publishing phd thesis as a book

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How to Turn your Dissertation into a Book

You finished your dissertation and want to turn it into a book? Then don’t let the revision process scare you – we've got you covered with helpful tips and tricks on the way.

This post is part of a series, which serves to provide hands-on information and resources for authors and editors.

After years of hard work on their dissertation, more than a few Early Career Researchers consider turning their PhD research into a monograph. While this is great to reach a whole new audience, the process of getting there can seem complex and daunting at first.

But we’re here to help!

The first and most essential step is to decide whether your dissertation should become a book at all. For many scholars this is a no-brainer, especially in the humanities and the social sciences, where the publication of books is crucial for getting professional recognition, climbing up the career ladder, and eventually gaining tenure.

Your dissertation could also be published in the form of one or several journal articles. Or something you just want to upload on a university server and be done with.

However, let’s say that you do want to convert your thesis into a publishable book, here are the general steps of this exciting undertaking:

Find your match
Build your confidence
Get down to the nitty gritty
Pitch your work
Respond and revise

1. Find Your Match

The process of revising a dissertation goes hand-in-hand with the search for the right publishing house. The question what kind of book you want or need will influence your choice. Vice versa, the publisher shapes what kind of book you will be rewarded with.

Publishing with an established publisher is still considered as a sign of quality. They take care of things like quality control and peer review, and they select their titles carefully, so they fit their lists. This also means the books will sell better. Moreover, and most importantly: a publisher makes your work visible, be it online, in catalogues, on conferences, book fairs, or by distributing your book among libraries and universities.

Are you looking for the right press to publish your academic work? Find out here whether De Gruyter might be the right partner for your project!

Ask yourself this: Where do you want to see your book? Where have your favorite publications been published? Browse bookshelves, and visit book exhibitions at conferences . Talk to editors, approach them, ask for their conditions; check websites.

But whilst you do all of that: Please never submit to more than one publisher at the same time. Wasting editors’ time is frowned upon and doesn’t bode well for future publication with the house.

2. Build your Confidence

Once you decided on which press would be a good choice (from university presses, independent academic publishers, trade publishers etc.), there are a couple of things you need to take into consideration.

First and maybe most importantly: Be kind to yourself. Acknowledge what you have already accomplished. This has been a huge effort, and you have earned every right to be proud of yourself! Then, get to work.

Be prepared to invest time and nerves into reworking your dissertation. Focus on what you have already done, and build from there.

Remember, a book is not a dissertation. You do not need to convince anyone anymore that you are the expert and that you have done your reading. The reader of your book trusts that you are, and that is why they bought it.

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3. Get Down to the Nitty Gritty

Envision your audience. This will help you give your dissertation a makeover.
Your viva was probably a while ago, so lots of new and interesting research has been published since then that could potentially influence your work. Do the reading.
Go over your literature review and see what is not needed anymore for your argument. Do not quote other people as much – the reader wants to know what you think. The reader of your book is also not hugely interested in all of the methodologies out there. Tell them what you used and why, but cut everything else.
Tell the reader in the introduction what the book’s central argument is. What is your contribution to the field? What’s new? In the conclusion, tell them what the consequences are. What difference do your findings make? How do they help the field?
Try to stay close to the 100,000 word threshold (=300 pages), including notes. Keep the manuscript sleek, limit the apparatus. Try to have chapters of equal lengths.
Sure enough, images are nice and often help the reader get a sense for the text, but do not forget that you have to clear rights for most of them, and get all the technicalities for print sorted.
Use simple wording. Be on point. Always remember your audience needs to understand you, and not all of them are experts.
Go easy on the footnotes: Resist making them a container for all of the brilliant thoughts that don’t quite fit in the flow or argument of your book. If a remark doesn’t belong in your text, it might not belong in your book altogether.

Bear in mind: With a dissertation, you have something to prove. With a book, you have something to say.

4. Pitch Your Work

After revising, you need to prepare a pitch: Sell your book! Let the publisher know why your research is important and how it changes the field. What’s the unique selling point of your book, what sets it apart from others?

To get started, check the publisher’s website. Usually there is a proposal form hidden away somewhere. Try to find information on the submission process and/or a personal contact. Follow the guidelines, and write an e-mail to the responsible Acquisitions Editor.

Indicate that you are familiar with the scope of the publisher’s list. Maybe you know of a book series of theirs, where your work might fit in. Let them know you did your homework, and that you are invested. Describe how your book complements other titles in the series and why it would be a great fit.

Learn more about book proposals in our blog post “How to Write an Academic Book Proposal: 6 Questions for Laura Portwood-Stacer” .

Be concise. Your proposal should demonstrate not only that you are an expert on the topic, but that you can condense and synthesize what you know, that you can share it concisely, and that you can present your research in a way that is stimulating and thought-provoking.

Usually, the more material you send, the better. Being able to read a sample chapter of the dissertation, in addition to the proposal, makes it much easier for the publisher to get a sense about the writing style of an author, who is still unknown to them.

5. Almost There! Respond and Revise

After you submitted, and heard back from the editor of the press, you can relax a little. Your manuscript is now either under consideration with the editor or already sent out for external peer review. This might take a while.

Chances are, when you hear back from the editor the next time, the reviewers will have criticized parts of your manuscript and are asking for improvements. Hence, you will need to get back into the text once again. This can be a hard moment, but remember: you are so close now! Revise one last time and at the end of the road, you might already see the light of your shiny new author contract.

Good luck – you got this!

If you are interested, check out this related blog post

[Title image by hanna grace via Unsplash]

Rabea Rittgerodt

Rabea works as Acquisitions Editor at De Gruyter. She is specialized on 19th & 20th century social, cultural, and global history. You can follow her on Twitter via @RabeaRi .

Sophie Wagenhofer

Sophie Wagenhofer works as Senior Acquisitions Editor Islamic & Jewish Studies at De Gruyter.

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Academic Publishing

From Thesis to Book: A Guide to Publishing Your PhD Research Publishing phd thesis as a book

From thesis to Published Book: Transforming Academic Research into a Wider Audience

Completing a PhD is a tremendous accomplishment that requires dedication, perseverance, and countless hours of research and writing. After years of hard work, it’s only natural to want to share your findings with the wider world. One option for doing so is to publish your thesis as a book.

Turning a thesis into a book can be a rewarding experience, as it allows you to reach a broader audience and share your research with people beyond the academic community. While the process of publishing a book can be daunting, it’s not as complicated as it may seem.

The first step is to determine whether your thesis is suitable for publication as a book. Consider the following questions:

Does your thesis address a topic that is of interest to a wider audience?
Can you present your research in a way that is accessible to non-specialists?
Are there existing books on your topic, and if so, what makes your research unique?

If you believe that your thesis has the potential to be published as a book, the next step is to identify potential publishers. Look for publishers that specialize in your subject area and have a strong track record of publishing academic works. Many publishers have guidelines on their websites that will give you an idea of what they are looking for in a book proposal.

When preparing your book proposal, keep in mind that you will need to present your research in a way that is engaging and accessible to a wider audience. This may require revising some parts of your thesis and presenting your findings in a way that is relevant to non-academic readers.

Once you have submitted your book proposal, be prepared for a long wait. The publishing process can take months or even years, as publishers carefully review proposals and decide which ones to pursue. If your proposal is accepted, you will work closely with an editor to revise and refine your manuscript.

Publishing your thesis as a book can be a rewarding experience that allows you to share your research with a wider audience. With careful planning and preparation, you can turn your thesis into a book that is engaging, accessible, and informative.

Ok, now that we discussed the “why”, let’s elaborate on the “How”.

Easy and fast ways to publish a PhD thesis as a book?

While publishing a PhD thesis as a book is not necessarily an easy or fast process, as was discussed before, there are some steps you can take to make it happen more efficiently.

One option is to self-publish your book . This means that you will need to take care of all aspects of the publishing process, from editing and formatting the manuscript to designing the cover and promoting the book. Self-publishing platforms / publishers such as LAP Publishing which may offer an easier and more accessible route to publishing your work.

Another option is to consider a publisher that specializes in publishing academic books. Some publishers may even offer expedited publication services for PhD theses that have already undergone rigorous review and editing.

It’s also worth considering publishing individual chapters of your thesis as articles in academic journals. This can help increase the visibility of your research and potentially lead to book deals with publishers who are interested in your work.

In any case, it’s important to research publishers and their submission guidelines, prepare a strong book proposal, and work closely with an editor to refine your manuscript. While there may not be a shortcut to publishing your PhD thesis as a book, taking these steps can help streamline the process and increase the likelihood of success.

How expensive is it to publish a PhD thesis as a book?

The cost of publishing a PhD thesis as a book can vary widely depending on several factors, such as the publisher, the length of the book, the number of copies printed, the type of printing, and the marketing budget.

If you decide to self-publish your book, you will need to cover all the costs associated with publishing, such as editing, formatting, cover design, printing, and marketing. However, the cost of self-publishing can vary widely, depending on the services you require and the quality of the work. For example if you self publish your book in the LAP Publishing platform the fee is minimal compared to other publishers. Which allows the option to publish a PhD to a wide variety of authors.

If you go through a traditional academic publisher, there may be some upfront costs associated with the publishing process. For example, some publishers may require an author to pay for the cost of indexing or for any images used in the book. However, most academic publishers will cover the majority of the costs, including editing, formatting, printing, and marketing.

It’s important to note that while the cost of publishing a PhD thesis as a book can be significant, there are also potential financial benefits. For example, some publishers offer royalties on book sales, which can generate income for the author over time. Additionally, publishing a book can enhance an author’s reputation in their field and potentially lead to additional speaking engagements or consulting opportunities.

Overall, the cost of publishing a PhD thesis as a book can vary widely depending on the publishing route you choose, the services required, and the marketing budget. It’s important to carefully research publishers and their costs before making a decision.

Are you a researcher or an author struggling to get your thesis published? Look no further than Lambert Academic Publishing! We offer an easy and affordable publishing process that allows you to share your research with a global audience. With no publishing contract required and professional editing and formatting services included, publishing your thesis with us has never been easier. Plus, our worldwide distribution network ensures that your work will be seen by a wider audience. Don’t let your research go unnoticed – publish your thesis with Lambert Academic Publishing today and take the first step towards sharing your findings with the world!

