My Guardian Article on Academic Publishing

My blog post for the Guardian Higher Education Network is out now. In it, I describe where the idea for PhD2Published came from and, in line with our regular tips features, I offer five bits of advice I’ve learnt along my own publishing journey. The article starts:

“At heart, I’m a digital researcher, often overly evangelical about the benefits of freely sharing information online. In head, however, I recognise publishing books remains an integral part of academia. After my PhD, I realised I’d need to discover how on earth I might get a book published in an increasingly competitive market – not to mention find a way of reconciling these, the yin and yang of my academic being.”

Meanwhile, in one of tips (that focus on the business aspects of academic publishing) I say:

“Think about your market – If you want to end up with a printed book published by a reputable academic press, you will need to make a case for its economic viability. This means market research. Don’t just tell your publisher the book would appeal to course X, Y and Z, tell them why. What exactly does it do that other books in the field don’t? How will it transform teaching in this area? Why will course managers make students read your book over the others on their list? Show the publisher there’s a really good chance your book will sell – preferably in decent numbers.”

To read the full article and add your own comments, head over to the site now. I’d really like to know what you think early-career academics need to know about publishing in this day and age. And don’t forget to join the Guardian Higher Education Network and be a part of this valuable new community.