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From PhD to Monograph: How to Revise Your Thesis for Publication | Lex Academic Blog

25 November 2021

Most early career researchers in the arts and humanities are encouraged to see their PhD thesis as a monograph-in-waiting – and with good reason. In the increasingly competitive academic job market, a monograph, along with several peer-reviewed journal articles, is often a requirement for obtaining a permanent lectureship. In the UK, the Research Excellence Framework – the system that assesses the quality and impact of a department’s research and determines how much funding it will receive – allows a monograph to count as two submissions. Job applicants with a monograph therefore offer the hiring department a valuable opportunity to add to its tally of research outputs. A monograph is, then, vital for kick-starting an academic career. Turning a thesis into a monograph normally requires some work because the needs of a publisher are different from those of a PhD examiner. Here’s our how-to guide to revising your thesis for publication.

The difference between a thesis and a book boils down to this: ultimately, a book has to sell. Revisions to your thesis must therefore make your book accessible and appealing to a variety of readers. One way to improve accessibility is to reduce the size of your theoretical framework. Much of the theoretical material in your thesis is included to show your examiners that you’ve engaged with and understood it. In your book, this material can be given a lighter touch. It’s important to strike a balance here, though, so as not to give the impression that the book is under-researched, which would damage its credibility. A tip is to take a book on a similar topic – perhaps one you refer to frequently in your thesis – and note when theory is introduced and in how much detail. Think also about the needs of your audience. If yours will be the first book-length study of a topic, readers might well benefit from an opening chapter that outlines the theories most applicable to it. This is equally true if your book is as likely to appear on an undergraduate student’s reading list as it is in the bibliography of an established researcher. Keep in mind, too, that your readers may include experts in different fields who are reading your book for background. On the other hand, if your target reader is a specialist who is already well-versed in the theories you draw on, or if an overview of these theories exists in another recent publication, a theoretical chapter might be redundant. No matter who your reader is, a big part of the journey from thesis to monograph is de-theorising .

Another thing to think about when considering the needs of your audience is structure. Whereas your thesis is intended to be read from cover to cover, readers of your book may want to consult only the introduction or the chapter most relevant to them. Your introduction should provide a strong sense of the topic, scope, originality and main findings, as well as a chapter-by-chapter outline. In your analytical chapters, avoid excessive cross-references to other sections and ensure as far as possible that a particular theme, text, event, etc., is discussed in full in a single place, rather than scattered throughout the book.

Revising the role of theory and the structure is probably the most time-consuming and intellectually taxing part of converting a thesis into a book, but there are a few other elements that warrant attention. Let’s go back to the main difference between a thesis and a book: a book has to sell. For it to sell, it must first be found . As an author in the digital age, you should ensure that your book is discoverable via a search engine. Your thesis title may be long, specific and technical. Your book title will need to be shorter and contain keywords that readers are likely to put into a search engine. Think about the terms you searched for when you were first looking for literature on your thesis topic and, if possible, include some in your book title. Likewise, overly generic chapter titles like ‘Aims’, ‘Methods’ or ‘Discussion’ will need to be replaced with clear and descriptive alternatives. Your publisher will probably insist on this – they want your book to be discoverable, too! But it’s also in your interest because you want your academic peers to read and cite your work. A tip for increasing your book’s visibility is to choose a publisher with a book series your title fits into. Publishing in a series gives your book an identity; an automatic endorsement from the series editor and a greater likelihood that it’ll be displayed at a conference or other event.

The last issue you’ll need to address is any formatting requirements requested by the publisher, especially if the book is part of a series. It’s worth asking, however, if your publisher would accept an alternative style guide, as many are flexible as long as the style is applied consistently. This will reduce time and effort spent on formal elements and enable you to focus on ensuring that the content, structure and readability of your book are as good as possible.

Before you can implement your plan for revising your thesis for publication, you’ll first need to obtain a contract from a publisher . Many proposals for books based on theses are rejected because they fail to demonstrate that the author understands the differences between a thesis and a book. It’s therefore worth including a bullet-point list detailing how you intend to revise your thesis to make it more accessible, coherent and relevant to readers. You should also emphasise your book’s originality. List any competing publications and explain why your book is distinctive. If parts of the thesis have already been published, indicate whether you could theoretically reproduce them (and especially if the material is open access). Finally, stress the marketability of your book. What readership do you envisage for it? Which courses would it be suitable for? If you’re lucky, the publisher’s book proposal form will invite you to share this information. If the application is more open-ended, you’ll have to take the initiative.

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From PhD Thesis to Monograph: Tips for Editing Your First Book

Heather Hind is a Lecturer in English Literature with research interests in Victorian literature and material culture. She is currently turning her PhD thesis into a monograph. In this post, the second in our series on the PhD and beyond, she shares her hints and tips for getting started with this process.

“ Steppingstones across the River Aire, Gargrave ” by Tim Green aka atoach is licensed under CC BY 2.0 .

Why do you want to publish a book? And how, in broad terms, do you want to go about it? These questions are worth asking yourself early on. Perhaps you see a monograph as a steppingstone in an academic career. Or maybe you want to disseminate your research to a wider audience. Or publication might be a personal goal. Quite likely, your reasoning is a combination of all of these and more.

There are alternatives to the book route, such as publishing your research via academic journals or public-facing media outlets. In any case, practical life matters need to be factored in too. The post-PhD period can be tricky in terms of employment, access to resources and mentoring, and time. Even if you plan to lightly edit your thesis, the timeline from writing your proposal through to seeing your book being published can be surprisingly lengthy – not to mention busy and uncertain.

My best advice is to keep in mind a clear sense of your motivation for publishing your book, and to create a realistic editing schedule. For me, that has meant being more ambitious than I initially intended with my revisions (because my motivation is academic impact) and assigning plenty of time to do them (acknowledging that I have other demands on my time).

The next step, after deciding to publish your book, is to get a proposal and sample chapters in order. I’d highly recommend checking out Laura Portwood-Stacer’s Manuscript Works Archive . Laura is the author of The Book Proposal Book and her website contains guidelines, templates, prompts and all kinds of proposal-writing information.

The broad questions I found useful to think about while writing my proposal, and working out the new shape and emphasis of my monograph, were:

What new perspective/s will my book offer?
What ideas does it connect, or what story does it tell?
How might it inform and influence my field and discipline?

Initial edit

First, remove any thesis-y phrasing and heavy-handed signposting, such as ‘In this thesis…’. Next, revise or cull your footnotes and any extraneous references. One of my PhD supervisors advised me to ‘wear my learning heavily’ in the thesis or, in other words, include plenty of references to show the full breadth and depth of my reading and research. While your monograph should be detailed and well-researched, it doesn’t want quite the same ‘heaviness’ as a thesis. During this initial edit, pay extra attention to the clarity of your writing and flow of your argument. As with your footnotes and references, consider cutting any tangential sentences or paragraphs. It’s a good idea to make space for new material before it’s written, rather than adding and adding to an increasingly baggy monster of a manuscript.

Content and structure

“ Hot Air Balloon Inflating ” by ajagendorf25 is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 .

Next, you might rethink your monograph’s overall content and structure. Your examiners’ reports can be very useful here! You may well plan to cut as well as add material, though identifying areas to expand—whether to include unused thesis research or new post-PhD developments—can make for a major selling point in a book proposal. I have heard that some publishers want to see an entirely new chapter for the monograph, though another approach (which I’ve adopted) is to add sections of new material to your existing chapters.

You might also consider restructuring your chapters so that they make more sense (or are more marketable) as a book. For example: would splitting your chapters up into shorter ones help to guide your reader through the material with more ease? Is there a current or emerging topic that you might engage with in a new chapter or sub-section? Can you retitle your chapters (or overall book) to appeal to a wider audience?

With these points in mind, I found it helpful to reread some monographs that I admire to reflect on what works well, especially in terms of structuring the introduction and conclusion.

