Journal Article in 12 weeks – A book review

Review of the book “Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks” by Wendy Laura Belcher

When I get asked for the best book on academic writing for early-career researchers, one of the first ones that comes to mind is “Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success” by Wendy Laura Belcher. Now, it doesn’t suit everyone and is definitely not the only source you will need to learn everything about academic writing and publishing (that’s impossible btw). But it is a very solid point of departure and is still my very favourite text.

“Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success” by Wendy Laura Belcher is a comprehensive guide to academic writing and publishing. The book is designed to help early-career academics, graduate students, researchers, and writing instructors to write and publish journal articles in the social sciences and humanities. The book is divided into twelve chapters, each corresponding to a week of the twelve-week program. Each chapter provides detailed instructions, exercises, and examples to guide readers through the process of writing and publishing a journal article.

You can find details of each chapter, as well as printable materials from Wendy herself here: https://wendybelcher.com/writing-advice/writing-your-journal-article-in-twelve/ 

In this review, I will discuss the key strengths and weaknesses of the book, as well as its potential audience, impact and verdict.

Strengths

1. Comprehensive and Practical. Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks is a comprehensive and practical guide to academic writing and publishing. The book covers all aspects of the writing process, from selecting a topic and conducting research to drafting, revising, and submitting the article. You get practical advice on how to navigate the academic publishing process, including how to select a journal, prepare a cover letter, and respond to reviewer’s comments. The author provides many examples and exercises to help readers apply the concepts and strategies discussed in each chapter.
2. Clear and Accessible. The book is written in a clear and accessible style, making it easy for readers to understand and apply the concepts and strategies discussed. The author uses a conversational tone and provides numerous examples and illustrations to explain complex ideas. Each chapter builds on the previous one to provide a comprehensive and cohesive program for writing and publishing a journal article.
3. Research-Based. Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks is based on the author’s extensive research and experience in academic writing and publishing. The author draws on a wide range of literature on academic writing and publishing, as well as her own experience as an editor and writer. 
4. Focuses on the Writing Process. One of the key strengths of Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks is its focus on the whole writing process. The book emphasises the importance of developing a writing habit and provides numerous exercises and strategies to help readers overcome writer’s block, manage their time, and stay motivated. The book also emphasises the importance of revision and provides detailed guidance on how to revise and edit a manuscript for clarity, coherence, and impact.
5. Multidisciplinary Approach. Another strength of the book is its multidisciplinary approach. While the book is primarily aimed at social scientists and humanists, it provides valuable advice and guidance that can be applied across disciplines.
6. Personal Experience. Wendy Laura Belcher draws on her own experience as an author, educator and reviewer to provide readers with a clear understanding of what editors and reviewers are looking for in a successful journal article. She offers practical advice and tips based on her personal experience, which makes the book more relatable and applicable to real-life situations. Belcher has also conducted extensive research and provides helpful checklists and worksheets to guide the writing and revision process.
7. Time Management. The book is organised into twelve chapters, each corresponding to one week of the writing process. This makes it easy for readers to follow a structured plan and to manage their time effectively. You get practical exercises and checklists to help you stay on track and to monitor your progress (you can also follow the link above and get those sheets in pdf form directly from Wnedy’s website!). The first chapters are dedicated to managing your time and creating a writing schedule.
8. Covers a Wide Range of Topics. Another advantage of Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks is that it covers a wide range of topics related to academic writing and publishing. It provides guidance on how to choose a topic, how to conduct research, how to structure an article, how to use sources effectively, and how to revise and edit a draft. The book also provides advice on how to navigate the academic publishing process, including how to choose a journal, how to submit an article, and how to respond to reviewers’ comments.

Weaknesses

1. Lack of Disciplinary Specificity. One potential weakness of Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks is its lack of disciplinary specificity. While the book provides valuable advice and guidance that can be applied across disciplines, it does not provide discipline-specific advice on how to write and publish in specific fields. This may be a disadvantage for readers who are looking for more tailored advice on writing and publishing in their specific field.
2. Time-Intensive Program. Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks is a time-intensive program that requires a significant investment of time and effort. While the program is designed to be completed in twelve weeks, readers may find that it takes longer to complete the exercises and drafts. This may be a disadvantage for readers who have limited time or are working on multiple writing projects simultaneously.
3. Reliance on Traditional Publishing. Another potential weakness of the book is its reliance on traditional publishing models. While the book acknowledges the importance of open access publishing and alternative modes of dissemination, the focus of the book is primarily on traditional publishing models. This may be a disadvantage for readers who are interested in alternative modes of dissemination or who work in fields where traditional publishing is less common.
4. Limited Coverage of Statistical Analysis. While the book provides detailed guidance on how to conduct qualitative research and analysis, it provides limited coverage of statistical analysis. This may be a disadvantage for readers who work in fields where statistical analysis is a key component of research.
5. May Not Be Suitable for Advanced Writers. Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks is primarily aimed at early-career academics, graduate students, and writing instructors. While the book provides valuable advice and guidance for writers at all levels, it may not be suitable for advanced writers who are already familiar with the academic publishing process and are looking for more advanced advice and guidance.

