Publishing Consultations for postdoctoral researchers and academic staff
These one-to-one consultation sessions are designed as an opportunity for postdoctoral researchers and academic staff to obtain professional advice on work in progress towards publication. Typically, material for discussion at the consultation will be a draft publishing proposal or the outline of a book, which may be a new project or one emerging from revision and expansion of a completed PhD thesis.
Participants submit their material beforehand and individual
consultations are tailored to the needs of the individual and their project, on the basis of what is submitted. The focus is typically on how best to design and structure the publishing proposal, which aspects of the project to highlight, advice on readership and market, presses to approach, and considerations relating to peer review, production and marketing.
Participants submit their material beforehand and individual
consultations are tailored to the needs of the individual and their project, on the basis of what is submitted. The focus is typically on how best to design and structure the publishing proposal, which aspects of the project to highlight, advice on readership and market, presses to approach, and considerations relating to peer review, production and marketing.
What participating researchers have said:
University of Oxford
‘My appointment with Josie was invaluable. She identified exactly what was missing in my proposal but which I could not quite pinpoint myself. I have been raving about this service to senior colleagues and they were thrilled to learn about this opportunity for early career researchers. As a British Academy postdoctoral fellow that has held two distinguished research fellowships prior to this fellowship with an already substantial publications list (including one monograph) this is by far the most attractive, exciting, useful service I have seen the university offer, through any of its departments, over the course of my two years at Oxford. I wish I had had the opportunity for a consultation like this at earlier points in my research career, when I was really on my own. These are such difficult and important matters, i.e. drafting a solid research proposal, which can make or break an academic career. It is in the best interests of the university to see that its research staff has resources in place to get their research out in print in a strong a form as possible, especially considering the factor of the Research Excellence Framework. I hope the opportunity for consultation will continue to be offered. It was a brilliant idea in the first place, and I sing the praises of whoever had the idea! I can't thank you enough for this wonderful service.’
‘Very concrete, targeted and useful feedback - this was absolutely everything I was looking for. While supervisors, advisors etc offer some helpful information about how to write and submit a proposal, the resources Josie brought were of a totally different level. I cannot emphasize enough how helpful this has been, both in giving me concrete feedback to improve my book proposal and thus advance my research project, but also in terms of helping me to see into the process of academic publishing from the publisher's side of the table, so to speak. In addition, Josie is both friendly and efficient - wonderful to work with.’
'Advice from a top publisher about how to position your work optimally for publication as a monograph. It was a very intensive conversation with a true expert on academic publishing.’
'Josie Dixon is fantastic: the one-to-one advice is extremely useful. Excellent feedback on your own proposal: an expert advising you on how to make it effective and publishable. Thank you for this fantastic opportunity.'
'It was particularly useful to talk to someone with long experience in the publishing industry. It's possible to read round the subject on the internet, but to talk through the issues was invaluable - a close reading of your book proposal providing thoughtful, careful advice tailored to making your monograph marketable.'
‘immensely helpful. For those like myself, nearing the end of a project, this kind of tailor-made attention is of much more use than a more general workshop. It was very useful to have the insight of someone from the publishing, rather than the academic, world.’
‘really useful to hone your book-proposal writing skills. Refreshingly frank advice on how the publishing industry works, and what you need to do to get your book contract. Recommended for all first-book authors!’
University of Warwick
‘Josie’s publishing surgery was an extremely productive meeting for me. Josie gave clear, direct and fertile comments on my book proposal, and I found the opportunity to ask questions specific to my individual research agenda and level of progress very beneficial. I very much hope that the Faculty continues these sessions—there is really no other existing opportunity for early career researchers to have this kind of in-depth and personalized professional advice on a crucial aspect of career building’.
‘This was an extremely useful session. Where general publishing talks are useful sources of information and advice, the opportunity to submit a proposal and sit down with a marked-up copy of it was invaluable. The time allowed was very generous; the feedback specific and directly helpful; and the goals and timeline implications for book projects were based on my individual needs. I think this is a wonderful service to be able to offer, and absolutely necessary for alerting early career academics to the practicalities and expectations of the market.’
Cardiff University
'of immeasurable value'
‘The opportunity to discuss my ideas one-on-one was very helpful. Josie helped me to think more carefully about my scope and therefore the additional range of research and writing I need to do.’
‘She's very good. What I found most useful is her tailored advice on the details as well as guidance as to the overall shape, structure and language of the book proposal in relation to the contexts in which such documents are read’
‘I found Josie Dixon's one-on-one session very helpful indeed. Her comments on my proposal were perspicacious, identifying possible problems with, and potential strengths of, the project very nimbly. Her ability to spot recurring tendencies in my prose from such a small sample was impressive!’
‘Josie was wonderful at tying in academic issues about presentation and the scope of one's project to her general points about the publishing market today. I benefited greatly from my individual consultation.’
Northumbria University
‘incredibly useful ... whatever she is being paid it is no where near enough for the stellar advice she gave me’
University of the Arts
‘thoughtfulness and rigour combined with a genuinely enthusiastic and forward-thinking approach. Invaluable.’
‘Extremely useful. She offered some very sound advice as to how to tailor my book proposal which included practical tips like how to create titles, reordering content and ways in which to find the right audience for one's book. I came away from my session with Josie energised and with a good sense of what my next steps were. I would highly recommend this session to others who are planning to publish books.’
‘I found Josie's session very useful. Firstly because it sharpened my proposal in terms of what a publisher might be looking for and where to place the emphasis in the work. But I think more importantly she took me out of the proverbial ivory tower.’
