Hi Manuscript Workers,
If you finished a doctoral dissertation this past year, congratulations! Writing a dissertation is always challenging, and if you actually managed to complete and deposit one, you deserve a huge pat on the back (and some time to rest and recharge).
Because you subscribe to this newsletter, I’m guessing you may be interested in turning your dissertation into a published book someday. If that’s your plan, you are probably aware that you’ll need to revise your manuscript (at least a little bit) to get it ready for book publishers. What you may not be aware of are the other things you need to be doing to prep for the book publishing process.
The good news is that you can do a lot of these things while taking a much-needed break from your actual dissertation material. If you’ve finished your dissertation within the last six months, I’d strongly recommend setting it aside for a bit and engaging in other activities, such as:
Starting a new research project. Exploring a new topic can bring fresh clarity on the questions that really interested you in your dissertation research. Those can become stronger through-lines in your book manuscript and will be key to communicate when it's time to propose your book to a publisher.
Reading recent books. You probably had to stop reading at some point in order to get your diss written. Now you can catch up with what's been published in your field in the meantime. Understanding the recent books you're in conversation with will help you situate your book and write your book proposal.
Researching publishers. You'll be more successful with your book pitch if you carefully target the publishers who are most likely to be interested in your topic and approach. Get familiar with the presses that have put out recent books in your area and start asking people about their experiences publishing there.
Reading about writing. How-to books about writing and publishing (like The Book Proposal Book!) can be a welcome rest from reading academic research. They'll also prepare you for manuscript revisions and the publishing process you're about to embark on.
Presenting or teaching. Sharing your work with others by giving conference presentations or creating lessons for students can help crystalize what you want to say about it. You'll learn what framings land best with your book's potential audiences.
Getting feedback. Publishing pieces of your diss research as articles—or even simply sharing parts of your diss with a peer writing group—can help you get a handle on what other scholars find valuable in your work. You can highlight these things in your book manuscript and proposal.
One other thing you can do that will just take an hour or so is attend my free webinar on January 3rd, How to Publish a Book from Your Dissertation.
This webinar will:
Explain what scholarly book publishers are looking for in new projects
Identify key changes you may need to make to your dissertation to turn it into an appealing book manuscript
Point out red flags that may signal to acquisitions editors that your dissertation is not ready to become a book
There will be a Q&A period after the presentation to address any lingering questions you have. A recording and transcript will be provided to all, so you don’t have to attend live (but you do have to register to get access to everything).
A note for people working on books that aren’t based on dissertations
You are still welcome to attend this webinar! I will be sharing my checklist of “9 attributes of appealing books” that will apply to any book manuscript you intend to pitch to a university press or other scholarly publisher.
I’ll also be sharing info about my resources for scholarly authors, including my book proposal programs, so all scholarly writers are welcome. Even if you’re not trying to publish a book yourself—but you mentor people who are—please feel free to join me.
Hope to see you on January 3rd!
If you have a book coming out in 2024 that you’d like to promote in this newsletter, drop an email anytime to support@manuscriptworks.com with your cover jpg, release date, publisher webpage, and any discount codes you’d like to share.
We celebrated so many new books by Manuscript Works clients and readers last week that a few slipped through the cracks and didn’t make it into the 2023 round-up. I wanted to make sure these books get seen and celebrated as well so here they are!
Diana Kamin’s Picture-Work: How Libraries, Museums, and Stock Agencies Launched a New Image Economy (November 2023)
From the MIT Press website:
In this book, Diana Kamin traces the sharing of photographs to an image economy developed throughout the twentieth century by major institutions. Picture-Work examines how three of these institutions—the New York Public Library, the Museum of Modern Art, and the stock agency H. Armstrong Roberts Inc.—defined the public's understanding of what the photographic image is, while building vast collections with universalizing ambitions. Highlighting underexplored figures, such as the first rights and reproduction manager at MoMA Pearl Moeller and visionary NYPL librarian Romana Javitz, and underexplored professional practices, Diana Kamin demonstrates how bureaucratic work communicates ideas about images to the public.
William R. Fernekes’ Clifford Case and the Challenge of Liberal Republicanism (Lexington Books, August 2023)
To get 30% off this book, please use discount code LXFANDF30 at checkout when purchasing directly from Lexington Books.
Lauren Lassabe Shepherd’s Resistance from the Right: Conservatives and the Campus Wars in Modern America (University of North Carolina Press, August 2023)