On academic writing

Abstract

Are there any useful tricks of the trade, as it were, to sustain a productive routine of writing for publication in academic journals?1 Nowadays the drive towards international publication is stronger than ever in Europe (poor Americans, who have to publish in domestic journals). The trend is irreversible and strong. At the same time teaching requirements remain the same and administrative duties tend to be distributed widely among faculty everywhere. There is a definite need to use time (writing time) more effectively, and even if work habits in academia are quite diverse and personal, there must be some lessons to draw by comparing experiences by those who have succeeded. Personally I cannot refer to any huge list of publications (only some 30 articles), but I have been in the business for some time (about 40 years), served as editor for many years, and as reviewer for a dozen journals. Here are some rules for success I have drawn from editorial experience and from interacting with those who know.