Turning Your Dissertation into a Book or Monograph

Turning Your Dissertation into a Book or Monograph. This short video by John Bond of Riverwinds Consulting discusses the process to turn your thesis or dissertation into a book.

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TRANSCRIPT

Hi there. I am John Bond from Riverwinds Consulting and this is Publishing Defined.

Today I am going to talk about revising your dissertation or thesis into a book or monograph.

Having completed your capstone work for your advanced or terminal degree, you might consider what it would take to turn your work into a book or monograph. Dissertations can contain content that a wider audience might find interesting, but how do you go about finding a potential publisher?

First, leave time between the completion of the thesis and considering its next potential use. Some distance will give you perspective on how best to change or alter the work.

Second, accept the fact that changes, likely significant, will need to be made. You can’t have your work double as a dissertation and a publishable book. Likely you will need to condense or edit the work to narrow the focus for a broader trade or academic audience. By their very nature, a thesis and a book are different things. Also, another option is turning your work into an academic article or series of articles. See my next video installment for points on how to do that.

To know what to change about your work, think about your intended audience and your key message. Boil down your work into what you perceive as a marketable book. Sites such as Amazon and other online retailers are great research tools in understanding what might be of interest to the market. Develop an idea for a book that is well defined; has a specific market; and can be explained in a one or two sentences. This will form the basis for a future book proposal.

Then layout a plan and timeline to change or alter your dissertation. Likely the work will need to be condensed, although some areas or points may need to be expanded. Some parts of the format will need changing such as any notes, footnotes, or extended reference list. Assuming you are shooting for a more mass market or trade audience, the writing style of the work may need to change to be more approachable or simpler. Do NOT assume the original work can be published as is.

The editing or rewriting of the thesis or dissertation will take time. Remember the time put into making the original work? This rewriting or editing will take time as well.

After the heavy lifting of reworking the thesis is over, you will need to write a book proposal and find a publisher. At the end of this video I will link to my video on writing a book proposal. The important points are to emphasize the market and need for the work, as opposed to its origin as a thesis. Research into proving the interest level and marketability for the work is key. Unless you are shooting very high for a high interest book for the general public, you likely don’t need an agent. You can go directly to some types of publishers. To find target companies, use online retail sites to see what publishers are working in this area. Many times, the publisher’s websites list how to submit proposals to them. Follow their directions exactly. Having a great title and a hook that can sell the idea and your eventual book is key.

Set a plan and a timeline and do your research. Steady gets things done.

Well that’s it. I am a publishing consultant and work with associations, publishers, and individuals on a host of content related challenges. Reach out to me at RiverwindsConsulting.com with your questions.

Hit the Like button below if you enjoyed this video. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel or click on my video about writing a book proposal.

And make comments below. Thank so much and take care.