‘The session encouraged me to rework the book proposal which has already received
interest from a notable publisher. Since reworking this publisher has formalised
the proposal and the contract is being put in place to sign. After reworking and
following Josie's session I sent it on to other publishers and it has been positively received to the extent that I'm now looking at the possibility of publishing with a more reputable/ appropriate publisher. I found her comments astute and really clear from the publisher’s perspective. I have a better understanding of how to translate the thesis to a broader audience (clearly identified in terms of market) and I'm excited about the task at hand.’
University of Oxford
‘My appointment with Josie was invaluable. She identified exactly what was missing in my proposal but which I could not quite pinpoint myself. I have been raving about this service to senior colleagues and they were thrilled to learn about this opportunity for early career researchers. As a British Academy postdoctoral fellow that has held two distinguished research fellowships prior to this fellowship with an already substantial publications list (including one monograph) this is by far the most attractive, exciting, useful service I have seen the university offer, through any of its departments, over the course of my two years at Oxford. I wish I had had the opportunity for a consultation like this at earlier points in my research career, when I was really on my own. These are such difficult and important matters, i.e. drafting a solid research proposal, which can make or break an academic career. It is in the best interests of the university to see that its research staff has resources in place to get their research out in print in a strong a form as possible, especially considering the factor of the Research Excellence Framework. I hope the opportunity for consultation will continue to be offered. It was a brilliant idea in the first place, and I sing the praises of whoever had the idea! I can't thank you enough for this wonderful service.’
‘Very concrete, targeted and useful feedback - this was absolutely everything I was looking for. While supervisors, advisors etc offer some helpful information about how to write and submit a proposal, the resources Josie brought were of a totally different level. I cannot emphasize enough how helpful this has been, both in giving me concrete feedback to improve my book proposal and thus advance my research project, but also in terms of helping me to see into the process of academic publishing from the publisher's side of the table, so to speak. In addition, Josie is both friendly and efficient - wonderful to work with.’
'Advice from a top publisher about how to position your work optimally for publication as a monograph. It was a very intensive conversation with a true expert on academic publishing.’
'Josie Dixon is fantastic: the one-to-one advice is extremely useful. Excellent feedback on your own proposal: an expert advising you on how to make it effective and publishable. Thank you for this fantastic opportunity.'
'It was particularly useful to talk to someone with long experience in the publishing industry. It's possible to read round the subject on the internet, but to talk through the issues was invaluable - a close reading of your book proposal providing thoughtful, careful advice tailored to making your monograph marketable.'
‘immensely helpful. For those like myself, nearing the end of a project, this kind of tailor-made attention is of much more use than a more general workshop. It was very useful to have the insight of someone from the publishing, rather than the academic, world.’
‘really useful to hone your book-proposal writing skills. Refreshingly frank advice on how the publishing industry works, and what you need to do to get your book contract. Recommended for all first-book authors!’
University of Warwick
‘Josie’s publishing surgery was an extremely productive meeting for me. Josie gave clear, direct and fertile comments on my book proposal, and I found the opportunity to ask questions specific to my individual research agenda and level of progress very beneficial. I very much hope that the Faculty continues these sessions—there is really no other existing opportunity for early career researchers to have this kind of in-depth and personalized professional advice on a crucial aspect of career building’.
‘This was an extremely useful session. Where general publishing talks are useful sources of information and advice, the opportunity to submit a proposal and sit down with a marked-up copy of it was invaluable. The time allowed was very generous; the feedback specific and directly helpful; and the goals and timeline implications for book projects were based on my individual needs. I think this is a wonderful service to be able to offer, and absolutely necessary for alerting early career academics to the practicalities and expectations of the market.’
Cardiff University
'of immeasurable value'
‘The opportunity to discuss my ideas one-on-one was very helpful. Josie helped me to think more carefully about my scope and therefore the additional range of research and writing I need to do.’
‘She's very good. What I found most useful is her tailored advice on the details as well as guidance as to the overall shape, structure and language of the book proposal in relation to the contexts in which such documents are read’
‘I found Josie Dixon's one-on-one session very helpful indeed. Her comments on my proposal were perspicacious, identifying possible problems with, and potential strengths of, the project very nimbly. Her ability to spot recurring tendencies in my prose from such a small sample was impressive!’
‘Josie was wonderful at tying in academic issues about presentation and the scope of one's project to her general points about the publishing market today. I benefited greatly from my individual consultation.’
Northumbria University
‘incredibly useful ... whatever she is being paid it is no where near enough for the stellar advice she gave me’
University of the Arts
‘thoughtfulness and rigour combined with a genuinely enthusiastic and forward-thinking approach. Invaluable.’
‘Extremely useful. She offered some very sound advice as to how to tailor my book proposal which included practical tips like how to create titles, reordering content and ways in which to find the right audience for one's book. I came away from my session with Josie energised and with a good sense of what my next steps were. I would highly recommend this session to others who are planning to publish books.’
‘I found Josie's session very useful. Firstly because it sharpened my proposal in terms of what a publisher might be looking for and where to place the emphasis in the work. But I think more importantly she took me out of the proverbial ivory tower.’
‘The session encouraged me to rework the book proposal which has already received
interest from a notable publisher. Since reworking this publisher has formalised
the proposal and the contract is being put in place to sign. After reworking and
following Josie's session I sent it on to other publishers and it has been positively received to the extent that I'm now looking at the possibility of publishing with a more reputable/ appropriate publisher. I found her comments astute and really clear from the publisher’s perspective. I have a better understanding of how to translate the thesis to a broader audience (clearly identified in terms of market) and I'm excited about the task at hand.’
