Revisions can be overwhelming, and I often encourage authors to rank revisions from "critical" to "if-there-is-time." I also tell authors to write down three parts of the manuscript that make them proud because every manuscript has fantastic parts, too. #AcademicSky #amediting #academia #writing

🧵Tuesday's Tip: Quotations 1. Don't overuse quotations. Paraphrase unless the *language* of the quote is significant to your argument. Paraphrasing keeps the narrative in *your* voice, and quoting conservatively ensures that the text doesn't start to feel like a potpourri of writing styles. (1/x)

🧵Stuck on revisions? Here's an idea to clarify the argument. Find the most troublesome section, and go paragraph by paragraph underlining the topic sentence (TS). Then ask: 1. Does the TS express the paragraph's argument (i.e. does the TS relate to the evidence you present in the paragraph)? (1/2)

ER doc here! This is a lie. Wait times are up because the American healthcare system is an unsustainable business model and a for-profit national healthcare system just doesn’t work. These problems will continue to get worse until we change that system. It literally has nothing to do with immigrants

Crafting titles is hard for a lot of authors, but understanding one of the standard title formats in academic writing can make the process more manageable. In today's TEA Delivered, I demystify the Concept: Topic format. #AcademicSky #amediting #writing #academia open.substack.com/pub/theedito...

I sent a similar email this week. Writing books is hard, working in academia is hard, let's celebrate each other.

Hey writers and editors-- Let's collectively acknowledge that revising a MS happens in rounds. It's not a one-and-done proposition. No one moves from rough draft to polished manuscript in a single pass. We all know this, so why do we say "I'm going to revise my MS" like it's a one-step process?

Revision is a process because it is, by definition, iterative. Manuscripts don't go from "rough" to "polished" in one round of revision. Don't beat yourself up if your manuscript is on draft 3 or 5 or 8. You are doing the hard work required to make the manuscript strong. #AcademiaSky #amediting

Booking an edit with me for late in the semester helps authors because 1) a deadline with me keeps them writing when their schedules get full, and 2) they get to pass off the project to me & focus on other tasks for a bit *while* the MS is still moving forward. Book now for Nov/Dec! #academicsky

In today’s TEA Delivered, I discuss the difference between a subject-area expert (someone who helps you think through the impact a project may have on the field) and a developmental editor (someone who helps you express your ideas as clearly as possible). open.substack.com/pub/theedito...

Academic authors-- If everything feels hard right now, you aren't alone. Maybe this week we just all do the best we can and commit to staying in community? I'm here if anyone wants to reach out.

Delighted to share our Call for Papers for the workshop *Object Stories in Health and Medicine 1700-1900*. Taking place online on 5 December. Pls share and consider submitting an object story! @rebeccawhiteley.bsky.social @unibirmingham.bsky.social www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/objec...

When authors meet with me, I create a safe space, a place where they can share their writing challenges, wildest publication goals, and professional vulnerabilities. As this busy week wraps up, I hope everyone can catch their breath this weekend and reset in the ways that work best for them.

🧵Numerous grant applications are due this month. If your application is not successful, don't criticize your project(or yourself) Remember that review committees are unpredictable; just because one committee didn't endorse your project doesn't mean another committee will make the same decision(1/x)

Last night I had a stress dream where I was stuck in traffic and couldn't get to my dissertation defense (which, for context, took place 13 years ago). Of all the things my brain could worry about at 3 am, I can't imagine why it chose that. Oh, academia.

My kids' schools open on Thursday. Last year, we started the year with multiple weeks of lockdowns and threats. I feel this so hard.

Last call for the Community & Accountability group. We're a small cohort who values diversity, encourages innovative thinking, & maintains each other's privacy. Meetings never recorded. Bring your insecurities & writing challenges, & we'll troubleshoot together! www.theeditorialally.com/community

🧵 Every Thursday I meet for an hour with a group of editors. We discuss our goals and challenges, share ideas, and hold each other accountable. It's a highlight of my week, and I know that it has improved my work and the growth of my business. (1/2)

I encourage authors to think of working with me as delegating a task to an expert--sharing the responsibility with someone who can help you do the work better in less time. Last week, I took my own advice & hired a web designer to sort out an issue with my website. Happily, she saved me time&hassle

Writing can be isolating. The Community & Accountability group provides a welcoming, supportive space where you can connect with other authors *and* receive real-time writing advice and ideas from an experienced editor. Registration for the fall cohort closes 9/2. www.theeditorialally.com/community

Many academics are facing reduced/eliminated funding. The Editorial Ally is responding with services that target specific stages of the writing process & utilize oral feedback. These adjustments keep prices low & offer more affordable editorial support. theeditorialally.substack.com/p/new-servic...

🧵Was your summer goal to submit your book proposal? Celebrate the work you've done, & recognize that in many ways the outcome is out of your control. A clear, articulate, polished proposal doesn't mean your book will get published. It means you are giving your book the *best possible shot* (1/2)

Feeling the end of summer crunch? I offer some suggestions in today's TEA DELIVERED. open.substack.com/pub/theedito...

I took my own advice! I said the thing out loud. ("By the end of the month, I will create two new pages for my website.") And now the project I've been putting off all summer is almost done. Little steps towards a goal (like saying something out loud) are never actually little steps.

