Dear Dr. Noelle: Overworking and Underwriting

By Dr. Noelle Sterne

Q: I work full-time and more! How can I write my dissertation?

 — Overworking and Underwriting

A: Most doctoral candidates work full-time. And have families and responsibilities. If you’re at the dissertation stage, finding time for writing is especially hard. Maybe a few fortunate students can quit work and devote themselves completely to the dissertation. But if you cannot quit, there are still ways to make decent time for it. Other than speaking harshly to yourself to devote Saturday to the dissertation instead of the game, one way that many candidates have found effective is to meet with your employer or supervisor.

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Industry News Round-Up Week of 1/26/2026

Stay updated on the latest news, advancements, and changes that are shaping the textbook and academic authoring industry with our bi-weekly Industry News Round-Up. Have an item to share? Email Sierra.Pawlak@TAAonline.net.

Florida Introduces ‘Sanitized’ Sociology Textbook (January 29, 2026)

Two States Are Pausing H-1B Hiring at Public Universities. Here’s What That Could Mean. (January 28, 2026)

A Home for Homeless DEI Strategies and Research (January 27, 2026)

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2026 TAA Institute Bookstore Featured Book, ‘YOU, THE CHOREOGRAPHER – Creating and Crafting Dance’

YOU, THE CHOREOGRAPHER – Creating and Crafting Dance by Vladimir Angelov offers a synthesis of histories, theories, philosophies, and creative practices across diverse genres of concert dance choreography. The book is designed for readers at every stage of creative development who seek to refine their artistic sensibility. Through a review of major milestones in the field, readers will gain new perspectives on the historical development of choreography. Concise analyses of traditional fundamentals and innovative practices of dance construction, artistic research methods, and approaches to artistic collaboration offer readers new tools to build creative habits and expand their choreographic proficiencies. Get 25% off with code YTC25.

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Textbook Contract Questions: What is a ‘Statement of Work?’

Brenda Ulrich, an intellectual property attorney with Archstone Law, defined a statement of work as the details of a project: the work you’re going to be doing, including the timeline of events, the deliverables, whether there’s approval back and forth, whether some work is being done by somebody else, etc. That type of information often doesn’t readily fit into the body of the basic agreement, so it is instead included as an exhibit or amendment to the contract. It is also something that the non-lawyers involved in the negotiation can work on without getting tripped up on the legalese of the main agreement.

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Estate Planning for Authors: How to Set Your Heirs Up for Success

By Sierra Pawlak
In her October 2025 Webinar, “Copyright in the Afterlife: Estate Planning Tips for Authors”, Brenda Ulrich, an intellectual property attorney with Archstone Law, shared how authors can set up their heirs for success. She detailed how copyright differs from other assets in an estate plan, how best to divide up your literary works, and how to appoint a literary trustee or executor. For more, you can listen to her presentation here.

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Writing Groups for Academics (Faculty and ABDs)

By Mary Beth Averill

For the past few months, I have been attending a writing group that grew out of a TAA writing retreat. I would categorize our group, which started out meeting weekly and now has meetings three times a week, as a “shut up and write” group. We start with a brief check in on Zoom, saying what we each want to accomplish in the coming hour. At the end of the hour, we meet again briefly to say what progress we made. Group members who want to keep going that day state their goals for the next hour.

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