About Publish Not Perish
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.
Who is this Newsletter For?
If you feel like your career doesn’t look like you want it to in terms of how you write or how much time you spend writing, then this newsletter is for you.
If you feel like you have lost, or never really gained, the ability to write without fear, then this newsletter is for you.
If you work with others who experience any of these challenges, then this newsletter is for you.
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.
Who is Jenn?
I am an academic writer, teacher, and writing coach who is an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin. 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.
One of the greatest joys in my day job is mentoring graduate students and other aspiring writers, so I am using Publish Not Perish to expand my reach and community.
Email: jenn@publishnotperish.net
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.
