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Academic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #27: [Replay] Treat Your Writing Like a Dress RehearsalAs you start writing this summer, you might be feeling pressure to “get it right the first time.” After all, you have a lot to catch up on, right? In this replay of our most popular episode, Jane discusses how and why you should treat your writing like a dress rehearsal. Embracing a sense of experimentation and curiosity can help you unlock your creativity. You’ll also learn how to practice patience for your own unique writing process. Grab your headphones and tune in so you can start your summer writing with a sense of excitemen...2025-05-2710 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #26: Student Spotlight: Dr. Brittany Fox-WilliamsIn today’s episode, Jane talks to Dr. Brittany Fox-Williams, an alum of the Elevate (now known as Book Brilliance) coaching program. Dr. Fox-Williams is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Lehman College, City University of New York. She is also part of the Sociology Doctoral Faculty at the Graduate Center at City University of New York. Her forthcoming book examines the role of trust in student-educator relationships, the salience of trust for student outcomes, and racial differences in trust among youth. Tune in to hear: How Brittany used the coaching in Book Brilliance to “hack” academia...2025-05-2020 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #25: The Coaching Client Experience: Yalidy Matos, PhDIn today’s episode, Jane has a conversation with Dr. Yalidy Matos, an alum of the Elevate book coaching program. Dr. Matos is an Associate Professor of Political Science, a Russell Sage Foundation Fellow, and the author of Moral and Immoral Whiteness in Immigration Politics. Tune in to hear: The resources from the program that Yalidy returns to again and againWhy Yalidy thinks the program is a unique space for minoritized faculty. How the curriculum helped Yalidy write and confirm her ideas faster.Yalidy’s recommendations for getting creative to find funding to pay for professional development💎Book Brill...2025-05-1317 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #24: Behind the Scenes: The Book Brilliance WalkthroughJoin Jane for a look at the Book Brilliance program. In today’s episode, you will learn exactly what happens in the program, the types of goals you can achieve, and why working with a group is essential to your success. We’ll cover: What you can expect in the first two weeks, one month, and sixty days of the program. How our three-pronged approach helps you develop your writing craft, project management skills, and mindset.Jane’s counterintuitive approach to planning, and how you’ll learn that approach in Book Brilliance. The ways in which we reject ge...2025-05-0616 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #23: Behind the Scenes: How Developmental Editing Works in Book BrillianceElevate has a new name! In today’s episode, Jane is joined by Kali Handelman. Kali is the developmental editor for Book Brilliance. She has her eyes on every single piece of writing reviewed in the program, and she’s here to discuss what you can expect when you have your work edited. Jane and Kali discuss: How we define developmental editingHow developmental editing helps you develop and refine the big ideas in your bookThe most common concerns writers have about their work, and how we address them. The benefits of submitting short passages for developmental editing...2025-04-2932 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #22: How To Make a Summer Writing Plan That Actually WorksDo you always start your summer with grand ambitions, only to look back at the end of the summer and realize you only finished half of what you planned? If you’re ready to stop making unrealistic plans, this episode is for you. Here’s what Jane will discuss: 💡The thoughts that are driving you to make unrealistic plans: “I need to catch up,” “I should write all day,” and “I should work on everything” — and how to change them. 💡The two goals you should set so you can determine if your writing plans are realistic. 2025-04-2212 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #21: Should you be writing an academic book right now?To say that people working in academia are living through tumultuous times would be an understatement. You might be facing current circumstances and wondering if writing a book is worth your time. In today’s episode, Jane takes a very candid look at the current landscape of academia to help you decide how to think about your scholarship and career. She’ll give you some ways to contextualize the current moment and questions to consider so you can make well-informed, intentional decisions about your future. Additional Resources: Episode 12: From Ac...2025-04-1516 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #20: Working with an editor on your academic book is not cheatingThere are some strong opinions in academia about the merits of academic editing. In today’s episode, Jane discusses the perception that working with an editor is “cheating” or an indication that you’re not a serious scholar. She addresses some biases and misconceptions about what happens when a writer works with an editor, and breaks down how these misconceptions can hurt junior scholars, especially if they are members of minoritized groups. Further listening: Episode 19: How working with an editor can help you write your academic book Resources: Guarino...2025-04-0814 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #19: How working with an editor can help you write your academic bookHave you ever worked with an editor? Does the process of working with one feel like a mystery? In today’s episode, Jane is going to pull back the curtain and explain how academics can work with editors to improve their writing. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why academics work with editorsThe different types of editing available to academic writersThe pros and cons of working with an editor to improve your academic bookHow working with an editor can help you avoid time-consuming mistakes and finish your academic book more efficientlyFurther Listening: Episod...2025-04-0114 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #18: Writing an Academic Book Takes Longer Than You Think! 