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How to Turn Your Dissertation Into a Book: A Step-By-Step Guide for New Authors

Whether you are just starting graduate school, writing your dissertation, or the proud recipient of a recent Ph.D., you may be thinking about turning your dissertation into a published book. There are many reasons why this might be a good idea. In some fields, a published scholarly book is a preferred method for presenting a comprehensive view of pivotal research. A book gives you the space to discuss details, complications, connections, and ramifications in a way that is not possible in a journal article. In these fields, a well-reviewed book gives you instant credibility when applying for faculty positions, tenure, and related positions. A published book also has a much longer shelf life than an unpublished dissertation, and will occupy a respected place on your CV or resume for years to come.

In other fields, good dissertations are expected to produce one or more published journal articles, and many tenured faculty at top research institutions never publish a book. In these fields, publishing a book may still be an asset for those pursuing a traditional academic career, and can be a great way to transition into other careers such as science communication, education, or public policy. So if turning your dissertation into a book is something you are considering, here are some steps to get started.

Step 1: Identify your audience

Publishers are businesses that make money by selling books. This is true of "trade" publishers that sell books for the general public, and "academic" publishers that sell books primarily for students and scholars. Therefore, in order for a publisher to consider publishing your book, there must be a sufficiently large audience to buy your book. This audience will strongly influence how you organize and write your book, and may cause your book to be massively different from your dissertation. After all, the purpose of a dissertation is to show that you are knowledgeable about your field of study, and have made a significant contribution to it. In contrast, the purpose of a book is to serve a need for the reader.

Some dissertation topics may work well as required reading for college and university courses. In that case, you need to identify the types of courses that would be appropriate (e.g. courses in sociology that cover gender identity), and develop an understanding of how many students take such courses. For example, you might find that almost all colleges in the California State system have a sociology department. At California State AnyTown, there are 20,000 undergraduate students, and 400 students a year take a sociology course that focuses on gender identity. Other dissertation topics might appeal to people in specific professions (e.g. people who work with children who suffer concussions), and you might look at the number of people in relevant professional organizations (e.g. associations for coaches or pediatric nurses). At the other end of the spectrum, you might imagine a book that appeals to a fairly wide audience (e.g. a book that addresses recent events linked to gender identity, or a broader discussion of concussion in youth sports). For these books, the intended audience may be harder to define, so you can estimate its size in the next step.

Step 2: Identify competing books

Once you have identified a potential audience, you need to familiarize yourself with the books they are reading. Your book will be competing with these books, so you need to determine how your book will fill a gap for this audience. Here you have the opportunity—and the obligation—to read widely in your intended niche. If this opportunity doesn't excite you, do not try to write a book for this niche. The process of writing a good book is laborious and time consuming, so if you are not interested in exploring similar books for what works and what doesn't, you will not enjoy writing your own book for this category.

As you identify and read competing books, you should pay attention to the topics that they cover, and how the author writes about these topics. Consider whether the text is instructive or narrative, what details are included, how the text is organized, and whether visual aids such as photographs, diagrams, or tables are included. Also find out when the book was published, how long it is, how much it sells for, and how many copies have been sold (or at least what its Amazon sales rank is).

You may find books that are very similar to your book, or that are different in significant ways (such as the specific topic) but that have characteristics you want to emulate (e.g. a good strategy for presenting technically challenging research to a broad audience). As you gain a good understanding of related books, you'll need to develop a list of 3-10 books that will compete with your book. You will use this list to support two points:

Books similar to your book have been successful with your intended audiences; and
Your book fills an unmet need for this audience, so they will buy it.

That unmet need might be a more recent book that incorporates new knowledge, or a book that takes a different approach to a question that has already been addressed.

This survey of related books will also help you plan your book. If you find that multiple books already exist for your intended topic, you may need to shift your emphasis so that your book offers something new. If you find that there are few successful competing books, it may be that your intended audience is too small, and that you need to shift your emphasis to fit into a more productive niche.

Step 3: Create an outline for your book

Once you have an intended audience, an excellent understanding of successful books in the same category, and an idea for how you can fill a need in that category, you can start planning your book in detail. Put together an outline, starting with the major topic for each chapter, and thinking about how the overall theme will progress through the entire book. Even for a purely academic book, there must be an overall arch to your story.

While it may be tempting to slip into the same mindset that you used for planning and writing your dissertation, remember that the purpose of your book is to serve a need for the reader. So rather than focusing on your specific research contributions (which is essential for a dissertation), focus on what the reader needs to know. To facilitate this mindset, it may be useful to put away your dissertation for a bit (assuming that it is already complete) and focus on other projects. Then revisit your dissertation topic when you have fresh eyes and a better understanding of what would be useful for your intended audience.

As you flesh out the details for each chapter, set a target word count and think about any images or tables that should be included. Keep in mind that book publishers must pay for every page, image, and footnote to be edited, prepared, and printed. Books that are only available electronically still have most of these per-page expenses. Therefore, use successful books in your category as a guide for how long your book should be, and how many images should be included. Color images also add significantly to the production costs .

As you are preparing your outline, you will likely reach a point where you are unsure if the details of your plan will work. Then it is time to write.

Step 4: Write a sample chapter

If you want a publisher or agent to consider your book, you will typically need to submit a sample chapter or two. You may be asked to submit your first chapter or your "best" chapter, so I recommend starting with your first chapter and making it excellent.

While there are many different approaches to successful writing, one common theme is that the first draft is usually terrible. So write the first draft of your first chapter and let it be terrible. Then read and revise, and repeat. As you are writing and revising, I recommend regularly taking time to read some of your competing titles. How do they deal with some of the challenges you are facing? Are their approaches successful or can you envision a better way?

As you write your first chapter or two, you may find that you need to revise your outline. Pay attention to what you can effectively cover for your audience in the space available.

Step 5: Identify appropriate publishers or agents

Once you have a strong plan and a sample chapter or two, you need to identify potential publishers. Start by looking at your list of competing titles, and learn about those publishers. Also talk to colleagues who have published books, and ask if they would be willing to put you in contact with their publisher or agent. The process can be quite complicated, and for a comprehensive guide I recommend The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published by Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry. Many publishers also post guidelines for potential authors on their websites. For most publishers, you will need to show that you understand your audience and competing books, and provide a detailed book outline and convincing sample chapter.

Here is an infographic that breaks down all of these major points:

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Four top tips for turning your PhD into a book

Kent law school alumna dr serena natile shares her experience of turning a phd thesis into a monograph with current kent law school phd scholar elena caruso and offers four key points of reflection..

By Andrea Shieber | 17 July 2020

Dr Serena Natile is a Lecturer in Socio-Legal Studies at Brunel Law School, where she teaches Public Law, International Law, Gender & Law, Finance & Society and Research Methods. Serena completed her PhD at KLS in December 2016, passing her viva with no corrections. Her PhD thesis ‘ Mobile Money and the Limits of Financial Inclusion: A Gender Analysis of M-Pesa in Kenya’ was supervised by Professor Toni Williams and Professor Donatella Alessandrini and examined by Professor Judy Fudge and Professor Ambreena Manji.

During her time at Kent Law School, Serena taught on a number of modules, worked as a research assistant on various projects and served for three years on the steering committee of the Kent Centre for Race, Sexuality and Gender Justice. Serena has recently published a revised version of her PhD thesis: The Exclusionary Politics of Digital Financial Inclusion: Mobile Money, Gendered Walls as part of the RIPE Series in Global Political Economy by Routledge.

Four points of reflection:

Writing a good PhD thesis : a well-structured and clearly written thesis with clear question(s), narrative and argument(s) is a key starting point for publishing PhD research. While the decision to publish the PhD thesis as a book rather than a series of articles is related to the research topic, scope and approach (when, for instance, all chapters are interconnected and necessary to frame the central argument), the process of developing a good PhD project depends on various factors and the role of the supervisors is particularly important. Building a relationship of trust with the supervisors, feeling supported but free to explore different topics and methods, listening and engaging with them and with the broader academic community is a significant aspect of this journey
Building academic relations : all doctoral students know that a PhD is a combination of interaction and isolation. Academic interactions are developed via conversations, presentations, conferences, blogs and social media: they are useful to test ideas and develop arguments but also to make your research known and start positioning yourself within the academic debates you would like to contribute to and be recognised for. Building these networks is important to establish contacts with publishers (receiving an invitation to submit a book proposal facilitates the editorial process); understand the different options available (there are various options to consider: from book series, to editorial approach to format and availability of the manuscript), define your contribution (a section of the book proposal asks specifically to discuss ‘similar/competing titles’); facilitate dissemination and build collaborations for future projects.
Paying attention to the broader audience : engaging with feedback and particularly with the ‘negative’ and challenging ones is an important step in many academic projects and is a crucial part of turning the PhD into a book. A book is different from the PhD thesis because the scope and audience are broader. The PhD thesis is aimed at fulfilling the requirements to be awarded a doctoral degree, the book is aimed at contributing to particular debates while engaging the wider public. The language and structure need to be clear, coherent and to the point, and the arguments well-supported. Rewriting the introduction and parts of the PhD thesis, adding or cutting a chapter, signposting ideas and having short and sharp titles are necessary steps of the editing process. It’s important to take time to think about and address the comments to the book proposal/sample chapters made by the editors and reviewers and to plan very carefully the work to be done on the manuscript liaising with the editorial team throughout. Asking friends and colleagues outside the field to read chapters is also a very useful exercise to clarify points and make the argument stronger.
Try to stick to a reasonable timeframe : in the broader picture of collective production of knowledge, books always represent a work in progress as they draw on existing research and create new insights. Early career scholars have a lot of pressure to publish while often working on precarious contracts and applying for jobs and grants. However, besides these structural issues that would require a more complex discussion, it is helpful to have a reasonable timeframe and try to realise the best possible work within a defined amount of time. The first book is important and creates a lot of pressure particularly to position our work in crucial academic debates. However, it’s also important not to wait too long to share it with the wider public because the exciting part comes afterwards. Setting deadlines with the editors and possible proofreaders and prioritising it over other (seemingly more exciting) new projects helps with sticking to deadlines. Updating and reworking parts of the PhD thesis can be stressful at times, but publishing it as a book gives you a sense of completion and encourages and facilitates future projects.

Hear more from Dr Natile in this conversation about her experience with Elena:

To find out more about studying postgraduate law at Kent Law School, visit our website . As a PhD scholar at Kent, you can choose to study a PhD in Law or a PhD in Socio-legal Studies .

9 Effective Tips for Publishing Thesis As a Book

While they may look alike, a thesis is not a book! The process of publishing thesis as a book is different right from its conception to completion. Created with an intent to target a specific audience, a thesis differs from a book in multiple aspects. Although your thesis topic would surely be relevant to your field of study, it perhaps, can be of interest to a wider audience. In such a case, your thesis can be turned into a book .

In this article, we will shed some light on the possible ways of publishing your thesis as a book .

