From Dissertation to Christian Book

Preface xi

1 Writing is Important 1

2 Message 5

3 Market or Readership 11

4 Motivation 19

5 Making the Text Work 25

6 Publishing Options 33

7 Working with a Publisher 39

8 Self-publishing 47

9 Hybrid Publishing 59

10 Building a Platform 63

11 Making a Decision 69

Appendix: Case Studies 71
Appendix: Resources 79
Appendix: Advice from Regnum Books 83
Bibliography 87
Acknowledgements 89

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ian Darke has participated in the development of publishing ministries in Latin America since 1990 as an editor and publisher. He was a co-founder of Ediciones Puma in Peru and he leads the Letra Viva network of evangelical publishing houses in Spanish speaking Latin America. He was the coordinator of the Latin America Bible commentary project (Comentario bíblico contemporáneo). His academic background was in Pure Mathematics. He and his wife Brenda live in San José, Costa Rica. They have two children and three grandchildren. When not reading or writing he enjoys long distance running with friends.

QUESTIONS TO THE AUTHOR ABOUT THE BOOK:

1. Why did you decide to write your book?
I was inspired —almost compelled— to write this book, because of two features of the Christian world that strike us deeply.
First of all, in Latin America there is a great need for books that feed the pastors, leaders and members of growing churches. These need to be culturally relevant, faithfully Biblical and in the language of the people. On the whole, translations are not enough. To get better relevant and locally produced books, amongst other things we need more and better writers.
On the other hand, some leaders from our continent have been given the wonderful opportunity to travel to the UK or the US for a period of higher study, perhaps completing a doctoral thesis. Written with a supreme effort, the resulting thesis might make a contribution to academia in the North. But what about the home church, the pastors and leaders coping with the challenges of growth, confusion and heresy?
While there are some opportunities for a thesis to be published in book form, in general a thesis is too complex, too long and too remote for it to be of help. Not to mention any costs of translation that might be involved.
So, putting those two features together, it seems common sense to see if the dissertations produced by scholars could be a source of accessible books.
A final step in the evolution of the book idea were contacts with scholars from many other regions of the world, who told of similar issues in their continent.

2. What is distinctive about content of your book?
I wouldn’t say that the content of this book is very original! There are excellent books available on turning a dissertation into a readable book for a broader but still academic audience and that will further the academic career of the writer. The focus here though is on sourcing a dissertation to produce a readable book that meets a ministry need within the Christian community and furthers the extension of the kingdom of God.
Apart from some of the general principles, the book also contains guideposts to help the reader navigate the confusing world of publishing options, and many tips and helps culled from many sources.

3. Why is this subject important?
This subject important for the church in general because it needs books that are biblical, relevant and which respond to specific needs at this time. With so much unhelpful and distorted teaching circulating in many parts of the world, there is a need for thoughtful and biblical material that will correct false teaching.
It is important also for the scholars themselves… to root their advanced studies and research back into the local church, and thereby to extend and strengthen their own ministry.

4. What difference would this book make for the ministry?
Hopefully it will encourage the development of more good books, and also make difference to Christian scholars who can develop a vocation for writing and so multiply their ministry in both their home country and across borders.
I hope that it will also make a difference for publishing ministries, giving them new contacts and potential writers. Without lively and proactive publishing ministries the church will be much the poorer. Many books are self-published, but these are so often poor in content, badly edited and without adequate distribution. Publishers have an important role, but they depend on the active development of Christian writers… including those who have written dissertations.

Let’s face it, most PhD dissertations are written for a very select audience. This is especially true for those on theological or biblical themes. Thankfully, Ian Darke offers a lifeline! This book provides clear, practical examples of transforming complex dissertations into engaging resources for the everyday Christian reader. If you’ve ever dreamt of sharing your research with a wider audience, this is the guide you’ve been waiting for.
Milton Acosta, Associate Director of Global Training, United World Mission

One of the quiet tragedies among theological educators in the Global South takes the form of unpublished doctoral dissertations lying unpublished and unread on young scholars’ shelves. The fruit of blood, sweat, and tears, these book-length works are evidence that an emerging scholar has cut the mustard and proven himself or herself capable of the scholarly vocation. Yet the dissertation is not and cannot be a product that a waiting public can ’take up and read’, to quote Augustine’s well-known anecdote. Before it can become useful in this second way and for this wider public, the doctoral dissertation requires a transformation that is too often unrealized amid the hurly-burly of academic life and service.
The loss is incalculable.
Ian Darke, better placed than anyone I know to address this issue, has produced a kind of shepherd’s manual intended to lead a dispersed doctoral flock across the plains and through the valleys that lie between the graduated ‘doctor’ and the publishing of his doctoral labours as a fresh, accessible, and well-tuned gift to the reading public.
Darke knows better than to suggest that the dissertation-to-book transformation will be easy. It is in fact his realism about the task that makes him the expert guide.
Here’s hoping that a modest army of dusty doctoral dissertations will be rescued from obscurity and converted into the treasured and digestible volumes we need to read. Here’s hoping that the Augustinian ’take up and read’ will in consequence bear fresh and abundant fruit.
David A Baer, Director, Theological Education Initiative and Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Languages, Biblical Seminary of Colombia

The publishing landscape can be opaque to outsiders and nonexperts. For the recent graduate weighing what to do with a hardearned completed thesis – how best to make it serve a career and a public in need of its findings – there are many factors to consider. This book takes the mystery out of the process for those with something to say about Christianity, in particular. Ian Darke has pulled back the curtain on how publishers across the globe, and Christian publishers in particular, think about your thesis and has given us a wonderful book of specific, practical, detailed advice for revising your work and placing it where it belongs in the current landscape.
Dr Stephanie L Derrick is a Los Angeles based screenwriter and an award-winning historian of religion in the modern era. She did her PhD in History at the University of Stirling (Scotland).

From Dissertation to Christian Book is a helpful guide for any academic looking to shape their scholarship in such a way that it appeals to a broader audience. This distillation of tools, tips, and practices will serve students and professors alike as they craft their writing to communicate to the church and the world.
Rachel Hastings, academic editor

The task of mining and searching scripture for answers to contemporary and contextual issues lies largely on the shoulders of Bible scholars. So much study and research and thought and prayer goes into so many dissertations. If this content is not re-expressed for a wider audience, it risks remaining trapped in an academic echo chamber.
Ian Darke, writing from decades of experience with local publishers and writers, and with a heart for relevant, life changing literature, shows how that gap can be bridged and the impacts multiplied. This is a valuable and hugely practical resource. It should be on the mandatory reading list, not just for all those scholars who have been called to write, but also for Majority World editors and publishers everywhere.
Colin J Macpherson, Director of Publisher Development, Langham Partnership International

Let us hope that Ian Darke’s From Dissertation to Christian Book becomes required reading at Bible colleges and seminaries around the world. Imagine the wealth of published materials that would result, as emerging leaders catch the vision for repurposing the same valuable insights found in their scholarly writing for a more popular audience. Darke motivates his readers to be good stewards of their learning and words, not limiting themselves to a small audience of academics but serving the wider church, both local and global. He also gives clear, practical guidance to first-time authors regarding the publishing process – seasoned tips gained from his decades in publishing ministry in Latin America. This book meets a strategic need and does the global Church a great service.
John Maust, President, Media Associates International

From Dissertation to Christian Book is a short book full of wise and practical advice that has been tried and tested. I will be recommending it to our authors and to those who send us proposals that are in need of further development.
Sam Richardson, CEO, SPCK Group