This is a good question, particularly in light of . I've heard that (some?/many?) book publishers may be reticent to publish dissertations, but then again, I've heard of more than a few cases of people publishing them, so I'm not sure exactly what to believe. In any case, I'm not sure what to recommend here. Maybe it depends on how long the dissertation was? If it was a short (e.g. 4 or 5 chapter) dissertation, then publishing half or more than half of it in journals could well be a problem. But, if the dissertation was longer, maybe not. It would be great to hear from those with some experien ..read more

I've had three proposals accepted. In my experience, most publishers have clear directions for submitting proposals on their website, often with forms they want you to fill out on the book's substance, competitors, etc. In none of the cases did I have a full manuscript written first. While I've heard that some people go that route, if it were me I'd worry about putting all the work into a full manuscript without a contract in hand. , but it would be great to hear from readers with experience in getting proposals accepted. Any helpful tips or experiences to share ..read more

Do any readers have any helpful tips or insights ..read more

In the second way, one writes up a book proposal with, perhaps, only a few chapters completed. The proposals, together with the sample chapters, are sent out to publishers, who decide whether to offer a contract on the basis of the proposal, rather than on the basis of a completed manuscript. As far as I know, most or all major academic publishers still require a clearance review of the final manuscript before publication ..read more

For what it is worth, Press's comment does not cohere at all well my experience on the market or my experience hiring at a liberal arts university. Here are my thoughts ..read more

Here's my response: I think it is a  thing that publishers are increasingly publishing shorter book series like these. Let me explain why ..read more

Months after this happened, I was contacted by one of the editors from Routledge asking about my dissertation. That was in Summer 2015, and I was only getting started on the project. Even so, I sent her a copy of my prospectus and promised to follow up with her when things were further along. Down the road, after the dissertation was finished, I made good on that promise, and she requested to see some chapters. So I provided them. A while later, I was invited to submit a formal proposal for review. The proposal was essentially a 4000-5000 word pitch for the project. Beyond providing a summary ..read more

This is an excellent question, and I am curious what readers think. My general experience is that many people advocate 'thinking strategically' here. For example, I have heard many people say things like, 'As a junior person, you should try to publish some of the papers on the project in well-ranked journals, so as to test the waters and develop a reputation as a researcher. Then, if all goes well, try to publish a book.' I certainly understand this kind of strategic thinking, but I also think that there are limitations to it. Allow me to explain ..read more

However, in my experience things aren't quite as simple as this. Let me explain ..read more

This is an excellent question, and I'm really curious to hear what readers think. My (admittedly anecdotal) sense is that the reviewing standards for book proposals are quite different than for journal articles. Because it's normally taken for granted that an author of a book manuscript will have ample time to revise the manuscript prior after receiving a contract (prior to a final "clearance review" of the final manuscript prior to publication), the job of a book proposal reviewer isn't to decide whether the book is publishable  It is to give the editors a recommendation as to whether th ..read more