Table of Contents

What is the Difference Between a Thesis and a Book?

Researchers spend years working on their thesis. A thesis focuses on the research conducted, and is thus published as journal articles . However, in some cases, it may also be published as a book for a wider readership. While both thesis and book writing require effort, time, and are equally longer versions of documents, they are different in several ways.

A thesis always begins with a question or hypothesis. On the other hand, a book begins with a series of reflections to grab the reader’s attention. To a certain extent, it could be said that while the thesis starts with a question, the book starts with an answer.
Another major difference between the two is their audience. The content of a thesis, as well as its format and language is aimed at the academic community. However, since the book is written with an intent to reach out to wider audience, the language and format is simpler for easy comprehension by non-academic readers as well.
Furthermore, thesis is about documenting or reporting your research activities during doctorate; whereas, a book can be considered as a narrative medium to capture the reader’s attention toward your research and its impact on the society.

How to Turn a Thesis into a Book?

The structure of your thesis will not necessarily be similar to the structure of your book. This is primarily because the readership is different and the approach depends on both the audience as well as the purpose of your book. If the book is intended as a primary reference for a course, take the course syllabus into account to establish the topics to be covered. Perhaps your thesis already covers most of the topics, but you will have to fill in the gaps with existing literature.

Additionally, it may be so that you want your book to be a complementary reference not only for one course, but for several courses with different focuses; in this case, you must consider different interests of your audience.

The layout of most thesis involve cross-references, footnotes, and an extensive final bibliography. While publishing your thesis as a book , eliminate excessive academic jargon and reduce the bibliography to reference books for an ordinary reader.

Key Factors to Consider While Publishing Your Thesis as a Book

Purpose of the book and the problems it intends to solve
A proposed title
The need for your proposed book
Existing and potential competition
Index of contents
Overview of the book
Summary of each book chapter
Timeline for completing the book
Brief description of the audience and the courses it would cover

With all of this in mind, here are 9 steps to successfully turn your thesis into a book .

9 Steps to Successfully Publish Your Thesis as a Book!

1. Establish Your Target Audience

Based on the topic of your thesis, determine the areas that may potentially rise interest in your book’s audience. Once you establish your target audience, figure out the nature of book they would like to read.

2. Determine the Objective of Your Book

Reflect on the scope of your book and the impact it would have on your target audience. Perhaps it can be used as a textbook or supplementary for one or more courses. Visualize what the reach of your book may be; if it is a book with an identified local market, an interest that arose in your educational institution, which can be traced to other similar institutions, or if it can have a national or even international reach.

3. Identify Your Competition

Find out which books are already on the market, what topics they cover, what problems do they solve, etc. Furthermore, ask yourself what would be the advantage of your book over those that already exist.

4. Define the Structure of Your Book

If the book is written as part of a curriculum, use that program to define its structure. If it covers several programs, make a list of topics to focus on individually and sequence them in an order based on educational criteria or interest for the potential reader.

5. Identify Potential Publishers

Search for publishers in your country or on the web and the kind of books they publish to see if there is a growing interest in the book you are planning to develop. Furthermore, you can also look at self-publishing or publishing-on-demand options if you already have a captive audience interested in your work.

6. Plan a Schedule

Based on the structure of your book, schedule your progress and create a work plan. Consider that many topics are already written in your thesis, you will only have to rewrite them and not have to do the research from scratch. Plan your day in such a way that you get enough time to fill in technical or generic gaps if they exist.

7. Follow a Writing Style

The writing style depends on the type of book and your target audience. While academic writing style is preferred in thesis writing, books can be written in simpler ways for easy comprehension. If you have already spoken to an interested publisher, they can help in determining the writing style to follow. If you’re self-publishing, refer to some competitor books to determine the most popular style of writing and follow it.

8. Incorporate Visual Aids

Depending on the subject of your book, there may be various types of visual and graphic aids to accentuate your writing, which may prove lucrative. Give due credit to images, diagrams, graphical representations, etc. to avoid copyright infringement. Furthermore, ensure that the presentation style of visual aids is same throughout the book.

9. Review Your Draft

Your supervisor and the advisory council review and refine you thesis draft. However, a book must be proofread , preferably by someone with a constructive view. You can also use professional editing services or just go ahead with an excellent grammar checking tool to avoid the hassle.

Do you plan on publishing your thesis as a book ? Have you published one before? Share your experience in the comments!

good article

Hello. Nice to read your paper. However, I fell on your article while browsing the net for the exact opposite reason and I think you can equally give me some insights. I am interested, as I earlier said, on how to transform my book into a thesis instead, and how I can defend it at an academic level. I am writing a research work on financial digital options trading and have done a lot of back testing with technical analysis that I explain, to rake thousands of dollars from the financial markets. I find the technical analysis very peculiar and would like to defend this piece of work as a thesis instead. Is it possible? Please you can reply me through e:mail thanks

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Submit and publish your thesis.

The Graduate Thesis: What is it?
Thesis Defences
Deadlines and Fees
Formatting in MS Word
Formatting in LaTeX
Making Thesis Accessible
Thesis Embargo
Review and Release
Your Rights as an Author
Re-using Third Party Materials
Creative Commons Licenses for Theses
Turning Thesis into an Article
Turning Thesis into a Book
Other Venues of Publication

Turning Your Thesis into a Book

“A dissertation is a report, a book tells a story”

Turning a thesis into a book means more than simply printing and binding your thesis as is. Neither will it be a quick touch up or superficial revision. Your book manuscript will likely mean a substantial rewrite of your thesis. Consider the following aspects that will need to change:

Your audience

The audience for the thesis is mainly your committee whereas for a book it may be fellow researchers, professionals working in the field, policy makers, educators, or the general audience. The majority of your readers will be less familiar with your topic than was your supervisor and will be more interested in the bigger picture than in the methodological details.

A book has a different purpose from a thesis. A thesis is meant to demonstrate your mastery of the subject and research process. A book is an opportunity to discuss the implications of your research to the larger community. The way you define an audience for your book will directly affect its goal and vice versa.

The structure of your thesis

A book’s structure will be different from that of a thesis. You will need to thoroughly re-order your work into chapters. In particular, the Literature Review and Methodology sections would be shortened drastically or incorporated into the introduction. Copious footnotes typical for a thesis could be transformed into stories.

The voice you use for a book is different from the academic voice in your thesis. You will want to edit out the academic jargon, complex sentences, lengthy paragraphs and passive voice. Be ready to show your own voice and clearly say what you think.

When looking to publish a book you would normally follow these steps:

Select a press

Start by selecting a press that would be a good fit for your topic and audience:

Look at your own bookshelf - where have authors published on similar topics?
Check presses’ lists in your subject area
Consider academic vs commercial publishers
Get in touch with acquisition editors at the presses you are looking at to check if your idea will be of interest

Prepare your book proposal

Think of your proposal as a pitch that communicates the book’s value in terms of content and your value as the subject matter expert
Problems or pain points that the book addresses
How the book addresses these pain points and what value it provides to the reader
A proposed title
Market research evidence that there is a need and niche for the book
Contents page
A proposal can be submitted to more than one press. Once you get a book deal, commit to that press and discontinue negotiations with other presses.

Negotiate and sign the contract

The Understanding and Negotiating Book Publication Contracts from the Authors Alliance is a great resource for all questions related to book contracts.

Other tips from book publishers

Having an article published from your thesis may be a good starting point to get a book deal. However having too many chapters published may be a turn off for a press that looks for original content.
Consider the timing of publication for your academic career. It takes a while for a book to be written, published, distributed and read. If you would like to proceed with an academic career upon graduation and have reviews of your published book ready for inclusion in your tenure portfolio, you will want to start looking into publishing as soon as possible.

Additional resources on converting your thesis into a book:

Harman, E. (2003). The thesis and the book: A guide for first-time academic authors. Toronto: University of Toronto Press ( Print | Electronic )
"Working on a book project? What I wish I knew…" - recording of the April 2021 webinar and presenters' book proposals
Writers’ How To Series by the Writers’ Union of Canada
See writing guides for creative non-fiction
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Last Updated: Sep 15, 2023 3:23 PM
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How to turn your PhD into a book

Turning your PhD into a book is a mark of success in many disciplines, especially the humanities. Many people pursue this goal immediately upon finishing their PhD as part of an overall academic career strategy. I didn’t have to, because I already had a job and I wanted to start building a research reputation in another discipline (and I started blogging).

I feel like a bit of a fraud because I am sort of writing about something I have never done… However, Thong, (the husband of one of my PhD students, Nguyen) pointed out that I have been involved with five published books, with two more in the pipeline. You can thank Thong for convincing me I am experienced enough to give you a useful outline of the academic publishing process, so here we go.

As it turned out, I knew much more than I thought. I couldn’t cover everything about academic book publishing in one blog post, so this is part one of three I plan on the topic. I encourage you to write in with more questions. I know many established academics read the blog and I hope some of you will write in with further advice in the comments!

Step one: consider carefully… is it a book, or something else?

First of all, just because doing a book is prestigious CV addition, do you really need to write one? Doing a book is a HUGE time commitment, even if you start with a copy-edited dissertation manuscript. And don’t expect to make any money from all this effort; it’s a bonus if you do, but if you expect nothing, you won’t be disappointed. Don’t expect much measurable research impact either. You’re likely to end up with an expensive book with a small print run, that won’t result in piles of citations.

If you want to get your research out there for people to use, it might make more sense to write a series of blog posts, do a self-published ebook, a documentary film or exhibition. Or just leave the manuscript in your university library where it can be downloaded for free. PhD dissertations are the most downloaded type of document in many university research repositories so … do nothing. Your work will still have the potential to reach people who are interested.

It’s a different matter if you see a non-academic audience for your book. Some disciplines, like history, produce research with commercial potential. I’d encourage anyone who sees this potential to follow it up. A mass market publication has less academic snob value, but trust me: having a book that actually sells enough to give you a hefty royalty cheque is super satisfying!

Step Two: make contact with a potential publisher

Locating an academic publisher is actually a lot simpler than most people think: just look at the spines of the books on yourself and do some Googling. Unlike mass market publishing, where people rely on agents, academic publishing is still a ‘cold call’ proposition. Have a look on the website for instructions to authors about how to get in touch – and just… do it.