Academic writing guides

These can also be sources of inspiration. Helen Sword’s books on academic writing are excellent and she also has some free writing tools and videos . Here are two more resources I’ve found helpful for writing and editing:

The Thesis Whisperer – This site is useful for thesis writing pointers as well as general academic writing tips.

Publish Not Perish / Jenn McClearen – A newsletter with a back catalogue of posts that includes tips on all aspects of academic writing.

Valuable tips

Picking up on my earlier point about recognising the pressures of the post-PhD period, here’s the advice I’ve found most helpful.

Carve out writing and editing time

“ Mechanical Clock 9 – by Eric Freitas ” by Kotomi_ is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 .

I have found online writing retreats vital to gaining momentum with my editing because they force me to sit down, focus, and work in regular blocks. I even volunteered to run a series of them to squeeze more into my calendar. Even if you don’t join a writing group, you could try marking out blocks of writing and editing time in your calendar as well as planned deadlines for chapters or sub-chapters (which work even better if you tell someone about them for accountability!).

Look into post-PhD funding and other kinds of support

While there are major postdoctoral funders that provide longer-term fellowships (e.g. Leverhulme, British Academy), these almost exclusively require you to start work on a new project. However, your period or discipline may have societies or associations that provide small pots of research funding to early career academics for developing existing projects or publications (e.g. the Royal Historical Society ). Some will cover expenses for research trips (ideal if needed for expanding your monograph), while others may fund proposal writing or even monograph editing. Some have early career memberships and fellowships that provide other benefits to recent PhD graduates, such as academic affiliation, library access, or networking and mentoring opportunities.

Keep connected to others

I’ve found academic and peer networks in the form of writing groups, societies, conferences, and PhD/Early Career Researcher friends even more important in the post PhD-period. Whether it’s through presenting and getting feedback on your research, swapping proposals or chapter drafts with someone, or just venting about how it’s all going, don’t underestimate the value of sharing your work-in-progress with others.

Heather Hind Heather Hind ’s monograph will be the first book-length study of Victorian hairwork – the crafting of decorative objects from human hair – and its presence in British literature of the period, with chapters that focus on works by Charlotte and Emily Brontë, Wilkie Collins, and Margaret Oliphant. Her broader interests are in nineteenth-century literature, material culture, textiles and handicrafts, and object-led and embodied methodologies.

About Emma Claire Sweeney

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Study Skills

Research skills.

Searching the literature
Note making for dissertations
Research Data Management
Copyright and licenses
Publishing in journals

Publishing academic books

Depositing your thesis
Research metrics
Build your online profile
Finding support

key considerations when turning your thesis into a monograph
how to choose the best publisher for you
how Open Access monographs work
how to write a great proposal
what to expect from the peer review and publishing process

To complete this section, you will need:

Approximately 60 minutes.
Access to the internet. All the resources used here are available freely.
Some equipment for jotting down your thoughts, a pen and paper will do, or your phone or another electronic device.

Turning your thesis into a monograph

This video explores what is required if you want to turn your thesis into a monograph and some key questions to ask yourself.

Resources I mentioned:

blog about Katelyn Knox’s experience of turning her thesis into a book
William Germano’s book Dissertation to book
information about thesis access options
Slides and notes for 'From thesis to monograph'

Choosing a publisher

Getting the right publisher is going to make a big difference in your experience of publishing a book.

This video from the University of Warwick library outlines the process of choosing a publisher in 5 steps.

If you are unsure about whether a publisher is trustworthy and right for you, this checklist by Think.Check.Submit. will be helpful in evaluating your options.

What about agents?

While academic publishers are happy to consider proposals coming directly from authors, an agent can help you select the best publisher for your needs, write a good proposal, revise the work following review, and negotiate with the editor. Naturally, agents will require compensation and they are likely to only be interested in books with significant commercial potential.

If you do decide to look for an agent, make sure you find one with a good reputation and track record. Read the acknowledgements of books you admire to see if the author thanked an agent, or ask for recommendations from colleagues.

Open Access publishers

Just like with journal articles, we’re seeing a growing movement to make access to monographs free and unrestricted. Let’s make this clear straight away: Open Access publishers are NOT the same as vanity presses! Reputable Open Access publishers have rigorous peer review and quality control and offer quality products, just like legacy publishers.

The Office of Scholarly communication website contains lots of helpful information on Open Access monographs, including an overview , OA publishing options , costs , and funders’ positions .

This talk by Rupert Gatti explains in detail how your book can ‘be more’ through an Open Access publishing model. Do you agree with him that Open Access publishing can improve research methodology?

Let’s explore what an Open Access Book works. Take a look at this book published by Open Book Publishers and explore the data about how this book has been used to try to answer the following questions.

How much do the digital version and the hardback version cost?
What is the title of the second chapter?
How many times was it downloaded from Google Books views?
How many times was it downloaded in Brazil?

To find the answers, scroll to the bottom of this page.

Writing a proposal

Each publisher has its own specific requirements for proposals, so make sure you check their website and follow their guidance closely. In general terms, however, a proposal typically includes the following:

Title. Keep it simple, consider what would make a reader select your book from a library catalogue or bookshelf.
Short summary. Concision is key here, focus on a few key points.
Background. Remember that the editor is not necessarily an expert in your particular field. Explain the scope and methodology and set your book into the context of the whole field. A selected bibliography may be helpful.
Target audience. Be realistic and specific. It may be helpful to highlight if your book could be used for a particular course, or if it is likely to attract an interdisciplinary audience.
Business case. Why does it make sense for the publisher to invest in your book? Why will people want to read it? Can you cite similar books that have been successful in the past?
Author's CV. Why are you the right person to write this book? Highlight the reasons why people will want to hear what you have to say. If based on a thesis, can you cite some praise or the number of download requests?
Practical considerations. Think about aspects of production that will matter to the editor. For instance, how long do you expect the completed manuscript to be? When will it be completed? Will you require many colour images? Can you suggest any reviewers?
Table of contents. You should have a clear idea of the overall structure of your book, though of course this may change following review.

In this video, Jay Phoenix Singh shows you exactly how he composed two successful proposals.

The peer review and publishing process

So what can you expect from the whole process of publishing a monograph? This video gives you an overview of the key stages.

Slides and notes for 'The publishing process'

Answers

Here are the answers for the Open Access publishers activity. They were gathered on 18 September 2023 and may have changed slightly since.

The digital copies are free, the paperback costs £19.95 and the hardback costs £34.95
The second chapter is titled ‘Emancipation through Open Education: Rhetoric or Reality?’
Google Book View had 6066 downloads (the number may have increased slightly)
Brazil had 219 downloads (the number may have increased slightly)

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Scholarly Communications

Publishing Your Thesis as a Monograph
What is Scholarly Communications?
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Publishing Before Graduation
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Things to Consider

Publishing your thesis as a book can be an alternative or an accompaniment to publishing an article in a journal. If you are considering publishing your thesis as a book or monograph, here are some things to consider:

You will first need to edit or restructure your thesis to make it suitable for publication. When adapting your thesis for publication, consider the expectations of publishers and your potential audience.
Your book should be published by a commercial or academic publisher, rather than a print-on-demand or vanity press. For help finding an appropriate publisher in your subject area, consider consulting your supervisor or a librarian. Self-publishing is not considered reputable for academic careers.
You will need to submit a book proposal to potential publishers. For more information on this, consult the Book Proposals tab.
Most publishers do not consider a thesis to be prior publication. Consult with the publisher for their policies on this.

Selected Video Resources

“From Dissertation to Book: Navigating the Publication Process” A panel talk of academic publishing experts hosted by UC Berkeley.
“How to Turn Your Dissertation Into a Book” A panel talk of publishing professionals hosted by Yale University.
“The Monograph Publishing Process” A short video from Cambridge University.
“From Thesis to Monograph” A short video from Cambridge University.

