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Writing books on astronomy without having an astronomy degree?
- December
- 19
7:57 pm Books
I want your opinion on something:
If an amateur astronomer wanted to write a book about astronomy (whether it be the history of astronomy, planetary geology, etc…) would it be expected that said person have a phd or masters in astronomy?
I do know, for example, that a writer has written an introductory childrens book about astronomy, although she only had an English degree.
2 comments
There are many serious books on astronomy written by people who do not have Ph.D. degrees. Terence Dickinson, David Levy, Philip Harrington, and Patrick Moore are four that come immediately to mind. But these are all people who have worked hard for many years to establish their reputation as astronomical writers. If you’re prepared to spend many years establishing your reputation, you can have your books published too.
Posted by Geoff G, on December 21st, 2008, at 5:21 pm. #.
ANYONE can write and publish a book.
if you’re trying to come up with your own “theories” then I suggest you can prove them to some extent.
the only time you should consider your degree focus, is when writing the book to address a certain audience. if you wanted to address the “astronomy community” I’d suggest beefing up your diploma.
if your writing a book for children, for their sake, research your topics first and only use credible sources.
I think you could get away with it, just be sure to inform the reader your passion and stance and be careful to not express your opinion as fact. It might lower your sales
Posted by Mercury 2010, on December 19th, 2008, at 11:56 pm. #.