Is writing a nonfiction book harder than you thought it would be? This episode explores:

What your reader needs from you, and why.

Which writing struggles are the most common, and how to fix them.

How to make sure your purpose in writing your book isn’t getting lost.

Ways to more effectively focus on what you need to say.

What to polish up [and how to do that] before you send it off.

Why you can send it out before it’s “perfect.”


Our guest is: Dr. Laura Portwood-Stacer who earned a PhD in Communication from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California. She is a publishing consultant and developmental editor for academic authors, and offers a free newsletter entitled Manuscript Works. Before starting her consulting business, she was a scholar and academic whose research focused on lifestyle choices; and taught at New York University in the Department of Media, Culture, and Communication. She now lives in Los Angeles with her family, and is a two-time Jeopardy champion.
Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, a historian of women and gender.
Listeners to this episode may be interested in:


Story Craft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction, by Jack Hart


The Grant Writing Guide, by Betty S. Lai


The Book Proposal Book, by Laura Portwood-Stacer

Laura's template on how to write an introduction

Laura's template on Reverse Outlining


7 Mistakes I Made When I Published My Academic Book by Laura Portwood-Stacer

How To Impress an Acquisitions Editor

The Academic Life podcast on how to revise your dissertation so a university press will want to publish it

The Academic Life podcast Do You Need A Developmental Editor?

The Academic Life podcast on University Press Submissions and The Peer Review

The Academic Life podcast about marketing your scholarly book

The Academic Life podcast on writing a book proposal

The Academic Life episode on open-access publishing


Welcome to The Academic Life! Join us here each week, as we learn from experts inside and outside the academy, and embrace the broad definition of what it means to lead an academic life.
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