There are ‘slightly less cold’ approaches, which, I think, increase your chances. One simple (but maybe not obvious) technique is to visit the publishing stand at the next conference you attend and engage the people in the booth in a bit of a chat (it’s a good idea to skip a session for this purpose – they will be more willing to talk to you if it’s quiet). Don’t be shy, they are used to being approached. Generally the person selling books will either have a role as a scout, or be able to call in the person who is there for that purpose. Once they seem willing to talk, ask what kind of works they are interested in publishing. If their general interest seems to align with the work you have in mind, try out a short (I mean two sentence) pitch for your book idea and ask if it sounds interesting. Last year I did this at a conference and got a business card, which I then followed up with an email, very successfully.

Smart publishers are always on the look out for new work, so you might find they approach you. Great! Just make sure it’s a real publisher, not a dodgy thesis publishing mill. You can tell if it’s a real publisher because they will ask you to write a proper proposal. Anyone who promises to publish your PhD without changes is highly suspect. While some advisors will still tell you not to put your dissertation in the insitution repository, some publishers use this as a place to identify potential books and will approach you. Or, you could start a blog – if you manage to generate enough of a readership to be noticed, they will find you, trust me.

Step Three: sell the idea

The next bit – getting them interested in actually buying your idea- is tricky.

Book publishing, especially academic publishing, is a marginal business. Even boutique academic publishing outfits, who employ three people, are not charities. Publishers are interested in one thing above all others: selling books. It’s easy to lose sight of the profit motive when you work in an academic environment, which is essentially a not-for-profit enterprise.

Your mileage may vary, but I always prefer to get the publisher invested in the idea before I go to the trouble of writing a whole proposal. You might get a few knock backs before someone is interested. Doing heaps of work in a proposal template you’ll have to change anyway is a waste of time. Write a cover letter to your contact, or the email listed on the site for this purpose, with a short pitch for the book, clearly signalling the intended audience and why you are the best person to write it. If you have already published papers or, better still, blog posts, you can include some circulation numbers to demonstrate people might buy it. For example, here is a short excerpt from the pitch letter I recently wrote to a small, but well known academic publisher:

We cannot keep up with the requests for talks about our research and there is particularly intense interest from the community in the methods. A lot of people are fearful that ‘the robots are coming for our social science jobs’, but we have a totally different take, which is a ‘human in the loop’ approach (I wrote about this on the blog a couple of weeks ago: Are the robots coming for our (research) jobs?). I think now would be an ideal time to get something to market and your methods series format is perfect.

My approach here was to leverage the existing interest in our research work to demonstrate there was already a market. Note I use explicit commercial language ‘get something to market’ to show them I understand the profit motive. I didn’t try to tell them the work is intrinsically interesting or important, even though this is my primary motive in writing it. Being an important book doesn’t matter if there are not enough people willing to buy it. Of course, academics should publish non-commercial work, but that’s why we have journals and conferences.

I now need to convince the publisher that I am the one to get it to market. Having a successful blog is a huge advantage here, but this is a co-authored book. I know the publisher is keen the writing team doesn’t fall apart during the writing process. As I understand it, this happens often enough for publishers to be understandably skittish. The best way to prove you can write together is… to already have written together. So I followed with this paragraph to soothe their fears:

… What makes me really confident about the project is it builds on the strengths of our existing collaboration. Hanna could bring her 15 years of experience as a computer scientist working. Will works in science communications and, in addition to being a good writer, is used to working across disciplinary boundaries….

This letter got me an (almost) immediate request to submit a full proposal. The ‘almost’ is important, which leads me to step four… which will be in part two of this series because I have already reached my (self imposed) word count. Now I’m wondering: are you thinking about publishing your dissertation as a book? What questions are in your mind? Or do you have any experience of the publishing process you would like to share? Love to hear from you in the comments.

So, you’re thinking of writing an academic ebook…?

How to make an index for your book or dissertation

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Scholarly Publishing

Introduction
Choosing Publishers - Considerations and risks
Thesis to book?
Vanity Publishers
Presenting and publishing at conferences
When choosing a journal
Journals selection/ evaluation
Open Research guide
Publisher resources
UOM Researcher publishing support
Author Profiles
Checklists and resources

My thesis to a book?

Quite frequently early career researchers are approached to consider publishing a thesis as a book. If you intend to publish your thesis in this way considerable editing and reformatting will be required first.
Often examiners’ reports suggest publishing options.
Books published by print-on-demand and vanity publishers may often not be eligible for categorising as an A1 (authored) book for internal institutional auditing purposes.
If you are approached by a publisher please refer to our What if you are approached by a publisher? Consider asking some of these questions section.
Also consider contacting the faculty or liaison librarian for your discipline to explore options and considerations further.

Is re-purposing of text acceptable?

Israel, M. (2018, January 20). Self-plagiarism? When re-purposing text may be ethically justifiable. Research Ethics Monthly . https://ahrecs.com/research-integrity/self-plagiarism-when-re-purposing-text-may-be-ethically-justifiable

Mark writes up some tips for those considering re-using text that they have previously published.

Roig, M. (2016). Recycling our own work in the digital age. In T. Bretag (Ed.), Handbook of academic integrity (pp. 655–669). Springer.

Miguel helps to define self-plagiarism within science and scholarship and review its common forms - duplicate publication, augmented publication (when a dataset is republished with additional observations), salami publication (creating two or more publications from the same study), and text recycling (re-using substantial parts of your own previously published publications). He discusses the reader-writer contract and some scenarios of re-use in books (e.g., new editions, re-using portions of chapters from one book to another, from journal articles to book), , conference presentations (e.g., presented at more than one conference, conference presentation to journal article) and doctoral dissertations and theses (e.g., dissertation/thesis to publication, publications to dissertation). He explains why authors should be concerned about re-using previously published work.

Vanity publishers

Vanity publishers are publishing houses which charge authors to have their works published without the selection criteria usually used in hybrid publishing models. Protect your future academic credibility and ensure maximum prospects for future publishing of your work in credible journals by carefully evaluating the credibility of these publishers BEFORE accepting any offers. Refer to our Choosing publishers section in this guide.

Torres, M.R. (2012, June 24). Advice: Dissertation for sale: A cautionary tale [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.chronicle.com/article/Dissertation-for-Sale-A/132401/?cid=wb&utm_source=wb&utm_medium=en

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Next: Presenting and publishing at conferences >>
Last Updated: Mar 12, 2024 10:23 AM
URL: https://unimelb.libguides.com/Scholarly_publishing

Get Published

About this guide
Publishing strategy
Selecting a journal
Evaluating journals
Open Access publishing
Choose a conference

Publishing from your thesis

Examples of publisher's policies, got invited to publish a book.

Publishing processes
Author rights & copyright
Publishing guidelines

Worried your open access thesis will compromise your article publishing?

Some researchers may have been questioned or refused acceptance for self-plagiarism. Many publishers use plagiarism checkers like Turnitin on the initial submission and this will find postgraduate theses on Tuwhera.

Consider the following before you submit your articles:

Check the publisher's policy on their website.
Check publisher's policy - this document lists some key publishers' statements regarding pre-publication and open access theses.
Whether you are writing a book or an article from your thesis, make sure you have rewritten your research substantially.
Negotiate an agreement with your publisher to ensure that you are able to use your research in your thesis for your article or book.
Make sure that you have gained permissions for using any 3rd party copyright materials in your publications.
Turning your PhD into a successful book Taylor and Francis
Converting your PhD Thesis into a Book in Five Steps Elsevier Author Services

Some postgraduates may be contacted by "Print on Demand" (POD) publishers offering to publish their research as a book. POD publishers publish theses in a PDF format with an ISBN number. Theses are then listed on Amazon and other bookseller sites. A hard copy is printed when someone makes a request. Typically such emails come from a publisher called VDM (Verlag Dr. Mueller) or any publishing units associated with LAP (Lambert Academic Publishing).

While you own the copyright in your work and are therefore free to decide what to do with it, we advise that you consider these points before proceeding:

Unlike traditional publishing, the works are not vetted, peer reviewed or professionally edited.
Your research is already available on Tuwhera, without cost or restriction, for other researchers and students around the world to read.
You may be asked to sign away the copyright in your own work. Look at the terms and conditions very carefully and consider seeking legal advice before signing.
Publishing in this way is very likely to harm your chances of publishing your research with a traditional and often more reputable publisher.

In addition to requesting a copy of their author-publisher agreement, here are some things you should try to ascertain before making a decision:

What is the quality of the printed books (jackets, binding, etc)?
What is the royalty share you will receive? With POD, as with vanity publishing, you have very little certainty as to the number of books that will be sold.
What will the publisher do to market/promote your work?
Will people be able to obtain your thesis only through this publisher from now on? Will they require that your thesis be removed from Tuwhera ?

Vanity Press

The difference between predatory publishers and vanity press. "Predatory publishers claim to have a working peer review, but actually it’s either not present or it’s substantially flawed. Vanity press, on the other hand, never claim to have a peer review process – therefore they are usually perfectly legal businesses." From Bealll's List . Be careful about sending your work to these publishers.

<< Previous: Choose a conference
Next: Publishing processes >>
Last Updated: Jan 26, 2024 11:18 AM
URL: https://aut.ac.nz.libguides.com/getting_published

Breaking boundaries.

Turning your desertation into a successful book.

Research for the researcher, who has spent countless hours carrying out the work and it is valuable to those deciding whether the research should result in the award of a PhD qualification. But can the research be valuable to broader audiences? The answer is YES

Ph.D. research is published in the form of journal articles or books. There is an array of options to consider when it comes to disseminating Ph.D. research

Converting the entire PhD thesis into a book

It requires that your thesis covers a topic of interest to a large enough audience of scholars. Whereas a thesis starts with a question, a book begins with an answer and communicates its importance in the wider research landscape, tracing its evolution and impact.

Using parts of a PhD thesis in a book

It requires that ongoing and/or collaborative research is being conducted. A book (perhaps co-authored) should be greater than the sum of its constituent parts.

Using an aspect of a PhD thesis in an edited book

On a broader topic ensures that the research fits with related research on a similar theme. A good edited book addresses the need to broaden the scope of PhD-based research via collaborating with a team of contributors.

Splitting a PhD thesis into several articles

For journals hedges a PhD’s bets by staking smaller amounts of the work in different locations. What is gained by this hedging may be lost in the overall narrative of the PhD research as it is unbundled.