Selected Library Resources

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Next: Book Proposals >>
Last Updated: Nov 27, 2023 9:20 AM
URL: https://dal.ca.libguides.com/ScholarlyCommunications

University of Houston Libraries

Scholarly publishing, where to begin.

Thinking about transforming your dissertation into your first book? Hardly any dissertations are published as books without significant work on the author's part to refocus the manuscript for an audience beyond the dissertation committee.

Here are a few resources to help you understand the process of reworking a dissertation for publication as a monograph:

Dear First-Time Author: How to Turn Your Dissertation Into a Book, by Theresa MacPhail MacPhail shares advice from writing her own first book as well as advice from editors at university presses.

In reading some of the resources listed above, you might encounter discussions of how having your dissertation available online (for example, in the UH Institutional Repository ) could negatively impact a publisher's willingness to look at your manuscript. Some authors assert that you should not put your dissertation online if you hope to sign a publishing contract. However, please note there is very little evidence to support this view. In fact, research has shown that publishers will indeed consider manuscripts that are revised versions of openly-accessible dissertations.

Do Open Access Electronic Theses and Dissertations Diminish Publishing Opportunities in the Social Sciences and Humanities? Findings from a 2011 Survey of Academic Publishers, by Ramirez, et al.

The dissertation to monograph process is particular to the individual and their field. UH librarians can help talk through the process that is common to your field and how you can get started. Please contact the Director of the Digital Research Commons, Taylor Davis-Van Atta to schedule a consultation.

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Next: Copyright >>
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Last Updated: Dec 16, 2022 8:56 AM
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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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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 .

Information on how to turn a thesis into a monograph

Notes from the judges’ bench.

Anne Laurence, emeritus professor of History, The Open University

This comment is prompted by having been a judge for more than 10 years for two book prizes for historians, both of them for a first monograph. As a result, I have read more than 100 first monographs. I would like to think that these notes will help anyone who is about to try to turn a thesis into a book, now a necessary step for aspirants to academic posts.

I should start by saying that the experience I’ve had has been fascinating and has introduced me to the writing of many new scholars which I would never otherwise have come across—I say new because not all of them have been youthful. Prizes are an excellent way of encouraging people and nothing can better display the health of the subject than good lists of first books. However, the process by which theses become books is not always proof against publications which could have been very much better. Here, then, is some advice that can vastly improve first books, especially if they are based upon PhD theses.

UK theses are intended for an audience primarily composed of supervisors and examiners. Books have to reach a much wider audience and the qualities that make an excellent thesis—an apprentice piece—are different from those that make a good book. A book should make a difference to the subject by putting forward a compelling and readable argument. Not many people are able, as Amanda Foreman did, to turn the subject of their thesis into a successful trade book (trade books are usually published by large general publishers who have considerable marketing budgets and expect books to be a commercial success, access to them is normally through a literary agent). 1 Another tactic is that of Andrew Biswell who produced a thesis on the writer Anthony Burgess while at the same time writing a biography of Burgess. 2

There are a number of requirements of a thesis, exercises to show your examiners that you have learnt the craft, that if included in a book make it less interesting to read. Of course, ideally, a thesis should be a beautifully crafted piece of historical writing which immediately changes the face of the subject. In reality, the pressure to finish in the required period tends to mean that authors take short-cuts and complete in a hurry.

For your thesis you may well have had to compress your subject from a study of agriculture and rural life in England and Wales 1400-1900, to a study of Ambridge’s rural economy 1800-1900. This was necessary to make your task as a PhD student achievable within the limited time and resources available. But not many people are going to find a study of Ambridge alone of interest. What most readers will want is some link between Ambridge and the wider economic and social context, some generalisations beyond the specifics of Ambridge. This may well require you to do some more work beyond your thesis, but it will be worth it. But beware of overstating the claims for your study of Ambridge’s economy to change the face of rural history. Small studies do make a real difference because of the empirical research on which they are based, but rarely do they overturn an existing argument, though they may nuance it in very significant ways.
Literature reviews are an essential part of the apprentice piece, they show your examiners that you’ve immersed yourself in the secondary literature on the subject and are aware of the arguments that your own research may confirm or refute. But literature reviews date quickly, especially in subjects where there is active current research, and they are often very boring to read. Rather than leaving in a literature review as a separate chapter, dismantle it and, where you need to refer to the work of another historian, do so at the point where your research intersects with theirs. It’s much more interesting for the reader if the author engages with specific arguments in the literature at the relevant point in the text of the book.
When discussing work done previously, be scrupulously courteous. We all stand on the shoulders of those who have worked in history before us. It’s tempting to imply that everyone who has gone before you is wilfully neglectful of your favourite topics, has ignored the obvious, and failed to ask the right questions or read the right documents. No-one minds having their research superseded by a fine piece of research from their successors, that’s what intellectual progress is about. But no-one likes having their work belittled in public. Be pragmatic: you never know when a historian whose work you have dismissed might be on an appointment panel for a job you are after.

Sometimes there’s been a good reason for a historian’s work to have been shaped as it was, a reason that you might not know about (availability of records, state of scholarship at the time they were writing, political or censorship constraints, for example).

Consciousness of the generation to which an historian belongs is important. For example, if you work on queer history, it is of some relevance to know whether an historian was writing during the period when male homosexual acts were illegal.

In some historical subjects, such as gender history, historians have often had non-traditional academic careers, which means it can be hard to know how old our historical foremothers are. Linda Kerber (b.1940) has made the point that historians such as Natalie Zemon Davis (b.1928), Gerda Lerner (1920-2013) and Joan Kelly (1928-82) are professionally her contemporaries despite being almost a generation older.

You should not assume that all women’s and gender history is the product of second-wave feminism. Ivy Pinchbeck and Alice Clark are well enough known, but there were many other women who in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries wrote about women in the past, some of these historians having been inspired by first-wave feminism. Charlotte Carmichael Stopes (1841-1929) and Rose Graham (1875-1963) both wrote on aspects of women’s history. In the introductions Mary Anne Everett-Green (1818-95) wrote to the volumes of the Calendars of State Papers she edited between 1867 and 1895 there are many references to women, children and families she came across in the course of her editing. I think of a young writer castigating a historian writing before the First World War for her lack of concern for the position of women in the past. This historian was a well-known suffragist, a fact unknown to the young researcher.

Remember that the political status of a country may change. Ireland before 1922 was not a republic as it is now with a parliament elected by proportional representation, it was part of the United Kingdom and sent MPs to Westminster. Kings and governments come and go. What is true for England is frequently not true for Scotland and Ireland. Comparable considerations obtain for many pre-First World War European nations and for much of Asia and Africa between 1800 and the present.
Inevitably, when you wrote your thesis, there will have been bits that bored you to write. If they bored you, how much more likely are they to bore a reader who has actually paid money for the book?
Open up the subject. Your thesis on chantries in Felpersham, the poor law in Loamshire or air-raid precautions in Metroland will be riveting to a small number of people. They will be the people who have themselves written about chantries in Barchester and Melstock, the poor law in Barsetshire, or air raid precautions in Casterbridge. Your book needs to have some more obvious general appeal even to the scholarly historian. This doesn’t mean saying that your research demonstrates beyond doubt that Felpersham was the world centre for all chantries; rather it involves doing a realistic assessment of where Felpersham chantries sit in the array of places that had chantries.

Likewise, if your work is on Ruritania you will find a readership amongst other Ruritanian specialists, but it is worth pitching your book in such a way that it’s of interest to historians of other countries. So, tell us what the wider application of your research is. (And in the current era of ‘impact’ this may enable your work to be taken up in areas outside your own academic specialism.)

