Advice about the publishing/tenure calendar

This advice presumes that you don't want to work seven days a week, and that you have a dissertation that requires substantial revision.

Advice about getting promoted (and tenured) at a university that requires a book “under contract” for promotion to associate professor:

1st year
Come up with a revision plan (calendar, reading list, description of changes); read; makes notes about a potential second project. Figure out where the grocery store is; draft a repertoire of classes; two conferences directly related to this or your next project

1st summer
Article version of one chapter from the diss; submit by August 1. DO NOT TEACH SUMMER SCHOOL UNLESS YOUR CHAIR INSISTS OR YOU LOVE WORKING 12 HOUR DAYS FOR TWO YEARS.

2nd year
If there is a new body chapter, write it—start with whatever part of the dissertation requires the most new work/reading/writing. NOT your introduction or conclusion. Two conferences directly and clearly related to this or your next project.

2nd summer
Revise the body chapter that requires the second most new reading/writing. Polished version by August 1. DO NOT TEACH SUMMER SCHOOL UNLESS YOUR CHAIR INSISTS OR YOU LOVE WORKING 12 HOUR DAYS FOR TWO YEARS.

3rd year
Revise body chapter and submit prospectus to between 4 and 7 presses.Two conferences directly and clearly related to this or your next project.

3rd summer
Revise remaining body chapters. DO NOT TEACH SUMMER SCHOOL UNLESS YOUR CHAIR INSISTS OR YOU LOVE WORKING 12 HOUR DAYS FOR TWO YEARS.

4th year
Revise intro and conclusion. Submit completed ms. to press by June 1. Two conferences directly and clearly related to this or your next project.

4th summer
Article version of new project; submit by August 1. Summer school? Maybe. But only if you can definitely do it and the article.

5th year
(Should hear back from the press by November; till then work on your next project.) If rejected, then resubmit (after, at most, two months spent on revisions). If you get a revise and resubmit, then draft a revision plan (with consultation with colleagues, your diss chair, people you know from conferences) and get that plan to the press within two to four weeks. Revise.


5th summer
Submit revised ms. by July 1. Prepare tenure case.


6th year
Go up for tenure.

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Advice about getting promoted (and tenured) at a university that requires a book “in press” for promotion to associate professor:


1st year
Come up with a revision plan (calendar, reading list, description of changes); read; makes notes about a potential second project. Figure out where the grocery store is; draft a repertoire of classes; two conferences directly related to this or your next project

1st summer
Article version of one chapter from the diss; submit by August 1. Revise one body chapter. DO NOT TEACH SUMMER SCHOOL UNLESS YOUR CHAIR INSISTS OR YOU LOVE WORKING 12 HOUR DAYS FOR TWO YEARS.

2nd year
If there is a new body chapter, write it—start with whatever part of the dissertation requires the most new work/reading/writing. NOT your introduction or conclusion. Two conferences directly and clearly related to this or your next project.

2nd summer
Revise the body chapter that requires the second most new reading/writing. Polished version by August 1.
DO NOT TEACH SUMMER SCHOOL UNLESS YOUR CHAIR INSISTS OR YOU LOVE WORKING 12 HOUR DAYS FOR TWO YEARS.

3rd year
Revise remaining body chapters and submit prospectus to between 4 and 7 presses. Two conferences directly and clearly related to this or your next project.

3rd summer
Revise intro and conclusion; submit completed ms. by August 1. DO NOT TEACH SUMMER SCHOOL UNLESS YOUR CHAIR INSISTS OR YOU LOVE WORKING 12 HOUR DAYS FOR TWO YEARS.

4th year
You should have readers’ reports by Jan 1 at the latest. If rejected, then resubmit (after, at most, two months spent on revisions). If you get a revise and resubmit, then draft a revision plan (with consultation with colleagues, your diss chair, people you know from conferences) and get that plan to the press within two to four weeks. Then revise. If asked to revise and resubmit, then resubmit ms. by July 1. Two conferences directly and clearly related to this or your next project.

4th summer
Article version of new project; submit by August 1.


5th year
Work on revisions on article; copy edit ms. Two conferences on whatever you want.

5th summer
Work on next project. Prepare tenure case.


6th year
Go up for tenure.


Some other advice:

Don’t pad your annual report. Well, no one deliberately pads a report; what happens, I think, is that you engage in wishful thinking. You’ve been working on your book, and so you haven’t had anything published. So, you put “under submission” for something that you just printed up and threw in the mail, or maybe make it sound as though a project is further along than it is. If your tenure packet includes your annual report (and many do) then this looks bad.

Be precise in your language. “Forthcoming” is the same as “in press.” That means it has been accepted and has a date that it is coming out; at most, you will be looking at page proofs. You do NOT use this for something under submission, even if you were asked to revise and resubmit and you have done so.

Similarly, do NOT inflate your cv. You will get found out. Do NOT engage in wishful thinking on your cv in order to get hired; you just have to explain why something you had “under submission” never went anywhere.