Advise to Author's

Beyond those core questions, potential authors should also consider significant and ongoing changes to the market for academic books, notably in reader behavior. Evolution in digital technology combined with a significant increase in the amounts of available research has led to changes in the way that books are produced, published and propagated. In this environment, the key word is “discoverability”. Connecting authors to readers requires that publishers facilitate discoverability of research via various routes to ensure that potential readers are able to find books with ease. Authors can aid this process by following a few basic rules of thumb:

The main title of the book should position it clearly without reference to other bibliographic information, and should be as short as feasible
Chapter titles should likewise, where possible, position themselves clearly
Chapter synopses or abstracts can be used to enhance the metadata around books

The role of the book publisher is to connect authors with readers. When it comes to disseminating research originating from a PhD, this relationship is essential. It is therefore useful to consider the perspective of the publisher when considering what publication route to take. In assessing a proposal for a research-level book, a good publisher will initially ask themselves three questions:

Is the scope of the research broad enough to be of interest to our readers (scholars globally)?
Is the quality sufficiently high?
Can the work be developed via feedback from experts as part of the book review process to address any weaknesses?

Why You Should Convert Your Dissertion Into Book?

Notwithstanding the above, it is useful to start a conversation with an acquisitions/commissioning editor at an early stage toward the end or shortly after the completion of a PhD. Discussions with supervisors and other colleagues are also very useful at this stage. The next natural step is to submit a book proposal which will be considered by the publisher, often involving a peer review process. Research-level books are often published as part of an established series – an awareness of existing books in such series can be useful when it comes to framing and developing a book proposal.

Following a review process, the publisher’s editorial board would give final approval to proceed, following which a book contract would be issued. Armed with publisher and review feedback, the author can then proceed to produce a full manuscript based on their PhD research. Each book is different, but there are numerous key aspects to consider when preparing a final manuscript for book publication. Above all, never lose sight of the audience!

A thesis is written for examiners, a book for scholars in general.

Anything that is useful only for examiners (e.g. literature review, methodology discussion) should be cut or heavily amended/digested.

Examiners will work through text regardless of the writing style, book readers will not.

Therefore, it is likely that extensive re-writing will be required to retain and engage readers.

Take a step back

Think about the overall narrative of the book and be prepared to rethink the structure – this can be liberating!

Value the reader’s time

Streamline where possible – theses by their nature contain much repetition. Keep in mind the agreed length of the book.

Contextualize

If research is of a narrow scope, add international or inter-disciplinary context, particularly within the introductory and concluding chapters.

Finally, talking about your research and the process of working it into a book can be an essential ingredient to its success. This can be done with your immediate colleagues, at conferences and with a publisher. It can also be done online – with social media a useful tool to tap into wider networks as well as to test ideas out.

Further Information

Benefits of Publishing with us Submit eBook Proposal Guide

Revising your thesis into a book

Springer will consider submissions containing material that has previously formed part of a PhD or other academic thesis including those that have been made publicly available according to the requirements of the institution awarding the qualification.

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Roles and responsibilities
Signing your contract
Writing your manuscript
Submitting your manuscript
Producing your book
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Book author services

Publish a book
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Our common goal is the publication of your book. Before your book is published, there are numerous internal steps in the publishing process.

To ensure timely publication, these steps should be planned and scheduled in good time, so don't be surprised if your editor contacts you during the writing process! Don’t worry, your editor just wants to make sure that the company can plan its internal resources for your book.

Below you can explore these steps, along with some helpful tools and tips to aid you in writing your manuscript.

How to prepare your manuscript

With these clear manuscript guidelines and easy-to-follow checklists, submitting your finished work couldn’t be easier.

Once you've submitted your final manuscript, our team of experts will work on the formatting and typesetting. They will transform your work into a print book, an eBook, or our own digital format, MyCopy. Learn more about MyCopy .

Writing your manuscript in your native language

You want to publish with Springer Nature in English or German, but you have written your manuscript in another language? Or you prefer writing your current manuscript in your mother tongue?

Your English or German language skills are fine but you lack the time or funding for a translation?

Springer Nature offers a free auto-translation service .

Accessibility

At Springer Nature, we’re committed to Accessibility and we want to help you make your research accessible too. Many factors regarding accessibility are handled by Springer Nature, but we request you to take some actions as well to help make your research accessible.

Alternative Text When preparing your manuscript, it is recommended that you write alternative texts (also known as alt texts) for all figures, illustrations and for tables, which you include in an image format.

Alternative text is a brief and objective description of the content of an image and/or of the purpose it serves in a digital format. Alt text is crucial for individuals using screen reader technology, as well as for those trying to comprehend the content of an image in case it doesn't load..
Alt text is not the same as a caption, which typically provides information that is not already in the visual element itself.
For more tips on how to write good alt text, please visit the Poet Tool .

Requirements for Figures When differentiating elements in charts and graphs, do not just change the color, also change shapes and patterns, or provide other visual differentiation like direct segment labels.

How to Include Alternative Texts in the Manuscript Alternative texts should not be included in the body text to avoid any possibility of confusion with the captions or with the main text. Please include a separate table per chapter in which you make the assignment of figures and the alternative texts clearly.

Multimedia enhancements

Springer Nature offers a number of multimedia tools that you can add to your book:

Video & audio: Integrate video and audio files into your book to convey specific content in its most suitable form. Both media types can either be streamed online from our electronic book versions or accessed by your readers via the SN More Media app for mobile devices. Learn more about video and audio .

Digital flashcards: Create digital flashcards for your readers, which can be accessed by your readers via a web and mobile micro-learning app. This way your readers can learn and test their comprehension and better perform on exams. Learn more about digital flashcards .

Programming code: Programming code can easily be accessed from your book product page if you use one of our GitHub repositories.

Supplemental files: It is possible to attach supplemental electronic files (like PDFs, Excel sheets, etc.) to individual chapters of your book.

Lecturer material: If you want to provide additional material only available to lecturers (like PowerPoint presentations or solution manuals), you can use our restricted lecturer material service.

ORCID - your personal identifier

Make sure to use your unique, personal, persistent identifier (an iD) that distinguishes you from every other researcher. ORCID also enables organizations to link to your affiliations and works – including your publications - to your iD, ensuring you receive proper credit for your work. Learn more about ORCID .

Which templates/macros should I use?

To help you in structuring your manuscript you will have access to Word and LaTeX templates for books, as well as for contributed books. See our manuscript guidelines .

Once it is well structured, the production teams will work on your manuscript to be in proper Springer Nature style.

How to improve search engine optimisation (SEO)

Interesting fact: Over two thirds of our website visitors come from search engines. This shows how critical search engine optimization (SEO) is!

To make sure your book's homepage and content appears at the top of the results list of an appropriate keyword search, Springer Nature constantly lay emphasis on the further optimisation of our product pages.

Check out some SEO tips for book authors

How to revise your thesis into a book

Springer Nature will consider submissions containing material that has previously formed part of a PhD or other academic thesis.

This includes those that have been made publicly available according to the requirements of the institution awarding the qualification. Theses should be nominated for publication by heads of department at internationally leading institutions.

Prospective authors should bear in mind that every PhD thesis will need to undergo rigorous revision in order to be published as a monograph with our press. To help with this revision, our editors have put together the following advice:

How do you go about planning the revisions, and when should you start?

Be aware that transforming your dissertation into a publishable book is a complex process that will take time and require some careful planning. Most authors take at least a year to complete a PhD-based book; however, this timeline may be extended if the book requires fresh data and new research.

You should only start working on your book proposal after you’ve submitted your thesis, defended it successfully, and completed your PhD program. This will allow you to look at the thesis with a fresh eye and to take into account any helpful feedback from your examiners as you develop your proposal.

Consider all the available formats. Depending on the subject and breadth of the topic, some proposals may develop into a full-length authored book (approximately 90,000 words), whilst for others a shorter format like Palgrave Pivot (25,000 to 50,000 words) may be suitable – for example a single-case or single-country study once they have been extracted out of any redundant or unnecessary content.

What’s the difference between the PhD Thesis and an Authored Book?

Audience: While a PhD thesis is meant to be read and scrutinized by your supervisors and examiners, the readership of your book will extend to the broader academic community, scholars and practitioners, who may not be specialized in or even familiar with your research topic.
Rationale: The motivation behind writing your book will need to be rethought to reflect the expectations of your new audience and should be clearly explained in the introduction. The objective is not to convince your examiners that you have what it takes to complete a PhD, but to make sure the book is coherent and your conclusions are persuasive.
Structure: Your introductory chapter should also offer readers a concise ‘preview’ of the various chapters. The conclusion should summarize your key findings and identify avenues for further research. Look over the table of contents in books which you would consider as related literature or competitors. How does their structure differ from the structure of your thesis? You should simplify and optimize your table of contents to present the material in a logical and accessible fashion.
Length: Monographs are typically much shorter than PhD theses. Separate chapters about the review of literature and research methodologies may be essential in a thesis, but will not be necessary in a book, as readers and experts in your field will be familiar already with both. References to the relevant literature can be moved to the endnotes of individual chapters, and what is not pertinent to advancing your own arguments can be removed. The methodology chapter should be reduced and merged with the introduction or omitted altogether.

Learn more about publishing German theses .

Tips for writing your textbook

Prerequisite knowledge: What topics or concepts should readers already be familiar with? Do you need to review these or provide further explanation?
Self-contained: Students typically want a one-stop resource so you should try to ensure that as much of the information that student needs is presented in your textbook.
Modular chapters: Students will likely dip in and out of the textbook rather than read it linearly from start to finish so try to make chapters self-contained where possible, so they can be understood out of context of the rest of the textbook.
Succinct and to the point: Keep focused on the course that the textbook is supporting and the topics that need to be covered. Avoid including less relevant topics, very advanced topics, explanations of concepts that students should already understand, and any other content that may not actually be useful to the student.
Didactic elements: Elements such as exercises, case studies, definitions and so on help break up the main chapter text and make it more engaging. Consider what didactic elements you want to include before you start writing so you can ensure that the main chapter text provides the right information to support the didactic element e.g. that a concept is adequately explained in order to answer an exercise question, or that theory is suitably described before a corresponding case study is given
Writing style: Textbooks can have a lighter, more conversational writing style than monographs and references works. Try to use active rather than passive sentences e.g. “It is believed by some physicians that…” becomes “Some physicians believe that…”
Online resources: If you have exercises, consider writing a solutions manual for instructors so they don’t have to work out all the solutions themselves. Are there data sets, spreadsheets, programs, etc., that would be useful for students to access so they can test concepts themselves? The same copyright issues apply for online resources as for the print book – see Obtaining Permissions for further information
Write a helpful Introduction: Explain who the textbook is for and how it should be used. Confirm the level of the students (e.g. 3rd year undergraduates). Confirm the course that the textbook supports. List any prerequisites or assumptions you have made about the student’s background knowledge. Explain how the textbook could be used. If applicable, identify core must-read chapters and chapters that are more advanced or optional; provide short summaries of the chapters (just a sentence or two)
Test your material as you write: Use your draft chapters as part of your lecture course and see how students respond to it. Do they understand the concepts you are explaining? Are they able to complete any exercises?

