Developing good habits of writing
Exercise 6:
If writing is a skill - something that can be exercised better or worse - what is likely to help to develop and sustain it?
Some suggestions:
Practising actually writing, whether for academic use or not.
Reading both one's own work and others' and watching to see how the writing itself works. Look at the form as well as the content.
Being read by others, informally.
Responding to reviewers' comments.
For some people, regular writing helps fend off writers' block. Many novelists write at particular times of day for uninterrupted blocks. Simply opening up files - even without writing - can speed the transition back to writing when there is more time.
For other people, academic life divides between periods of writing and not writing.
There are subject specific differences. In the humanities, the distinction between research and 'writing up' is not clear.
Informal academic publication in blogs and social media
Exercise 7:
By contrast with formal publication in journals, book chapters and books, what are the advantages and disadvantages of publication in social media?
Some suggestions:
Immediacy, ease of publication, lower peer expectations, greater freedom to experiment, access.
But: risk of no quality control, blunders, drunken ramblings etc. no formal citation.
Formal academic publishing
There is a range of formats even for formal academic writing.
Books (humanities): 80-120,000 words. Typically written with a contract already agreed, to a timetable. Generally the manuscript is peer reviewed before final acceptance. Open access is problematic.
Short format books: 20-30,000 words. A new publishing format, usually published both electronically and in hard copy. Hence open access is easier.
Book chapters: same properties as books though the book editor may have a hand in quality reviewing.
Journal papers: 2-10,000 words. Non-invited papers are submitted for blind peer review. Acceptance rates within philosophy journals range from 70% to 3%. Invited special issues often enjoy lighter touch reviewing. Easiest open access.
Open access is becoming increasingly important and it is worth checking guidance for the next 2027 REF.
Exercise 8:
What factors should guide a choice of formal publishing format?
Checklist, having decided the right format.
Check the publishers guidelines re relevant area, editorial guidelines, length, format, process. Look at what has been published recently in any given journal. Keep in mind that as well as overall quality, journal editors wish to publish articles that are likely to be cited to drive up their citation index. So is the proposed paper likely to be interesting, timely as well as substantial.
Check impact (journals) or distribution (books). For journals, decide a strategy for submission and resubmission. Submit to only one at a time.
For books, discuss the project with the editor. Prepare a proper proposal. 'Research' competitor books. Sell the virtues of the book but be honest.
Beware reviewer 2! Accommodate what can be accommodated but if the changes seem too much, consider another journal or parking this paper. In some rare cases, appeal to the editor.
General lessons
Academic writing aims rationally to persuade the reader of a conclusion. It does this by assembling an argument - whether based on empirical evidence, conceptual analysis or plausible interpretation - from premises to conclusion. It thus pulls the reader from the start to the end.
Writing style or form interacts with whatever content to underpin this movement. Hence, all aspects of writing style matter to argument: from the use of punctuation, to academic tribal colours, to the nature of the publication itself.
As a skill, writing needs to be practised (cf Gladwell's 10,000 hours for expertise), often and critically. But it is not merely a matter of writing grammatically correctly. Like practising a musical instrument, basic technique and aesthetic expression improve together.