If you’ve spent any time researching academic or professional book publishers, you’ve likely come across Wiley Publishing. With a history that dates back to the 1800s, Wiley is one of the oldest and most established names in the publishing world.
But does its legacy still hold up in today’s fast-moving, author-focused industry?
In this post, we take a closer look at Wiley Publishing’s book services, online course offerings, and real author experiences to help you decide if it’s the right fit for your publishing journey.
What is Wiley Publishing?
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., commonly known as Wiley Publishing or simply as Wiley, is a major American multinational publishing company headquartered in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Wiley was founded in 1807 in New York City, making it one of the oldest publishing companies in the United States. Over the centuries, it has grown into a leading provider of scholarly content and educational resources worldwide.
Wiley focuses on three core sectors:
Scientific, Technical, Medical & Scholarly (STMS) publishing – via Wiley‑Blackwell, including journals, professional research materials, and reference works.
Global Education – covering textbooks, courseware, assessments, and learning platforms.
Professional Development – which includes popular consumer and training imprints such as For Dummies, Jossey‑Bass, Wrox, Bloomberg Press, Pfeiffer, among others.
Types of books Wiley publishes
Wiley Publishing helps publish a wide range of books across academic, professional, and educational fields.
Academic and Scholarly Books
Wiley is a major academic publisher that supports authors in publishing research-based and peer-reviewed books, including:
- Textbooks (undergraduate and graduate level)
- Reference works (encyclopedias, handbooks)
- Monographs (in-depth academic works by single or multiple authors)
- Edited volumes (collections of chapters by various contributors)
Subject areas include:
- Life sciences (biology, genetics, biotechnology)
- Physical sciences (chemistry, physics, materials science)
- Health sciences (nursing, medicine, public health)
- Engineering and computer science
- Mathematics and statistics
- Psychology
- Education
- Environmental science
- Agriculture
Professional and Trade Books
Wiley supports authors in publishing books aimed at professionals seeking career development, practical tools, or industry insights.
These include:
- Practice manuals and guides (e.g. project management, finance)
- Career certification prep (e.g. CPA, CFA, PMP)
- Business strategy and leadership
- Marketing, HR, and sales tools
- Financial modeling and accounting
- Technology and software guides
Popular imprints:
- Wrox (technology and programming)
- Jossey-Bass (education and leadership)
- Pfeiffer (training and development)
- Bloomberg Press (finance and business)
- Sybex (certification and IT training)
Educational Books and Courseware
Wiley also publishes materials that are integrated into academic courses and digital learning platforms, such as:
- Textbooks with instructor resources
- Digital eTextbooks through platforms like WileyPLUS
- STEM content with interactive features (via zyBooks)
- Supplemental educational materials (lab manuals, study guides)
These are used at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels, as well as in online and hybrid learning environments.
Popular and General Interest Titles
Though less of a focus, Wiley also publishes books for general readers, including:
- The “For Dummies” series (covering everything from Excel to cooking to personal finance)
- Popular science and technology titles
- Self-improvement and career success guides
Test Prep and Certification
Wiley is a leading provider of exam preparation materials for:
- Accounting and finance: CPA, CFA, CMA, CFP
- Graduate entrance exams: GMAT, GRE, ACT, SAT
- Technology certifications: CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft
- Other professional tests: PMP, nursing exams, bar exam study aids
These may come as books, online courses, flashcards, and practice exams.
Wiley Publishing services
Wiley Publishing offers a number of book publishing services to help you self-publish your book. Here is the work flow at Wiley Publishing:
Prepare Your Proposal
This is the first step where you define your book idea and tailor it for Wiley’s audience. Wiley provides templates and examples to guide you.
You’ll typically need to describe your target audience, outline the book’s structure, explain its unique value, and provide sample content. Support is available from acquisition editors who help refine your concept to align with market needs and publishing standards.
Submit Your Proposal
Once your proposal is finalized, you submit it to a Wiley editor who specializes in your subject area. The proposal undergoes editorial and possibly peer review. Wiley evaluates the commercial and academic potential of your idea. If accepted, they’ll offer a publishing contract outlining rights, royalties, deadlines, and responsibilities.
