Other fields have their other genre conventions, but that’s the point: There are genre conventions, and they are discernible through study. Writing a book is hard, but you’re not starting from scratch. Think of the form as a creative limitation.

If you’re a social scientist, try to assess the level of theoretical sophistication. Where is/are theoretical discussion(s) located? Is there one central idea, or several different but related interventions? Does the boom extend ongoing conversations or primarily engage in critique?

If you’re a historian, have a look at the notes. How detailed or discursive are they? How does the author handle the historiography/claims to novelty?

Pay particular attention to the introduction, conclusion, and chapter intros/conclusions. Note the heading structure (if the book has headings). Note the presence or absence of block quotes, and the presence of absence of quotes from other scholars.

My best advice to aspiring authors of scholarly books is to read other scholarly books recently published by your target press. This may seem obvious and yet is not!

“By mistake”

I don’t know who needs to hear this but the CDC is being eviscerated right now. America is not going to have any kind of outbreak response capacity after tonight. Americans’ health data is no longer secure. Say goodbye to federal public health in any capacity. It’s a disaster. We won’t recover.

BREAKING: Friday night massacre underway at CDC. Doznes of "disease detectives," high-level scientists, entire Washington staff and editors of the MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report) have all been RIFed and received the following notice:

At this point few things about this administration are surprising but this is astonishing

It's interesting seeing the different ways resistance has formed in different cities. Los Angeles Organized, Chicago Radicalized, and Portland Got Weird as Fuck. All 3 have had success unifying their respective cities.

I guess my point is there are multiple paths to ungovernability.

Similar pomodoro style but with 10 minute tactile craft breaks in between, knitting or weaving or whatever, it really helps to get up and touch something

This is fantastic, congratulations!!!!

Y/n cardinals are quintessential Midwestern baseball but also it’s. Mississippi city

This is correct! Was just explaining to a friend that “Ohio Valley” is an entirely different thing than “Great Lakes”

This is a direct transfer of wealth from consumers, who are paying ludicrous tariffs on necessary goods, to soybean farmers

I am currently surrounded by soybeans and corn and can think of 50 better ways to spend $10-15 billion

A reminder for academic book authors:

Yes, it’s totally fine to flag a couple of people who should not peer review your book

But do it in a phone call, not the proposal, not an email

Was just going to post on the alarming existence of olive loaf! A common find in low-end grocery stories in the Ohio Valley

Frozen tater tots are delicious straight from the bag

I like to include length w/ notes and w/o and then do little experiments to see how much of the problem can be fixed through notes alone

Nods rapidly from SW IN

no no the publishing industry is doing fine, why do you ask

But also a) many of the stories are about landowners, not farmers (active farmers are not sad about declining cash rent prices); b) no mention of crop price insurance; c) articles mostly omit role of elevators? Like, at all? As if farmers’ contracts are direct w/ China?

But anyway we’re changing over to the bean head this afternoon, very exciting!