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

I bought and read this book, because its reputation makes it feel like a professional obligation. For a book on skillful writing, one that argues AGAINST length, the content of its 156 pages might have been boiled down into a one-page style sheet.Perhaps if the writer seemed more invested in offering meaningful, actionable advice, the book would be more helpful. As it is, however, his contestable opinions about style reign, and much of the book's real estate is taken up by a bizarre showcase of the author's own eclectic knowledge twisted into even more bizarre metaphors. (A dissertation is a "machine," not a "snow globe." HUH? The author insists we know our audience, yet this is the advice he gives PhDs?) It would have been useful, for example, to know HOW to trim a chapter . . . or a footnote . . . or how to judge whether or not to preserve a quotation from a secondary source. He says to do these things, but HOW?What he DOES say is, basically, to decide how much of your dissertation is publishable, again with no specificity, and revise those parts. (Never send out an unrevised dissertation.) He advises rethinking the structure of your book-to-be by cooking up a new less academic-sounding title and presenting a few facile revisions to a few made-up tables of contents before condemning the use of "we," the passive voice, and colons (both the full and semi-). That's quite literally about it!None of this was wroth $18. As a pep talk, the book might have been worth the cost of admission if the writer's tone hadn't been so high-and-mighty. Perhaps William Germano should read and heed his own advice on length and tone and audience, and revise, revise, revise.Read books in your field. Don't bother with Germano's FROM DISSERTATION TO BOOK.

There were a few decent points but mostly this book contained information that I already found online. If you aren't the researching type (which would be surprising if you just finished your dissertation), then this book gives you the basics in one, easy to read, place. If you've already done research on how to turn your dissertation into a book and are looking for a deeper level of info, this is not it.

This resource had many great practical points. Although it seems more specific for someone who wrote a dissertation and wants it published, it also will work for others like me. I wrote a dissertation and am writing a book based on it; however, it will not be as scholarly as the dissertation—this resource is catered to dissertations that will become books with the same scholarly context. Nevertheless, I gleaned many helpful ideas for my project. Others might also be helped.

Very good information, not just on getting a book published, but getting it published by the right people. It shares that what was academic must now be revised in a way to address a specific audience.

What a terrific little book for those in the revising stage of the dissertation, and particularly those who've just completed it. It's also probably worthwhile to look at if you're almost done with your dissertation and are wondering about how to proceed. If any of that applies to you, then add this to your collection!

Honest advice on how to rethink one's dissertation for the audience who would buy a book on it.

This book gives some good overview advice of how to turn a dissertation into a book. However, I was looking for the nitty-gritty practical advice - which I did not find here. There are lots of big ideas about how books are very different projects than dissertations, and high-level ideas about when a book project is worth saving and when it's worth moving onto something new. All good information - just not the low-level, practical information I was looking for.

So basic and so disappointing. Of course a dissertation has a different audience than a book and is a different endeavor. Really generic and broad book that states what any halfway decent doctoral program has already told a student. Waste of money.

Germano's book has given me serious scope for approaching the transformation of my thesis into manuscript. A note on the text, there's an American slant - dissertation is used, where the UK would use thesis.More, From Dissertation to Book is chaging the way I write. Full. Stop. I'm thinking about clariety and precision more. I'm focusing on the best cadence of an argument. It's such a fantastic book. I definitely recommend it to every newly minted PhD (and a few of my friends will be getting copies to celebrate their soon-to-be-compelted status). But, I'd also reccomend it to those starting out... the insight into the "end game" would've benefitted me in those early years.

Good

The book made me realize that most dissertations, especially in science do not merit publication (and why) as a book . The book systematically teaches, how to write a book proposal emanating from a thesis, and gives practical guidelines on transforming the thesis into a book. The author gives a rule of thumb that if the reorganization and revision are likely to take more than a year, perhaps it is not a brilliant idea to transform thesis to book form. Maybe it is best to have some journal publications and work on a different project​.

This book came in fantastic condition.

Super useful text!