The thing about never having published a book before is that no one has published a book before they’ve published a book. I think there’s way LESS inherited wisdom with publishing than many assume. I promise most ppl don’t know more than you—and that’s OK! Read directions, ask Qs. It’s all good.

An author I worked with two years has a publication date this month for their monograph. This is your friendly reminder that books get finished. And published. I can't wait to hold this one in my hands!

It's the first Monday of August, and for many academics, the start of classes is looming. As you take stock of what you've written this summer, focus on what you DID get done and not on the pages left unwritten. No one hits all their summer writing goals. And books still get finished.

Afraid to reach out to a developmental editor because you think your work is a mess? Comments I hear all the time: ✔️I don't know what the argument is. ✔️I have little confidence in my project. ✔️I didn't learn to write when I was doing my PhD. Don't let fear keep you from connecting. I'm here to help.

Want financial support for your book? Many publication grants have fall application deadlines that will be here soon. For art/architectural historians, CAA publication grants & the Graham Foundation are good places to start. www.collegeart.org/programs/publishing-grants www.grahamfoundation.org

Most authors will need to provide a list of potential peer reviewers & scholars who can write "blurbs" for the book's cover. In today's TEA Delivered, I suggest adding an easy step to this process that will help the acquisitions editor, the author, & future readers. open.substack.com/pub/theedito...

Authors- Sometimes the trick is to say the thing out loud to people until it becomes real to you, too. "My second book is about X." "I'm submitting my book proposal by the end of the year." "I'm going to email a developmental editor this week." Little steps lots of times can change your perspective.

I'm letting Rumeysa's words speak for themselves: www.tuftsdaily.com/article/2025...

Revising a chapter? Make sure the chap intro explains the relationship btwn the chap argument & the book's overall argument/narrative arc. This way the reader understands the relationship btwn the chap & the book (i.e., they understand why the chap matters to the book & are invested in reading it).

Friendly Summer Author PSA: Books really do get finished. And published. I promise.

Happy Birthday, TEA Delivered! 🎂 🥳 This week marks the 50th issue of TEA Delivered, and today I'm talking about introductions. It's common--and tricky--to write the book's introduction last. Here are a few ideas that might help you organize your thinking. open.substack.com/pub/theedito...

The academic’s mid-summer crisis is a mid-life crisis in miniature: You realize summer is half gone, & not only that: you see that the longest & least burdened days came early, & they are well past. You compare all you thought you’d do against the days remaining & grieve for what never will be

*Availability Update* Authors, you have big plans this summer, and I'm SO excited to read what you produce. For me, this productivity means that a lot of you have plans to send me work at summer's ends, and I'm booked deep into the fall. If you want developmental editing in 2025, reach out soon.

I just finished a follow-up consultation with an author after a single-chapter edit, & we both left the conversation pretty jazzed. It's amazing to watch an author determine the argument for a chapter, the chapter's signposting, & the relationship between the chapter argument and the book argument.

A friendly reminder for all the authors using the summer months for writing. And if you are stuck, don't hesitate to switch chapters (or projects) for a bit. It will get done!

Ever wondered how to choose a developmental editor? Not sure if it's acceptable to shop around? Not sure what to look for? I answer these questions and more in today's TEA Delivered. open.substack.com/pub/theedito...

I'm struggling to concentrate. I've turned off my news alerts, but then I peek. I'm experiencing the extreme heat, & the power (& Internet) keeps going off. This is one of those days when "business as usual" isn't an appropriate goal. If you are finding it difficult to write today, I am with you.

Allison and Katelyn discuss how using their workbook can help you overcome mental hurdles. Listen to post: vimeo.com/924201427?sh... @allisonvandev.bsky.social @uchicagopress.bsky.social You can also purchase our book The Dissertation-to-Book Workbook here: press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...

Midweek pro editing tip, friends. Get some new pens, and watch the magic happen! (joking/not joking!) Happy Wednesday!

This morning I spent some time looking at my schedule for the next 4 months, & I get to work with some very talented authors on projects that I know are going to impact our fields. History of science/medicine & art/architectural history folks, get excited! There are some 🔥🔥🔥 books in the pipeline!

A developmental editor won't do the work for you, but they can make your job easier. Learn more in today's TEA Delivered. open.substack.com/pub/theedito...

For all the academic authors out there with a case of the Mondays, I see you. #academicsky

My free writing group for academics in the social sciences and humanities runs from 1-3 pm ET every other Tuesday until August 5. Join tomorrow's session (June 10) or sign up whenever you're ready this summer! Details and registration: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Xbtfj53ERJKa4dLeKmGxiQ.

Last month I posted--perhaps overly optimistically--about this "glorious" time of year... If your May/June goals have been compromised by your kids' 1000 end-of-year school activities and maybe a stomach bug that rampaged through the house, I see you! Here's to muddling through!

Curious abt working with a developmental editor (DE)? You aren't alone. Nearly all my clients have never worked with a DE before they contact me. @lportwoodstacer.bsky.social is demystifying the process in her 1-hr workshop TOMORROW (June 4). Register! 👇 courses.manuscriptworks.com/courses/deve...

Frank talk in this week's TEA Delivered. Deadlines are critical, but go easy on yourself when you (occasionally) need to change one. Beating yourself up only drains more emotional energy. open.substack.com/pub/theedito...