Tips for Turning Your Dissertation Into A Book

So you've decided that your dissertation ought to be a book. If you are a new PhD graduate entering academia, this process could be overwhelming. Here are some general guidelines and factors to keep in mind:

Do:  Consider Your Writing Style

Dissertations are usually dry, dull reading that appeal only to those familiar with the topic and field of study. Since they are often formulaic and repetitive you must add additional content to flesh out the concepts your dissertation addresses. Why should someone in another field (or even the average person) care about this study? Keep in mind that your book will be based on your dissertation. Think of it like a movie based on a novel—a lot gets cut out. Your book is the opportunity to present the full version of your ideas. Remember that your book should not feel like a dissertation.[1]

In addition to adding to and updating your content, you will need to consider how you present it. For your book, you may consider using a more engaging writing style. You might include anecdotes or creative examples to appeal to a broader audience. Steer away from bland, jargon-filled writing.[2] No one enjoys reading a boring book, but even a boring subject can be made interesting with solid prose. For example, Mark Kurlansky’s 2002 book Salt: A World History[3] might sound like a boring subject, but it became a New York Times bestseller in part due to witty, insightful prose. If you want your book to sell, convince readers why they should care about your subject through your language and rhetorical choices.

Do:  Pick the Right Publisher

Keep in mind that publishers are most interested in selling books. If publishers keep rejecting your work, it is most likely because it still sounds too much like a dissertation or thesis and not a marketable book.[4] Dissertations as a genre are often so formulaic that they don’t give an author the opportunity to share his or her voice. Publishers want to be able to prop up an author with a distinctive voice because, many times, that’s what sells.[5] Send a concise proposal or prospectus to publishers you think would be most likely to want to work with you and publish your vision. However, keep in mind that publishers will ask for many hours of revision before deeming your work ready for print. Academic publishing, as an industry, is struggling the same way other bigger name publishers are due to market changes and technology upgrades. They will be picky.

For your prospectus, keep it short and simple. Include the summary of the book, summaries of each chapter, a timeline for completion, the intended audience, and other literature already available on the topic that will compete with your book. These points will quickly help publishers decide whether or not they want to invest in your work.[6]

Do:  Revise

Doing thoughtful revision even before approaching the publisher can be helpful to you in the long run; if your manuscript or prospectus receives lack-luster reviews you weaken your chances of getting a contract with the publisher for print. Some publishers ask for reviews for the first 1-4 chapters and others simply ask for reviews of the prospectus. Regardless, having a clear idea of what you want your book to accomplish ahead of time can help you towards a contract and eventual publication. Many graduates will submit their dissertation as is for consideration, but it is essential (and expected) that you do heavy revision before submission. Remember, your job is to show the potential publishers how your dissertation can be transformed into a successful book. This is not always obvious from just the dissertation. It is also possible to initially write your dissertation with a future book in mind[7], so if you have not written your dissertation yet or are in the process, consider discussing with your advisors your intention to publish a book and they can help you on the right track. This will also make dealing with publication and revision much easier later on. Most importantly, let your academic colleagues and mentors read chapters as you finish them and listen closely to their feedback.

Caution: Many people get stalled at this point, laboring for months or even years to revise their dissertation-turned-book before sending them out or get approved for publication. Don't get discouraged, but don’t let yourself stall too long.

Don’t:  Write Lonely

If there is one thing that is essential to revising your dissertation to turn it into a book is to have multiple, trustworthy readers give you feedback. Remember, the best academic work is highly social and these readers must be colleagues who can be trusted with weighty decisions.

Don’t:  Don't Overexpose Yourself

Editors and publishers may disagree about how much to publish from your dissertation-turned-book manuscript, but they all tend to agree there is a limit on the number of articles you should excerpt from your book in progress (usually no more than two).

Also, never submit a manuscript to more than one publisher at the same time unless you have received the consent of each to a multiple submission. If you do this, do not conceal from a potential publisher that you have already/possibly made arrangements to do so.

Don’t:  Accidentally Self–Plagiarize^[8]

The idea of self-plagiarism may seem ridiculous, but it is a very real and has consequences. Self-plagiarism is the use of one's own previous work in another text without citing that it was used previously. The idea is that the writer should let the reader know that this was not the first use of the material, regardless if it is their own work being reused. You must cite yourself when using previously written work.

Additional Reading

For more information and advice on transforming your dissertation into a book, check out:

• William Germano’s book From Dissertation to Book.[9]
• Beth Luey’s book Revising Your Dissertation: Advice from Leading Editors[10]
• Howard Becker’s Tricks of the Trade[11]
• Eric Hayot’s The Elements of Academic Style: Writing for Humanities[12]

[1] https://chroniclevitae.com/news/529-dear-first-time-author-how-to-turn-your-dissertation-into-a-book

[2] http://theprofessorisin.com/2016/02/26/how-to-turn-your-dissertation-into-a-book-a-special-request-post/

[3] https://www.amazon.com/Salt-World-History-Mark-Kurlansky/dp/0142001619

[4] http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/288463.html

[5] https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/gradhacker/turning-dissertation-book

[6] http://getalifephd.blogspot.com/2011/12/twelve-steps-from-dissertation-to-book.html

[7] http://resource-cms.palgrave.com/springer-cms/rest/v1/content/6637426/data/v1/Revising+the+Dissertation

[8] http://en.writecheck.com/self-plagiarism/

[9] https://www.amazon.com/Dissertation-Chicago-Writing-Editing-Publishing/dp/0226288463

[10] http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=9780520254015

[11] http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/T/bo3683418.html

[12] https://www.amazon.com/Elements-Academic-Style-Writing-Humanities/dp/0231168012/ref=pd_sim_14_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0231168012&pd_rd_r=247WREF99ECTHEJVHHHR&pd_rd_w=2NRfG&pd_rd_wg=lySkl&psc=1&refRID=247WREF99ECTHEJVHHHR