Session Abstract

This panel will help scholars understand the process of turning their dissertations into a publishable first book appropriate for today’s book market. Our panelists include an editor from a university press, an early career scholar who has recently published a book, and someone who works at the intersection of scholarship and publishing, with experience guiding young scholars through the publication process. Each speaker will discuss his/her personal experience and advice for budding authors, and the balance of the time will be open for questions from the floor. Presenters will discuss such questions as the key differences between a dissertation and a book, identifying an appropriate press, drafting a good book proposal, whether you can submit a book to more than one press at a time, the ideal length for a manuscript, and many other practical questions that will help take the mystery—and the fear—out of the publication process.