Turning your thesis into a book: what needs to change?
Your PhD thesis impressed your examiners. But will it keep a book reader turning the pages? Turning a thesis into a book involves much more than simply shortening your dissertation or removing a few chapters.
A thesis demonstrates that you've carried out rigorous research. A book needs to turn that research into a compelling, coherent argument for readers who weren't involved in your examination.
That means rethinking your structure, audience, writing style and sometimes even your central argument.
If you're wondering how to turn your thesis into a book, the first step isn't rewriting. It's deciding what you want the book to achieve and who you want to read it.
Key takeaways
Decide whether a book is the right way to share your research before committing to a major rewrite.
Identify your central argument and use it to shape the structure of the book.
Rewrite for readers beyond your examiners rather than simply cutting down your thesis.
Research potential publishers and check their submission requirements before preparing your proposal.
Check copyright and permissions for your thesis and any third-party material.
Allow plenty of time for peer review, revisions, editing and proofreading.
Is your thesis ready to become a book?
Before you start rewriting hundreds of pages, take a step back.
A research monograph can give you the space to develop a substantial argument and make a significant contribution to your field. For early-career researchers, publishing a book can also help establish an academic profile.
But a book isn't automatically the best format for every PhD project.
If you want to communicate a single finding to other researchers, a journal article may be more appropriate. If your research has practical or public interest, a more accessible form of writing might reach the people who could benefit from it.
Who is your book for?
Your examiners already understand your research area. Your book's readers may not.
Think about the people you want to reach. They might include:
researchers in your own field
academics in related disciplines
postgraduate and undergraduate students
professionals interested in your subject
informed general readers.
You don't necessarily need to explain every concept from first principles. But you do need to give readers enough context to understand why your argument matters.
A useful question to ask yourself is: What does my reader need to know, and what can I leave out?
That question can guide much of your revision.
Give yourself enough time
Turning a thesis into a book is a substantial writing project, particularly if you're doing it alongside teaching, research or other work.
Before you begin, revisit the feedback from your supervisor and examiners. Which comments could help you strengthen the book? You could also ask colleagues in your field to read your proposed structure or central argument.
Then break the work into manageable stages rather than treating ‘rewrite my thesis’ as one enormous task.
How do you turn a thesis into a book?
The biggest mistake is to treat the process as a cutting exercise.
A book based on a thesis needs to be rewritten, not simply shortened.
Your thesis was written to demonstrate your research to examiners. Your book needs to communicate that research to readers. That difference affects almost everything, from the structure of your chapters to the amount of background information you include.
The University of Warwick's guidance on changing a thesis into a book is useful here, particularly its advice on developing your voice, reducing unnecessary academic jargon and thinking carefully about what needs to change.
Start by identifying the argument you most want your reader to remember. That argument should become the thread running through the entire book.
Ask yourself:
What is the main point I'm making?
Why does it matter?
What does my research add to existing scholarship?
Which parts of my thesis help me make that argument?
Which parts were primarily there to demonstrate my research to examiners?
Your answers will help you decide what stays, what changes and what needs to go.
Put your central argument at the heart of the book
Your literature review, methodology and theoretical framework were essential parts of your thesis. They demonstrated that you understood the existing research and had carried out your work rigorously.
A book still needs scholarship and methodological credibility. But you don't necessarily need to present it in the same way you did in your thesis.
Instead of giving readers a lengthy literature review before getting to your argument, consider bringing relevant scholarship into the chapters where it supports your discussion. Likewise, explain your methodology clearly, but avoid giving readers every detail if it doesn't contribute to the book's central argument.
The question throughout your revision should be: Does this help the reader understand, question or develop my argument?
If it doesn't, consider cutting it.
Reshape your chapters
Your thesis probably has a structure that made sense for an examination. That doesn't mean it's the best structure for a book.
Look at your chapters with fresh eyes.
You may find that:
material is repeated in several chapters
related themes are spread too widely
some chapters are much denser than others
sections exist mainly to satisfy the requirements of a thesis
your most interesting findings appear too late
lengthy introductions and conclusions slow down the argument.
Don't be afraid to reorganise substantially.
You might combine chapters, split an overloaded chapter into two, move material to a more logical location or remove sections altogether.
The Open University's guide to turning a PhD thesis into a monograph also emphasises the importance of thinking carefully about your motivation, audience and approach before you begin the rewriting process.
Make the writing easier to read
Academic writing doesn't have to be difficult to read.
As you revise your thesis, look for:
unnecessarily long sentences
repeated explanations
excessive signposting
jargon that could be replaced with clearer language
long footnotes that interrupt the reader's progress
cross-references that repeatedly send readers elsewhere.
For example, phrases such as ‘In the next chapter, I will...’ or ‘As discussed in Chapter 3...’ can often be replaced with a smoother transition.
Your readers should be able to follow the argument without constantly being reminded that they're reading something that started life as a thesis.
Update the research
Your thesis may have been submitted several years before your book reaches publication.
That means your research landscape may have changed.
Check for significant publications since you completed your PhD and consider whether they affect your argument. You don't need to add every new paper you find. Instead, focus on research that genuinely changes, strengthens or challenges what you're saying.
This is also a good opportunity to reconsider whether your original research questions still provide the best framework for the book.
Choose a clear, discoverable title
Your thesis title may have worked perfectly well for an academic examination. Your book title has a different job.
It needs to tell potential readers what the book is about and give publishers and booksellers a clear idea of where it belongs.