4 Steps to Completing Your BookDo you know how long it will take to write your academic book? I don’t mean how long it took your friend with the cushy postdoc or how long you wish it will take - I mean how long it will actually take. The reality is that most people don’t. If you don’t know now, it’s your responsibility to figure it out as soon as possible. That’s why in this episode, Jane breaks down how long it REALLY takes to write a book, and the factors that you should consider when making your personal timeline. ...2025-03-2513 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #17: You Need Feedback While Writing Your Academic Book: Here’s How You Get ItGood feedback is an invaluable resource for academics writing books, but how do you get it? In today’s episode, Jane gives you a primer on the importance of feedback and how to ask for feedback that will help you make progress. She covers: Why feedback is so important (hint: it’s not just to have eyes on your work)Why you might hesitate to ask for feedbackSeveral low-stakes approaches to getting feedbackFurther listening: Episode #14: How to Create a Consistent Writing Practice📝 Do you want to write a publication-worthy book without having to work t...2025-03-1820 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #16: How Many Drafts of Your Academic Book Should You Write?With any piece of academic writing, you are going to write multiple drafts. The question is, how many? In today’s episode, we’re going to discuss the writing and revision process to determine how many drafts it will take to get you to a publication-ready book.Tune into today’s episode to learn: The work that each draft should do in your revision process.Why you should ALWAYS have an intention or plan when you revise.A tough but true reminder of what will truly determine how many drafts you can wri...2025-03-1115 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #15: When Is the Right Time to Write Your Academic Book?Are you wondering when along your tenure-track journey you should write your academic book? Do you think you have to “clear the decks” to gain traction in your book writing? In this episode, I’m going to show you that the right time to write your book is the time you make for writing it. Tune in to learn how to align your writing goals with your timeline, my 3-step process for identifying the right time to write your book, and how to incorporate time to write your book into your publication pipeline. By the end of this ep...2025-03-0412 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #14: How To Create a Consistent Book Writing PracticeAre you concerned that you aren’t working on your book often enough? In today’s episode, I’m teaching you how to create a consistent book writing practice. Tune in to learn how to create a realistic schedule, why you’re probably being too hard on yourself about the frequency of your writing, and what to do when you hit a roadblock. Be sure to listen with a notebook in hand because there will be plenty of tips you can implement as soon as the episode is over. 📝 Do you want to write a pu...2025-02-2514 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #13: Why Waiting for a Sabbatical to Write Your Book Could Be Holding You BackMany academics treat a sabbatical like a magic solution for finishing their book—but is that really the best approach? In this episode, I’m breaking down the myths around sabbaticals and what it actually takes to make real progress on your academic book. Grab your headphones and your notebook because in this episode we’re getting to work. We’re going to discuss: ➡️ Why you should diversify your writing time ➡️ The danger of pinning all of your hopes on a sabbatical➡️ How to make the most of your sabbatical (hint: it requires to you get...2025-02-1812 min
Academic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #12: From Academia to Book Writing Coach: Why I Left the Tenure TrackEver wondered what it really takes to leave academia and build a business of your own? In this episode, I’m getting personal and sharing my story of leaving a tenure-track job to start my own coaching business. Tune in to hear: How my early doubts about academia laid the foundation for my choice to leave Why I felt like I “had to” get a tenure-track job before taking a different pathHow an unexpected lesson in a writing group influenced the current structure of my business If you’ve ever thought about what it would take to leav...2025-02-1813 min
Academic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #11: Welcome to Academic Book Writing Simplified! Finally Start Writing Your BookReady to finally start writing your book - with clear and actionable guidance? In this episode, I’m reintroducing the podcast (we’ve had a glow up!) and sharing what you can expect this season, plus the practical strategies that have helped over 100 academics get their books written. Tune in to learn: Why so much academic book writing advice is overly complicated.How you can break through the gatekeeping around academic publishing and learn how to write your academic book with clear, honest, and helpful guidance. How you can use proven strategies that have worked for over 10...2025-02-1803 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode 10: Treat your writing like a dress rehearsalHave you ever stared at a blank page for what seemed like hours? Do you feel slightly nauseous at the prospect of sharing your work with others? Many academics are afraid to put their words on paper. You might be one of them! In today’s episode, Jane will explain where that fear comes from and how to mitigate it. If you’ve been delaying sharing your work, or writing it in the first place, this episode is a must listen. Resources: The Right Prose website: www.rightprose.co📝...2024-09-2610 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #9: The simple math of writing a book [Part 2 of 2]In part 2 of this 2-part micro-series, Jane will show you how to accurately assess the progress you’re making, so you don’t succumb to fear or feel overwhelmed by your work. You’ll learn the most important factors you should consider in gauging your progress. Then, you’ll learn how to use these factors to evaluate some common thought patterns that can help or hinder your work. If you tend to create a lot of drama in your head about writing, take a listen to this episode. If you haven’t listened to the first part of this mic...2024-09-2610 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #8: Are you weaponizing your