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Publish Your Thesis as a Book with ISBN

As a Ph.D. scholar or academician, you must have spent an inordinate amount of time by your desk trying to come up with your Ph.D. thesis. Now it is important that you publish your hard work to make it available to students studying that area and also people interested in that subject. In fact, your research may have a wider scope. Besides being a matter of immediate interest to your fellows and students, your research can also receive the attention of a broader audience, if you want.

Why Should You Publish Your Thesis as a Book?

The inclusion of Academic Curriculum: Most successful academic books have their roots in great research work. Broader interest in your research topic may result in the inclusion of a topic in the regular curriculum. When a topic is read widely, it creates more awareness.
Preserving Knowledge : Ideally, knowledge outlives the researcher and hence, researchers have a solemn responsibility to preserve the fruit of their lifelong endeavour. And this can be done by turning a thesis into a published book.
Documentation: A piece of research is best preserved and used when it becomes available as a book with ISBN. In such case, it can also be referred by colleagues and junior research fellows pursuing the same field. ISBN is a unique number that helps in the listing and tracking of a published book worldwide.
Enriches Research Field: Great thinkers have a responsibility for their area of study. Publishing a thesis enriches the specific research area. This also creates an opportunity for the researchers to carry forward their own line of work and in some cases, create a legacy.
Research as Inspiration: Many scholars publish their work as a vital clue as well as a source of inspiration to the students of the next generation. Say for example: John Dalton’s atomic theory. Most of the things he suggested in his theory were later proved flawed. But, his proposition opened a new avenue in the field of scientific research.
Research as a Link to the Future: Some researchers come up with concepts that are unrivaled and unprecedented and most importantly beneficial for the society. But, they themselves could not get on the right course. So, it failed. But, if they would have documented their ideas in a book or so and if that eventually got picked up by someone who could put them in the correct line of action, imagine the enormous good that could come out of it.
Research for Recognition: When researchers find something radical or solve an old problem of humanity, they publish their thesis in order to be recorded in the literature as the exponent of that theory. In this case, publishing a book gives the authors scopes to earn the unique right and overwhelming recognition.

What Are The Benefits?

Having looked at the different motivations to publish a thesis as a book, we can now turn our attention to the more personal benefits publishing offers.

Royalty: The first that easily comes to our mind is royalty. Royalty is a commission, authors get from the sales of their books. This is a recurrent earning and who does not know that there are unpredictable expenses in the research field. For many researchers, this is like an incentive to carry on with their work.

Adds More Values to Research : Another benefit of publishing is, it adds credibility to research work. It may sound weird. But it is true. No one knows or even cares to know what a researcher is doing inside the laboratory or study. But, the moment published books start coming, the editors review and the Press covers authors’ interviews, people start getting serious about it and this way researchers influence a wider network of people. Our culture needs more scientists, researchers, and inventors as our role model for some positive influence.

How Can You Do It?

Ph.D. research is usually published in the form of a journal article. There are a few options to consider when you think of publishing your Ph.D. research.

Convert the Entire Ph.D. into a Book: You can consider this option if your thesis covers a wide area of interest and concern; proves its relevance to a broad audience and propose a solution or alternative.
Publish Part of Your Thesis as a Book: This option can be considered if parts of research are ongoing or awaiting results.
Contribute to an Edited Book: You can contribute your research article to a book that compiles a number of essays on a similar topic. A well-edited book offers different perspectives of particular research and thus broadens the scope of PhD-based research via collaboration.

To conclude, you can simply publish your dissertation. But converting it into a book will be a rewarding process. Go slowly with it but start positively and work on it regularly. When you are done, get in touch with the book publishing companies to turn your thesis into a book. After all, a valuable thesis is worth all the attention.

For any kind of further query for your thesis publication email us at [email protected]

80 thoughts on “ Publish Your Thesis as a Book with ISBN ”

Dear Sir/Madam, Hope I meet you well. Just read about the opportunity you have for academicians, as I am one of the them, and would like to publish my M.Phil and Ph.D Theses. I’m an Adult Educator with specialisation in Adult Learning and Education, Community Development, Entrepreneurship and Distance Education. I’m a lecturer and Coordinator of Accra Learning Centre, School of Continuing and Distance Education, University of Ghana, Legon. Will get back to you for the details concerning the entire process of publication. Counting on your kind cooperation. Dr. Isaac Kofi Biney Lecturer/Coordinator- Accra Learning Centre SCDE, College of Education University of Ghana Legon.

Thanks for showing interest in publishing with us.You will soon receive a formal communication from our side answering your query in detail.

Thanks for taking time to read our blog. Please write to us at [email protected] if you have a thesis to publish.

Dear Sir/Ma I have completed my Ph.D work but the work is unpublished but some part of the work was developed as journals and it was published both local and internationally. Now having seen the information in your site i decided to contact you. How much will it take me to publish my researched work with you people? If the book is published and it was demanded by some body and the person paid for the book what percentage will i get?

Thanks for showing interest in publishing with us. You will soon receive a formal communication from our side and we will get into a discussion about royalty benefit, copyright and other things in detail.

Are you provide any guidance for converting the phD thesis into book or any format?

Thanks for showing interest in publishing with us. We offer publication guidance. You will soon receive a formal communication from our side answering your query in detail.

I need clear information about how to publish my dissertation

Thanks for showing interest in publishing with us.You will soon receive a formal communication from our side answering your query in detail. You can also write to us directly at [email protected]

DO YOU ALSO PUBLISH? IF GIVEN A THESIS CAN YOU PUBLISH?

Thanks for taking time to read our blog. Yes, we will publish your thesis. Please send your complete thesis to us at [email protected] . You will also receive a formal communication from our side answering your query in detail.

What are the conditions for publication? Is it free? Will the publications be in refereed journals?

Thanks for taking time to read our blog. Please send your complete thesis to us at [email protected] . Our packages start from $149. If you want to publish your research paper in a refereed journal, I will forward your interest to our journal division. You can also consider publishing your thesis as a book with ISBN as discussed above. You will also receive a formal communication from our side answering your query in detail.

Thanks for your advice. I will definitely get in touch with you. At how much do you publish this book?

Thanks for taking time to read our blog. Please send your complete thesis to us at [email protected] . You will soon receive a formal communication from our side answering your query in detail.

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Hi Rose, thanks for your interest and appreciation. Please send your complete thesis to us at [email protected] . You will receive a formal communication with the details from our side shortly.

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Thanks for showing interest in publishing with us. It takes about 40-50 days in standard situation. But, it depends on the length of the manuscript and author response time. To start the publication process, please share your complete manuscript with us at [email protected]

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Publish or Perish: Graduate Students' Guide to Publishing

In addition to endless piles of reading, demanding expectations in the classroom, student teaching responsibilities, and the always-looming awareness that they need to research, write, and edit a high-quality dissertation before graduating, today’s Ph.D. students also commonly feel stress about another topic: publishing. As more prospective employers expect degree seekers to get their names in academic journals and conferences while still in school, many learners feel overwhelmed by the prospects of making the grade. The following guide answers some of their most pressing questions, provides guidance on the ins and outs of publishing while still in school, and offers expert advice from a professor who knows better than most what it takes to publish rather than perish.

Understanding Publishing in Graduate School

Getting published as a grad student can feel overwhelming at first, because there’s so much to learn about the process and expectations surrounding it. With a bit of research, however, students can familiarize themselves with the specific language surrounding publishing and make in-roads towards getting their first paper published.

What Does it Mean to Get Published?

Within the context of graduate school, publishing refers to getting essays, papers, and research findings published in one of the academic journals or related forms seen as a leader in the field. As jobs in academia continue to become more competitive, it isn’t enough for learners to simply do well in their coursework. The degree seeker who hopes to land an important post-doctoral fellowship or find a teaching position at a college or university must make themselves stand out in other ways.

When Should a Ph.D. Candidate Get Published?

Getting a paper published takes a lot of time and effort, and those students who wait until the final year or two of a doctoral program may fail to actually have any published materials by the time they graduate. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Graduate Connections program , getting a paper published – especially if it’s your first – can take up to three years. In addition to the fact that most journals publish quarterly, the panel review process typically takes a significant amount of time and those submitting for the first or second time usually need to make a large number of edits and complete rewrites in order to reach a publishable standard.

How to Get Published

In order to get published, students submit their work to the journal or conference of their choosing. They frequently also provide a cover letter outlining their research interests. Most journals put out generic calls for submissions once or twice a year, while some may ask for papers addressing specific topics that have a much shorter turnaround time. Grad students may find it intimidating to go up against more seasoned academics, but another option revolves around partnering with their dissertation supervisor or another professor with whom they work closely with to co-author a paper. This not only helps ensure the validity of their findings, but alerts the academic world know that this other, more recognized faculty member believes in the research the student is doing.

Who Should Get Published?

Learners most anxious to get published are those who see their future careers in teaching and research. Because the world of academia is relatively small when divided into individual subjects, it’s important for students who want to break into these ambitious arenas to make a name for themselves early on and create a curriculum vitae that captures the attention of hiring committees.

Where Should Students Get Published?

When deciding which publications to pursue, students should consider the research aims of each and their likelihood of getting published. Newer journals tend to take more submissions as they are still working on building up their roster of contributors. While less venerated than other publications, getting printed in these can help build up name recognition and make it easier to break into the top-tier publications over time.

In terms of where work is published, the majority of students look to academic journals when sending out cover letters and examples of their work. But other options exist as well. Presenting papers at conferences is a popular avenue, as are chapters in books. The following sections takes a more in-depth look at how and where to publish.

Realities & Challenges of Getting Published

Getting published, especially while still in grad school, takes tenacity, focus, and a thick skin. Those who continue working on their craft, presenting at conferences, collaborating with others, and not taking no for an answer, however, frequently find success. Some of the challenges students may encounter include:

Lack of time

It’s no secret that doctoral students have busy schedules that seldom allow for outside – or sometimes, even related – interests to take up much of their days. Because publishing is not a degree requirement, carving out the time needed to research, write, and edit the type of paper required for publishing can feel impossible. With this in mind, student should look for ways to multitask. If presenting at a conference, think about how that paper could be transformed into a journal article.

Lack of confidence

Studies have shown that mental stress and illness frequently increase in grad school as students feel intense pressure to stand out from their peers. These feelings are often intensified when considering publishing, as learners are going up against academics and researchers who have been working in the field far longer than them. It’s important to remember that each of those renowned individuals had to start somewhere.

