Inside this issue: How to Revise Your Dissertation
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Inside this issue: How to Revise Your Dissertation |
| Brought to you by: WOULD YOU PREFER TO READ THIS NEWSLETTER ONLINE? Now you can! Read archive issues, too. They're available here >>> QUOTES OF THE WEEK: “The average Ph.D. thesis is nothing but the transference
of bones from one graveyard to another.”
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The aesthetic evil of a footnote seems in order just here,
I’m afraid.”
RESOURCES OF THE WEEK: A few academic publishers include their guidelines for book proposals. These give a good sense of what publishers want in an academic book. Here are links to Pearson Education, a company with many academic imprints and to Sage Publications, whose author guidelines give a good sense of proposals that will appeal.
“A Checklist of Considerations for Writing a Book Proposal” is an article written by an academic librarian that describes criteria to keep in mind. Like our newsletter? Recommend it to a friend! Nobody will be added to any list without their express permission.
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Book of the Week: Editor Beth Luey, who is the founding director of the Scholarly Publishing Program at Arizona State University, has collected chapters from a group of editors at top academic presses. The result is a wonderfully useful compilation of tips and tactics to get your first book published. This paperback should be on the shelf of every academic working on their first book. Transform Your Dissertation Into A BookSeveral of the junior faculty I work with are in the process of turning their dissertations into books. I wanted to share some of the tips that I give them. Here is a thumbnail summary of the questions I ask : What’s Your New Goal?The fundamental purpose of a book is quite different from a dissertation. And the basic differences define the revision process. To put it crassly, the dissertation proves you deserve a Ph.D. The book contributes to a scholarly dialogue in your discipline and proves that you deserve tenure. A book needs to be more interesting, less pedantic and as succinct as possible. Who’s Your Audience?The audience of your dissertation is clear: your committee. In contrast, many people will read your book (we hope)! Who you want those people to be should influence every manuscript change you make. Some academic books are highly specialized and appeal to a narrow group of experts in your field. An occasional academic book has “crossover” potential: it has interdisciplinary appeal and interests a non-academic audience. But if you want to publish a book with a wider market, make sure your tenure committee won’t dismiss it as ‘unscholarly.’ Should You Be Fast or Fancy?Some mentors will advise you to publish your dissertation as quickly as possible and move on to new projects. Others will recommend you rework your dissertation until you have a stellar product that will be published at a top-notch academic press. Which book should you write? In general, I recommend getting the book out and moving on. Extensive, time-consuming revisions can be a way of avoiding your fears about exposing your ideas to the world. Who Can Help?Ask others to read your proposal, brief chapter summaries or even the whole manuscript. This is an important preliminary step, and it also can help you develop mentoring relationships with senior colleagues in your new department. Don’t be timid about asking for advice: most people love giving it. What’s Your Story?Most dissertations follow a standard format in which the literature review is a separate, exhaustive, preliminary slog before the meat of the research. In most dissertations, the methodology and theoretical approach are justified extensively. The punch line is left until the end. With a book, you must tell a compelling story with the background, methodology and theory interwoven in succinct, relevant nuggets. The narrative is primary throughout. Have You Found a Role ModelHave you been keeping track of who published the best books on your dissertation reference list? Do you know which books you’d most like your final product to look like? Have you paid close attention to the form and style of influential books, whatever their content? Don’t reinvent the wheel – find role models that have rolled well. Did You Trim the Fat?Have you gotten rid of all the references, tables, footnotes, appendices and theoretical justifications that exist to prove you deserve a Ph.D.? People expect a book author to be an expert – you don’t have to tediously justify your right to assert your theses. Every ounce of historical context, methodology, and theory needs to move your storyline forward. It costs more to publish a long book. Get rid of the flab. Are You Fighting Your Fears?All academics are anxious about sending their first book to the publisher. While you were writing the dissertation you could reassure yourself that nobody besides your committee would read it (and maybe not even everyone on your committee)! Now you are facing an unknown group of readers. What if you’re rejected? What if you’re wrong? What if you’re scorned? Fears of exposure are normal and inevitable. Make sure your fears don’t slow you down. Are you interested in reading a longer and more specific article about this topic? If so, drop me an email and I’ll get to work expanding these thoughts for you. Revise well!
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