Many of the most interesting parts of a book’s journey are not always visible in the final publication. Beyond the Book is intended to give authors a place to share those stories. Here, the Communities team have gathered some guidance, ideas, and practical tips about how to make the most of this Channel.
If you are new to Beyond the Book, we recommend starting with our introduction post to learn more about the Channel and what it offers.
This blog post contains the following sections:
What can you write about?
We welcome a wide range of posts that explore the life of a book beyond its pages. You might write about:
- What first made you want to write this book, and whether that purpose changed along the way
- How the central idea or structure of your book developed or changed over time
- Something you came to understand differently while researching or writing
- Challenges, unexpected turns, or what didn’t make it into the final version
- How your book connects to current debates, questions or challenges
- What you hope readers will take forward
- The questions your book leaves open and where your thinking may go next
You do not need to cover all of these points. A strong post usually focuses on one clear story, theme, or question.
What makes a good 'Beyond the Book' post?
Choose an inviting title
Your title can be the title of your book, but it does not have to be. You may wish to choose a shorter, more accessible title that invites readers into the story behind your work. For example, instead of only using the full book title, you might frame your post around a question, a key idea, or a timely theme.
Write for a broad audience
Research Communities readers come from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds. Please write in a clear and accessible style, not assuming that readers will know the terminology of your field. If you need to use specialist terms, explain them briefly. Imagine you are speaking to an interested reader outside your immediate field. What would they need to know to understand why your book matters?
Make it personal and reflective
A Beyond the Book post works best when it offers something readers cannot find in the book alone. This might be a moment in an archive, a conversation with a colleague, a case study that changed direction, or a chapter that was difficult to write or didn’t make the final version but deserves to be seen. You may wish to include things mentioned in the section of 'What can you write about'. Writing in the first person is welcome. A personal tone can help readers connect with the story behind your work.
Give your post a clear structure and keep it concise
A simple structure can help readers follow your story. You might begin with the question or moment that led to the book, then describe how the project developed, before ending with why the book matters now or what questions remain. Subheadings can be very helpful, especially for longer posts.
We recommend aiming for 750–1,000 words. This gives you enough space to tell a meaningful story while keeping the post focused and accessible.
Include images and/or videos where possible
Images can help bring your story to life and make your post more engaging. You might include:
- The book cover
- Relevant images or videos from your research, fieldwork, archive, or writing process
- Diagrams, maps, illustrations, or photographs connected to the subject
- A short video introducing the book and its key ideas
We also highly recommend the use of a ‘poster’ image, as this will be seen from the Community homepage and increases the visibility of your blog. This feature can be added via the options bar in the draft template.
How to create your post?
For step-by-step guidance on creating and publishing a post, please read our How do I create a post guide in the Help and Support Channel.
Latest 'Beyond the Book' content
You can explore the latest Beyond the Book posts here or in the Beyond the Book Channel in each Community's homepage.
Before you publish: a quick checklist
Before publishing your Beyond the Book post, please check that:
We look forward to reading the stories behind your books. If you're ready to get started, explore the latest Beyond the Book posts and begin writing your own!