Happy new year, Manuscript Workers!
Quick reminder that my free webinar, How to Publish a Book from Your Dissertation, is happening today at 10am Pacific (1pm Eastern, 6pm GMT). It’s not too late to register, and if you’re reading this after it’s taken place, you can still register for the recording.
The focus of my presentation will be on determining whether your dissertation project has the potential to become an appealing book in the eyes of scholarly publishers. Most dissertations are not yet appealing books, so the points I’ll be covering will serve as a checklist for you as you revise your manuscript. By knowing what publishers are most interested in regarding the books they acquire, you’ll be able to frame your project in ways that will lead to more positive responses when it comes time to actually talk to your target presses.
I’ll be going into more depth about each of these items during the webinar, but here’s a preview of the key points I’d advise you to think about if you’re a scholar who wants to land a publisher this year. By the way, these apply to everyone, even if you’re not working on a dissertation-based manuscript:
Publishers want books that readers will care about because the research adds something to the world. Have you figured out why readers will benefit from reading about your research?
Publishers want books that are portable beyond their immediate research contexts. Is your book driven by a clear thesis with stakes that transcend your own research focus?
Publishers want books that are relevant to a well-defined scholarly field that aligns with their strengths as a press. Can you position your work as making a contribution to the field(s) that your target presses specialize in reaching?
Publishers want books that are in step with current scholarly conversations. Can you point to recent books (<5 years old) that your work is in conversation with?
Publishers want books that reward readers’ time. Have you trimmed credentialing material or background info that might have been necessary for your dissertation committee (or yourself as you got acquainted with your subject matter) but that isn’t needed by new readers?
Publishers want books driven by an engaging narrative and a logical structure. Have you thoughtfully organized and ordered your book’s chapters to guide readers through your book’s arguments?
Publishers want books written by visible and trustworthy authors. Have you established yourself as a recognized expert on your topic through publications, presentations, and other outward-facing activities?
Publishers want books that will be reasonably cost-effective to produce. Have you ensured that the length of your manuscript and the images you plan to include are consistent with norms at your target publisher(s)?
Publishers want books without immediate threats to consumer demand. Does your book’s title and table of contents differ from your dissertation? Have you previously published less than 25% of the material?
Again, I’ll be talking more about all of these points at the webinar today. If you read any of them and had an “oh shit” moment because you’re not sure what I’m talking about or how to get your book manuscript on track, please join me for further explanation!
Everyone who registers will get a recording and a handy one-page checklist to keep track of these points as you work on your book. Please feel free to forward this along to your advisees, friends, and nemeses too!
If you think your book is ready to pitch to publishers, I can help you write an outstanding book proposal that will make sure all of these points shine through. My live six-week book proposal course starts on Monday! I’ll be sharing more info about it at the end of my presentation today, or you can go ahead and check out the free course preview.
Hope to see you in a few hours!