Publish or perish.
We’ve all heard it, and many of us have felt it in our scholarly bones.
We begin hearing the mantra in graduate school when some admired faculty member tells us publishing is the key to the academic job market. Many of us internalize it then and use it as a barometer for all career success.
When we finish a PhD and get an academic job, we hear that publishing is the key to getting the better job.
If we land the better job, publishing then becomes a main, or perhaps the main, requirement for keeping it.
Publish or perish is a persistent hum in our ears, and for some of us, that hum is loud.
This newsletter is not about perishing but flourishing instead. There are many ways to achieve this feat and to work towards being the balanced human being we’d all prefer to be.
Topics we explore include
Developing a Writing Practice
Cultivating Productivity
Navigating Academic Culture
Promoting Balance
Thriving Beyond the Academy
Publish Not Perish is my effort to share what I have learned along the way, to develop community with fellow travelers, and to explore best practices in writing as academics with multiple demands on our time.
Please like, share, and comment! I would love to hear what topics you’d like to see covered.
Hi, I’m Jenn!
I am a writer, teacher, and scholarly writing and career coach who spent her academic career at the University of Washington Seattle (PhD program) and the University of Texas at Austin (assistant professor) before deciding to work full-time at helping scholars realize their writing and career dreams. Read all about my decision to leave academia here.
I’ve struggled as a writer at various parts of my career and took a deep dive into figuring out strategies to overcome these challenges. Publish, Not Perish is one way I share what I learned along the way!
I now run a scholarly writing and career coaching business to help you rise above the challenges of academia, rediscover your inner brilliance, and better the world around you through your work!
What are the various ways to subscribe?
Free Membership: Get a public post delivered to your inbox every week. While some posts become paywalled after two weeks, those that resonate the most are kept open for everyone because I value accessibility.
Paid Membership: Paid members enjoy complete access to all previously published public posts, additional weekly content, participation in the PNP Writing Circle, access to live events, and the opportunity to attend Office Hours. Subscriptions start at $6 per month or $60 per year.
Benefactor Bundle Membership: For academics with institutional funding, the Benefactor option is available at $200 per year. This membership includes three gift subscriptions to give away, allowing benefactors to choose recipients or allocate them to precariously employed scholars.
