PhD-to-book: Unisa equips talented postgrads to take the leap

Dr Meiya Nthoesane, Director of Unisa Press, the largest academic publisher on the African continent, believes that doctoral theses represent an unmined treasure trove of knowledge that can be shared with a much wider audience in book format. But this comes with an important caveat: “A thesis is not automatically a book,” says Nthoesane. “Researchers need to be guided to, among others, reframe their doctoral thesis into a reader-centred scholarly book idea, develop a book proposal and readership statement, and understand the publishing pathway.”

Enter, stage left, the Thesis-to-Book Development Programme, part of the Unisa Press Capacity Development Programme 2026. Attended by researchers across a wide spectrum of disciplines who have completed their theses, as well as several academics whose theses are nearing completion, a recent intensive three-day hybrid workshop led the 25 onsite and online attendees through the challenging – but ultimately rewarding – route from thesis to scholarly book.

Presented by a team comprising Nthoesane, Hetta Pieterse, Commissioning Editor and Manager, and Dr Lucky Madikiza, Books Manager, the workshop focused on three broad areas:

• From thesis to scholarly book, with a draft book proposition and revised chapter map as output
• Writing, positioning and proposal development, with a draft book proposal and positioning statement as output
• Peer review, contracts, production and action planning, with a final concept pitch and manuscript conversion plan as output

The interactive nature of the workshop allowed participants to clarify concepts and steps with real-time input from the presenters, and hands-on exercises helped convert theory into practice under expert guidance from the Unisa Press staffers.

Presenting with Dr Nthoesane were, from left, Dr Lucky Madikiza, Books Manager, and Hetta Pieterse, Commissioning Editor and Manager. Mafeye Morapedi (far right), Project Editor, assisted with the technicalities of the online presentations.

“On the last day of the workshop, we captured feedback from attendees,” concludes Nthoesane. “This will be essential in assisting us to clarify what post-programme support will be appropriate, and to confirm the next steps in the process. We have, moreover, identified strong potential for manuscript yields from at least ten researchers.”

This innovative programme from Unisa Press is yet another important cog in Unisa’s concerted drive to make African scholarly publishing more accessible. It reflects the passion of Professor Puleng LenkaBula, the institution’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor, to connect the institution’s vibrant research community with millions of scholars around the globe.

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* Compiled by Philip van der Merwe, Editor, Unisa Press