Strategies for Publishing in the Humanities: A Senior Professor Advises Junior Scholars

This essay provides an introduction to publishing in the humanities for junior scholars at the start of their careers and beyond. It reflects on how our relationships to publishing change along our career paths. Indeed, while the focus on publications is significant during our junior years and continues after tenure, the pressure feels more intense and the possibility of publishing for promotion to full professor seems more elusive at the same time. The author confesses her own struggle in writing a second book. Transcending that hurdle—from associate to full—is, arguably, the most difficult challenge for most academics, particularly for women of colour, whose numbers remain abysmal at the rank of full professor. The essay provides a number of insights and strategies, taken from the author's experiences, discussions with other academics, and research, for successful publishing and promotion in the academy.