

Writing It!
The Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Florida
"Writing It! The Podcast About Academics & Writing" dives deep into the world of academic writing and publishing. Join us for conversations with academics and editors as we discuss challenges, strategies, and insights from our writing lives. As we share our experiences and helpful hacks, we make the process of writing and getting published a bit more transparent and a bit less overwhelming.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 29, 2024 • 38min
Episode 16: When you need lots of images in your book
We’re speaking with UF English Professor Margaret Galvan about writing a book with lots of images; how to find a press that can accommodate image-rich manuscripts; what a book publicist will actually do for you; how to cultivate a relationship with your publicist and editor; how to be thoughtful about book promotion; when and why to apply for a fellowship for book two; the importance of finding colleagues and friends who will get excited about your book; and handling the details of getting a manuscript ready for production.
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Jan 16, 2024 • 46min
Episode 15: The Path to a Pulitzer
Today we’re speaking with Pulitzer Prize winning scholar, Jack E. Davis, who is a UF professor of history and the Rothman Family Chair in the Humanities specializing in environmental history and sustainability studies. Jack talks with us about writing for a broader audience; what makes writing fun for him; the not-so-easy task of finding an agent; what it’s like to be an academic with a fellowship at MacDowell; and the experience of winning a Pulitzer.
Don't forget to rate and review our show and follow us on all social media platforms here:
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Jan 2, 2024 • 1h 6min
Episode 14: What’s so important about your book’s meta-data? Understanding publishing from the perspective of a university press
Today we’re speaking with UF Press Editor in chief, Stephanye Hunter and UF Press Marketing Manager, Rachel Doll. Among our many topics, we discuss recent changes in the academic publishing world; important considerations in titling your book; what you can reasonably ask/expect of your editor; how to think about writing an op-ed, before book publication; what kind of publicity you can do on your own—and at what point—before publication; what kind of book events are most appropriate for your academic book; how a press decides if yours is a “crossover book”; what to consider when making suggestions for your book cover; What is meta-data?
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Dec 18, 2023 • 48min
Episode 13: Why publish with a ‘trade division’ of an academic press?
Today we speak with Martin Siegel, author of the recently published, Judgement and Mercy: The Turbulent Life and Times of the Judge Who Condemned the Rosenbergs about writing a biography over many years, and publishing with the trade division of an academic press.
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Dec 4, 2023 • 35min
Episode 12: The Truth About Book Promotion with Sandra Fox
We talk with Sandra Fox about what a first-time author can do to promote her book; what to expect from the publisher; and how best to use the affiliations and connections you have to spread the word about your book. We talk about honorariums, book price, op-eds, and book contracts.
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Nov 20, 2023 • 60min
Episode 11: Figuring out how to write the post-tenure book
Yale professor Elli Stern talks with us about figuring out what kind of writing we want to do after tenure—and the importance of building a team of friends and colleagues who can read drafts and provide valuable feedback.
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Nov 6, 2023 • 41min
Episode 10: Getting Unstuck in our Academic Writing with Gillian Steinberg
A conversation with developmental editor/writing coach, Gillian Steinberg about replacing negative voices about writing with positive ones and strategies for improving our writing process.
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Oct 23, 2023 • 49min
Episode 09: How to tell your academic story in applications: Special issue for job market/fellowship/graduate school application season
Karen Kelsky, of “The Professor Is In” speaks with us about academic job applications and academics applying for non-academic jobs. WE also talk about academic fellowship applications and graduate school applications.
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Oct 9, 2023 • 50min
Episode 08: Writing as a practice for self-understanding
A conversation with Yale University Lex Hixon Professor of Religious Studies and American Studies and Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean of Humanities, Kathryn Lofton about the purposes and challenges of writing while working in higher education administration.
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Sep 26, 2023 • 51min
Episode 07: Finally! Insightful, concrete advice for your job market writing materials
Jeff Kopstein, Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Irvine, talks with us about putting together a compelling application for academic jobs. We talk not only about assistant professorship applications, but about the shift in tone and content for associate and full professorship applications.
Don't forget to rate and review our show and follow us on all social media platforms here:
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