Turning A Doctoral Thesis Into A Book

Academics today are understandably concerned about publications. This article is not about getting those peer-reviewed articles that all modern academics seek in order to increase their value to a university. It is about an apparently more straightforward task. Many who set out to write a piece of 80,000 words or so would like to see it on the shelves in a bookshop, as a commercially available book. This article is designed to provide some tips.
Writing is as Important as Research
This first tip is really key. Many research students say that they love researching but dislike writing. If this is genuinely the case, then writing a book may not be for them. Often this is used as an excuse for procrastination, as the 'writing-up' is often left to the end and then becomes a laborious process. To ensure that the actual thesis is as readable as possible (and therefore attractive to publishers) it needs to be drafted and redrafted throughout the research. One way to ensure this is done is continuously to write journal articles and conference / seminar papers.
Some researchers may discover incredible things and wrestle with fascinating concepts but struggle to communicate them in an accessible way. It is useful, at times, to deliver papers at inter-disciplinary conferences or seminar series and communicate your ideas to people who are not experts in the field. That way there is a necessity to make the writing accessible, long before a publisher becomes involved.
Some researchers worry that the complexities of concepts or important aspects of discoveries will be lost if there is too much emphasis on accessibility. Here it is best to take a lead from the supervisor as far as what goes in the thesis is concerned. As far as what makes it into a book goes, it might be that the risk of 'dumbing down' need be taken, until one has acquired the necessary academic status to write unreadable books!
A researcher needs to think about the language they use. This is not just important for creative writing, but for all writing. How do the words sound together? Is the language attractive? Does it read well? Does the reader want to keep reading? The form is important, not just the content.
Redrafting for Publication
Even if the researcher has come through their viva with an eminently readable thesis it is unlikely to be able to be handed straight to a publisher as a book. Books and theses have some different features and this is the time to investigate this.
Is there a need for a longer list of abbreviations and perhaps a glossary for readers without the same subject specialism as the writer and examiners?
Are the chapter titles appealing? Do they let the casual researcher know where to look for the information they require? Is there any potential for pictures, maps or diagrams? The writer will need to go through all the language again. Who is the audience? Can that audience cope with a paragraph on Theodore Adorno without some explanation and background?
Take an academic book from the shelf, examine it carefully and see how it differs from the thesis. It is likely that it is structured rather differently with the text further separated with subtitles; that it has a 'lighter', more accessible introduction and conclusion; and that it has a detailed index to assist those readers who are seeking specific information. Publishers will often ask the writer to produce the index, or at least the words that should be included in the index. Fortunately modern software has made this task easier than when some unfortunate writers had to produce their indexes!
Once happy with style and structure, it can be sent to the publisher. (Finding an academic publisher for your work is the subject for another article, and greatly depends on your specialist area).
Correcting Editor's Proofs
Although the writer may be happy that the redrafting is finished, it is more than likely that the editor will propose some changes. The writer should not be afraid to fight his or her corner if the editor wishes to remove a favourite sentence, paragraph or subtitle. However, the editor has experience of book production that the writer does not and many of the proposed changes will contribute to producing a better book.
This is also the opportunity to pick up typographical errors and things the editor missed. It can be exciting for writers to see words they have written finally laid out in the correct format for a book, but the writer must be vigilant at this stage. Very careful reading is required and it pays to ask others to double-check as nothing will vex the writer more than a spelling or grammatical error in the published book!
Finishing the Book
Depending on the size of the publisher, the writer may be asked to make important contributions to the marketing of the book: who will want to buy it? Which university libraries should be approached? Are their specialist magazines, TV/radio programmes to go for? The writer is also likely to be consulted on the cover art. Will it be noticed? Does it properly convey what is inside?
Finally that writer's copy of the book comes through the door (sometimes, if lucky, a paperback and a hardback). It is certainly a very satisfying feeling. It is unlikely to make the writer a lot of money. Of course some academic books become the key textbook in a popular area and therefore produce substantial royalty cheques. More commonly, the book sells well in the first instance (to university libraries and some bookshops, and probably to family and friends!) and thereafter sells the occasional copy to the casual browser.
Of course, what every writer thinks when they have that first published book in their hands is, 'what shall I write the next one about?'