academic writing

Book Acknowledgments: 10 Tips for Authors

What are you supposed to put in your book acknowledgments? Are there certain people you’re required to thank? Is there anything you shouldn’t say? This post has ten things you should know about writing acknowledgments for your scholarly book.

Should You Publish Your Book in a Series?

Many authors wonder whether they should consider publishing their scholarly book as part of a series at a university press. This post includes information that can help authors decide whether a series is the right fit for their next book.

How to Handle Early Interest from Publishers

It can be exciting when a publisher expresses interest in your book project, but many authors are unsure how to respond when it happens before a manuscript is ready to submit. This post includes my responses to common questions about engaging with publishers early in the publishing process.

Should You Revise Your Dissertation or Start Over for Your First Book?

Many first-time scholarly authors struggle to decide whether to revise their dissertation for publication as a book or start an entirely new book project. This post offers some considerations for making the decision that is right for you.

Recycling Publications for Your Book

Authors often want to know how much of their book manuscript can overlap with articles and chapters they have previously published in journals or edited volumes. This post offers guidelines for recycling published material and things to keep in mind concerning your goals for publication.

How to Write Chapter Summaries for Your Book Proposal

Chapter summaries — sometimes called an annotated table of contents — are key elements in a book proposal. I break down what to include in your chapter summaries in order to make the best case for your book with publishers and peer reviewers.

A Recommended Reading List for Academic Book Authors

Here’s a quick guide to my favorite books about books, writing, and scholarly publishing. Includes recommended reading on how to revise your dissertation before publishing it as a book.

Navigating Academic Publishing as an Author of Color

Racism and inequity are real problems in scholarly book publishing. This post discusses some of the common issues that racially minoritized scholars face when navigating the publishing process and offers some tips on how to find an editor and publisher who will treat you and your scholarship with respect.

6 Things You Should Do After Finishing Your Dissertation Before You Turn It Into a Book

Revising your dissertation into a book manuscript right after graduation might not be the best idea. Here are some tips on what to do post-defense that will help you write a strong book manuscript.

Where Does Your Time Go?

How do you spend your working hours? Here are some tips how to use time tracking and categorizing to organize your tasks and become more aware of your patterns. These methods will be helpful for academics, freelancers, and others who have a lot to do but little mandated structure for their work activities.

10 Quick Ways to Work on Your Academic Book Proposal between Teaching, Meetings, Surviving a Pandemic, and Having a Life

How do you maintain momentum on your goal of publishing an academic book while juggling all your other responsibilities? Here are 10 low-stress things you can do to make progress on your book proposal even while chaos explodes around you.

How Long Should Your Book and Its chapters Be?

Do you know how long your book manuscript and chapters should be? Like so many aspects of scholarly publishing, there is not one correct answer, but there are some concrete guidelines to follow. Here are some suggestions for revising your academic book manuscript.

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