dissertation to book manuscript

10 Problems with Scholarly Book Manuscripts (and How to Fix Them)

This post includes a list of the top 10 most common problems I’ve encountered in scholarly book manuscripts along with suggestions for addressing them. Feel free to use these items as a checklist for revising your own draft for publication.

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.

When A Press Approaches You About Publishing Your book and Wants to Move Quickly

How quickly should you move when a press expresses interest in your dissertation project? Here are some things to consider before signing the contract right away.

How to Tailor Your Academic Book Proposal for Different Publishers: What to Change for Each Press to Press and What You Can Leave Alone

Can you submit the same academic book proposal to different publishers? This post discusses what to change from press to press and what you can keep the same in each version of your academic book proposal.

How One Author Revised Her Dissertation into an Academic Book

What does it take to turn your dissertation into a book manuscript? Where do you find support? The author of Fighting Visibility shares her experience as a first-time author and how she got her academic book published.

To Mention Your Dissertation or Not When Pitching Your First Book to an Academic Publisher

Your first academic manuscript began as a dissertation. But should you acknowledge this? This post offers some insight into how publishers perceive dissertations and what you can say in your book proposal.

Subscribe to the Manuscript Works newsletter for weekly tips on writing and publishing scholarly books, links to free resources, and announcements of upcoming programs. Over 10,000 academic writers and publishing professionals subscribe.