Here we are on the uphill swing of the roller coaster again at the beginning of the academic year. While there can be excitement about new students and classes and seeing colleagues and friends again, you may also be feeling frustration about not getting enough writing and research done this summer.
The most useful textbook & academic writing posts of the week: August 21, 2015
I received “official notice” that summer is coming to end by one of the many random emails I (somehow) subscribe to. As if there weren’t enough signs for me already—raining for days straight, temperatures taking a significant dive, and (possibly the most dreaded) back to school commercials. Growing up in a household in which both parents worked in schools (one a middle school teacher and the other a speech therapist), we were trained to avert our eyes when school supplies were moved to the front of the store, overflowing in anticipation of the school year to come.
The rise of textbook prices: Authors give their perspective
It’s that time of year; students are heading back to class and hitting the campus bookstore to purchase their needed textbooks for the semester. However, recent surveys, like that by the
A prescription for self-published textbooks: An interview with Bob Hoyt
The Copyright Clearance Center’s Director of Business Development, Christopher Kenneally, interviewed self-published author Dr. Robert Hoyt, M.D., on CCC’s Beyond the Book program about his textbook, Health Informatics: A Practical Guide for Healthcare and Information Technology Professionals, now in its sixth edition.
During the interview, Hoyt told Kenneally that self-publishing gave he and his coauthor a lot more flexibility, the biggest one being turnaround time. Standard book publishing takes 2-3 years, he said, and their topic mandated a faster turnaround: “Self-publishing was the only way to do that.”
How to have a writing room of your own
My writing buddy’s face turned dark pink as she shouted over her latté. “No one can do anything worthwhile without a private writing place!” She thrust her face into mine. “It’s gotta be your own!”
I was as adamant. “Oh, come on. All you need is the desire and will and your stone tablet and sharp tool. It doesn’t matter where you write!”
Our little debate embodies two often-discussed viewpoints about writing. Despite my vehement response to my friend, I have long puzzled about the most effective place to write. If you too are in a quandary, or lament you have no writing spot to call your own, I’d like to help you enlarge your perceptions about your own physical and mental writing places, spaces, and times.
The most useful textbook & academic writing posts of the week: August 14, 2015
This week is another one jam-packed with excellent articles. From academics lonely at work, to being a good reviewer, to…