Academic Book Writing Simplified: Write and Publish Your Academic Book
Are you a woman or non-binary scholar in academia who feels like writing your academic book is a complete mystery? Wondering how other scholars find the time to write while juggling teaching, research, and service - when you have been looking at the same page for weeks?
Welcome to Academic Book Writing Simplified - the academic writing podcast for women and non-binary scholars who want to get practical academic writing tips and real academic writing support, so they can finally write and publish their academic book with clarity and confidence.
If you’re ready to stop second-guessing and finally write the book that establishes your expertise, you’re in the right place.
I’m your host, Jane Joann Jones, PhD, former sociologist who quit her tenure- track job to become a developmental editor and book writing coach for women of color in academia. As the founder of Book Brilliance, a group coaching program, I work with women and non-binary scholars who want to use reliable systems to develop a clear book idea, structure their academic book manuscript, and make consistent, meaningful progress on their books.
I’ve helped over 100 academics publish their book with leading presses including University of Chicago, Duke, Stanford, Rutgers, Oxford, Princeton and Stanford. I want to help you do the same.
This podcast will give you clear, practical answers to your biggest book-writing questions including:
- How do I start writing my academic book?
- How long does it *really* take to write an academic book?
- Can I just revise my dissertation and turn it into a book, or do I need to start from scratch?
- How can I write my book if I don’t feel like an expert?
- How can I use developmental editing to help me write my academic book?
- What are ways I can improve my academic writing?
Each short, no-nonsense episode busts common myths about academic book writing, exposes the hidden curriculum of scholarly publishing, and gives you actionable strategies so you can make steady progress — without waiting for the perfect time to start.
Ready to demystify the book writing process?
Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts, and share with a fellow academic who’s ready to navigate the path to publication with more ease and less overwhelm.
Learn more about how we can help you become an academic author: https://rightprose.co
Episodes
41 episodes
41: Should You Write Your Academic Book During Your Postdoc?
A postdoc can seem like a great opportunity to write an academic book. After all, you have so much uninterrupted time where you can do deep work on a long project. If you have to go back on the job market, however, you might be wondering if wri...
#40: Writing an Academic Book for a Wide Audience with Allison Daminger
In today’s episode, Jane is joined by Dr. Allison Daminger, Assistant Professor of Sociology at University of Wisconsin. She is the author of the new book, What’s on Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life. Allison is also an alum...
#39: Self-Efficacy in Academia: Overcoming Structural Barriers to Writing with Kel Weinhold
Self-efficacy in academia isn't just about mindset—it's about recognizing structural barriers while reclaiming agency in your writing process. Jane interviews Kel Weinhold, co-owner of The Professor Is In, to explore how self-efficacy shapes yo...
#38: Lessons For Book Writers From a Year of Podcasting
Join Jane as she celebrates a year of podcasting and shares the lessons she’s learned while embarking on a brand-new, long-term project. Podcasting is similar to writing a book in important ways, and in this episode you’ll discover some key pri...
#37: Embracing Your Inner Editor with Laura Portwood-Stacer
On today’s podcast, Jane welcomes Laura Portwood-Stacer to the podcast to discuss her new book, Make Your Manuscript Work: A Guide to Developmental Editing for Scholarly Writers. Laura is the founder of Manuscript Works, a writing cons...
#36: How Much Accountability Do You Need to Write a Book?
In today’s episode, Jane discusses what scholarly writers are really looking for when they say they need accountability. While accountability is essential for strong communities, there can also be a risk in always relying on others to maintain ...
#35: The Fundamentals of Academic Book Writing
In this episode, Jane shares an exciting announcement about a new program called Fundamentals of Academic Book Writing. Learn everything you need to know about the program, including: ➡️ Why Jane decided to create this program and o...
#34: Starting Your Academic Book? Do This First
If you’re starting to write an academic book, you probably have a lot of questions. One of them might be, “how exactly do I get started?” You have a lot of options, but some paths are going to prove to be more productive than others. If you wan...
#33: The Three Pillars of Successful Book Planning
What’s required to create a solid book writing plan? What do you need to know to make sure that you can actually execute the plan that you make? Planning isn’t always easy, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. If you are ready to make a writi...
