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The most useful textbook & academic writing posts of the week: New Year’s Edition

It’s a new year, which means new goals and quote_sit and readresolutions. I’m sure during this past week you’ve put some thought into what writing milestones and goals you want to reach in 2015. What are you doing to ensure that you stick with those habits to reach your end goal? In other words, what will you change about your writing habits from last year to see success in this new year? Share your goals and resolutions in the comments below. The best way to be inspired is to share with others. Happy New Year and happy writing!

The Craft of Revision
This is an excellent piece Rachael Cayley wrote for her blog, but she also gave as a presentation for TAA’s Dissertators United Chapter. If you struggle with revision and editing, this is a must read. Cayley explains that revision is separate from proofreading and that this understanding is crucial. She also gives four strategies to follow for the revision process.

7 Questions that Will Transform Your Writing in the New Year
Although the author of this post may have intended this for fiction writers, I think it applies to textbook authors as well. You still need to know who your audience is, what your competition looks like, and what your objective is. In all, Jennie Nash offers seven questions to ask yourself to help you achieve your writing goals in 2015.

Overcoming writer’s block: three tips
I like this piece for the questions it poses and the suggested strategies to use to overcome writer’s block. In fact, I think more time was focused on the questions than on the solutions, but that’s not to say that there are not concrete takeaways that can come from reading this article. The author, Rowena Murray, does give great strategies for overcoming academic writing blocks, one of which is probably under utilized. I am, however, curious what more you would add to this article to assist your fellow academics in overcoming this paralysis.

The Best Teaching Resources on the Web
I’m guessing that like writing, teaching is another major aspect of your life. I’d also venture to say that, just as in writing, you’re continually looking to improve your teaching and find new ways to engage your students. If that sounds like you, I guarantee you’ll find this article a must read for information on pedagogical resources. (As a complete aside, I just have to say how much I love the word pedagogy. It’s just so fun to say!) 🙂

Academic Journals: The Most Profitable Obsolete Technology in History
“A better approach to academic publishing is to cut out the whole notion of publishing. We don’t really need journals as traditionally conceived.” This is what Sam Gershman, a postdoctoral fellow at MIT who assumes his post as an assistant professor at Harvard next year, is quoted saying in this article. Mainly I share this with you because it has been shared over 3,600 times on social media and I found it to be an interesting read.

Do you have a favorite blog post you have written or found particularly hopeful to your writing this past year? Share it!