From Dissertation to Publication: A Guide to Writing an Academic Book

The realm of academia thrives on the dissemination of knowledge. For many scholars, the pinnacle of this pursuit involves authoring an academic book. It signifies a significant contribution to your field, establishing you as an expert and potentially influencing future research. This comprehensive guide equips you with the essential knowledge and strategies to navigate the journey of writing a compelling academic book.

Understanding the Foundation: What is an Academic Book?

An academic book is a lengthy, in-depth scholarly work that presents original research, a critical analysis of existing knowledge, or a comprehensive exploration of a specific topic within a particular academic discipline. It aims to:

• Expand the existing knowledge base within a specific field.
• Establish the author’s expertise and contribute valuable insights to the scholarly discourse.
• Engage with existing scholarship by critically analyzing, synthesizing, and potentially challenging established theories or perspectives.
• Provide a valuable resource for students, researchers, and practitioners within the discipline.

The Road to Publication: Key Stages of Writing an Academic Book

The process of writing an academic book unfolds in distinct stages, each requiring meticulous planning and execution:

1. Topic Selection:

• Identify a topic that aligns with your research interests and expertise. Consider your existing research, publications, and areas where you have a unique contribution to make.
• Ensure the topic has sufficient depth and scope to sustain a full-length book.
• Assess the potential market for your book. Is there a gap in existing scholarship that your book can address?
• Discuss potential topics with your academic advisor or colleagues to receive valuable feedback and guidance.

2. Developing a Book Proposal:

• Craft a compelling book proposal that outlines your book’s central argument, target audience, and contribution to the field.
• The proposal typically includes:
  • A concise working title.
  • A chapter-by-chapter breakdown outlining the book’s structure and content.
  • A description of your target audience and the market for your book.
  • A writing sample showcasing your academic writing style and expertise.
  • Your academic credentials and experience.
• Research potential publishers and tailor your proposal to their specific guidelines.

3. Securing a Book Contract:

• Approach academic presses or university presses that specialize in your field.
• Prepare for the possibility of multiple submissions and rejections. Persistence and a willingness to refine your proposal are key.
• Once you receive a book contract, carefully review the terms, ensuring they align with your expectations regarding royalties, publishing timeline, and marketing support.

4. Research and Writing:

• Conduct thorough research to build a robust foundation for your book. This may involve revisiting your own research, analyzing existing scholarship, and potentially conducting new research endeavors.
• Develop a detailed outline to map out the structure and flow of your arguments throughout the book.
• Allocate sufficient time for writing and establish a realistic writing schedule.
• Utilize a reference management tool to organize and cite your sources effectively.

5. Structure and Content:

• A typical academic book structure includes:
  • Dedication (optional)
  • Preface – Introduces the book, its objectives, and target audience.
  • Acknowledgements – Recognizes individuals who contributed to the book’s development.
  • List of Abbreviations (if applicable)
  • Table of Contents – Provides an overview of the book’s chapters and their organization.
  • Introduction – Sets the stage for the book, introducing the topic, outlining the central argument, and highlighting the book’s significance.
  • Body Chapters – Each chapter delves deeper into specific aspects of your topic, presenting your research findings, analysis, and arguments.
  • Conclusion – Summarizes the key points of the book, reiterates your main arguments, and discusses the book’s broader implications.
  • Appendix (optional) – Includes supplementary materials such as data tables, figures, or transcripts of interviews.
  • References – A comprehensive list of all sources cited in your book.
• Maintain a clear and concise writing style while using specialized academic language appropriate for your field.
• Incorporate evidence from your research to support your arguments and engage with existing scholarship.
• Strive for a logical and well-organized flow of ideas throughout the book.

6. Peer Review and Editing:

• Once the manuscript is complete, consider seeking feedback from academic colleagues or external reviewers with expertise in your field. Their insights can strengthen your arguments and identify potential shortcomings.
• Work with a professional editor

 

 

Many authors write their first academic book from their dissertation. Since in order to write an academic book, the first thing you need is a novel subject never has been written about, or at least it must be a better version of all the previous ones with the same subject so that publishers be convinced to publish your work.

If you are a new writer trying to write an academic book, we suggest to turn your dissertation into a book, however the following steps would be practical anyway.

Planning

As the first stage of writing a book, you need to know what you are going to write about. Define the subject, chapters, headings, and subheadings. Then write a summary of what in your mind is for each section.

By this, you limit the scope of your work.

Collecting data – conducting research

Now that you know what you are going to search about, start studying papers and books, viewing the videos and TEDs, listening to podcasts, etc. Make notes and put them under related headings. Do not forget to write the source and its page in case you need to get back and make some revisions.

You may also do some field researches, work in a lab, or distribute questionnaire to use the findings in your book. However most of the time, authors use their previous researches (for example a dissertation or a published paper) in their books.

Drafting

It is time to organize your notes and findings. Relate each one to the other logically and put them in a right order.

In this part of book writing process, you may make some changes into the title of headings and chapters.

Note that there are some rules to follow when you are writing an academic text. You need to support your assertions with evidence from other researches or researches you have done. Whatever you write must be logical.

Revising

Always read at least once what you have written, in the case of writing a book this would be of more importance.

Since the process of writing a book is a very time consuming and a long time process, when you are done writing the whole chapters of your book, you probably forget some details of earlier chapters, so it is better to read and revise each chapter after it is done and then open the next chapter.

To make sure of accuracy of what you have written, read and revise it once more after finishing the book.

Cover copy

Cover copy is one or more paragraphs the author writes on back cover of the book explaining what the reader is going to read about. But a more important point to be considered is that this explanation is to attract potential reader to buy your book and read it. So write it in a way that be appealing to readers. Do not use specialized phrases and jargons, and make it easy to understand.

When you write it, ask someone to read it. She is not necessarily an academic person in your field. If she finds it attractive, it is a good note.

The last advice

As the last advice, write your book as if there is no editor to edit your writings. Sometimes publishers do not pay enough attention to editing process and if you have count on it, you will regret doing so.