Hi. My name is Carol Booton, sometimes known as Dr. Carol. I was 50 years old when I started my doctoral program at a for-profit online university in December 2005. After eight long years, I earned my doctorate in Business Administration in December 2013. One doctorate doesn’t make me an expert, I know. (How many would, I wonder?) However, I remember the problems I faced trying to get my proposal approved. Now, as an academic editor, I edit other people’s proposals and dissertations and I see the same problems in their proposals that I encountered in mine.

So I wrote a book to help dissertators avoid some of the hurdles I had to overcome. It’s called Resubmit: 28 ½ reasons why you can’t get your dissertation proposal approved. It was published by Crossline Press and you can find it on Amazon. I also have a companion website for the book, at LoveYourDissertation.com, where you can download templates and worksheets in pdf format for free right now. Find out how to get 20% off the book price at the end of this post.

Does it feel like you are all alone?

I attended a doctoral program that was offered completely online. It was convenient, but I had next to no interaction with others in my program. I was alone in my cave the entire time. I had no peers to bounce ideas off of, nobody to puzzle things out with. Even my mentors were not easily accessible or willing to help when I needed feedback. I felt very much alone, especially when I was working on my dissertation proposal.

I spent a long time stuck on my proposal because I didn’t have answers to some basic questions: Should I choose qualitative or quantitative (which one will get me done faster?) How do I choose a theory? What does it mean that my proposal elements are not “aligned”? When should I cite a source? Why does it seem like Microsoft Word is trying to kill me?

Since 2014, in between editing other people’s proposals and dissertations, I’ve had time to ruminate on my doctoral journey and ponder what I could have done differently to make it flow more smoothly (and end sooner). The result of my rumination was this book.

You are alone, but there is help

I’ve written the book I wished I had had when I was sweating over my proposal, watching the clock ticking and thinking, hmmmm, failure is apparently an option after all. I wanted simple, practical advice from someone who had been in my shoes, someone who didn’t throw more academic jargon at me, but shared real stories to give me insight into the obstacles that were holding me back. I wrote the book I didn’t have when I could have really used the help.

Traditional books don’t always help

You probably bought some books when you embarked upon your dissertation journey. Me, too. I needed help to understand the dissertation process and get a sense of the nature of the journey. I wanted to know, was I in for smooth sailing or a raging whirlpool of confusion? The books I found were written for dissertators who attended traditional doctoral programs at traditional universities—none of the advice seemed to apply to my own situation as a nontraditional dissertator.

I also bought books to help me learn how to apply certain research methods. Many of the books I bought are still sitting unread on my shelf. I like to read, but some seemed like gibberish to me—I admit, I’m not a natural mathematical genius. I love statistics, sort of in the way I love rainbows and unicorns. I needed a book written by a real person in language I could understand. I wanted a book that sounded like a good friend wrote it.

You need a nontraditional book

I wrote this book to resemble a conversation, from someone who made it to the top of the mountain and is reaching back to help others make it to the top, too. A conversation, like I’m talking to you right now. The chapters are brief, easy to read, and loaded with tips—useful things I learned along the way that you might be able to use. Many chapters provide examples and simple illustrations of how to accomplish tasks, step by step.

The chapters of this book are arranged by issues that might be holding you back, okay, call them problems. Obstacles. Whatever. I am referring to the reasons that may be holding you back from getting your proposal approved, whether it’s how to use Word to set up a Table of Contents or how to choose your theoretical foundation. You can find specific guidance and direction in each “Reason,” aimed directly at helping you solve that problem so you can get on with writing and submitting your proposal.

Before you know it, you’ll have your approval and be moving on to the fun adventure of collecting data!

The book is called Resubmit: 28 ½ reasons why you can’t get your dissertation proposal approved and you can find it on Amazon for $29.99. The Kindle version is $9.99.

To purchase the print book and receive 20% off your order,
visit the Amazon CreateSpace estore
use discount code J49BZ39R

This discount is good through March 1, 2017