Signpost the subject. Your introduction needs to entice the reader to continue reading, so set out your general argument and what is really new about your subject (it may be your approach, it may be the archives you’ve used, it may be the designation of the subject itself). You don’t need to rehearse the contents of all the chapters, but you need to show the reader that it is worth his or her while continuing to read. Likewise, signpost the chapters.
You can afford to be more emphatic and less guarded in your judgements in a book than in a thesis. You have had the affirmation of your examiners—experts in the subject—and they may well make suggestions on to how best to render your thesis into a book. Take their advice! You can afford to take risks with your conclusions.
Apparatuses of various kinds may have been very important to your thesis. Be judicious about how you reproduce them. They may make or break your argument, in which case they need to stay, but perhaps as appendices.
If you have taken a theoretical line on a subject about which you are writing, you inspire confidence in the reader by demonstrating that you actually understand the theory. There may have been reference to a theoretical literature in your thesis as part of the task of demonstrating that you have a comprehensive understanding of the literature relevant to the topic. However, as with the literature review, unless the theory actually informs the way you are interpreting your material, it doesn’t impress to refer to a theoretical literature that doesn’t influence your presentation of your findings.
Editing: A good many academic publishers operate on very tight budgets. They do not have the staff and resources to do detailed copy-editing, so make sure that you are consistent in your use of references and terminology. Whether you contradict yourself in consecutive chapters will be picked up by the reviewers rather than by the publishers, so get help before you hand over your manuscript to sort out this kind of thing. It is humiliating to have a reviewer comment upon poor proof-reading, footnotes or bibliography. Some mistakes are likely to be picked up by the academic readers appointed by the publisher, but it is not their job to do your editing for you; they are there to assure the publisher that the book is of sufficient significance to warrant people buying it. Of course all this is difficult with deadlines, especially those imposed by job applications, promotion and tenure cases, and REFs. Now is the time to call in a few favours.
Getting a job with your book: It is now an almost universal requirement that your PhD be complete when you apply for your first job, so you will be applying at the point where you must be thinking about turning your thesis into a book. Interviewers are interested in whether it will be possible to enter you for the next REF. The requirements for publications are reduced for early career researchers, but to be rated highly your monograph needs to show rigour, originality and significance to a high degree. For people reading your work for the purposes of the REF, as well as for more general readers, it is extremely helpful if you are explicit about the significance and originality of your work (without, of course making, exaggerated claims).

Rigour: your examiners may have risen to their feet and applauded you for your use of regressions, network analysis, Pearson’s correlation co-efficients or back projection, or of Benedict Anderson, Pierre Bourdieu or Karl Marx’s theories. However, statistical and other methodologies which made your head hurt to work on for your PhD are extremely difficult to make interesting to a reader who has a general interest in your subject but does not care particularly about the details of your analysis and is taking on trust that your calculations are accurate. Increasingly PhD theses are available online so anyone who has a serious interest in your calculations can read them there (usually only PhD theses containing commercially sensitive material are closed for a period of years). So present your results in such a way that an intelligent historian can understand your findings without having to wade through the technical stuff. If you have tables and graphs, explain briefly in the text what their significance is and what the results demonstrate (don’t expect your readers to do the work for you) and consider whether the apparatus is better placed in an appendix than in the text. It may make more sense for you to publish your detailed methodological work as an article in one of the journals devoted to this kind of thing.

Originality: this is where you say that this work on the Ruritanian national debt has never been done before, or that you have uncovered a new archive/data source that allows you to expound the role of cattle rustling in Ruritanian/Brobdiangian trade relations in contrast to earlier work that argued that piracy that was the main driver.

Significance: this is the hardest element for an early career researcher to demonstrate since significance normally only emerges after a period of time. Nevertheless, don’t shy away from explaining that your work sits alongside older work and may modify the way we think about it (all done, of course, with exquisite courtesy).

Much about writing style is very personal, but it is possible to irritate readers to the point that they stop paying attention to the content, however significant. Here are a few examples of literary tics than can make a book less readable:

Overuse of adverbs and adjectives. Adverbs are words that modify verbs (quickly, rosily, ham-fistedly), they tell us something further about how something is done or happens. ‘The road ran undulatingly towards the city’ would be more clearly expressed by saying something about the nature of the country across which the road ran (if this is necessary information). Adjectives are words that qualify nouns (large, red, hot, fevered, uninhibited). Beware of attaching adjectives unthinkingly to nouns and lapsing into cliché (see below). No point is made by writing ‘staunch Protestant’ or ‘devout Catholic’. The following quotation shows how it is possible to write with eloquence and economy (note the minimal use of adjectives and adverbs by both Daniel Defoe and J.M. Coetzee):

Robinson Crusoe, cast up on the beach, looks around for his shipmates. But there are none. ‘I never saw them afterwards, or any sign of them,’ says he, ‘except three of their hats, one cap, and two shoes that were not fellows.’ Two shoes, not fellows: by not being fellows, the shoes have ceased to be footwear and become proofs of death, torn by the foaming seas off the feet of drowning men and tossed ashore. No large words, no despair, just hats and caps and shoes. 3

Sentence order. Complex sentences are divided into clauses, often separated by commas, which need to be in a specific order to convey a particular meaning. A very common fault is to get clauses in the wrong order. An example is this (taken from a novel): ‘Chloe washed a lettuce wearing a beaded jacket’. When did you last see a lettuce wearing a beaded jacket? Presumably what was intended was ‘Wearing a beaded jacket, Chloe washed a lettuce’ or ‘Chloe, wearing a beaded jacket, washed a lettuce’. A separate question is whether we need to know what Chloe was wearing while she washed the lettuce. If a reader is puzzled or amazed by what they read, the writing isn’t achieving its objective.
Clichés. Clichés are overused phrases that might once have seemed lively but now sound tired and give the impression that the writer doesn’t really care about what they are saying. Examples are ‘staunch Protestants’, ‘devout Catholics’, ‘good Queen Bess’. Sometimes one coins one’s own clichés, so beware of, for example, at each appearance describing with the same adjective a historical character or location: ‘mendacious John Smith’ or ‘the good-hearted Mistress Quickley’, or a place as ‘poverty-stricken Ambridge’ or ‘mountain-bound Ruritania’.
Another type of cliché is to use a common-place or slang metaphor or simile that might be used in speech but which doesn’t contribute extra meaning on the page. An example might be to refer to someone who changed sides in politics as ‘a vicar of Bray’.
Overlong, too numerous, or banal quotation. I was given the advice as a graduate student that quotations can illustrate a point but they can’t make it for you. Avoid banal quotations—we all know that Charles I was executed on 30 January 1649, there’s no need to quote someone saying that or to reference it. For more obscure points you can paraphrase and acknowledge the source in the references. Also avoid very long quotations. You will be familiar with the way your eye slides over indented sections of print in smaller typeface. If yours does, so will other people’s.
Tables, charts graphs. All of these are excellent weapons in your armoury, but if they are in the text, make sure you actually say something about the findings.
Acronyms and abbreviations. These may have been admissible when your readership was your supervisor(s) and your examiners since you are all experts in the same narrow area. But over-use of them, especially if they are not commonplace ones, can at worst make a book unreadable and at best obscures the argument as readers struggle to remember what XKP stands for, especially if you have neglected to give a guide to abbreviations (it’s no good providing an explanation in a foot-note 40 pages earlier).
Vocabulary. We share the use of one of the richest languages on earth and there is always an apt word. Make sure you choose the right apt word rather than one that sounds rather like it e.g. comparative rather than comparable. Use dictionaries and thesauruses, never more readily available online.

Make sure, too, that you don’t confuse terms such as under- and over-estimate or under-and over-state. To say it is impossible to under-estimate the effect of slavery on the economy of Jamaica means something very different from saying that it is impossible to over-estimate the effect etc. It is better to avoid using double negatives (of which these are a particular type) if there is any danger of damaging clarity.

Acknowledgements

There is an understandable desire to thank the person who fed the dog while you were at the Borsetshire archives, the person on the bus who repaired the baby buggy, and the people you go jogging with, but resist the temptation to acknowledge any but the most significant academic and personal debts. Repay the other favours in a different way.