productivity? [Part 1 of 2]There’s a lot of noise in academia about productivity. You’re likely bombarded with opinions about how much time you should be writing, how many publications you should produce each year, and how you’re “wasting” your time on mentoring, service, and teaching. In today’s episode — the first of a 2-part microseries — Jane explains how and why you’re using the language of productivity to punish yourself and set unrealistic expectations. She’ll also teach you how to think about your progress with more compassion. If you’ve been beating yourself up for being “slow,” this episode is for you. 2024-09-2613 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #7: How to use the secondary literature in your bookWhat does the way you think about your writing have to do with the way you leverage the secondary literature in your work? A lot! In today’s episode, I’m going to tell you what I see as the three most common approaches to citing the secondary literature, and the thought you have about your writing that is most likely motivating that approach. Then, I’ll describe what your approach looks like on the page. By the end of this episode, you’ll be able to identify your approach and if necessary, correct it so you can engage the seco...2024-09-2611 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #6: Boundaries are values in actionAre you regularly giving your writing time away? Do you find it hard to say no to requests for your energy and effort? If you answered yes, then it might be time to reassess your boundaries. In this episode, Jane will explain how tapping into your values will help you protect your boundaries. She’ll also teach you a simple way to understand the relationship between your values and your boundaries. If you’re ready to reclaim your time so you can work and rest in ways that are fulfilling, you won’t want to miss this episode. Re...2024-09-2611 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #5: Your dissertation isn’t a first draft of your bookDo you believe that writing your first academic book is going to be as simple as “revising your dissertation”? In today’s episode, Jane discusses how the prevalent but pernicious advice to “revise your dissertation” actually stifles your book writing process and creates unnecessary stress. She’ll cover the reasons why revising your dissertation is an unrealistic goal, how you should approach writing your book, and the real role that your dissertation will play in the process. 2024-08-1909 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #4: You don't need more tools, you need better systems.Have you ever agonized over selecting a project management software? Do you peek around Scrivener every so often, only to abandon it because it’s too confusing to get started? Staying organized can seem like an intractable problem if you’re an academic writer. It’s tempting to think that there’s a tool out there to solve all of your organization desires. In today’s episode, Jane is going to discuss why academics get hung up on finding the perfect tool, and why there should be a focus on systems instead. The good news is that once you create...2024-08-1909 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #1: Why it’s so hard to write a book in academiaAcross the humanities and social sciences, many faculty are expected to write an academic book to earn tenure. Yet, even though this is a job requirement, the structure of academic life creates many obstacles to successfully achieving this goal. In today’s episode, Jane is going to break down some of the challenges academics face while trying to write a book. In doing so, she’ll dispel some of the myths about how easy or fast it’s supposed to be to write a book. 2024-08-1610 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #2: You don’t need permission to prioritize your bookIn this episode, Jane tackles the common issue of permission-seeking in academic writing, especially among scholars socialized as women. Many academics find themselves constantly deferring their book-writing time to meet the needs of others, ultimately putting their own projects on the back burner. Jane explores the reasons behind this behavior and provides practical steps to help you reclaim your time and prioritize your book-writing process. By setting boundaries, deciding in advance when to write, and learning to say "no," you can take control of your schedule and ensure that your book gets the attention it deserves.2024-08-1607 minAcademic Book Writing Simplified with Jane Joann JonesEpisode #3: Claiming your expert energyIn this episode, we delve into the challenges and strategies of claiming your expert energy as a woman in academia writing a book. We explore why it’s crucial to embrace your expertise during the writing process and how to do so effectively, even when self-doubt creeps in. From leveraging existing evidence of your expertise to seeking support from a community of peers, this episode provides actionable tips to help you write with confidence and authority. Whether you’re struggling with imposter syndrome or simply need a boost in self-assurance, this episode is here to guide you on your...2024-08-1608 min
FRIDAY FAMILY FILM NIGHTFriday Family Film Night: 9 TO 5 reviewIn which the Mister and Monsters join me in reviewing 9 to 5 (1980) which is currently available on HBO Max or to buy/rent on Prime. With a screenplay by Patricia Resnick and Colin Higgins, from a story by Patricia Resnick, the film is directed by Colin Higgins. In this story, three secretaries: Violet (Lily Tomlin), Doralee (Dolly Parton) and Judy (Jane Fonda) have had enough of their lying, lazy, egotistical, hypocritical and horribly sexit boss, Mr. Hart (Dabney Coleman) and somehow find the tables turned to their advantage to teach Mr. Hart a lesson. A strong script, deliciously humorous performances b...2023-03-2528 min
Kankakee Podcast#78: 10 Most Listened to Episodes of 2022Happy New Year! Lizzie and I countdown the 10 most listened to episodes of Kankakee Podcast in 2022. What episodes do you think made the cut? Which one came in first? Listen to find out! 2022 has been an incredible year for Kankakee Podcast. I'd like to thank you from the bottom of my heart this year for all of your love and support. Without your support, this podcast would not be possible. I feel like this isn't my podcast but OUR podcast. Here's to a prosperous 2023! An additional heartfelt thank you to o...2022-12-311h 22