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PhD for writing books?

T

Hi,

I'm currently doing my Masters in philosophy at the moment. I did my undergraduate degree in Journalism and Politics. I wanted, at the time, to become a writer (books, etc), and I eventually decided on becoming an academic. After much consideration, I think I want to do the former.

The reason: well, first, I'm in Australia, and although studying for the PhD is free here, there aren't many jobs in philosophy departments. Most don't get jobs. So, I want to write books now, and if you know anything about the publishing industry, you would know that it's a lot harder to get books published (through decent publishers) than it was in the past. With a PhD, I believe it would help in getting my work through. Yes, I am aware that content is very important, too, but having the PhD credential, I believe, would help.

So, having nearly half-way done my masters, should I continue with the PhD (they've dropped the word count to 60,000-80,000 words, and keep in mind that it's free, and can be done within 3 years, not seven like in America) for the sake of becoming a writer (non-fiction)?

I also want to write on many topics, and some of them might seem very abstract, weird, controversial, etc, and it's another reason for the PhD.

Thanks for your time.

D

Hi TPK

when I read your post the first thing that came into my mind was a short description in Umberto Eco's "Focaults Pendel", which explains well how publishers work... Have a look at it.
I have no personal experience, but I don't know anyone who earns a living from writing books. I know some people who spent quite an amount to publish their own books. As far as I know, only journalists and  academics are paid to write. Academics tend to publish books too.

Although I love books and their smell and everything about them, I believe that is a matter of time before publishing industry disappears. A pdf in a kindle is just as good for the new generations. Or even better... This means you can upload your own books for free or with a price. (sprout)

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