Amanda Foreman, Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire , London: Harper Collins, 1998; Amanda Foreman, ‘The political life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire 1757-1806’, D.Phil thesis, Oxford University, 1998.
Andrew Biswell, The Real Life of Anthony Burgess , London: Picador, 2005; Andrew Biswell, ‘Conflict and confluence: Anthony Burgess as novelist and journalist’, PhD thesis, University of Warwick, 2002.
J.M. Coetzee, Elizabeth Costello (1999), Vintage, London, 2004, p.4.
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How to Publish Your PhD

Out now in paperback and ebook editions.

You’ve passed your viva, you’ve changed your title to Dr on your bank cards. Now you want to turn your thesis into a monograph. You’re keen to get started, but how exactly do you go about it? Do you just need to make a few tweaks here and there? Or are you going to have to rewrite every single word? What on earth is a monograph, anyway?

There’s a lot to understand before you embark upon your writing adventure. This practical book guides you through everything you need to know about academic publishing in the 21st century. You’ll establish your purpose and scope, plan your schedule, approach a publisher, and actually write your book. Catherine Pope draws on her own experience of writing and publishing to support you through each stage of the process.

How to Buy

How to Publish Your PhD is available in paperback and ebook editions. You can order through your favourite online retailer or independent bookstore. The ebook edition is available through Amazon, Apple, Kobo, and all the other major channels. If you’d like to buy in bulk for your institution (20+ copies), please contact me for discounts or any other queries.

ISBN: 978-1-8382429-3-0

Introduction (read for free)

Starting with Why
Developing Your Strategy
When’s the Right Time?
Can You Afford to Write a Book?
Deciding on the Appropriate Publication Type
Understanding What’s Required
Auditing Your Thesis
Defining Your Scope
Mapping Your Book
The Anatomy of a Monograph
Setting Some Limits
Managing Your Time
Academic Publishing in the 21st Century
Understanding Rights and Contracts
Royalties and Getting Paid
Dealing with Copyright
Calculating Author Costs
Choosing Between Publishing and Self-Publishing
Applying for an Embargo
Identifying a Suitable Publisher
Assessing Publishers
Approaching a Publisher
Writing a Book Proposal
What Happens Next?
Thinking Like a Writer
Boosting Your Productivity
Building Your Writing Fortress
Planning a Piece of Writing
Creating a Storyboard
Building a Wireframe
Avoiding Perfectionism
Dealing with Competition
Overcoming Procrastination
Reviewing Progress
Getting Feedback on Your Writing
Strengthening Your Structure
Improving Flow
Adding Signposts
Ensuring Clarity
Proofreading
Applying Formatting
How Much Time Do You Need for Editing?
Dealing with Readers’ Reports
Including Your Acknowledgements
Getting Ready for Final Submission
Checking the Proofs
Indexing Your Book
Promoting Your Book

Conclusion Bibliography & Further Resources

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Turning Your Thesis into a Monograph

You’ve passed your viva and got your life back. Now everyone keeps asking, “When are you going to publish your PhD?” You’re vaguely aware of what’s involved, but you’re not sure where to start. There are so many options, decisions, and conflicting experiences. What’s right for you? And, more importantly, how long will it take?

Learning Outcomes:

You'll learn about:

Identifying and approaching publishers
Writing an effective book proposal
Understanding the differences between a thesis and a monograph
Deciding on the right structure
Developing a productive writing process

This training is aimed at late-stage PhD students and Early Career Researchers in the arts and humanities.

About the trainer:

This session will be delivered by Dr Catherine Pope. Catherine is the training lead and coach specialising in supporting researchers and academics in the Higher Education sector. She has worked with PhD students through to Professors, helping them to break down complex challenges into more manageable tasks. She has written two books, How to Finish Your PhD and How to Publish Your PhD .

**Please note, this course requires a £20 deposit which will be refunded once you have attended the course, or have cancelled your place at least 72 hours before the course start date. Please see our full Terms and Conditions for more information.

Book now >>

Please address any enquiries about this event to [email protected] .

Advice from our Editors: Revising the Dissertation into a Monograph

Palgrave Macmillan 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. 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 I go about planning the revisions and when should I start?

Be aware that transforming your dissertation into a publishable book is a complex process, which will take time and require some careful planning. Time will be an issue, especially if you need to juggle the work on the book with full-time teaching and/or other research activities. Most authors take at least a year to complete a PhD-based book, but this could also take longer if the book requires fresh data and new research.
You should endeavor to begin working on the book proposal only after having submitted your thesis and successfully completing 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 monograph (c.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 a monograph?

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 on 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 clearly unfold 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 that differ from the structure of your thesis? You should simplify and optimize your table of contents so as to articulate the material in a logical and accessible fashion.
Length . Monographs are normally much shorter than PhD theses. Separate chapters about the review of literature and research methodologies may be vital 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 cut out. The methodology chapter should be reduced and merged with the introduction if not omitted altogether.

How do I write a proposal for a PhD-based book?

Think of it as a brand new project which builds on rather than derives from your PhD research.
Avoid mentioning phrases like ‘this PhD’ or ‘this thesis’ throughout the proposal.
Identify your USPs (unique selling points) and build your proposal around them so as to highlight what is really original about your research, its contribution to the field and what makes the book ‘stand out of the crowd.
Avoid recommending your supervisors or examiners as potential peer reviewers.
Keep footnotes and endnotes to a minimum.
Be mindful that you will need to obtain permission to include quotes from interviewees if they were not informed at the time of the interview that these could appear in print. Otherwise, these quotes must be attributed anonymously or removed completely.
Reduce third-party materials as much as possible, as obtaining permission for this content is the responsibility of the author and can be a time-consuming process.
Select illustrations/tables/diagrams that further the argument of the text, rather than are illustrative.
Informally ask colleagues or mentors to read your chapters before submission. An outside perspective can help refine the work for final publication. If English is not your first language, it might be useful to ask a native speaker to read-through the manuscript as well.

In addition, a number of our authors who have gone through this process themselves have been kind enough to share their experiences. All of these advice articles can be found on the Early Career Researcher Hub .

A monograph is a very different body of work to a thesis. So, rather than sending out a proposal at once, and simply rewriting a chapter of the thesis to go with it, I ignored the advice and decided to think of the book as a new project. This involved taking key concepts from the thesis, but significantly reworking and developing them. This approach took a long time (three years, post-viva) because the work was undertaken alongside HPL teaching and summer work, which slowed the project down considerably.

However, the proposal I eventually submitted to Palgrave was a book proposal, rather than a modified thesis proposal. As such, the submission process was significantly easier; the project was accepted, a contract issued, and the completed manuscript took just three months to finish and submit. The book appeared in print just eight months later (less than a year after I first submitted the proposal.) I have no doubt that this was because I took that time to develop the project.

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Turning Dissertations into Monographs: Publishing Insights

So, you've successfully defended your dissertation and earned your doctoral degree. Congratulations! However, if you're considering turning your dissertation into a monograph for publication, there are several essential steps and insights you need to be aware of. In this article, we'll delve into the intricacies of transforming your academic dissertation into a compelling monograph that can contribute to your field and reach a broader audience.

Understanding the Monograph

In the realm of academic writing and publishing, the term "monograph" holds a distinct and vital place. To embark on the journey of turning your dissertation into a monograph, it's crucial to have a clear understanding of what a monograph is and how it differs from a dissertation.

A monograph, in essence, is a scholarly book that focuses on a single subject, topic, or research study. It represents a comprehensive exploration of a specific area of knowledge, often offering in-depth insights, analysis, and findings. Here's a closer look at the key aspects that define a monograph:

Single Subject Focus: Unlike a dissertation, which may cover a broader range of topics within a field of study, a monograph is dedicated to a singular subject or research question. It hones in on a specific aspect of the discipline, allowing for a deep dive into the chosen topic.

Book-Length Work: Monographs are substantial in length, typically running anywhere from 70,000 to 100,000 words or more. This extensive content allows authors to thoroughly explore and present their research, theories, and findings in a comprehensive manner.