A clear title and useful subtitle can also help your book appear in relevant searches.
Think about the words a researcher, student or professional might actually use when looking for a book on your subject.
Finding a publisher for your thesis-based book
Once you've established what the book is trying to do, start researching publishers.
Don't rewrite the entire manuscript before checking what potential publishers want. Many academic presses assess a book proposal and sample material before asking to see a complete manuscript. Their requirements can vary considerably.
Research publishers and book series
Start with the books you already cite. Which publishers have published the books that are most relevant to your research? Do those publishers have series that might suit your project?
Look at:
the publisher's subject areas
its existing books and series
its intended readership
similar titles published recently
proposal requirements
whether it accepts unsolicited proposals.
Your supervisor, colleagues and other researchers in your field may also be able to suggest suitable presses.
It's worth looking carefully at the publisher's catalogue rather than simply approaching the biggest academic press in your subject. You want to find a publisher whose list and readership fit your book.
Identify competing and comparable books
Your proposal will probably need to explain where your book sits within the existing market. Look for books that cover a similar subject, approach or readership.
You aren't necessarily looking for a book that's identical to yours. Instead, consider what would someone interested in my book already be reading?
Then explain how your book adds something different.
Perhaps your research covers a neglected area, brings together existing scholarship in a new way, challenges an established interpretation or applies a particular approach to a new subject.
What should a thesis-to-book proposal include?
Your proposal needs to demonstrate that there is a book here – not simply a thesis that could be published. Depending on the publisher, you may be asked for information such as:
the book's working title
its central argument
an overview of the project
its original contribution
its target readership
comparable and competing titles
a proposed table of contents
chapter summaries
information about your academic background
sample chapters.
For example, Oxford University Press's book proposal guidance asks authors to explain the book's purpose, aims, scope, arguments, intended audience, existing literature and proposed structure. It also specifically addresses proposals based on PhD dissertations.
Most importantly, you’ll need to be able to explain how the thesis will become a book.
Don't assume an editor will understand the difference. Tell them which parts will be substantially rewritten, whether you'll add new material, how the structure will change and who the revised book is intended for.
If you're an early-career researcher, OUP also provides publishing resources for early-career researchers, including advice relevant to developing a thesis into a monograph.
If a publisher accepts your proposal, you'll normally move on to discussing a book contract and the next stages of the publishing process.
What about copyright and permissions?
Copyright is another reason not to leave your book revision until the last minute.
You may own the copyright in your thesis, but that doesn't necessarily mean you have permission to reuse everything it contains.
Check:
your university's policies
employment agreements, where relevant
funding agreements
copyright in images and photographs
tables and figures created by other people
lengthy quotations
previously published material
licences attached to online material.
Create a permissions list while you're revising rather than trying to sort everything out just before publication.
Can you publish a thesis that's already online?
Having your thesis available through your university's repository doesn't necessarily prevent you from turning it into a book. However, online availability doesn't automatically resolve copyright or permissions questions.
Check the terms under which your thesis was deposited and ask your prospective publisher how it treats previously available dissertations. This is particularly important if your thesis contains third-party images, extracts, tables or other material for which you don't own the rights.
Get your manuscript ready for publication
Once the structure and argument are working, there is still plenty to do.
A publisher may send your proposal or manuscript for peer review, and the resulting feedback could lead to further substantial revisions.
Once those revisions are complete, your manuscript will need careful editing and proofreading.
Check for:
consistency in terminology
references and bibliographies
headings and chapter numbering
quotations and citations
tables and figures
footnotes
spelling, grammar and punctuation
adherence to the publisher's house style.
And don't forget the final stage! Proofreading after typesetting is different from proofreading your Word manuscript.
Errors can be introduced or become visible during the design and typesetting process, so allow time for page proofs to be checked before publication.
If you're approaching the final stages of your book and would like another pair of eyes, you can find out more about my book manuscript proofreading and editing services.
Final thoughts
Turning your thesis into a book isn't about making your dissertation shorter; it's about turning research written for examiners into a book written for readers.
That means stepping back from the requirements of the PhD and asking what your research has to say now.
What is the central argument? Who needs to hear it? Which parts of the thesis help you make that argument – and which parts can you leave behind?
Start there.
Then research potential publishers, reshape your chapters, update the scholarship and give yourself plenty of time for revision, editing and proofreading.
And when your manuscript is ready for professional editing or proofreading support, get in touch to discuss what it needs.
Frequently asked questions about turning a thesis into a book
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You can use your thesis as the foundation for a book, but most academic publishers will expect substantial revision. The book needs to be written for its intended readers rather than for examiners, with a clear argument, coherent structure and appropriate level of detail.
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There's no standard timeframe. It depends on how extensively your thesis needs to be rewritten, whether you need to update the research, how quickly you can work and how long the publisher's review and production processes take.
Make sure you also allow time for peer review and further revisions.
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Not necessarily. Some thesis-to-book projects need new chapters, while others benefit more from restructuring existing material. Add new content where it strengthens the argument, fills a gap or reflects important developments in the research.
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Usually, an online thesis can still form the basis of a book, but you should check your university's terms and your prospective publisher's requirements. You'll also need to check the copyright and permissions for third-party material.
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Follow each publisher's submission requirements. Some presses may require sole consideration while they're reviewing a proposal. For example, Edinburgh University Press's book proposal guidance explains its requirements for submitting a proposal and the process it follows when assessing projects.
Don't assume that every publisher follows the same process. Check the current guidance for each press before approaching an editor.
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