Articles from our Newsletter

Why do some academics still sniff at the idea of using a professional editor?

September 25, 2014

Some in academia believe that without rigorous standards the integrity of their rarified product is at risk.  I argue that this is not only untrue, but harmful to the productivity of many academic writers. I’m not the first one to raise these questions, but I have a few pretty good arguments that I hope will …

Participating in Academic Writing Month? Six Cool Tools for Planning and Drafting Your Writing

November 2, 2013

Did you know that November is National Academic Writing Month? Based on the same concept that has led novelists all over the world to write 1667 words a day for the month of November, Academic Writing month focuses on helping writers meet daily word count or time-based goals. Don’t want to write 1000+ words a …

You, a Creative Writer? 4 Techniques To Help ANY Academic Get Published

October 3, 2013

Did you know that you were a creative writer? As an academic, you may be saying, “Nooooooo, I do research!” And you certainly do. You research, you write, you revise, and you publish, and all of those things require creativity. Somehow along the way, we’ve made a false dichotomy. We’ve made a distinction between creative …

Avoid Beginning of the Semester Panic: Six Scheduling Tips for the Already Overscheduled

September 7, 2013

For those of you who have just made it through the first, overwhelming week of school, congratulations! It gets better. For those who are about to head into a new term, hang in there. I know this is a busy time for all of us, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of giving …

Don’t Let Flattery Drain Your Battery (3 ways not to let flattery trick you into saying “yes”)

August 8, 2013

We all know the importance of saying “no.” We’ve heard it time and time again, from our professors, mentors, and colleagues, and yet many of us still find it hard to do. Why does this happen? We’re smart people, right? Why is it so hard to put into action what we know will work for …

The Hidden Price of Isolation (and 5 ways to avoid paying that price)

July 11, 2013

Okay, I’m just going to come out and say it. It can be lonely being an academic. Academics spend a lot of time on independent tasks that are done alone, such as researching, writing, editing, and grading. If you’re not careful, you can spend too much time on your own, and it will curtail your …

The Lonely Academic

June 13, 2013

Okay, I’m just going to come out and say it. It can be lonely being an academic. Academics spend a lot of time on independent tasks that are done alone, such as researching, writing, editing, and grading. If you’re not careful, you can spend too much time on your own, and it will curtail your …

MORE PRODUCTIVITY, LESS PANIC – How to Make the Most of Your Summer

May 17, 2013

“Wait, what?  It’s July 30!  The summer is more than half over!  I didn’t write at all in June and hardly anything in July!  Now I have so much work to do – – too much work!  How am I ever going to do it?” You know that mid-summer panic? Non-academic friends never understand.  “It’s …

Do You Have Vanishing Academic Brain Syndrome?

April 18, 2013

At the end of the academic year, it’s not unusual to find refrigerators that look like this  ——————-> OK, probably without the carrot. One of my colleagues used to post the pictures of her end-of-the-semester refrigerator on Facebook to explain to her nonacademic friends how busy her life was during these last few weeks of …

It’s About Time: Managing the Dissertation Advisor-Advisee Relationship During The Chaos of the End of the Semester

March 21, 2013

Grad student: “I put so much work into this draft! What does she want from me?” Advisor: “How many more times will I have to tell him before he gets it right?” Grad student and advisor: “Aaaaack!” This is a stressful time of year for academics. A friend of mine used to say that we …

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