Targeted Audience: While dissertations are primarily written for an academic committee and a narrow audience of experts in the field, monographs have a broader readership in mind. They are designed to reach scholars, researchers, students, and professionals interested in the subject matter.

Contributions to the Field: Monographs are expected to make significant contributions to the academic discipline they belong to. They should offer new perspectives, original research, or fresh insights that advance the field's knowledge.

Accessible Language: While academic rigor is essential, monographs aim for readability beyond the confines of academia. They often employ language that is clear, concise, and accessible to a wider range of readers, including those outside the immediate specialty.

Peer Review and Validation: Like academic articles, monographs undergo peer review by experts in the field. This rigorous evaluation ensures the quality, accuracy, and scholarly merit of the work. Peer review is a hallmark of academic credibility.

Publication Process: Monographs are typically published by academic or university presses, specialized publishers, or reputable publishing houses. The publishing process involves multiple stages, including manuscript submission, peer review, editing, and production.

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Step 1: assess your dissertation.

Congratulations, you've completed your dissertation—a significant academic achievement. Now, the prospect of turning it into a monograph, a book-length work, lies before you. Before delving into the intricacies of the transformation process, the first step is a critical one: assessing your dissertation's potential for becoming a monograph.

Here are key considerations to help you evaluate whether your dissertation is ripe for expansion into a comprehensive monograph:

1. Significance and Relevance: Reflect on the core research question or topic of your dissertation. Is it a subject of substantial significance within your academic field? Does it hold relevance beyond the context of your immediate academic community? A monograph should explore a topic that has enduring relevance and offers value to a broader readership.

2. Fresh Insights: Consider whether your dissertation offers fresh insights or perspectives. Has your research uncovered new angles, theories, or findings that contribute to the existing body of knowledge in your field? A monograph should extend beyond the confines of your dissertation, providing deeper analysis and further exploration of these insights.

3. Scope for Expansion: Assess whether your dissertation has the potential for expansion. Can you delve deeper into specific aspects of your research? Are there additional case studies, data, or examples that can enrich your work? A monograph should encompass a more extensive and comprehensive exploration of your chosen subject.

4. Demand and Audience: Investigate whether there is a demand for a book on your dissertation topic. Is there a potential readership eager to engage with a comprehensive exploration of your research? A monograph should cater to a broader audience, including scholars, researchers, students, and professionals interested in the subject matter.

5. Broader Context: Examine how your dissertation fits into the broader academic and intellectual landscape. Does it connect with ongoing debates, trends, or discussions in your field? A monograph should position your research within the larger context of your academic discipline.

6. Feasibility: Consider the feasibility of transforming your dissertation into a monograph. Do you have the resources, time, and motivation to undertake the necessary revisions, expansion, and writing? Assess whether you are prepared for the commitment required for this endeavor.

7. Consultation: Seek feedback and consultation from mentors, advisors, or colleagues familiar with your research. Their insights can provide valuable perspectives on the potential of your dissertation to become a monograph.

8. Comparative Analysis: Analyze existing monographs in your field that are similar in scope or subject matter to your dissertation. Assess how your work compares to these published books and identify areas where your research can offer a unique contribution.

Taking the time to rigorously assess your dissertation is the foundation of the journey from dissertation to monograph. It ensures that you embark on this transformative process with a clear understanding of your research's potential, its significance in your field, and its ability to engage a broader readership. If your assessment yields positive results, you can proceed with confidence to the next stages of refining and expanding your work into a compelling monograph.

Step 2: Revise and Expand

Once you've assessed your dissertation and determined that it holds the potential to become a compelling monograph, the next crucial step is to embark on the journey of revision and expansion. While your dissertation served as a valuable foundation, a monograph demands more extensive content, further research, and a broader perspective.

Here are key strategies for successfully revising and expanding your dissertation into a monograph:

Broaden the Scope: One of the fundamental differences between a dissertation and a monograph is the scope. While a dissertation often focuses on a specific aspect of your research, a monograph requires a broader perspective. Expand on the context of your research, delve deeper into related topics, and provide a comprehensive introduction that sets the stage for your readers.

Additional Research: To elevate your work from dissertation to monograph status, conduct further research. Seek out additional sources, data, case studies, or examples that can enrich your content. The goal is to deepen your arguments, strengthen your findings, and offer a more extensive exploration of your subject.

Rewrite and Reframe: As you revise, pay careful attention to your writing style and tone. While dissertations tend to be written for a narrow academic audience, monographs are intended for a broader readership. Therefore, it's essential to reframe your writing to make it accessible and engaging to a wider range of readers. Remove jargon and overly technical language, focusing on clarity and readability.

Structure and Organization: Evaluate the structure and organization of your work. A monograph should have a clear and logical flow. Consider whether you need to reorganize chapters, add new sections, or revise the order of presentation to enhance the overall coherence of the manuscript.

Expand on Findings: Your dissertation likely contains valuable findings and conclusions. Use the opportunity of expansion to delve deeper into these findings. Provide additional context, offer alternative interpretations, and explore the implications of your research in greater detail. This not only enriches your content but also demonstrates the depth of your scholarship.

Incorporate Feedback: If you received feedback on your dissertation, whether from advisors, peers, or reviewers, take it into account during the revision process. Address any constructive criticisms, clarify points of confusion, and integrate suggestions for improvement.

Maintain a Clear Thread: Throughout the revision and expansion process, maintain a clear thread that connects your work. Your central research question or thesis should remain at the forefront, guiding readers through the expanded content. Ensure that every addition contributes to a cohesive narrative.

Editing and Proofreading: As your manuscript grows, meticulous editing and proofreading become even more critical. Ensure that your writing is free from grammatical errors, typos, and inconsistencies. Consider seeking professional editing services to polish your prose.

The journey from dissertation to monograph is not merely about extending the length of your work; it's about transforming it into a comprehensive, accessible, and engaging book-length manuscript. Embrace the revision and expansion process as an opportunity to refine your research, communicate your findings to a broader audience, and make a lasting contribution to your academic field.

Step 3: Find the Right Publisher

With your revised and expanded manuscript in hand, the next significant step in the transformation of your dissertation into a monograph is finding the right publisher. This is a critical decision that will significantly impact the visibility and success of your work. Here's how to navigate this crucial step:

1. Define Your Goals: Before searching for a publisher, clarify your goals for your monograph. Consider your target audience, the impact you want to make in your field, and whether you have any specific publication objectives. This clarity will help you identify publishers aligned with your vision.

2. Research Publishers: Start by identifying publishers that specialize in your academic field or discipline. Look for reputable academic presses, university presses, or specialized publishers known for their expertise in your subject area. Investigate their catalogs to see if they have published monographs similar to your work.

3. Evaluate Publisher Reputation: Assess the reputation and credibility of potential publishers. Consider factors such as their history, the quality of their publications, their impact in your field, and whether they have a strong presence in the academic community. Peer reviews and recommendations from colleagues can be valuable in this regard.

4. Open Access vs. Traditional Publishing: Decide whether you want to pursue traditional publishing or explore open access options. Traditional publishing involves the traditional publication process, while open access makes your work freely accessible to a global audience. Each option has its advantages and considerations, so weigh them carefully.

5. Submission Guidelines: Review the submission guidelines of potential publishers meticulously. Each publisher may have specific requirements for manuscript submission, including formatting, manuscript length, and proposal submission. Ensure that your manuscript aligns with their guidelines.

6. Query Publishers: Consider sending query letters or proposals to publishers expressing your interest in publishing your monograph with them. Your query should succinctly describe your work, its significance, and its alignment with their publishing portfolio. Be prepared to provide sample chapters or the complete manuscript upon request.

7. Peer Review: If a publisher expresses interest in your work, it may undergo a peer review process. Peer reviewers will assess the quality, originality, and scholarly merit of your manuscript. Address any feedback and revisions as necessary.

8. Negotiate Contract Terms: Once a publisher offers a publication contract, carefully review the terms and negotiate where needed. Pay attention to matters such as royalties, copyright, publication timeline, and any associated costs.

