Most useful textbook and academic posts of the week: May 27, 2022

Do you start your day writing? Ernest Hemingway once said, “I wake up in the morning and my mind starts making sentences, and I have to get rid of them fast — talk them or write them down.”

Writing, especially academic writing, requires capturing new ideas, doing so at the right time for creative development, and then formatting those ideas into content worthy of publication. As our articles from around the web highlight this week, that can seem simple, but be a lot of work.

As you go forward into the week ahead, look for ways to ensure that you get your ideas down. Happy writing!

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Most useful textbook and academic posts of the week: May 20, 2022

Ray Bradbury once said, “Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he’ll eventually make some kind of career for himself as writer.”

The type of career you make for yourself as an academic author is made up of many factors. In our collection of articles from around the web this week, we find posts addressing several of those affecting today’s academic writers including: finding your motivation, establishing an ideal writing space, managing your time, building community, and the future of conferences.

No matter where you are in your career as an academic author, know that you are not a failure as long as you keep working toward your goals. Happy writing!

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Most useful textbook and academic posts of the week: May 13, 2022

Write. Revise. Repeat. A cycle of productivity for all academic authors, but when does it end? When is the project complete? And, what happens next?

In this week’s collection of articles from around the web, we find advice about making decisions about your writing, what to do after the draft, and how much revising is required. We also have resources on mid-career scholarship and collaboration efforts. Finally, we have some industry news on Creative Commons licensing and the book supply chain.

There’s also the philosophy of Saul Bellow who said, “You never have to change anything you got up in the middle of the night to write.” So, I suppose that’s one way to increase productivity and avoid the need to revise. Happy writing!

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Most useful textbook and academic posts of the week: May 6, 2022

Academic writing is a process with many parts. Whether writing a journal article, a dissertation, or a book, it is an investment of time, a research process, and involves various challenges and opportunities from idea to publication. To be successful, we must find the right content, audience, and resources to bring the project to completion.

One way to move a project along is to maintain a focused approach. Perhaps try the one Elmore Leonard uses who said, “I try to leave out the parts that people skip.” You also may find value in the articles we’ve collected on meeting deadlines, improving your writing, facing rejection, defending yourself against predatory publishers, and more.

Wherever you are in your current writing project, face the challenges, embrace the opportunities, and leave out the parts that people skip. Happy writing!

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Most useful textbook and academic posts of the week: April 29, 2022

There are so many aspects to academic writing, and a lot of it is centered on self doubt and, of course, an attitude of discovery and learning. Octavia E. Butler reminds us aspiring authors, however, that “You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.”

This week’s collection of articles includes practices, tips, tricks, and secrets for building an effective writing practice. Further, it includes advice on building relationships, finding your publishing avenues, and tackling discussion and debate.

As you continue developing your craft as an academic author, stay persistent, learn from others who have been there, and before you know it you will be writing “good stuff” yourself. Happy writing!

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Most useful textbook and academic posts of the week: April 22, 2022

As we near the end of April, spring is in the air; new life is blooming; and most academics are gearing up for the end of another school year. With so much going on, where does that leave your writing?

In our collection of articles from around the web, we find some resources to help turn the page, deal with rejection, devote yourself to writing, reset, and learn to say “no”. In order to accomplish our goals, we must move forward. In order to seize the best of opportunities that await, we must say no to the ones not in our best interests and devote our efforts to those that are.

Chris Grosser said, “Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.” As you head into this last full week of April, create opportunities to write then align your efforts to meet your goals. Happy writing!

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