Several semesters back I took a class in academic librarianship in which one of the requirements was to write an article for potential publication. On first seeing this assignment in my quick scan of the syllabus, my first reaction was to panic, but it turned out to be a very good experience. The professor walked us through things like choosing a topic and how to tailor your writing to a particular journal’s audience.
Thom Brook’s Five Secrets to Publishing Success, which is aimed at humanities and social sciences folks, covers overlapping territory. Quickly, his five points are:
- find your voice
- focus
- rejection
- book contracts
- time frame
In the first section he talks about writing book reviews, which is something I’ve been thinking about doing ever since Mark first started talking about writing one. It’s something I’d like to try my hand at.
And on an only slightly related note, a recipe I’ve followed many times with great success, minus the chicken.