9. Consider Multiple Options: Don't limit yourself to a single publisher. Consider submitting proposals to multiple publishers simultaneously to increase your chances of publication. However, be transparent with publishers about your submissions.

10. Seek Guidance: Consult with mentors, advisors, or colleagues who have experience in academic publishing. Their insights and recommendations can be invaluable in your publisher selection process.

Remember that finding the right publisher is not just about getting your work into print; it's about ensuring that your monograph reaches the right audience, receives the recognition it deserves, and makes a meaningful contribution to your academic field. By conducting thorough research and carefully considering your options, you can set your monograph on a path to success.

Step 4: Prepare a Book Proposal

As you navigate the journey of turning your dissertation into a monograph and engage with potential publishers, one critical document will play a pivotal role in your success: the book proposal. A well-crafted book proposal is your opportunity to make a compelling case for your monograph and persuade publishers to invest in your work. Here's how to prepare an effective book proposal:

1. Title and Overview: Begin your book proposal with a clear, concise title that reflects the essence of your monograph. Follow this with an overview that provides a brief yet engaging description of your work, its significance, and its intended audience. Think of this section as your book's elevator pitch.

2. Author Introduction: Introduce yourself as the author. Briefly outline your academic background, expertise, and any relevant publications or research experience. Establish your credibility and qualifications to write on the subject matter.

3. Book's Unique Contribution: Highlight what sets your monograph apart from existing publications in your field. Clearly articulate the unique contribution your work makes, whether it's offering fresh perspectives, new research findings, or a unique approach.

4. Target Audience: Define your target audience. Specify who will benefit from reading your monograph, including scholars, researchers, students, professionals, or a broader readership. Publishers want to know who your work will reach.

5. Table of Contents: Provide a detailed table of contents for your monograph. Break down the chapters or sections, and briefly describe the content of each. This helps publishers grasp the structure and flow of your work.

6. Sample Chapters: Include sample chapters from your monograph in the proposal. Choose chapters that showcase your writing style, research depth, and the overall quality of your work. Ensure these chapters are polished and representative of the entire manuscript.

7. Marketing and Promotion: Discuss your plans and ideas for promoting your monograph. Consider how you will help promote the book through conferences, presentations, social media, or collaborations. Publishers appreciate authors who are actively engaged in marketing their work.

8. Competing Works: Provide a brief analysis of existing publications that are similar to your monograph. Explain how your work complements or surpasses these publications and why readers would choose your book.

9. Manuscript Status and Timeline: Indicate the current status of your manuscript. Is it complete or in progress? Provide an estimated timeline for when you can deliver the final manuscript to the publisher. Be realistic in your projections.

10. Conclusion and Contact Information: Conclude your book proposal with a summary of your key selling points and a clear call to action. Include your contact information for easy communication with the publisher.

11. Professionalism and Clarity: Throughout the proposal, maintain a professional tone and ensure clarity in your communication. Attention to detail and a well-organized presentation can make a positive impression.

Remember that your book proposal serves as your monograph's introduction to publishers. It should not only convey the value and significance of your work but also demonstrate your commitment and enthusiasm for the project. Tailor each proposal to the specific publisher you're approaching, addressing their interests and publishing focus. By presenting a compelling book proposal, you increase your chances of securing a publishing deal for your dissertation-turned-monograph.

Step 5: Peer Review and Editing

Once your book proposal is accepted by a publisher, the journey of turning your dissertation into a monograph enters a crucial phase: peer review and editing. This step is essential for refining your work, ensuring its scholarly quality, and preparing it for publication.

Here's a detailed look at what to expect during the peer review and editing process:

1. Peer Review: After acceptance, your manuscript will undergo peer review. Peer reviewers are experts in your field who evaluate your work for its quality, accuracy, and contribution to the discipline. They provide feedback and recommendations to enhance the manuscript.

2. Feedback Incorporation: Expect to receive feedback from the peer reviewers. This feedback can range from minor suggestions to more significant revisions. It's essential to approach this feedback with an open mind and a willingness to improve your work.

3. Revision and Refinement: Based on the peer review feedback, you'll need to make revisions to your manuscript. Address any concerns or suggestions raised by the reviewers, clarify points of confusion, and strengthen your arguments. This iterative process aims to enhance the overall quality of your monograph.

4. Copy Editing: Following the revisions, your manuscript will undergo copy editing. Copy editors focus on language, style, grammar, and consistency. They ensure that your writing is clear, coherent, and free from errors. This stage is crucial for making your work accessible to a broad readership.

5. Fact-Checking: Copy editors may also perform fact-checking to verify the accuracy of your citations, references, and factual information. Ensuring the integrity of your research is a critical part of the editing process.

6. Proofreading: After copy editing, your manuscript will be proofread to catch any remaining typos, grammatical errors, or formatting inconsistencies. This meticulous review ensures a polished final product.

7. Manuscript Formatting: Editors will also ensure that your manuscript adheres to the publisher's formatting guidelines. This includes aspects like fonts, margins, headings, and citations. Consistent formatting contributes to the professionalism of your monograph.

8. Author's Review: As the author, you will have the opportunity to review and approve the changes made during the editing process. This stage allows you to ensure that your voice and intent remain intact while benefiting from editorial improvements.

9. Final Manuscript Submission: Once all revisions and editing are complete, you'll submit the final manuscript to the publisher. This version represents the culmination of your efforts and the collaborative work of peer reviewers and editors.

10. Publication Process: With the final manuscript in hand, the publisher will proceed with the production and publication process. This includes typesetting, cover design, and preparing the monograph for distribution.

11. Proof Copy Review: Before the monograph is printed or released digitally, you may have the opportunity to review a proof copy. This final check allows you to ensure that all elements are in place and that the manuscript meets your satisfaction.

12. Publication: Once you've approved the proof copy, your monograph will be published and made available to readers. This marks the culmination of your journey from dissertation to monograph.

Step 6: Promotion and Distribution

After the peer review and editing process has polished your dissertation into a refined monograph, the next step is to ensure that your work reaches its intended audience and makes a significant impact in your academic field. This involves strategic promotion and effective distribution. Here's how to navigate this important phase:

1. Author's Role in Promotion: As the author, you play a pivotal role in promoting your monograph. Engage in proactive promotion efforts by presenting your work at conferences, workshops, and seminars related to your field. Utilize academic networks, social media, and personal websites to create visibility for your monograph.

2. Publisher's Support: Collaborate with your publisher to maximize promotional opportunities. Publishers often have marketing teams that can assist in promoting your monograph through their established channels. Discuss promotional strategies with your publisher and take advantage of their expertise.

3. Academic Reviews and Endorsements: Seek academic reviews and endorsements for your monograph. Positive reviews from reputable scholars in your field can enhance the visibility and credibility of your work. Consider sending advance copies to scholars for potential endorsements.

4. Library and Academic Institution Outreach: Connect with academic libraries and institutions to ensure that your monograph is available to scholars and students. Encourage them to acquire copies for their collections, increasing accessibility to a broader audience.

5. Online Availability: Make sure your monograph is available through online platforms and retailers commonly used by academics and researchers. This includes academic bookstores, online libraries, and e-book platforms.

6. Academic Conferences: Present your work at academic conferences and consider organizing book launches or sessions related to your monograph. These events provide opportunities to engage with your target audience directly.

7. Media Coverage: Explore opportunities for media coverage, including interviews, podcasts, or guest articles related to your monograph's subject matter. Engaging with mainstream and specialized media can help you reach a wider audience.

8. Collaboration with Academic Associations: Collaborate with academic associations and societies in your field. Many of these organizations have channels for promoting members' publications and can help you connect with scholars who share your research interests.

9. Online Presence: Maintain an active online presence related to your monograph. Share updates, excerpts, and supplementary materials on your website or social media profiles. Engage with readers and respond to inquiries and discussions about your work.

