The academic imperative to "publish or perish" can sometimes seem to pose a choice between two equally difficult options.  But understanding how academic publishing in the humanities differs from other forms of publication can make the process less daunting.  This course is intended to help you develop two potential publications: one for an academic journal and one for a venue with a non-academic readership. You are most likely to succeed in completing these if you already have a substantial piece of academic writing--a seminar paper or conference paper, for instance--that you would like to develop further.

Some of our class meetings will be run workshop-style--that is, you'll be reading and responding to others' writing--while other sessions will be devoted to exploring the distinctions between writing for scholarly and general audiences. We will address the following questions: what are the pros and cons of publishing in scholarly versus non-academic venues? How are different kinds of publications weighted in the academy? How does academic peer-review work and why is it so highly valued by colleges and universities?  How can you improve the chances that your work will be accepted for publication?