Lack of funding

Completing the research needed for a competitive paper doesn’t only take time – it requires money. Whether traveling to archives or printing all the necessary documentation, funding for outside research can be scarce while in school. Some programs provide competitive grants for research travel to help offset these costs.

Intense competition

As discussed earlier, competition for publishing is fierce. Academic journals and conferences only have space for so many authors and trying to get noticed can feel like a losing battle. In addition to seeking out newer publications and co-authoring with more notable figures, consider taking part in symposiums at the school you attend to get your foot in the door. While research on the average number of rejections is lacking, don’t feel discouraged if it takes a long time to be chosen for publication.

Finding the right publisher

While getting your name in print within an academic journal you greatly admire is the ultimate goal, it may take some years for it to come to fruition. One of the biggest mistakes students make is applying to ill-suited publications. Look for journals with editorial board members whose names you recognize. If a professor knows one of them, don’t be afraid to ask if they can help get your paper in front of them.

Adequately addressing feedback

Getting a paper published often requires intense editing and even completely restructuring and rewriting what you conceived in the initial abstract. If an academic journal shows interest in your essay but suggests rewrites, pay close attention to their requests and try to work with an advisor to ensure you meet all the stated requirements.

What do Graduate Students Publish?

Academic journals may receive the lion’s share of discussion in the publishing world, but graduate students can actually choose from numerous outlets and paths for getting their work to a larger audience. Students should review the options listed below and think about which format might showcase their work best.

Tips for Publishing

Despite the great amount of work required to publish, students who meet the challenges and persevere stand to position themselves favorably for future job opportunities. The following section addresses some of the most common questions about the process and alleviates general fears about how publishing (or not) reflects upon them.

How many papers should a Ph.D. student try to publish before graduating?

According to scholar-practitioner Dr. Deniece Dortch, no single answer exists. “There is no hard and fast rule as to the number of publications students should have prior to graduation,” she notes. “The reality is students in STEM disciplines and those who use quantitative methods are more likely to have publications prior to graduation because they often work in research teams and labs. This is not to say that qualitative scholars or those in other disciplines aren’t, but it’s a much more standardized practice in STEM for students to graduate with two or three publications. Personally, I had one sole-authored publication accepted prior to graduation, one first-authored piece, and one second-authored piece.”

How many journal articles is it possible to publish during a PhD?

“The answer varies and is determined by factors such as length of program, research team access, and faculty relationships,” says Dr. Dortch. “I’ve seen folks finish with as many as 10 publications, although this is extreme and doesn’t happen often.” She continues, “Imagine you are in a four-year program and you get your idea to write an article in year two. You submit that article in year three after getting approval, collecting data, analyzing it, and then writing your paper. Year three you submit that paper; it may be accepted in year four after months of revisions at the request of the editor. You finally have one published paper as you graduate.”

Are there PhD students who have no journal publications? Should they be worried about that?

“It depends on the type of employment the student is seeking upon graduation,” says Dr. Dortch, “Students applying to or wanting to work in institutions and organizations with the highest levels of research productivity who have no publications may want to consider post-doctoral positions so they have the time and space to work on increasing their publication record after graduation.” She continues, “Postdocs are a very common practice in many disciplines and are used as a way to gain additional training and expertise in research and teaching.”

Is it absolutely essential to have publications to apply for a PhD program?

In a word, no. Individuals working toward doctoral degrees have many reasons for doing so, not all of which require them to publish. Admissions panels also recognize that students focus their efforts on many different goals (e.g. jobs, internships, presenting at symposiums) throughout bachelor’s and master’s programs. As long as learners can demonstrate an ongoing commitment to scholarship, publishing is not an absolute requirement.

Does publish or perish begin before starting a PhD program?

It’s true that many students begin worrying about publishing before starting a Ph.D. program, but the reality is that they have ample time during and after completing a doctorate to make their mark on the world of scholarship. According to a recent article by Inside Higher Ed , some individuals in the academy now wonder if too much emphasis is being placed on grad students publishing. Learners unsure about this should speak to a trusted advisor or mentor to figure out when to focus on getting published.

What is the difference between a published article and a Ph.D. thesis?

While a Ph.D. thesis is required for satisfactory completion of a degree, a published article is not. A Ph.D. also takes a much longer form than a published article, averaging approximately 90,000 words. Academic journal entries, conversely, are usually between 4,000 and 7,000 words.

Should I first write my Ph.D. thesis or publish journal articles?

Though publishing at the doctoral level is increasingly seen as a requirement in the job market, it is not part of degree requirements. With this in mind, students should prioritize the research and writing of their thesis above all else. If they have the time and mental clarity needed to publish journal articles, this can be a secondary focus.

From the Expert

Dr. Deniece Dortch is a scholar-practitioner known for her commitment to diversity, social justice and activism. Dr. Dortch holds a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an Ed.M. in Higher & Postsecondary Education from Columbia University, an M.A. in Intercultural Service, Diversity Leadership & Management from the School for International Training and a B.A. in Spanish from Eastern Michigan University. Hailed a graduate school expert by NPR, she has published numerous articles on the experiences of historically underrepresented undergraduate and graduate students. She is the creator of the African American Doctoral Scholars Initiative at the University of Utah and currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Higher Education at The George Washington University .

Publishing as a student can feel intimidating. Why is this process important for learners to go through?

Long gone are the days of getting a good job by just having a solid dissertation or an award-winning thesis. Publishing your work while in school demonstrates a commitment to answering and understanding our world’s most complex problems. Further, institutions want to know that you have the capacity to publish. Now, publishing doesn’t mean you have to be first author or that you must publish sole-authored pieces only. Collaboration is also sufficient and often encouraged. The publishing process is intimidating for folks because it involves critique and, most often, rejection.

Receiving and giving critical feedback is part of the learning process and students should not shy away from it because it will only serve them well in the end as they learn to cope with disappointment and reward. But more importantly, there is no point spending months and years conducting research if you are just going to keep your findings to yourself. What you learn is meant to be shared.

What are some common mistakes these learners make when preparing their first papers?

Common mistakes that individuals make include not adhering to the guidelines outlined in the submission process. Examples of this can include ignoring formatting requirements (e.g. APA, MLA, etc.), going over the stated word count, inadequately proofreading, and not submitting a cover letter. This is probably the most important one.

What specific advice do you have for them in terms of finding the right outlet, preparing their work, and submitting to journals?

Students should have multiple individuals read over their work before submission. Writing is a process and even after it is submitted, it will need to be revised many more times before you will read it in print. It is part of the process. To find a good outlet for your work, pay attention to where other scholars are submitting their work. If you’re subject is aligned with theirs, you have a shot. Make a list of at least three outlets that fit your article. Also look out for special calls. A special call for submissions usually goes a lot faster than the regular submission process, so if you’re a student who is about to go on the job market, submit to those first. Also, the more competitive the academic, the longer the process, so keep that in mind. If you are rejected, just re-submit to the the next journal on your list.

In addition to publishing in journals, how else might a student go about getting recognition in their field while still in school?

Apply for all fellowships, grants, and awards that are specific to you and what you do. People in the academy love an award winner and they especially love people whose work has been recognized and/or funded by outside groups. A great way to increase a student’s visibility is to publish outside academic journals and publish in other media outlets. Also attend conferences in your field. Try to get on the program as a presenter or facilitator so that people in your field will start to know who you are and your research interests.

Book series

Springer Theses

Recognizing Outstanding Ph.D. Research

About this book series

Aims and Scope

The series “Springer Theses” brings together a selection of the very best Ph.D. theses from around the world and across the physical sciences. Nominated and endorsed by two recognized specialists, each published volume has been selected for its scientific excellence and the high impact of its contents for the pertinent field of research. For greater accessibility to non-specialists, the published versions include an extended introduction, as well as a foreword by the student’s supervisor explaining the special relevance of the work for the field. As a whole, the series will provide a valuable resource both for newcomers to the research fields described, and for other scientists seeking detailed background information on special questions. Finally, it provides an accredited documentation of the valuable contributions made by today’s younger generation of scientists.

Theses may be nominated for publication in this series by heads of department at internationally leading universities or institutes and should fulfill all of the following criteria

They must be written in good English.
The topic should fall within the confines of Chemistry, Physics, Earth Sciences, Engineering and related interdisciplinary fields such as Materials, Nanoscience, Chemical Engineering, Complex Systems and Biophysics.
The work reported in the thesis must represent a significant scientific advance.
If the thesis includes previously published material, permission to reproduce this must be gained from the respective copyright holder (a maximum 30% of the thesis should be a verbatim reproduction from the author's previous publications).
They must have been examined and passed during the 12 months prior to nomination.
Each thesis should include a foreword by the supervisor outlining the significance of its content.
The theses should have a clearly defined structure including an introduction accessible to new PhD students and scientists not expert in the relevant field.

Book titles in this series

Palladium-catalyzed mechanochemical cross-coupling reactions.

Available Renditions

Enhanced Microbial and Chemical Catalysis in Bio-electrochemical Systems

Xian-Wei Liu

Dynamical Properties of Baryon Resonances in the Holographic QCD

Daisuke Fujii

Drilling Geomechanics in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs Near Salt Structures

From Pore-Pressure in Carbonates to Multiphysics Models

Juan Pedro Morales Salazar

Control Strategies for Robotic Exoskeletons to Assist Post-Stroke Hemiparetic Gait

An Assistive Approach Based on Technology Embodiment

Julio Salvador Lora Millán

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Publication-based doctorate: is it for me?

Potential research higher degree candidates from academia or industry will need to decide between a doctorate by thesis or by publication. Here are key questions to ask before embarking on the doctoral journey

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Prospective doctoral candidates have much less understanding of the process and requirements for a publication-based doctorate than they do for the more popular thesis-based route. Completing a doctorate, thesis- or publication-based, takes time and effort. Selecting the right mode is important before starting a research higher degree (RHD), so that the prospective doctoral candidate can be confident of completing it.

Here, I discuss the questions that future doctoral candidates should ask if they are considering a publication-based doctorate.

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What is my goal in completing a doctorate?

A thesis-based doctorate helps the candidate to explore a subtopic of a research field as deeply as possible, based on few theoretical variables and within a limited practical context (for example, a limited dataset from a single socio-economic setting). A publication-based doctorate could explore a topic with more variables and contexts (for example, different publications on same topic would have different variables and datasets). It gives a publication-based doctorate a little more flexibility to explore a topic more widely. Therefore, the goal of exploring a subtopic area as widely as possible could fit better for a publication-based doctorate.

What is my thesis?

