Welcome to My Blog
Thoughts on editing, writing, and academic life
Featured Posts
Getting Writing Done Within a Busy Life
How can academics accomplish their writing goals amidst such busy lives? Here I give you writing tips to help you learn why writing in short chunks can be very productive.
How I Knew It Was Time for Me to Leave Academia
How do you know when it's time to leave academia? Quitting academia isn't easy and it's hard to understand when it's time to go. This post shares my story and provides some suggestions for how you might determine whether it's time for you to go.
When and How to Approach Acquisitions Editors
Approaching scholarly acquisitions editors can be stressful. But these conversations are important to have. In this post I explain when and how to start talking about your manuscript with editors at university presses.
Tackling the Dreaded Question: Why is My Research Important?
Why is my research important? Figuring out the significance of your research can be one of the most difficult parts of writing. This post helps to make it easier!
Seven Questions to Consider Before Starting a Writing Group (that Will Make it Work!)
Writing groups can be really positive experiences. But how do you start a writing group right? This blog leads you through a series of questions to help you determine the kind of writing group you want and how to build it.
Peer Review: How to Handle the Emotional Side
Peer reviews can be painful to receive, especially since scholars invest so much time in their manuscripts. This post provides some advice on how to deal with the emotional challenges of the peer review process.
Peer Review: How to Write Thoughtful Reader Reports (that won’t make authors cry)
How can you conduct peer review in a way that is useful to the author without making them feel terrible? This post shares tips on how to make your reader reports helpful and compassionate!
What Can Love Is Blind Teach Us about Academic Writing?
Why can’t I look away from Love is Blind? And what can the show teach us about academic writing? This post explores the importance of crafting a strong argument, crafting compelling questions, and bringing your subject to life.
Eight Signs That You Might Be Ready to Leave Academia (and How to Decide)
You’re feeling unhappy in academia, but don’t know if you are ready to leave. This post helps identify some signs that might indicate it’s time to go and also provides some exercises to help you decide if you really want to leave.
Why You Should Join a Writing Group!
Writing groups work! They can be highly effective ways to boost your writing productivity and create connections with others. I discuss why and introduce my scholarly writing groups.
How Much Bad Writing Do Academic Editors Read?
This post explores this question as a way to think through the stigma that can be associated with working with editors.
Ten Signs That You Would Benefit From Developmental Editing
This post helps you figure out when to hire a developmental editor. There are lots of reasons why you might do this as a scholarly writer, including helping you refine your argument, get motivated to write, and improve your writing.
Five Ways to Become a Stylish Writer
Writing stylishly as a scholar isn’t easy. It’s not something that we are often trained in. In this post, I provide writing tips for academics to help make your writing stand out.
Defining Your Audience. Who the Heck Are They?
Defining your audience in academic writing can be challenging. This post helps you figure out who you are writing for and how to reach them.
Writing Challenges: Stop My Book from Being Boring!
Making scholarly writing interesting is challenging and something which academics aren’t often taught in graduate school. This post introduces you to one strategy to help you catch readers’ attention and keep them reading.
How to Find and Hire a Developmental Editor
You’ve realized you need editorial support, but how do you find and hire a developmental editor? This post provides tips to help you figure how and obtain the academic editing support you need!
Nine Do’s and Don’ts of Book Proposals
Writing a book proposal can be a frightening undertaking. But here are some tips to help make the process easier and to help you produce an excellent proposal.
Should You Leave Academia? Eight Questions to Help You Decide
Do you find yourself thinking about leaving academia, but you aren’t sure what to do? In this post I offer some questions that you can go through to help you figure out your next steps.