Disclaimer – this is what I learnt on my journey to publish an academic book. I intended it to be a monograph, because it was a continuation of my PhD work. I intentionally structured my PhD in a way that it would be well situated to become a book. This means that the PhD thesis was structured based on case studies united by one theoretical approach rather than, for example, a longitudinal study which can be easier to publish as research articles, focusing on one aspect of the study.
When I say “easier” I don’t mean that it would be easier to get it published or that any journal would want it, but instead that the structure of writing up a particular academic endeavour often lends itself to be published within a certain tradition. It is always worth thinking ahead in academic publishing, because it takes so long to get anything published.
So, how to approach an academic book proposal? First, it is important to compile a list of publishers that are well regarded in your field. Make a list, 5 or 6 publishers, aim for 3 of them to be your top choices, and for the rest to be good enough for you to be happy to be published with them. I recommend talking to your PhD and/or Masters supervisors for their advice and experience, as well as to anyone you know who’s written a book. Whether or not the book was a success is of not much importance – they would be able to share their experience either way, so there is always something to learn.
In my experience, people were happy to share their book journeys and their tips and tricks. This is not something that one can learn in theory, book writing is very much a hands-on project and a skill. But one can learn a lot from people’s mistakes and successes and build better systems from the very beginning. People that I met on my journey were incredibly kind to share their lessons and I believe my book is better so it, as well as my experience of writing it. So, do not fret and ask for advice, especially field-specific advice, and see how you can avoid some pitfalls from the get-go.
Second, target your top choice publishers first. But do it seriously. Treat your book proposal like a job application. Tailoring your book proposal to the publisher is a must. If the publisher asks you to submit the proposal using their form, please do so. Cold emailing publishers with untailored proposal won’t get you very far. Spend some time to study the publisher – what book series do they have that your book might fit into? Is there a gap in this book series that you can address in your book proposal? If so, then address it clearly. It will show your interest and research, which will ultimately save time for the editor. Getting on the editor’s good side is what you want.
Please spend some time learning what the publisher wants to see in the proposal. Do they ask for a sample chapter? Then you need to have it ready when you submit your proposal. Is there a deadline to be included in the series? Do they ask for anything else to be included in the proposal that you don’t have? Every publisher has their own preferences for proposals – some would ask for a sample chapter, some prefer for the whole manuscript to be ready when you send the proposal in, some do not publish PhD work at all – it is up to you to learn all the details before you submit your proposal. The better educated you are about the proposal process and requirements, the better chances your proposal stands to be accepted.
Third, do not be discouraged by rejections. It is well-known that rejection is part of academia, but they still sting. Consider them as part of your book journey – if you are dead set on the publisher then always ask for feedback on the proposal, even if you get a desk rejection. Sometimes even the smallest effort can make the editor to have another look at the proposal and maybe give pointers on how to improve it. Do not count on it, but the worst-case scenario your email just goes unanswered. Not such a big deal, right?
At the end of this scoping exercise, you should have identified your preferred publishers and their requirements for book proposal. Start from tailoring your book proposal to each publisher, but do not send the book proposal to multiple publishers at once – many publishers would have a clause in the book proposal form that you need to tick confirming that the proposal is not under consideration elsewhere. Be strategic about your choices, send the book proposal to your top choice publisher first and only if rejected then continue down the list.
This post is part of the series where I would share my experience on writing a book.