The most useful textbook & academic posts of the week: January 12, 2018

“Most writing doesn’t take place on the page; it takes place in your head.” says Susan Orlean. This week’s collection of articles is full of resources to improve those internal processes that move your writing forward. Beginning with advice on how to improve your writing practices, considering what types of case studies get published, new approaches by textbook companies, and tips for promoting self-published book series, we open ourselves up to new ideas in the writing industry. With that open mind, we continue to see trends in Open Access, the need for new approaches to style guides, the impact of libraries on the adoption of OER, and the future of the OA megajournal. Finally, we close our list this week with an invitation to an open house hosted by SAGE Research Methods in February and early March.

As you approach your writing this week, open yourself up to new ideas, new practices, and new ways of thinking and be sure to get some of that writing out of your head and onto the page as well.

Member Spotlight: Michael R. Solomon

TAA member Michael R. Solomon is a Professor of Marketing in the Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph’s University and is a textbook and academic author in the marketing discipline.

He has published approximately 30 textbooks (including international adaptations) and over 60 journal articles. His most recent textbook is Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having and Being 12th ed., published by Pearson Education.

Member Spotlight: Al Trujillo

TAA member Al Trujillo is a Professor of Oceanography at Palomar College and a textbook author in the Earth Science: Oceanography discipline.

Most recently, he has published the 12th edition of Essentials of Oceanography with Pearson Education. This textbook is the market-leading college-level oceanography textbook worldwide.

Academic writing: Counting words of meaning?

Our priorities are reflected in our sense of professional identity. Are you an academic or a writer? Are you an instructor/researcher/research supervisor/committee member/conference presentation planner (not to mention parent, community volunteer and…) who is compelled to write in order to get, keep, or advance in a desired career? Do you see yourself as a writer who uses what you learn from your life and work to inspire others? Or are you looking for the right balance?

Member Spotlight: Robert H. Barlow

TAA member Robert H. Barlow is a textbook author and owner of Robert Barlow Educational Consultants.

Writing in the law discipline, he has had ten titles published since 1992. The three most recent are: Excel HSC Business Studies (2016) (update), Excel Preliminary Business Studies (update), and Excel Preliminary Legal Studies (2016) (update).