From PhD by publication to book: an autoethnographic reflection of an early-career geographer

This article offers an autoethnographic reflection on transforming a PhD by publication (PBP) in geography into a scholarly monograph over a nine‑year academic trajectory. While existing scholarship has examined PBP as a doctoral format and post-PhD trajectories, less attention has been given to the conceptual, ethical, and institutional labour involved in converting a publication‑based thesis into a book. Situated within the changing landscape of monograph publishing, where books remain important markers of scholarly quality despite shifting business models, the paper examines three interrelated processes: intellectual labour, epistemic reconfiguration, and institutional negotiation, with academic integrity running across all three. Drawing on documentary evidence and reflexive analysis, the article demonstrates that transforming a PBP into a book is a demanding scholarly practice that requires substantive rewriting, reframing arguments for new audiences, addressing authorship and attribution issues, and extending the thesis through additional empirical material and theoretical integration. The discussion shows how neoliberal academic performativity shapes post‑PhD publication strategies, while underscoring the importance of authorial intention, mentorship, and academic enculturation in consolidating scholarly voice and identity. The paper contributes a situated account to support doctoral candidates, supervisors, and editors navigating PBP‑to‑book trajectories and the ethical and pedagogical challenges they entail.