How do I turn my dissertation into a book?
Part 2: Editing, Formatting, and Publishing Your Book
I recently shared three key tips for turning your dissertation into a book: assessing your dissertation, understanding the publishing landscape, and writing your book proposal. You can find them here in Part 1: Getting Started.
This article continues with Steps 4–6, where I offer suggestions on how you can take your dissertation from a book proposal and rough draft to a solid paperweight your parents can be proud of! (Just kidding, I’m sure they’ll read it!)
Remember, I’m here to help, and this guide to turning your dissertation into a book is just the beginning. Read through the tips below and contact me to discuss your project further. You can also learn more about what we do at Acadia Editing Services by exploring our copy editing services and our FAQs.
Step 4: Navigating Peer Review
The peer review process for academic books is a crucial stage in ensuring the quality and credibility of your work. When you submit your book manuscript to a publisher, it undergoes a rigorous evaluation by experts in your field. These peer reviewers carefully assess the content, methodology, and overall scholarly contribution of your book. They provide feedback and recommendations to the publisher, which can range from minor revisions to more substantial changes. It’s essential to approach this feedback with an open and constructive mindset. Consider the reviewers’ comments as invaluable insights that can enhance the rigor and impact of your work.
To respond effectively, start by acknowledging their feedback, even if it’s critical. Then, carefully address each point, explaining the changes you’ve made and providing a rationale for your decisions. Remember that constructive criticism is a powerful tool for refining your book and elevating it to its full potential. Embracing this process can ultimately result in a more polished and influential academic publication.
Step 5: Preparing to Publish Your Book
By this point, you are undoubtedly exhausted and ready to be rid of your manuscript. But the final stage of transforming your dissertation into a book is pivotal to ensuring a polished final product. And this is where we editors shine. Two critical components are copy editing and formatting. Copy editing involves meticulously reviewing your manuscript’s grammar, punctuation, clarity, and consistency to ensure that your writing is both error-free and engaging. Proper formatting confirms that your book adheres to publishing standards and guidelines, creating a professional and readable presentation. (You can see examples of book publisher guidelines here, here, here, and here. The first two links are to SUNY Press, whose style guide is 18 pages long. The second two links are to Cambridge University Press, which offers 22 files for you to review and a style guide that’s a whopping 44 pages long!)
Equally important are the aesthetics of your book, which include a visually appealing cover and a well-designed interior layout. A compelling cover attracts potential readers and conveys the essence of your work. In particular, texts that include tables or figures displaying your findings can benefit from review by a copy editor. At Acadia Editing Services, we specialize in revising work that utilizes qualitative and quantitative analyses, and our attention to detail will make sure that each axis label is spelled correctly and every decimal point is in the right place. Finally, if your book contains images, graphics, or other previously published material, securing the necessary permissions is crucial to avoid copyright issues. (For examples of our work editing books in a variety of subfields and methodological styles, check out our Portfolio and Reviews.)
Step 6: Celebrating Your Success
That’s it! You did it! All you have to do is attach the files to an email and hit “Send.” Congratulations!! When the book is released, don’t be shy about promoting it to your networks, particularly on social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X/dumpster fire, Threads, TikTok?). You’ve put in a mountain of work and you deserve to have people buy it and read it.
Turning your dissertation into a book is a long and drawn-out process, but it is going to feel so good once you get here. Moreover, inviting us to work with you throughout the book publishing process can significantly alleviate the effort needed to get you down the home stretch to final submission.
How and when do I work with an editor?
Once you’ve identified a publisher you’d like to pitch to and you’ve started to draft your book proposal, contact us so we can discuss the project further. We’re here to help you navigate the publishing landscape — from talking you through the process and editing your proposal to reviewing your entire manuscript and applying the publisher’s complex style guidelines before you submit.
With persistence, patience, and determination — and support from your friendly neighborhood copy editor . . . ahem, that’s us! — you can take your dissertation from a ream of office paper buried under your desk to a shiny, new hardback text that your parents will love to show off to their friends. They’ll probably never read more than a few pages, but they sure will be proud!
This article is Part 2 of our series, How do I turn my dissertation into a book? It has covered Steps 4–6 of the academic publishing process. Check out Steps 1–3 in Part 1: assessing your dissertation, understanding the publishing landscape, and writing a book proposal.
P.S. If you contact us before October 31, 2023, and mention this blog post, you’ll receive 10% off your next editing or coaching project! Don’t miss out!
