In this episode Christine Tulley guides academic authors through the process of selecting the right university press for their work, a high-stakes decision particularly for tenure-track faculty at research institutions. She walks through key strategies: using the Association of University Presses' subject grid (available in Excel or PDF) to identify presses active in your field, visiting press websites to assess the fit of their current lists, sending brief author query emails to gauge interest, and evaluating a press's output volume and consistency as indicators of its health and competitiveness. Christine also clarifies an important protocol — proposals can be sent to multiple presses simultaneously, but full manuscripts must go to only one — and encourages authors to support the university press ecosystem by purchasing books directly from press websites. The episode closes with a reminder about the 2026 Textbook and Academic Authors Institute (June 12–13), where Christine will be presenting sessions on scholarly and textbook authoring.

Resources Mentioned

• Episode 77: Buy a University Press Book
• AAUP Subject Area Grid
• Textbook and Academic Authors Association Summer Institute

DPL Resources

• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information to get more videos like Lesson 13
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

In Episode 271 of Defend, Publish, and Lead, host and executive writing coach Christine Tulley shares a practical productivity strategy she calls the "Next 30 Days" plan, designed to help academics avoid the common springtime trap of giving up or procrastinating as the semester winds down. Drawing from her own schedule — which includes two workshops, a final book manuscript due April 7th, and limited working days due to travel and holidays — she walks listeners through how to audit their upcoming 30 days by identifying hard deadlines, mapping out available work blocks, ruthlessly eliminating or postponing non-essential commitments, and delegating tasks like formatting and editing when possible. She also discusses a strategy she explored with a coaching client: giving students an out-of-class assignment to reclaim a critical day of focused work time. Throughout the episode, Christine emphasizes the guiding principle of "if it can wait, let it," encouraging faculty to narrow their focus, protect their limited bandwidth, and make intentional choices to finish the semester strong rather than stalling until summer.

Resources Mentioned

• Meggin McIntosh, "Techniques for Writing Productively"
• Textbook and Academic Authors Association Summer Institute

DPL Resources

• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information to get more videos like Lesson 13
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

In Episode 270, Christine Tulley describes dissertation support efforts at Defend, Publish and Lead this month.

Resources Mentioned

• Sign up for our free Dissertation Rescue sessions on Eventbrite
• Sign up for a free writing coach hour to support your dissertation or dissertation writers at [email protected]
• Check out our playlists
• Academic Writing Pregame I
• Academic Writing Pregame 2
• Textbook and Academic Authors Association Summer Institute

DPL Resources

• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information to get more videos like Lesson 13
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

In Episode 269, Christine Tulley walks through all four "big picture" problems that might cause a dissertation to be derailed.

Episode Resources

• Slides Shown in this Episode
• Sign up for our free Dissertation Rescue sessions on Eventbrite
• Consider attending this year's Textbook and Academic Authors Association Summer Institute

DPL Resources

• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information to get more videos like Lesson 13
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

In this remix of an earlier episode, Christine Tulley invites you to start thinking about writing as an event—something you actually look forward to rather than squeeze in between everything else. She shares how she treats her writing sessions like a "hot date," complete with a fancy coffee, a favorite playlist, and a trip to the library to get into the right mindset. Even when writing at home, she recreates that sense of occasion with small rituals—special drinks, lo-fi music, a quick walk, or a few minutes of freewriting—to signal that it's time to focus. The key is building anticipation and making writing feel intentional and even a little indulgent.

Christine also encourages you to refresh your writing space so it supports your energy and creativity. That might mean trying a standing desk, swapping out your chair, lighting a candle, getting dressed for the day, or using colorful tools like Trello to close out a session on a high note. Simple visual cues—like keeping your thesis on a Post-it nearby—can help you stay grounded when distractions creep in.

There's no single "right" routine; the goal is to experiment and find small, joyful touches that make sitting down to write feel satisfying and sustainable.

Resources Mentioned

• The episode "Writing the Discipline, Writing Ourselves" on Rhetoricity is referenced. https://rhetoricity.libsyn.com/writing-our-discipline-writing-ourselves-an-interview-with-christine-tulley

Bonus Spotify Playlists

• Academic Writing Pregame I https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1bgFAtXJZf36jHEiEYcEBU?si=WEpJSTGfSf2CqkRefXsOkg
• Academic Writing Pregame 2 https://open.spotify.com/playlist/79TtmtQsY5EvbWPpOQwCkJ?si=YWl9CVhVRWqlVZDEAJtgxw

DPL Resources

• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information to get more videos like Lesson 13
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

In Episode 266, Christine Tulley walks through ways faculty developers can show faculty writers some love including programming, resources, and support strategies and how faculty writers can support themselves with free resources and writing organizations.

