revising

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Best Time to Bring in a Developmental Editor on Your Academic Book Project

There's never a bad time for a writer to consult with a professional editor, but there might be a best time for your particular manuscript. This post breaks down what stages an academic book project goes through and what a developmental editor can do at each stage to help a prospective author get published.

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