Potential Audience

Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks is a valuable resource for a wide range of readers, including early-career academics, graduate students, writing instructors, and researchers in the social sciences and humanities. 

I would recommend Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks for the following five audiences:

1. Early-career Academics. This book is particularly useful for early-career academics who are looking to publish their research in peer-reviewed journals. It provides practical guidance on every step of the writing and publishing process, and it is written in an accessible and engaging style.
2. Graduate Students. Graduate students who are working on their thesis or dissertation can also benefit from this book. It provides practical advice on how to write a journal article, which can help students develop their writing skills and prepare them for academic publishing.
3. Researchers. Researchers who are looking to increase their chances of getting published in peer-reviewed journals can also benefit from this book. It offers insights into the academic publishing industry, including the peer-review process and the norms and conventions of different disciplines.
4. Writing Instructors. Writing instructors who teach academic writing can use this book as a guide for their students. It provides a step-by-step approach to academic writing and publishing, and it includes practical exercises and checklists that instructors can use in their courses.
5. Anyone Interested in Academic Writing. Finally, anyone who is interested in academic writing can benefit from this book. It provides a comprehensive overview of the academic publishing process and offers practical advice on how to write a successful journal article.

Impact

Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks has the potential to make a significant impact on the academic community by helping to improve the quality and quantity of academic writing and publishing. The book provides a practical and research-based program for writing and publishing journal articles, which can help to reduce the barriers to entry for early-career academics and graduate students. The book also provides valuable advice and guidance on how to navigate the academic publishing process, which can help to improve the success rate of manuscript submissions and reduce the time to publication.

Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks is a valuable and comprehensive guide to academic writing and publishing. The book provides practical advice and guidance that can help readers to develop a writing habit, overcome writer’s block, and improve the quality and impact of their academic writing. While the book has some weaknesses, it provides valuable insights and guidance that can be applied across disciplines and has the potential to make a significant impact on the academic community.

Overall, Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks by Wendy Laura Belcher is a comprehensive and practical guide to academic writing and publishing. The book offers valuable advice and guidance on how to write a successful journal article and navigate the academic publishing process. While there are some potential disadvantages, such as the lack of disciplinary specificity and the emphasis on traditional publishing, the book is still an excellent resource for early-career academics, graduate students, researchers, writing instructors, and anyone interested in academic writing and publishing.

Three main reasons for reading the book

1. It is a very comprehensive and practical guide. The book is very well-structured and breaks down the writing process into manageable steps. You get a clear guidance on each step. The book also includes practical tips, checklists, worksheets and exercises to help writers overcome common obstacles and improve their writing skills.
2. The book is written in a clear and engaging style that makes it accessible to a wide range of readers. It is not only relevant to scholars and researchers but also to graduate students who are just starting to write their research papers. It explains the details of the academic publishing processes and the different stages of writing a journal article.
3. The book helps researchers to manage time and structure work in a timely and systematic way. You always know what to expect.

Final verdict

Do I recommend this book to students and clients? Hell, yes!

Is it the ONLY resource you might need to learn writing your articles? Umm, no. Most probably not.

Will it fit all disciplines? No. It’s mostly for social sciences and humanities. Some ideas might be useful for those in STEM and medicine, but if you want a guide on wiring STEM papers, look elsewhere.

Is it REALLY possible to write an article in 12 weeks? Definitely, yes.

Finally, I have to say it is the only book that has been permanently on my working desk for the past 10 years. It’s a bit of a writing Bible. If that’s not reason enough to check out this book, I don’t know what is :)))

Hope this was helpful. Do you have any questions? Or do you have another book/topic you’d like me to write about? Just comment below.

Reference: Belcher, W. L. (2021). Writing your journal article in twelve weeks: A guide to academic publishing success (Second edition). The University of Chicago Press.

Other sources:

Services I offer include individual and small-group coaching on writing research articles.

The article writing roadmap is a free guide of a summary of the writing process, accompanied by two videos.

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