Customer Reviews

From Dissertation to Book (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was on the fence between which Germano book to buy, this one or "Getting it Published." I ended up getting both. Between the two, though, this is the one to start with. Not only did it demystify the process of revising the dissertation into a book, it actually has made me feel much better about my dissertation itself. It seems that most all dissertations have telltale problems and limitations; Germano is a former book editor at a scholarly press and has seen enough of them to describe them frankly and helpfully. He pegs perfectly the fundamental flaw of graduate education: what you are asked to produce for your committee is not what publishers want. I have often compared my dissertation to the books that I read and felt that it pales in comparison; Germano explains why this is though and maps out useful strategies--planning, conceptualizing, re-writing--for taking your work to the next level. After reading this, I am actually really excited to get into the revising process.

This book spoke directly to me, a person finishing her dissertation who saw the potential for publishing but didn't know how to get started. The author works for a publishing company and once wrote a dissertation, so his advice is trustworthy. I also felt that the ideas he shared were practical and doable. Having read this book gave me a clear sense of direction as I began my own book manuscript, and I kept the author's advice clearly in mind as I wrote. One downside: The book is wordy and leans toward a scholarly tone. While it isn't exactly an enjoyable read, it is high interest if the reader is thinking about publishing all or parts of her dissertation, and certainly those of us who have written dissertations can get through scholarly text! I recommend this book. It is one of a kind on the market right now.

As a graduate student just beginning to write my dissertation, this book was very, very helpful. Eric Foner's blurb on the back cover suggests putting it into the hands of PhD candidates at the conclusion of their doctoral defenses. I would suggest doing so at the conclusion of their general exams, when the typical dissertation errors Germano describes can still be avoided. Reading this book before writing a considerable portion of my dissertation has given me a clear set of questions to keep in mind as I move forward. It is an excellent complement to Bolker's WRITING YOUR DISSERTATION IN 15 MINUTES A DAY, which offers encouragement and writing tips unhinged from the (reasonable) obsession with turning a dissertation into a book.

It's a slim volume, both in size and in ROI, but that's not to say it isn't a valuable read - Germano's insight into both academia and the publishing industry provides a strong dose of reality for the newly-minted Ph.D (or those of us who have written really hefty Master's theses and are figuring out what to do next). Germano not only talks about how the audience and required voice differ between dissertations and books, but also breaks down the possibilities based on the amount of time the would-be author is willing to spend on revisions to help guide the would-be author away from the trap of endless revisions and delays. One of Germano's best visual images is the 40-year-old ABD student huddled in the library over Just One More Book, indistinguishable from a bum... There but for the grace of God, etc.

Perhaps the biggest strike against this text (and a weak strike at that) is how the last third of the book goes into greater depth about how to focus on audience, voice and so on. This is solid, but also sort of a no-brainer for readers who have studied writing and publishing at all. Those of us who fall into that camp can happily skim through those last pages, but other academics new to the publishing game should find them a compelling read.

In the end, Germano's book should probably be handed out to newly-minted Ph.Ds along with their degrees. Those of us on a slightly different road, however, will still find it valuable but perhaps not quite so much of a pageturner.

Having put off the process of converting my dissertation into a manuscript for over a year, this book was exactly what I needed to get my brain going in the right direction.

Even though I had excellent guidance and was encouraged to write my dissertation in an accessible writing style, this book was still very helpful. I highly recommend it!!

While offering some useful advice on revising a dissertation from a writing perspective, I found this book to be a bit limited in its scope. The target audience was a narrow one: young scholars (the author emphasizes the word young at every opportunity, it seems) set on an academic career, wishing to publish through an academic press on the path to tenure. With the growing diversity of dissertation writers, some of whom are mid-career professionals, a broader perspective would seem more appropriate - for example, he completely glosses over the difference between approaches for trade press publication versus academic press, and how revisions might differ between them. Given that he continuously stresses how hard it is to get published, casting a broader net of options like that would seem useful. It might also help reduce some of the repetitiveness of the text, which at time felt a bit preachy and condescending as well. That said, some of the specific advice about writing style was right on point, and very tactically useful in the revision process.

After buying a few similar reference books, I would recommend "Revising your dissertation" edited by Beth Huey before this book. It has overlapping content, but in many ways seems more focused and more respectful - written from a peer-to-peer perspective, rather than from a "wiser than thou" advisor.

It wont take long to figure out that publishing your dissertation is a series of loops that must be jumped through. Germano is great at explaining the loops. The book changed my direction, which is to skip the traditional publishing approach and self publish. It may not carry the prestige, but it is a hell out a lot simpler.

Trying to organize my thoughts and goals after finishing my dissertation has been a long, slow process. This book outlines some of the typical pitfalls, identifies a step-by-step process and has set up some guidelines I need to move ahead. Good luck to anyone trying for this!

I find this book immensely helpful and practical in the day to day work of converting a dissertation into a book. I thought I knew how to write a book, but I found many useful tips and suggestions, and a wonderful sense of humor and grace in the author's advice. I recommend it highly.

This book is short and a quick read, but even at that it's a real waste of time. The author repeats himself over and over again throughout the book. And what he's repeating was barely worth saying once - double space, think about the title, you have to revise your dissertation and don't just send it to a publisher as is. As a matter of fact, that's pretty much all the book has to say. If you want a more serious book that will actually help you understand how editors think, get Rabiner's Thinking Like Your Editor. It's not specifically for the academic book market, but it's both more informative and a better read.