Inappropriate Icon Is Inappropriate

[ajnabieh]

I love this icon; it isn't true; I can't bear to give it up. Sniff.

***

Recs needed: blog posts, articles, books, ANYTHING on:

1) How to choose a publisher to pitch your dissertation-book (or any academic book) to;
2) What the structural differences are between a dissertation and a book (which I struggle with, because I see 275 pages of prose and think "book," yes?)'
3) How to write a book proposal (apart from "to the tastes of the particular press/editor you're pitching to").

Guess what my summer project is.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Wait, what happened with the icon? What was the problem?

Every academic (and non-academic) publishing house is a little different in terms of the works it seeks. Start pounding the digital pavement to see who is looking for what. Have a look at the books you have found most inspiring and citable in your own work, and see who published them. That'll do for a start. Once you've done that, spend some time combing each press' catalog to get a sense of what they publish within your field of knowledge.

As for the diss-to-book business, the best advice I've gotten was from Dr. Crazy, who recommended From Dissertation to Book, by William Germano. It's well worth a read, especially when you're at the point of "275 pages...prose...must be a book, amirite??"

Book proposals are a little tougher, since they're discipline-bound, to a degree. Hit up your colleagues in your native discipline for models to work from. I can send you mine, if you like, but of course I'm still gunning for a contract myself, so I won't pretend it's a reliable model.

[ajnabieh]

...you do realize we aren't grad students any more, right? WE'RE NOT IN SCHOOL ANY MORE. THERE IS NO MORE SCHOOL. *commence panic attack*

All I can think of is the line from The Simpsons: "Bart, don't tease the grad students. They just made terrible life choices."

[loveanddisdain.blogspot.com]

Correct: there is no more school. When I say "your colleagues," I mean other professors, since it is now they and not so much grad students who are your colleagues. Go crazy, right? :D

*resume panic attack*