It is important to remember that your PhD and your monograph should be – and are – different. When it came to your PhD, the audience was one of your dissertation committee and supervisors who were very well-versed in the subject area.
As an author of a book, you are now recognized as an expert. Your book will be marketed by your publisher to a much larger audience of researchers from various academic disciplines around the world. This means how you write matters just as much as what you will say. Your writing and style should be accessible and clear and your voice more authoritative. You want to impart why your book matters to your readers and be very clear about the new things you have to say.
Here are some aspects of your thesis that usually need to be changed for your book:
Title: Dissertation titles can often be too lengthy and specific. A book title should have a main title and subtitle and help your research reach potential readers It should indicate the subject areas and themes of your research clearly. Avoid literary titles, “romantic” titles or puns. Instead, use a title that includes key words or ideas and will help your book be “discoverable”.
Table of Contents: In a thesis, the Table of Contents often acts as a “checklist”, showing your examiners that you have approached your analysis in a scholarly way and that you know how to undertake research. In a book, the Table of Contents is more of a marketing tool, providing an opportunity to demonstrate how your argument develops and what issues you will be covering. Use descriptive and informative chapter titles and headings that arouse curiosity but also showcase what topics are covered in your book. Remember that the Table of Contents is used by librarians and booksellers around the world to judge the relevance and rigour of your book before they decide to make a purchase.
Introduction: The introduction should be accessible and engaging, outlining the intriguing problems or questions your book is going to discuss. This is not a detailed outline of the book’s contents and it shouldn’t give away the conclusion and findings. Instead, the introduction should tell readers why the book is important and make them want to read on to discover something new. As little as 2,500 words can set the scene and outline the shape of the book. A longer piece of writing, up to 10,000 words, will also be fine. The length of your introduction will depend on how you have chosen to divide the information across your chapters.
Conclusion: This should relate to your introduction, without simply repeating everything again. You are summing up your work, but the conclusion is also your chance to highlight the importance of your research and to offer final thoughts and comments.
Terminology: Remove any reference to “PhD”, “thesis”, “dissertation” or “paper” and avoid too much jargon. Remember that your book is aimed at a wider audience of academics and researchers from around the world. If you are using specialist terminology, remember to define all your terms in your introduction.
Repetitive sign-posting: Cut out phrases which reaffirm your argument too much, such as: “As I have just proved” or “As I will go onto demonstrate”. This is not necessary when targeting a more general readership and can be very distracting. In the same way, avoid over-explaining in the book or providing a running commentary. Limit statements such as: “This chapter will be split into five parts” and “This chapter aims to argue that … I will then go on to show that”. It is better to show your reader what you are arguing rather than tell them. Sign-posting should not be necessary if the chapter is written in a coherent, logical way.
Headings and sub-headings: The purpose of headings and sub-headings is to break up the content of your chapter and help the reader follow your argument. The system of headings and sub-headings should be kept as simple as possible – it is not usually necessary to have more than two levels of subheadings.
Your new readers need headings that are engaging and clear. In a thesis, there are often very plain headings such as “Research Questions”, “Case Study 2”, “Theory” or “Africa” which are not very exciting or informative for the reader. Try to use headings and sub-headings that are more instructive and interesting and that offer clues about the arguments you are making or the issues you are discussing.
Overall structure: Decide if it is better to split up your longer thesis chapters so they are more manageable and so the argument is easier to follow. Add some headings or sub-headings in your chapters to help the reader.
Chapter structure: In a thesis, it is usual to discuss a variety of related aspects surrounding your research question, covering all areas of your interest as part of the in-depth study. In the book, the reader shouldn’t have to work too hard to understand where you are going with your argument. If the internal structure of a chapter is too unwieldy or dense, this will be very off-putting. Try to make the book enjoyable by telling a coherent story, rather than jumping around to different topics and issues.
Abstracts at the beginning of the text or each chapter: These need to be removed as they sound formulaic and can make the book seem like a dissertation or paper.
Literature review: In a thesis, the literature review is a necessary part of the research, proving your expansive reading and your in-depth knowledge of your subject. However, for the monograph, the literature review should be removed. Remember that your publisher, librarians, book sellers and your new audience of readers are most interested in your own unique findings and your original research, not in all the other books you have read. It is your new contribution to the field that makes your book so valuable.
Usually the essential references to other scholars’ ideas will form part of the introduction or an early chapter. You can integrate other critical references throughout your book to enhance your own arguments. This will improve the style of your work – refining and condensing the text so your own research takes centre stage. It is fine if some works will only be included in the bibliography or endnotes.
Methodology chapter: There should not be a methodology chapter in a monograph. This should be greatly reduced and should become part of the introduction or an early chapter.
Long paragraphs: Long paragraphs (over a page long) should be removed. They make following a text difficult. Try to avoid very long, confusing sentences that might obscure your argument. Clarity is essential for the monograph.
Lengthy footnotes: Lengthy footnotes should be omitted and too many notes will be a distraction for readers. Include important notes into your prose.
Removing content: You may also choose to remove material, case studies or lengthy discussions to make your project more streamlined. In the PhD, the breadth of your research was valued, while in the book the originality, coherence and clarity of your argument is most important.
Updating the references: Remember that you need to update your book with the latest research before publication. Otherwise your research will seem out of date. If a new book or article has been published on your topic, ensure that you engage with this or include the reference in your book.
New material: It can be a good idea to add new material for the book, especially if there are important new directions to take your research or if there were gaps in your thesis. Expanding the scope of your research project could make your book far more valuable and relevant to an even wider audience.
It is a very good idea to talk to somebody who has recently published a monograph based on their thesis and to ask your supervisor and examiners for their ideas about developing your specific project. There are also many guides available that can offer tips. Try to look at other monographs you have enjoyed to see how they have been written. This will help you envisage the style of your own writing and understand what will work for your project.
Once submitted, your proposal will go through an internal review and a peer review – it may take some time to receive all reports so please don’t be surprised if you have to wait a while. Once the peer reviews come in and the proposal is assessed internally, your editor will be back in touch. If your proposal is accepted, they will guide you through the next stages.
You can read more about the publishing process on our author guides.
Bloomsbury, in partnership with Writers & Artists, is launching a Fellowship scheme to help early career academics get their book idea into a form which is ready for publication. If you are of African or African Caribbean heritage, based in the UK, and have an idea you would like to develop into an academic book but are unsure where to start, this Fellowship is for you. We offer mentorship, financial support and practical advice to develop your idea through to final manuscript stage, with a publisher of your choice.
Apply online before 30 November 2023.
Pooja Aggarwal is Director of Academic and Professional Publishing at Bloomsbury.
