Transform Your Research into a Must-Read: Expert Interview
Our recent interview with a physicist, science communicator and author, gives a behind-the-scenes look at the writing and publishing process. Thinking of writing a book? See how to get it done.
When researchers write for the public, they change the world. They can shift public opinion, educate broadly and impact society on a highly individual level. Plenty of books have done exactly this, from Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring to Yuval Harari’s Sapiens to Richard Dawkins’s The Selfish Gene. These works have left a legacy, and an expectation for scientists to share their passions with the broader public.
In this newsletter, we’ll dive into entire process of writing science-backed books for the general public, through the lens of New Zealand-based author Laurie Winkless. Her experiences writing and publishing international popular science books shed light on the lesser-known intricacies of exactly what it means when a researcher “writes a book”.
Listen to our whole interview with Laurie here:
Getting started
Generally speaking, researchers usually approach publishers with their book ideas to get started. But for Laurie’s first book, it was the opposite. She was approached by a publisher who asked her if she'd ever considered writing a book. Laurie then pulled on her own inspiration of London’s inner-workings to come up with the Science and the City, which unravels the complex engineering and large-scale systems that make modern urban life possible.
Even though the publisher had originally contacted her, she still needed to meet all their requirements and go through the official process. Authors need to have a clear idea conveyed in a polished proposal. This includes everything from a table of contents to the book’s overall themes and goals, to a review of comparable books on the market. Plus, a draft chapter.
→ Tip: Have a proposal and chapter draft ready when approaching publishers. Look at your target publisher’s mission guidelines to see if your idea is a good fit there.
Writing
If your publisher is happy with your proposal and initial work, then congratulations, you’ll be writing a book! Then, only one challenge remains. That is, to write the book.
Several mantras often guide most authors here, which apply equally well to all writing, whether term papers, grant proposals, or even fiction writing: tell a compelling story and say only what you need to say. As Laurie puts it, "Accept that you can’t include everything… Because stories are what stay with people — not facts.”
Yet, no matter how adept you are at writing, skill and passion are not the most critical factors. Instead, it’s simply time. It took Laurie four years to write her second book Sticky. Between waiting for interviews, sifting through hundreds of papers, and needing to work full-time to financially support herself, her engagement was frustratingly “stop-start”. Ultimately, what helped her finish was taking a 5 month sabbatical to focus entirely on the book, which not only got her across the finish line, but furthermore resulted in a profoundly rewarding experience.
“That period [the writing sabbatical] felt like a huge privilege. is the most rewarding and enjoyable and stressful that I ever had in my working life. I loved it. I loved how hard it was. Even on the hardest days, I felt so fulfilled.”
→ Tip: Dedicate time to writing and cultivate the habit of writing daily. Take breaks from other obligations when possible to build momentum.
Promoting
Even once your book is done, the work is far from over. In fact, the time spent focusing on promotion is what ultimately gets the hard-earned text in front of readers. At its core, promotion is about taking advantage of your networks. For some, reaching out to colleagues and connections and asking them to share your work can be challenging. “It feels gross but you have to do it!” shares Laurie, “Ultimately, you want people to read what you’ve written.”
By relying on her networks, Laurie ended up on Science Friday and StarTalk (Neil deGrasse Tyson’s podcast). She also pitched book-related stories to media outlets she'd written for previously, and frequently shared details of the book (and the writing process) on her social media channels. But, sometimes connections only go so far, which is when professional help comes in. Through her publisher, Laurie had access to a marketing team in the UK and in the US. She also hired her own local publicist in New Zealand in order to help promote her book.
→ Tip: Self-promote using your connections and by enlisting professional help.
Celebrating success
The book-writing process is far from easy. To write Sticky, Laurie pushed through years of writing, career sacrifices, and psychological hardship taking non-constructive (and downright aggressive) critique of her first book from, as she puts it "odd men on the internet". Nonetheless, the herculean task of finishing a book also brings a profound satisfaction: “The feeling of seeing your book in a shop. I cannot tell you how exciting it is every single time… That feeling of seeing it in the wild after years of solo work is just crazy.”
Equally rewarding are the heartwarming, positive and even random comments Laurie gets from her readers. Like one of her readers, who works at Johnson&Johnson developing contact lenses, giving him a unique appreciation for the force of friction (the topic of her second book). These heartfelt messages clearly capture how Laurie genuinely connects with her readers and brings out the passion she herself has for her subject.
Despite the deeply satisfying nature of book-writing, the time and cost required can be challenging. For these reasons, Laurie doesn’t have any books planned at the moment, but if she goes down that path again, she hopes to find independent funding sources to support the writing process. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, for example, awards research grants for book projects, and is a great place to look for researchers wishing to write books while being paid for it.
Do you feel inspired to write your own book one day? Share with us in the comments below to join the discussion of how researchers can better reach and engage with the general public, for mutual benefit.
Thank you to Laurie Winkless for participating in this edition of The Scoop.