10. Scholarly Impact: Monitor the impact of your monograph through citations, references, and engagement with your work in the academic community. Highlight the ways in which your research contributes to your field and advances knowledge.

11. Continued Engagement: Stay engaged with your audience even after publication. Consider writing follow-up articles, giving talks, or participating in discussions related to your monograph's themes. Building a sustained presence keeps your work relevant.

Promotion and distribution are ongoing efforts that continue long after your monograph's initial release. By actively engaging with your audience and leveraging the resources and support of your publisher, you can ensure that your dissertation-turned-monograph reaches its full potential in contributing to the scholarly conversation in your field.

In Conclusion

Transforming your dissertation into a monograph is a significant endeavor, but it offers the opportunity to contribute to your field, establish your expertise, and reach a broader audience. With careful planning, revision, and the right publisher, you can successfully navigate the transition from dissertation to monograph and make a lasting impact in your academic discipline.

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BiteWISe Thesis To Monograph: Turning your thesis into a monograph
Turning Your Thesis into a Monograph
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5 Key Tips for Turning your PhD into a Successful Monograph
How to Write and Prepare Thesis / Research Monograph / Research Report
PhD thesis types: Monograph and collection of articles

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'Turning your thesis into a book'
BiteWISe Thesis To Monograph: Turning your thesis into a monograph

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From PhD to Monograph: How to Revise Your Thesis for Publication
Job applicants with a monograph therefore offer the hiring department a valuable opportunity to add to its tally of research outputs. A monograph is, then, vital for kick-starting an academic career. Turning a thesis into a monograph normally requires some work because the needs of a publisher are different from those of a PhD examiner. Here ...
PDF How to Turn Your Thesis into a Monograph
Turning Your Thesis into a Monograph 24/03/2022 Catherine Pope 5 Differences between a thesis and a monograph •Less defensive -this is a book, not an exam. •Need for original material -to add value. •Often shorter overall, with shorter chapters. •(Hopefully) much wider audience (undergraduates, postgraduates, professors, general ...
From PhD Thesis to Monograph: Tips for Editing Your First Book
Heather Hind is a Lecturer in English Literature with research interests in Victorian literature and material culture. She is currently turning her PhD thesis into a monograph. In this post, the second in our series on the PhD and beyond, she shares her hints and tips for getting started with this process. Motivation
LibGuides: Research skills: Publishing academic books
Publishing academic books. Welcome to this module on publishing your monograph, where we'll follow the whole process, from making the initial decisions, to what to do once you have the finished book in your hands. You'll learn: key considerations when turning your thesis into a monograph. how to choose the best publisher for you.
From thesis to monograph
This video is part of the Research Skills training offered by Cambridge University Libraries. It covers the process of turning a PhD thesis into a monograph:...
Publishing Your Thesis as a Monograph
Selected Library Resources. The Thesis and the Book by Eleanor Harman (Editor); Siobhan McMenemy (Editor); Ian Montagnes (Editor) ISBN: 9781442689350. Publication Date: 2003-01-01. The Productive Graduate Student Writer by Jan E. Allen. ISBN: 9781620368909. Publication Date: 2019-06-24. Revising Your Dissertation, Updated Edition by Beth Luey ...
Guides: Scholarly Publishing: From Dissertation to Monograph
Here are a few resources to help you understand the process of reworking a dissertation for publication as a monograph: From Dissertation to Book by William Germano. ISBN: 9780226062044. Publication Date: 2013. Germano's 'From Dissertation to Book' is considered the authoritative guide to revising a dissertation for publication.
How to Turn Your Thesis into a Monograph
The Research Excellence Framework — www.ref.ac.uk. Slides How to Turn Your Thesis into a Monograph (PDF) Worksheets 12-Week Sprint Planner (PDF)Editing Audit (MS Word)Weekly Planner (PDF)Writing Audit (MS Word) Books How to Publish Your PhD by Catherine PopeThinking Like Your Editor by Susan Rabiner & Alfred Fortunato Links Association of ...
PDF From Phd Thesis to Monograph: a Reflective Account of The Process
between a thesis and a monograph. or example, the overall focus F of a thesis is on the author and what they have learnt, whereas a monograph focuses on the reader and what they will find of interest. A thesis must explain what it is going to show , using academic scaffolding such as headers, exposition, and pointers as to what each
PDF Author Directions: Navigating your success from PhD to Book
5 Key Tips for Turning your PhD into a Successful Monograph SNAPSHOT. For permission to reproduce this snapshot for educational purposes, please contact [email protected]. 1 ... remember that a book is a very different product from a thesis and not all good theses would make good books. Publishers consult with academic referees and ...
How to Turn your Dissertation into a Book
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.
5 Key Tips for Turning your PhD into a Successful Monograph
5 Key Tips for Turning your PhD into a Successful Monograph. Some PhD theses make for excellent books, allowing for the research to be distributed more widely, often providing a springboard for a successful academic career. However, it is important to remember that a book is a very different product from a thesis and not all good theses would ...
PDF TRANSFORMING YOUR PHD THESIS INTO A MONOGRAPH
TRANSFORMING YOUR PHD THESIS INTO A MONOGRAPH H204, UCD Humanities Institute Friday 24 October 2014 @ 9.45 am-1.30 pm Dr Zélie Asava Dundalk Institute of Technology & University College Dublin Dr Aoibhín de Burca Irish Humanities Alliance, Royal Irish Academy Dr Noreen Giffney University College Dublin Ms Noelle Moran UCD Press DESCRIPTION
Four top tips for turning your PhD into a book
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 ...
Information on how to turn a thesis into a monograph
Books have to reach a much wider audience and the qualities that make an excellent thesis—an apprentice piece—are different from those that make a good book. A book should make a difference to the subject by putting forward a compelling and readable argument. Not many people are able, as Amanda Foreman did, to turn the subject of their ...
How to Publish Your PhD
You can order through your favourite online retailer or independent bookstore. The ebook edition is available through Amazon, Apple, Kobo, and all the other major channels. If you'd like to buy in bulk for your institution (20+ copies), please contact me for discounts or any other queries. Buy How to Publish Your PhD. ISBN: 978-1-8382429-3-0.
Turning Your Thesis into a Monograph
Turning Your Thesis into a Monograph. Wednesday 14 February 2024, 10am - 1pm. Online - registration required. You've passed your viva and got your life back. Now everyone keeps asking, "When are you. going to publish your PhD?".
Revising the Dissertation
A monograph is a very different body of work to a thesis. So, rather than sending out a proposal at once, and simply rewriting a chapter of the thesis to go with it, I ignored the advice and decided to think of the book as a new project. This involved taking key concepts from the thesis, but significantly reworking and developing them.
BiteWISe Thesis To Monograph: Turning your thesis into a ...
This short series of BiteWISe guides are designed to help Warwick researchers who are thinking of turning their thesis into a monograph to navigate the proce...
Turning Dissertations into Monographs: Publishing Insights
Now, the prospect of turning it into a monograph, a book-length work, lies before you. Before delving into the intricacies of the transformation process, the first step is a critical one: assessing your dissertation's potential for becoming a monograph. ... Your central research question or thesis should remain at the forefront, guiding readers ...
turning your thesis into a book
Posted on September 23, 2013 by pat thomson. Lots of people want to turn their thesis into a book. This is not always possible - not all theses make good books. But it may also not be desirable. Some disciplines revere the scholarly monograph so writing one may be very good for the career. But others hold the peer reviewed journal article as ...
How to turn your thesis into a book
In this talk, Dr Nicolai Due-Gundersen shares advice for turning your thesis into a book. Sharing the very best advice and guidance for your doctoral journey...
PDF Honor Frost Foundation Publication Series
To turn a thesis into a monograph, you will have to revise, restructure, and rewrite your dissertation. Be prepared to spend a year or more developing this new manuscript. It is an arduous process, but certainly a very rewarding one. And the HFF Publications Manager will help you along the way (and she is a thesis-to-monograph survivor!). ...