Welcome to My Blog
Thoughts on editing, writing, and academic life
Featured Posts
Holiday Gift Guide for Scholarly Writers (Spoiler: Contains Books!)
Holiday gift ideas for scholarly writers! They are not the easiest. So this faculty gift guide provides some reviews of great books on scholarly writing to help make shopping easy this year.
Navigating Academic Conferences as an Introvert
Conferences can be very hard for introverts! But sometimes introverts still have to attend conferences. Let's make it easier. This post contains tips for how to navigate academic events like this in as painless a way as possible.
Seven Ways to Make the Best Use of a Developmental Editor
Working with an editor can be a big commitment, but it can also dramatically improve your work. Here are some tips to help you ensure that you have a productive, positive relationship with your developmental editor.
Getting the Most Out of Your Book Workshop
Here are some tips to help you plan a productive academic book workshop. Careful planning can lead to a workshop that meets your needs and helps you produce the best book possible.
A Pep Talk for Frustrated Academic Writers
Frustrated by how your academic writing is going? You are not alone! Here's my brief manifesto of things I'd like to say to frustrated faculty writers in the hopes that it helps them to gain a bit of confidence in their writing, learn some tips on how to move forward, and further value their work.
Give Your Writing Some Love!
It’s easy to feel down about how your academic writing is going. Here I encourage you to nurture positive emotions around your writing to help you produce a happier and more sustainable writing practice.
How Long Should My Book Chapter Be?
What’s the ideal length for a scholarly book chapter? This post talks you through word count and other elements to keep in mind when determining how long your book chapter should be.
Three Important Issues to Consider as You Revise Your Dissertation into a Book
Revising a dissertation into a book is challenging. Let’s look at three major issues that you should focus on during this process. They include argument, chapter progression, and audience.
Writing Challenges: What Do I Write Next?
What should I write next? This is a common question for scholarly writers. Here I provide some questions to think through as you plan out what you want to turn to next in your writing.
Do I Need a Writing Coach? (and How to Find One!)
What is an academic writing coach? Do you need one? How do you find one? This post works to demystify coaching and provide practical answers to all your questions!
Asking Big Enough Questions
Why do research questions matter in our writing? What does it mean to ask a big enough question? How to do it? In this post, I answer these questions and discuss the importance of using research questions in your work.
Six Myths About Leaving Academia, Debunked!
Deciding to leave academia is difficult. Many faculty members who are thinking of quitting get hung up on a variety of myths that suggest life outside of academia will be bleak. Let’s debunk them!
1600 Weeks: Time Management for Faculty Writers
Getting writing done is challenging for busy faculty members. This post tackles time management, sharing tips for how to put writing first.
Gift Ideas for Scholarly Writers (Spoiler: they are books!)
Shopping for gifts for academic writers? I’ve got your back! Here are some fantastic books on scholarly writing that your friends will love. Suitable for any occasion!
Struggling to Get Writing Done? Try a Writing Log
How do you get scholarly writing done? Keeping a writing log can help you keep track of what works best for you in your writing!
Ten Tips on How to Write a Great Book Introduction
Book introductions are difficult. So let’s make them easier! This post talks you through the important elements of an academic book introduction and gives advice about how to write one.
Advice I Wish I Could Have Given My New Faculty Self
How do you navigate being a new faculty member? If I could go back and share advice with myself when I was a new faculty member, here is what I would say.
Peer Review: You Have the Reader Reports – Now What?
What do you do with reader reports? This post explores this stage in the peer review process, advising on how to identify and implement revisions as well as how to draft a response letter.