Slides used in Episode

Resources Mentioned:

• Get a free past webinar on us! Select PAST to view all of our past events on Eventbrite and select one. Email [email protected] to let her know and the recording for both past free or paid events will be sent to you.
• "Make Faculty Writing Support Easier to Find: Let's lower the barriers to finding and navigating faculty writing support." By Jennifer Ahern-Dodson and Christine Tulley https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/career-advice/advancing-faculty/2025/12/03/make-faculty-writing-support-easier-find-opinion

DPL Resources:

• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information to get more videos like Lesson 13
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

In Episode 266, Christine Tulley walks through the process of creating a "book completion battle plan" when facing a tight deadline, sharing her real-time approach to finishing a book manuscript due March 1st with only 23 days remaining. She demonstrates how to audit your available time by identifying writing days versus non-writing days, distinguishing between "big block days" (2+ hours), smaller writing blocks (45-90 minutes), and brief time fragments, explaining that she has 15 realistic writing days to complete 15,000-25,000 words at approximately 1,600 words per day. Tulley emphasizes thinking in terms of sections and subsections rather than just word counts, strategically allocating big blocks for generating new content and structural work while reserving smaller time pockets for cleanup tasks, and she shares practical decisions like printing the full manuscript for review, hiring a coach for formatting help, planning when to hand off work for editing, and protecting key writing days. She explains that noting that this kind of strategic time mapping helps writers facing deadlines make informed decisions about whether they need to add weekend days or pull all-nighters to meet their goals.

Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 99 - Double Check Your Writing Using Penzu
• Register for the 2026 Textbook and Academic Authors Institute to work on your book

DPL Resources

• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information to get more videos like Lesson 13
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

In Episode 265, Christine Tulley offers practical advice for overwhelmed academic writers on how to make progress when time is limited by focusing on completing just one paragraph. She explains that paragraphs can serve various purposes—proposing new frameworks, introducing evidence, synthesizing literature, or challenging established views—and that working on a single paragraph is a manageable, non-threatening way to advance your writing even in small fragments of time. Tulley emphasizes that paragraphs have singular goals and typically take less than a full page, making them ideal units for focused work during brief writing sessions, and she encourages writers to start with key structural paragraphs or troublesome ones that need revision, noting that these small efforts accumulate toward completing larger projects.

Resource Mentioned

• Lesson 13: Establish Originality (Tuesday Toolbox)
• Episode 233 - Paragraphing

DPL Resources

• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information to get more videos like Lesson 13
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

In Episode 264, Christine Tulley explores alternatives to traditional time blocking for academic writers who struggle with scheduling designated writing periods. While acknowledging that time blocking works for some people, she presents three alternative approaches: dedicating entire days to writing rather than small time slots, blocking time for specific tasks instead of general "writing hours," and using a flexible weekly range system where writers set a minimum and maximum number of hours to complete each week without assigning them to specific times. Tulley emphasizes that traditional time blocking often fails because it requires writing on demand, can be disrupted by busy weeks, and may not suit everyone's temperament. She encourages academics to experiment with different methods to find what best matches their personality and schedule while still maintaining accountability for their writing goals.

Resource Mentioned:

• Episode 97: Getting Your Writing Back After an Interruption
• Textbook and Academic Authors Association Summer Institute - June 12-13, 2026

DPL Resources

• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

In this episode of Defend, Publish, and Lead, host Christine Tulley interviews Brenda Ulrich, a publishing attorney and board member of the Textbook and Academic Authors Association (TAA), about the organization and the upcoming 2026 TAA Summer Institute.

Brenda discusses TAA's unique value as a cross-disciplinary organization focused on supporting textbook and academic authors throughout their writing careers, not just the writing process itself, offering guidance on contracts, copyright, marketing, and other industry matters. She highlights her upcoming presentation on publishing contract negotiation, which will be an updated version covering both fundamental negotiation strategies and new considerations brought about by generative AI and changing industry practices, including how content is increasingly fragmented, bundled in subscription services, and distributed through platforms like inclusive access. The session is designed to benefit both new authors who need to understand contract basics and veteran authors facing new amendments, contract updates, or navigating an evolving publishing landscape where books from 1992 are being moved to much longer and more complex modern contracts.

Resource Mentioned:

• Textbook and Academic Authors Association Summer Institute

DPL Resources

• Tuesday Toolbox - contact [email protected] for subscription information
• Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation.
• Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from [email protected]
• Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net
• New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.