There are SO many great articles in this week’s most useful textbook & academic writing posts! I’m so excited about what’s below that I’m not even going to write a long introductory paragraph. I’m just going to say, I hope you enjoy these articles as much as I did and of course: Happy writing!

5 things that writing a textbook taught me about creating lasting results
First of all, this is a post from a few years ago, but I’m only just discovering it. Plus, what the author of this piece discusses is still very relevant to anyone writing (or about to start writing) a textbook today. If you are about to start a textbook project, I strongly suggest this read. If you’re a veteran textbook author, what would you add to this list of takeaways?

Peer review: do we throw early career researchers in at the deep end?
What do you think, should peer reviewers receive training? What about recognition? Should there be acknowledgements in the journal or elsewhere for those that review? Find out what early career researcher, Sarah Hayes, thinks by reading this piece.

The Challenges of Writing ‘I’
Writing in first-person can be a challenge and could cost you that grant you applied for or securing that job interview. Rachel Toor discusses the challenges of writing in first-person and things you can do to overcome them.

Dissertation Finish Line
Crossing the finish line of finishing your dissertation can feel like the longest marathon race you’ve ever run. If you are on the last mile of completing your dissertation but need some advice to push you through to the finish line, this is the perfect read for you.

Online textbook publishing startup Boundless gets acquired
In case you missed this news piece last week, online textbook publishing company Boundless, was acquired by online education company Valore.

Get More Writing Done By Simplifying Your Life
Could the key to writing more be simplifying your life? John Soares believes so and explains how you too can simplify your life to get more writing done.

Sink or Swim?
I’m an avid fitness person. I love to run, bike, and swim. So anytime anything is compared to those things I can immediately relate. This piece describes the parallels between swimming and writing a research thesis. I don’t know firsthand how daunting writing a thesis is, but I do know how daunting swimming can be, which is why I could fully relate to this piece. I think it’s beautifully written and well worth the read.

Reading As A Cure for Writer’s Block
Do you believe in writer’s block? Some believe, as does the author of this particular piece, that writer’s block isn’t a “big blank moment in the brain” but rather an “emotional situation that is holding the writer back.” Either way, this is a useful piece for anyone struggling to get words down on the page.

My #AcWri strategies: Fill up paragraphs, one idea per paragraph
Raul Pacheco-Vega offers excellent advice on academic writing strategies. In this piece he explains how he focuses less on the pages written and more on the paragraphs filled. This is definitely a must read.

revision – it’s not just about cutting words
As always, Pat Thomson really delivers excellent advice. Here she discusses the revision process. As Thomson points out, “It’s a mistake to think that revision is always about getting rid of some things…”

A Guide to Thesis Writing That Is a Guide to Life
I’m including this piece because it is a lovely read that pertains to thesis writing. It gives an overview of “How to Write a Thesis,” written by an Italian author in 1977 and how it is still relevant today. This book has gone through twenty-three editions in Italy and has been translated into at least seventeen languages but there has never been an English edition until now. Will you buy a copy after reading this review?