Where it all began…

Where it all began…

• Data visualisation quickly became the side project (that got out of hand!)
• Starting using social media and blog posts as a non-traditional way of publishing
• Sharing the journey, not just the final product

Where it all began…

Case study idea

• Each chapter is a case study of the end-to-end process of creating a specific TidyTuesday visualisation
• Each chapter is essentially standalone and illustrates one key topic
• Consistent chapter structure (same sub-sections)
• Use real, messy data sets
• Demonstrate both the theoretical aspects of designing charts and the technical aspects of building them (using ggplot2 in R)

Book aims

A reader will learn:

• How to apply data visualisation best practices
• Techniques for dealing with new, unfamiliar data sets
• Programming skills in R for building effective visualisations
• More advanced R skills for developing custom charts

Example chapter structure: exploratory work

Example chapter structure: design

Example chapter structure: basic plot

Example chapter structure: advanced styling

Initial contact with publishers

• Before September 2023: Review book proposals and chapters of books for different publishers.
• September 2023: Speak to publishers informally at RSS Conference.
• September 2023: Another book review, which has a do you have any book ideas of your own you’d like to discuss? question. Said yes.
• October 2023: Submitted proposal.
• November 2023: Contract agreed.
• December 2024: Submit manuscript draft.

Writing and process

• Receive reviews from book proposal, meaning you get formal feedback in the planning stages rather than just at the end.
• Send a couple of chapters reasonably early, mainly for formatting checks.
• Informal reviews from friends and colleagues.
• Final review and revision process.

Publisher input

• Semi-regular check-ins but not overbearing.
• My choice to do straight to PDF version
  • I’m responsible for final layout, not publishers.
  • Fully reproducible manuscript.
• Publishers provide LaTeX templates (adapted and shared with colleagues for Quarto with a few LaTeX tweaks)
• Support with choosing title, and thinking about marketing etc.

Behind the scenes

• Consistent chapter structure: use templates to avoid the blank page
• The code was already written: older code needed tidied up and organised
• Just write the words…

Book access

• Print version coming soon!
• Online version has free access
  • Good way for people to preview content before buying in print
  • Able to add interactive content
• Fully reproducible, source code also available online

Timeline: the plan

Timeline: the reality

Things I enjoyed about writing a book

• More informal style of writing, which is more me
• Clarified my own thought processes
• It’s fun to write about a topic that you really enjoy!
• I actually use it as a reference on a regular basis

Things that were difficult

• It’s time consuming and you need space for uninterrupted deep work.
• Technology updates as you’re writing about it e.g. package updates, but the book is essentially a snapshot in time.
• Publishers often have categories for academic books, and interdisiplinary books can be harder to define.
• Feeling like I was writing nothing for months, and then writing three chapters in two days.

Things that helped the difficult things

• Blocked off entire days, worked from home, and didn’t look at emails.
• Having people in the office next door writing a book for the same publisher - informal peer review and solving formatting issues is easier!
• Supportive R and data visualisation communities.
• Being sole author?
  • Having a co-author might have helped me write more on schedule
  • But not having one also made it easier to hole up and write in sprints

If you’re thinking about writing a book

• Just start writing!
  • Blog posts can really help you to find your voice
  • Provides evidence of ability to write (e.g. as a sample chapter)

• Read more books!
• Go and have an informal chat with a publisher today (and maybe volunteer to review a proposal for them!)

I’m no longer an academic…

…but writing a book was still beneficial!

• Academia gave me more time to write, and being in a teaching-oriented role gave me the option to explore a less research-focused topic in book format.
• I now work as a data visualisation specialist, and writing a book helped me figure out what I like doing.