#32: Get Focused: How to Make the Most of Your Writing Sessions
Are you struggling to get work done during the time you’ve scheduled to write? Do you walk away from a writing session feeling like your time would have been better spent watching water boil? It’s frustrating to protect your time then feel like...
#31: Strong Start: What to Include in Your Academic Book’s Introductory Chapter
If you're writing an academic book in the humanities or social sciences, you might feel like the stakes are high when it comes to nailing your introductory chapter. How do you pique your readers’ interest while laying the foundation for a compl...
#30: Reworking Your Dissertation’s Literature Review for a Scholarly Book
In this episode, Jane addresses one of the most commonly asked questions from academic writers who are turning their dissertations into scholarly books: What should I do with the literature review?As you transition from disserta...
#29: When Should You Write Your Book’s Introduction?
In this second episode of our series on book introductions, Jane answers the question of timing for book introductions. When is the best time to write the introduction? Should you do it first, or wait until you’ve written the entire book? ...
#28: How Long Should an Academic Book’s Introduction Be?
Your academic book’s introduction is your first opportunity to make an impression on your reader. It’s natural that you’d be worried about writing it well. One aspect of the introduction that authors tend to fixate on is length. How long should...
#27: [Replay] Treat Your Writing Like a Dress Rehearsal
As you start writing this summer, you might be feeling pressure to “get it right the first time.” After all, you have a lot to catch up on, right? In this replay of our most popular episode, Jane discusses how and why you should tre...
#26: Getting Grants to Write Your Academic Book with Dr. Brittany Fox-Williams
In today’s episode, Jane talks to Dr. Brittany Fox-Williams, an alum of the Elevate (now known as Book Brilliance) coaching program. Dr. Fox-Williams is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at...
#25: Finding Supportive Spaces as a Woman of Color in Academia with Dr. Yalidy Matos
In today’s episode, Jane has a conversation with Dr. Yalidy Matos, an alum of the Elevate book coaching program. Dr. Matos is an Associate Professor of Political Science, a Russell Sage Foundation Fellow, and the author of Moral and I...
#24: Behind the Scenes: The Book Brilliance Walkthrough
Join Jane for a look at the Book Brilliance program. In today’s episode, you will learn exactly what happens in the program, the types of goals you can achieve, and why working with a group is essential to your success. We’ll cover:...
#23: Behind the Scenes: How Developmental Editing Works in Book Brilliance
Elevate has a new name! In today’s episode, Jane is joined by Kali Handelman. Kali is the developmental editor for Book Brilliance. She has her eyes on every single piece of writing reviewed in the program, and she’s here to discuss...
#22: How Academics Can Make a Summer Writing Plan That Actually Works
Do you always start your summer with grand ambitions, only to look back at the end of the summer and realize you only finished half of what you planned? If you’re ready to stop making unrealistic plans, this episode is for you. Here...
#21: Should You Write an Academic Book if Academia Is Collapsing?
To say that people working in academia are living through tumultuous times would be an understatement. You might be facing current circumstances and wondering if writing a book is worth your time. In today’s episode, Jane takes a ve...
#20: Working With an Editor on Your Academic Book Is Not Cheating
There are some strong opinions in academia about the merits of academic editing. In today’s episode, Jane discusses the perception that working with an editor is “cheating” or an indication that you’re not a serious scholar. She addresses some ...
#19: Why Aspiring Academic Book Authors Should Work with a Developmental Editor
Have you ever worked with an editor? Does the process of working with one feel like a mystery? In today’s episode, Jane is going to pull back the curtain and explain how academics can work with editors to improve their writing. In this episode,...
#18: Writing an Academic Book Takes Longer Than You Think! 4 Steps to Completing Your Book
Do you know how long it will take to write your academic book? I don’t mean how long it took your friend with the cushy postdoc or how long you wish it will take - I mean how long it will actually take. The reality is that most people don’t. If...
#17: You Are Not a Burden: How to Ask for Feedback for Your Academic Book
Good feedback is an invaluable resource for academics writing books, but how do you get it? In today’s episode, Jane gives you a primer on the importance of feedback and how to ask for feedback that will help you make progress. She covers: ...