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Take time to refocus on your project before turning your dissertation into a book manuscript. You have to think about this project from a different angle. You are writing a book for a broader audience than your dissertation committee.
Get away from your day-to-day activities and invest in some quality thinking time.
This is an important step. Thinking about your project is crucial. You cannot write a book without putting in some thinking time. Taking time to think about your project before you begin the conversion process of turning your dissertation into a book manuscript will make the difference between acceptance and rejection.
Target Audience
You have to define your target audience.
- Who are you writing your book for?
- What do these people do, read, and think?
- Where are they located?
- Who is the primary market for this book?
- Who is the secondary market for this book?
- Does this topic have local, national, or global appeal?
Identifying the audience you are writing for before you start writing is essential. If you are writing to other scholars you will know that every technical term does not have to be defined. However, if you are writing to a general audience, you have to make your writing and all terms used easily understandable.
New Idea
Now that you know your target audience and how to write for them, think about the central idea around which you will center your book.
- What do you want to say about this topic?
- Has it already been said in other books?
- Do you have a new way to present this information?
- Are you presenting a new idea to the marketplace?
- Are you willing to stand behind your ideas in the face of controversy?
As you can see there are lots of things to think about before you even begin to write your book. Please take time to answer all of these questions. Your answers will help clarify your book project in your mind.
Only You Can Answer This Question
- Is there a book here?
Not all dissertations can be turned into a book. Answering this question honestly will save you lots of valuable time.
Maybe you will be best served by writing one or two articles from the material in your dissertation. Maybe you can take one chapter from your dissertation and write an entirely new book. Do not feel that you absolutely have to write a book based on your dissertation topic.
Whatever decision you make should be one that brings out your enthusiasm for the project. Do not put in time writing about a topic that you cannot support with your whole heart and soul.
Take the amount of time you need to refocus on this project. What you find as you think through your book ideas will help make this writing project a success.
Margaree King Mitchell is the co-owner of MKM Book Services. She coaches scholars as they turn their dissertations into books. To learn more about her book SCHOLARS GUIDE TO TRANSFORMING A DISSERTATION INTO A BOOK MANUSCRIPT visit: www.mkmbookservices.com
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
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