> but using such expensive proprietary software doesn't seem to be acceptable long term
Is $10 per paper really that expensive? The recent papers I've published have come with page charges in excess of $1000 (in a not-for-profit journal). Obviously it's far from an apples–apples comparison, because the $1000 pays for things like the journal having a copyeditor to go through the manuscript and also results in reduced subscription fees (~5x less than another comparable journal in the field). Though, for this "overlay" journal, the subscription point is obviously moot. But, from an author's perspective, $10 seems like a steal.
Is $10 per paper really that expensive? The recent papers I've published have come with page charges in excess of $1000 (in a not-for-profit journal). Obviously it's far from an apples–apples comparison, because the $1000 pays for things like the journal having a copyeditor to go through the manuscript and also results in reduced subscription fees (~5x less than another comparable journal in the field). Though, for this "overlay" journal, the subscription point is obviously moot. But, from an author's perspective, $10 seems like a steal.