Post 109. Academic Writing Books, Anyone? Feb. 5, 2024
Dear Real Academics,
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Pic of the Week
I’ve posted this picture before, but I thought it was appropriate for this post as well. Yes, that’s my furry boy, Rocky, posing among some of my writing books!
Food for Thought
Do you have a library of books on academic writing to help support, motivate, and improve your writing practice?
If not, then I highly suggest you start building an academic writing library.
If you don’t know where to start, read on for the top three books I suggest starting with and why I recommend them. I’ve listed them with short titles and include links to Amazon (just click on the title and author), but please know I receive ZERO commission from them! The links are just for your convenience.
(1) How to Write A Lot by Paul Silvia
This book is one of those “get on your butt and just write” books, and I often reach for it when I need someone to tell me that! But, lest you think Silvia is harsh, I don’t think he is. He does have a direct writing style, but it’s fun, candid, and useful.
What I love about this book:
It’s a great reminder of why writing is so critical to an academic career.
It provides practical advice on what to do, exactly, to establish a regular and productive writing habit. It personally helped me finish my dissertation!
(2) Becoming an Academic Writer by Patricia Goodson
This is my number one recommendation for anyone starting their academic writing learning and improvement journey. This can happen at any phase of your career, but it sure helps to start early.
What I love about this book:
It’s a beautiful blend of the “so what” and the “how to”. In other words, you’ll get a solid foundation into the why behind the suggested writing process as well as concrete exercises you can immediately apply. While Silvia may get you to start a regular writing habit, this book will reinforce that idea.
It’s a book you can use over and over again as a reference as you write different parts of your academic pieces. I used it as a graduate student, as an assistant professor, and as an associate professor with tenure. I still use most of the ideas in my current writing practice, even though I’m not writing research manuscripts any longer.
(3) Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks by Wendy Belcher
For those wanting some sort of map or road map to help publish an article on already completed research, this workbook type of book is phenomenal.
What I love about this book:
It provides refreshing structure and timeline for getting your article published.
It includes templates to help you with strengthening each piece and process of your research article, including how to respond to reviewer comments effectively. Belcher also includes invaluable tips and insights of do’s and don’ts along the way.
Next Steps
If you are interested in a list of recommended writing books, including the ones I discuss here, check out my resources page here:
I am THINKING about starting a reading club via Zoom where we read a writing book together. If you are interested, would you let me know either in a comment OR email to inforealacademics@gmail.com? I only want to do it if there is enough interest.
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