And by the way, I already have an idea for book #3. Please prepare to be bugged by something other than fluidity.
Bragging
Opinions, art, debate
Opinions, art, debate
And by the way, I already have an idea for book #3. Please prepare to be bugged by something other than fluidity.
Clarissa's Blog 
That is my biggest problem. I come up with article ideas easily. I come up with great ideas for edited collections and themed journal issues. But I can never seem to come up with an idea for a monograph. And, as a consequence, I have published numerous articles and have been lead editor (which of course includes writing an introduction) on a couple of wonderful projects. But I have yet to produce a monograph. I’m starting work on an article now and hoping that working on it will lead me to think about different issues that can become a monograph. It’s my biggest professional frustration with myself.
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Is it a problem in your field that you don’t write monographs but write articles? As in, do you absolutely have to write a monograph on a topic, as opposed to 3-4 lengthy articles on related subjects which together have the same page count as a monograph? Are articles considered so much less worthwhile?
I would think that everyone is suited for a certain format of communication (scholarly or creative). Some people have more breadth of form than others, but it seems that everyone has their preferred format, the one that feels most natural.
So unless you are being severely penalized for no monographs, why not just keep doing what you are already doing really well?
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I agree. There are great, well-respected scholars with an impressive body of articles and no book. They are like Borges who is the king of the shorter genre but never wrote a novel.
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Thanks so much to the two of you. You both made me feel better. I do agree that, for whatever reason, I’m better at writing in the article genre.
And to answer Xykademiqz’s question: not writing a monograph won’t hurt me in any way in my current institution. And in fact, I already have tenure and can probably go up for full based on on my current publication record–though I can’t go up for full for another 3 years or so. At other institutions however, books–preferably books from university presses– are required for tenure. But overall, there is certainly no shame in writing articles and articles do have the advantage of easier circulation and perhaps a wider readership.
Truthfully, I think the “monograph” sort of holds an allure for me that’s solely based on prestige. I just want to be able to know/say I’ve written one. It’s sort of the academic gold standard in my field. But at the same time, I would rather write a series of good articles than one bad book. I have sabbatical this year. We will see what happens. 🙂
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“But overall, there is certainly no shame in writing articles and articles do have the advantage of easier circulation and perhaps a wider readership.”
Enjoy the sabbatical! It’s the best thing ever, in my experience. :-)))
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Thank you!! It starts in January. I can’t wait: 8 months of uninterrupted time to write, research, and think. Plus it will refresh me in terms of teaching. I really do love teaching but I’m feeling a little burned out. I think the sabbatical will be just the thing to re-energize me.
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My next chance for a sabbatical is in 2018. I am sooooo ready.
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I’m ready, too, and I just finished mine. 😆😆😆 But it’s good to be in the classroom, too.
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