Advice from Markus Fraundorfer for Early Career Researchers

'I think that publishing a book with a renowned publisher early on is fundamental to a successful career.

A book increases your international visibility, attracts attention of leading scholars in your field and boosts your publication list. And the best of it, publishing your thesis is not that difficult, just give it a try and submit your book proposal.

Your PhD thesis is worth much more than you might think, and, certainly, you would like your thesis to be read and appreciated by more than just the few professors in your PhD committee. That’s why you put so much of your time and passion into it!

Of course, you will be required to change your original thesis (the structure, language style, chapters, etc.) into a more publishable format. However, this was the process I enjoyed most as I could be more flexible in the language used, avoiding the all too often extremely dry and technical style which is preferable in PhD thesis. So, turning your thesis into a book actually opens up a whole new horizon on how to present your ideas and arguments, and on how to communicate with a wider (worldwide) audience.

All these skills, which you will learn in transforming your thesis into a book, are essential for a successful academic career and will help you become a better scholar.’

Markus Fraundorfer is the author of Brazil’s Emerging Role in Global Governance: Health, Food Security and Bioenergy (2015)