Yes, even for a publication-based doctorate, candidates need to produce a thesis, a theory or a proposition on a single topic, in combination with the overall contributions of published papers. As a result, the candidates need to think about how they can draw together the relevant findings from published papers to produce new knowledge on a single topic.

Are my publications cohesive?

For a publication-based doctorate, the publications you may already have and the outputs you plan to produce within an agreed time frame should focus on and contribute to a single subtopic. So ask yourself: how unified are my existing and planned publications? Designing the research aim, research question, methodology and contribution of your intended publications in relation to these sections among your existing publications is instrumental to ensuring that your publications are cohesive.

Where am I publishing?

Understanding where you publish should be a key consideration, as not all publications will be eligible for inclusion in your submission. All fields of studies have their own benchmark publications. For example, in business, the journal lists of the Association of Business Schools in the UK and the Australian Business Deans’ Council are often used to indicate a publication’s quality. In general, a publication-based doctorate could consist of journal papers, book chapters or published conference proceedings. Industry-based publications could be considered as well in some instances (for example, if you have an article published by a reputable chamber of commerce). Articles in predatory journals and publications such as brief op-ed articles or blogs might not be considered for a doctorate by publication.

Will the findings and contributions of my publications stand the test of time?

Doctoral candidates may already have publications, perhaps even in good academic journals, but they may be 10 years old. The knowledge produced perhaps made a contribution to your field of study, but the subsequent progress of the field may have surpassed your work or made it obsolete over time. So considering the potential significance of publications during the projected time of a doctoral submission is important. Comparing your work with existing publications in your field is a good way to understand the significance of the work you produce.

What is the extent of my theoretical and practical contribution?

All doctorates should make significant contribution of theoretical knowledge and practical implication. But we know that the extent of theoretical and practical contribution of a RHD can differ based on the type of doctorate someone would undertake. For example, a doctor of philosophy needs to produce significant theoretical knowledge, whereas a professional doctorate would need more practical implications. Therefore, the candidate needs to consider the extent of theoretical and practical implications of their publications, in order to decide whether a doctor of philosophy or a professional doctorate would be more relevant.

Am I publishing as a sole author or a co-author?

Often, we work in a team and publish with our co-authors. Therefore, if you are planning to include one or several co-authored publications in a publication-based doctorate, securing permission from co-authors to include the relevant sections (that you have contributed to those co-authored publications) into a publication-based doctoral thesis will be helpful in avoiding any future conflict of interest among co-authors.

What is my career stage?

Career stage would have an influence on whether to opt for a doctorate by publication. For example, a candidate may already have five or 10 years of academic teaching or industry experience but has perhaps produced few academic or industry-based publications. In general, working to publish more papers in next two years, and combining them with existing publications to produce a new knowledge, would be useful to submit a thesis by publication. Mid-career candidates from either academia or industry might be considering a publication-based doctorate alongside other commitments but find that their work-life balance is unsustainable. In this case, a doctor of philosophy would be more appropriate for academic candidates, while a professional doctorate would be more relevant for candidates from industry.

How do I find a PhD supervisor?

Irrespective of whether the doctorate is by thesis or publication, RHD supervisors play a significant role in training their candidates to become independent researchers. So looking at the prospective supervisors’ profile, comparing your topic with their research area, emailing them to share your draft proposal, and requesting an appointment to talk about it further will be valuable for prospective candidates. It will help them to develop their topic of research, understand research procedures and requirements, and secure a supervisor.

These questions will help an academic or an industry professional considering a doctorate by publication to weigh their options carefully.

Riad Shams is assistant professor and head of the PhD programme at the Newcastle Business School at Northumbria University, UK. He is a board member of the Northern Advanced Research Training Initiative, a fellow of the Higher Education Academy and the EuroMed Academy of Business, and associate editor of the Journal of Social Entrepreneurship .

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Converting your thesis into a book
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Turning your PhD into a successful book
In some cases, the research is published in a book. Between either end of that publishing spectrum there is an array of options to consider when it comes to disseminating PhD research: Converting the entire PhD thesis into a book requires that your thesis covers a topic of interest to a large enough audience of scholars. Whereas a thesis starts ...
Convert your thesis into a book
A book manuscript should typically be shorter than your thesis. If you're struggling to bring the word count down, you might need to get help with your writing style, or evaluate if you've cut enough "thesis-heavy" content from your work. Use introductory and concluding chapters to contextualise your research.
Turning Your PhD Thesis Into a Book: A Publisher's Top Tips
For PhD conversions, we need to see how you have revised the thesis to become a book: please provide 2 or 3 sample chapters. Sometimes a publisher may want to see the full thesis. Structure the proposal according to the publishers' guidelines: usually on the publishers' website and it's always worth checking as they do vary.
How to Turn Your Doctoral Dissertation Into a Book
Write your dissertation with the intent to publish it. Yes, your dissertation will be reviewed by your faculty and its quality will determine whether you earn your PhD. That's important, obviously. But an unpublished dissertation has far less worth than a published one. That's why you should understand the commercial market for the book ...
Turning Your Dissertation into a Book: A Step-by ...
One option is to publish your dissertation as a book. While this process can be daunting, it can also be incredibly rewarding. Here are some tips to help you get started: Determine if your dissertation is book-worthy. Not all dissertations are suited for publication. Before investing time and effort into the publishing process, do some research ...
How to Turn your Dissertation into a Book
1. Find Your Match. The process of revising a dissertation goes hand-in-hand with the search for the right publishing house. The question what kind of book you want or need will influence your choice. Vice versa, the publisher shapes what kind of book you will be rewarded with.
From Thesis to Book: A Guide to Publishing Your PhD Research Publishing
Additionally, publishing a book can enhance an author's reputation in their field and potentially lead to additional speaking engagements or consulting opportunities. Overall, the cost of publishing a PhD thesis as a book can vary widely depending on the publishing route you choose, the services required, and the marketing budget.
How to Turn Your Dissertation Into a Book: A Step-By ...
Step 1: Identify your audience. Publishers are businesses that make money by selling books. This is true of "trade" publishers that sell books for the general public, and "academic" publishers that sell books primarily for students and scholars. Therefore, in order for a publisher to consider publishing your book, there must be a sufficiently ...
How to turn your thesis into a book
To summarise: • Time to do the PhD and write the thesis: 3 years. • Time to start a PhD and be awarded: 4 years. • Time from being awarded a PhD, being told by contacts that the thesis should be a book. and getting a book contract: 2 years and 2 months. • Time from signing the contract to the book's release: 4 months.
Four top tips for turning your PhD into a book
Four points of reflection: Writing a good PhD thesis: a well-structured and clearly written thesis with clear question (s), narrative and argument (s) is a key starting point for publishing PhD research. While the decision to publish the PhD thesis as a book rather than a series of articles is related to the research topic, scope and approach ...
9 Effective Tips for Publishing Thesis As a Book
9 Steps to Successfully Publish Your Thesis as a Book! 1. Establish Your Target Audience. Based on the topic of your thesis, determine the areas that may potentially rise interest in your book's audience. Once you establish your target audience, figure out the nature of book they would like to read. 2.
Turning Thesis into a Book
A book has a different purpose from a thesis. A thesis is meant to demonstrate your mastery of the subject and research process. A book is an opportunity to discuss the implications of your research to the larger community. The way you define an audience for your book will directly affect its goal and vice versa. The structure of your thesis
How to turn your PhD into a book
Step Two: make contact with a potential publisher. Locating an academic publisher is actually a lot simpler than most people think: just look at the spines of the books on yourself and do some Googling. Unlike mass market publishing, where people rely on agents, academic publishing is still a 'cold call' proposition.
Making your thesis into a book
Quite frequently early career researchers are approached to consider publishing a thesis as a book. If you intend to publish your thesis in this way considerable editing and reformatting will be required first. Often examiners' reports suggest publishing options. Books published by print-on-demand and vanity publishers may often not be ...
Instructions for Authors: Manuscript Guidelines
Revising your thesis into a book. Springer will consider submissions containing material that has previously formed part of a PhD or other academic thesis including those that have been made publicly available according to the requirements of the institution awarding the qualification. ... Some books also publish keywords. Please check with the ...
Library Guides: Get Published: Publish from your thesis
Check publisher's policy - this document lists some key publishers' statements regarding pre-publication and open access theses. Whether you are writing a book or an article from your thesis, make sure you have rewritten your research substantially. Negotiate an agreement with your publisher to ensure that you are able to use your research in ...
Turning your PhD into a successful book
Converting the entire PhD thesis into a book. It requires that your thesis covers a topic of interest to a large enough audience of scholars. Whereas a thesis starts with a question, a book begins with an answer and communicates its importance in the wider research landscape, tracing its evolution and impact.
Revising your thesis into a book
Revising your thesis into a book. Springer will consider submissions containing material that has previously formed part of a PhD or other academic thesis including those that have been made publicly available according to the requirements of the institution awarding the qualification.
Writing the Manuscript
Check out some SEO tips for book authors . How to revise your thesis into a book. Springer Nature will consider submissions containing material that has previously formed part of a PhD or other academic thesis. This includes those that have been made publicly available according to the requirements of the institution awarding the qualification.
Publish Your Thesis as a Book with ISBN
And this can be done by turning a thesis into a published book. Documentation: A piece of research is best preserved and used when it becomes available as a book with ISBN. In such case, it can also be referred by colleagues and junior research fellows pursuing the same field. ISBN is a unique number that helps in the listing and tracking of a ...
Ph.D Students' Guide to Publishing: Expert Advice & Resources
Publish or Perish: Graduate Students' Guide to Publishing. In addition to endless piles of reading, demanding expectations in the classroom, student teaching responsibilities, and the always-looming awareness that they need to research, write, and edit a high-quality dissertation before graduating, today's Ph.D. students also commonly feel ...
PDF Publishing Your Doctoral Thesis
a PhD thesis from the publisher's perspective. ... The potential for a PhD thesis to be published as a book is not decided by academic quality alone, but also by its potential commercial value. Some PhDs can lend themselves better to being reworked as journal articles, while some can be suitable for both selected journal publication and ...
Springer Theses
About this book series. The series "Springer Theses" brings together a selection of the very best Ph.D. theses from around the world and across the physical sciences. Nominated and endorsed by two recognized specialists, each published volume has been selected for its scientific excellence and the high impact of its contents for the ...
Publication-based doctorate: is it for me?
A thesis-based doctorate helps the candidate to explore a subtopic of a research field as deeply as possible, based on few theoretical variables and within a limited practical context (for example, a limited dataset from a single socio-economic setting). A publication-based doctorate could explore a topic with more variables and contexts (for ...