Once you’ve decided how you are going to transform your published article into a book chapter, DO IT. When you have a draft of the chapter, consider whether it looks like a clone of the article in structure and style OR an “extreme makeover,” almost unrecognizable from the real McCoy. Since you would typically update citations and references, reformat heads, and revise the text after your copyeditor butchers it, the final chapter will almost always appear different from the article. Every copyeditor’s changes are different. If you are blessed with a copyediting of your article, your book editor will find other changes to make. (Note: Your copyeditor can be your best friend and mentor in improving your writing ability. I’ve learned sooo much from every editor. That learning never ends. There is always room for improving one’s writing skills. End of Note.)
Copyright-wise, check with the specific journal for its policy on using material from your article in total or in part, including graphic, pictorial, and other nontext content. At minimum, cite the article in text or in a footnote, such as: “This chapter is based on the article by Berkorino and Magillacutty (2009) published in the Journal of Previously Rejected Manuscripts” or “This chapter is a revision of a previously published article by Snoothauser and Barfbag (2008).”
In your draft table of contents, fill in chapter gaps around your collection of articles to insure a comprehensive treatment of the topic. You may have to add 1–2 or several chapters to distinguish your work from the competition. “But, hey bro or sis, your book is like almost complete. That is sooo cool.” Where did that come from? Ending a sentence with a preposition? “Did you really work with copyeditors?” Kinda…
Write drafts of these additional chapters and you’re on your way to bookdom. Isn’t this “article” approach faster, easier, and more streamlined than writing the whole book from scratch? Plus, it punctuates the significance your research program by providing a capstone product that synthesizes a given body of work over several years. The book will also have more staying power than a single article.
It’s possible to adapt this approach to a collection of conference presentations, workshop materials, blogs, listserv commentaries, professional journal (diary) entries, and other writing products. They lack the quality-control ingredient of the journal review process, but the final manuscript can still be sent out to multiple reviewers for feedback. What matters most is that you continue writing, every day, if possible. It is one technique to continue learning and producing, even into your retirement. Wow, what a great idea!
COPYRIGHT © 2009 Ronald A. Berk, LLC
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