This week brings an early Christmas present in the form of so many great articles on academic and textbook writing! Speaking of the gift-giving season, have you seen my Top 10 gift ideas for writers? Perhaps one of the greatest gifts family and friends can give you this time of year is a quiet space for you to write to keep your writing projects on track. Although that would be a great gift, it isn’t always possible with all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. So what strategies do you use to find writing time during the holidays? Or, do you allow yourself to take a break from your writing?

As always, happy writing!

Why Some Journals Are Publishing Rolling Articles Instead of Issues
Learn why some journals are publishing articles as they’re accepted and what benefits those journals gain by doing so.

Pirate research-paper sites play hide-and-seek with publishers
Even after a New York district court ruled that pirate research paper sites are in violation of US copyright law, these sites continue to remain accessible.

Turning Course Materials Into a Digital Magazine
Have you heard of Flipboard? It may just be the next tool you use in your classroom.

Author-Editor Collaboration: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Corina Koch Macleod and Carla Douglas explore ‘the good, the bad, and the ugly’ of author-editor relationships specific to authors who are self-publishing.

Print Primacy Vs. Digital Diversity?
What happens when publishers take a “digital-first” approach to producing content? That topic is explored in this article with a focus on the software used.

The Dissertation Mess: Balancing Rights and Responsibilities
Rick Anderson asks the difficult questions surrounding control over the dissemination of dissertations in the digital age. The conversation is continued in the comments below that article, which you may also find of interest.

Academics: you are going to fail, so learn how to do it better
Rejection and failure in academia is like resolutions and the New Year, they are always going to occur. Read this piece to learn how you can “fail more successfully in your academic career.”

The Now Page Movement
/now this is cool! (You’ll understand the “/now” reference once you read this article.) Since Derek Sivers created a simple page on his website to list what he was presently focused on, thousands more have done the same.

Behrend alumni lead textbook company’s transition to digital age
Not only does this piece give insight into Larson Texts and how they have embraced technology to enhance the textbooks they publish, it also highlights two of TAA’s long-time members—Ron Larson and Matthew Totzke. ?

Article Throwback

5 Ways to Keep Writing Over the Holidays | 2014
Practical tips for how to keep your writing habit intact during the holidays.