Prepare Your Manuscript
With a signed contract, you begin writing the full manuscript. Wiley offers detailed author guidelines, including formatting, referencing styles, image specifications, and more. You may also receive editorial support or be paired with a development editor. Authors can access Wiley’s tools for language editing, artwork creation, and permissions management.
Submit Your Manuscript
Once completed, your manuscript is submitted through Wiley’s content management system. This version must be finalized and ready for production. Editors perform a final review for completeness, quality, and compliance with publishing standards.
Production
Wiley’s production team takes over to turn your manuscript into a professional publication. This includes:
- Copyediting
- Typesetting and design
- Creating print-ready and eBook formats
- Coordinating cover design and metadata
- Proofing and author review of final pages
Wiley ensures consistency across formats and prepares your book for global distribution.
Promotion
Wiley’s global marketing and sales teams work to maximize your book’s visibility. Services include:
- Online and offline marketing campaigns
- Search engine optimization (SEO) for metadata
- Distribution to libraries, institutions, and retailers
- Author toolkits for personal promotion (social media, events, etc.)
- Rights management and translation/licensing support
Authors are also encouraged to actively participate in promoting their books through blogs, webinars, and speaking opportunities.
Online courses at Wiley
While at first it looks like Wiley Publishing offers comprehensive online courses, on further inspection of their website, there is only one course available and it’s called Sybex.
Sybex has nothing to do with writing books. In fact, it’s a course with exam training material to get you ready for your IT certification. It includes books, practice exams, flashcards, and online learning tools for certifications like CompTIA, CISSP, CEH, Microsoft, and AWS.
Pros & cons of working with Wiley Publishing
Pros of working with Wiley Publishing
Prestige and reach
- Wiley, founded in 1807 and headquartered in the U.S., is a respected global publisher renowned for academic, professional, and educational materials.
- Its wide distribution network and brand recognition can offer authors strong visibility and credibility.
Robust open access impact
- Publishing open access with Wiley can significantly boost your work’s reach:
- 3.5× views and 33% more citations on average.
- Some platforms report even higher: up to 4× views, 70% more citations, and 5× Altmetric attention.
- 3.5× views and 33% more citations on average.
- This makes Wiley an attractive option if broader dissemination and citation impact are priorities.
Comprehensive publishing services
- Wiley supports authors through:
- These services can simplify and enhance the publication process.
Cons of working with Wiley Publishing
Author frustrations and quality control issues
- Real authors report frustrating editorial workflows – manuscript corrections not recognized, repeated revision requests, and low-quality submission platforms.
- Others cite poor print quality, such as missing margins or formatting errors, even in pricey books.
Delayed peer review and production issues
- Manuscript processing can be slow:
One author had a submission stuck “under review” since September 2024, with no decision as of February 2025. - Initial proofs may require multiple rounds of corrections due to new errors introduced during typesetting, with tight correction deadlines.
Royalty complexity vs. alternative models
- Book authors receive royalties typically ranging from 5–15% net sales, paid biannually. The structure can be complex and slower than some alternatives.
- By comparison, other self-publishing platforms offer more straightforward and frequent payouts.
Wiley Publishing reviews
Unfortunately, Wiley Publishing reviews aren’t great. Here are just some of the experiences we found online:
As you can see, authors don’t have many positive things to say about their experience with Wiley Publishing.
Final thoughts on Wiley Publishing
Wiley Publishing has been around for a long time, and they are a big name in the work of educational texts. That being said, the proof is in the pudding – people aren’t having positive experiences with them.
If you are hoping to publish your academic text, you may be better off publishing elsewhere. And, if you are publishing something that isn’t academic (a memoir, business book, or epic fantasy) then Wiley Publishing can’t help you at all.
There are much more comprehensive self-publishing platforms out there with way more transparency and much higher book royalties. (We’re talking 70% instead of 5%.)
If you are looking for help with publishing your book, the team at selfpublishing.com is here to assist you. We’ve helped over 8,000 authors to write, edit, market, and publish their books – and you could be next!