voice. Angewandte Chemie publishes editorials, essays, and opinion pieces alongside research. The "Highlights" section features short commentaries on important recent papers from other journals. This gives Angewandte a community feel that few other chemistry journals match. It's not just a paper repository. It's a platform for chemical discourse.

3. Dual publication in German and English. Angewandte Chemie exists in two editions: the International Edition (in English, the one most researchers know) and the German edition (Angewandte Chemie). Papers accepted to the International Edition are also published in the German edition. This dual publication is a historical artifact of the journal's origins but doesn't affect the APC or author experience. You submit to the International Edition. The German translation is handled by the publisher.

For German researchers with DFG funding, compliance is automatic through DEAL. The agreement covers the APC and ensures CC BY licensing.

For Plan S funders outside Germany, you'll need the CC BY option at ~$6,000. Check institutional agreements first.

For NIH and NSF, the green OA route (depositing the accepted manuscript after a 12-month embargo) remains available and costs nothing. Most chemistry funders accept this approach.

• No page charges. Communications and Full Papers are covered by the APC (if OA) or free (if subscription).

• TOC graphic required. Like JACS, Angewandte requires a table of contents graphic. Specific dimension and resolution requirements apply.

• Supporting information is free. Extensive SI is standard in chemistry, and Wiley hosts it at no extra cost.

• Color is free online. Print color charges may technically exist but are irrelevant for the vast majority of authors.

• Wiley Author Services: Wiley offers paid language editing and formatting services during the submission process. These are optional and not affiliated with the editorial team. They're a revenue stream for Wiley, not a requirement.

• Embargo for green OA: If you publish via the subscription route and want to self-archive, Wiley allows deposit of the accepted manuscript in institutional repositories after a 12-month embargo. This is free but requires you to manage the deposit yourself.

For German researchers, the decision is simple: publish in Angewandte via DEAL. OA is free, CC BY is automatic, and you're publishing in a journal with deep roots in the German chemical community.

For everyone else, the question mirrors the JACS decision. If your funder doesn't require OA, publish via the subscription route for free. If OA is required, check your Wiley institutional agreement. If you're covered, great. If not, budget $5,500-$6,000.

The Angewandte-vs-JACS choice comes down to fit. If your paper is a sharp, concise Communication with a clear advance, Angewandte's editorial style favors that format. If your work is broader in scope or benefits from a longer format, JACS may be a better home.

For a side-by-side with JACS, see our JACS APC guide. For the official journal information, visit the Angewandte Chemie homepage.

Before submitting, make sure your Communication or Full Paper meets Angewandte's standards for novelty and presentation. The journal desk-rejects a large share of submissions. Angewandte Chemie submission readiness check to identify structural issues, missing characterization data, or presentation problems that lead to early rejection.

Worth paying if:

• Your funder mandates open access (check Plan S / cOAlition S requirements)
• An institutional Read & Publish agreement covers the fee
• Open access visibility meaningfully benefits your research area
• The APC fits within your grant budget

Consider alternatives if:

• The APC is a personal out-of-pocket expense
• A subscription option or green OA (preprint + embargo) satisfies your funder
• Another OA journal with a lower APC would provide similar visibility