Defend, Publish & Lead Podcast

Defend, Publish & Lead (formerly Defend & Publish) offers a weekly podcast designed to help get you started (or restarted) on your academic writing projects. Episodes feature a range of topics on writing productivity, including writing project management, strategies for managing writer’s block, dissertation advice for students and committee members, pandemic writing strategies, techniques for balancing parenting and writing, promoting your writing and research, and more. Every podcast offers strategies to try and resources to check out.

DP&L Episode 234 - Are You Behind This Summer? 06/28/2025

DP&L Episode 234 - Are You Behind This Summer? In this timely mid-summer episode, President and executive writing coach Christine Tulley addresses the universal academic experience of feeling behind on summer projects. Recording at the end of June, she provides practical strategies for reassessing summer goals, managing academic guilt, and making strategic decisions about competing priorities when time feels scarce. Christine opens by acknowledging the extra layer of summer guilt that academics experience - the pressure to "catch up" during months supposedly dedicated to research and writing progress. She shares her personal summer project list using Penzu, an online notebook tool, demonstrating transparency about her own challenges with staying on track while managing multiple writing commitments. Her summer, which officially began June 2nd when her children finished school, included successfully completing major deadlines including conference proposals and a book proposal for an upcoming sabbatical guide. However, unexpected project revisions and new professional obligations have shifted her timeline, creating the familiar feeling of being behind despite objective progress. Christine introduces several strategic frameworks for summer project management. First, she advocates for conducting a "consequences audit" - honestly assessing what actually happens if certain projects remain incomplete. For tenured faculty, delayed personal writing projects may have minimal immediate impact, while those on the tenure track or job market face more significant career implications from lost productivity time. She demonstrates the power of strategic elimination, considering whether to reduce her planned Inside Higher Education articles from two to one, allowing focus on her persistently delayed "yucky writing project" - that half-finished article that continually gets pushed to future semesters. This decision-making process illustrates how academics can move from overwhelming task lists to manageable priorities. A key insight emerges around timing-sensitive projects. Christine emphasizes that book promotion work for her spring publications cannot be indefinitely delayed without losing marketing opportunities, while other projects offer more flexibility. This distinction helps writers identify which delays have real consequences versus those driven primarily by perfectionist tendencies. The episode addresses holistic summer planning beyond writing projects. Christine shares her success with restorative activities - pleasure reading, guitar playing, outdoor time, and family workout classes - noting that maintaining these practices often indicates healthy work-life integration even when writing productivity feels insufficient. She acknowledges one unmet goal: visiting the art museum, demonstrating realistic self-assessment without harsh self-judgment. Christine introduces the concept of decision deadlines, giving herself until July 1st to finalize her revised summer plan. This approach prevents endless rumination while ensuring thoughtful priority-setting for remaining summer weeks. She challenges listeners to recognize areas where they might actually be ahead of schedule, encouraging academics to claim credit for deep work that took longer than anticipated but produced higher-quality results. This reframing counters the academic tendency toward perpetual dissatisfaction with productivity levels. The episode concludes with practical encouragement: counting remaining summer weeks reveals substantial time for meaningful progress. Christine calculated six weeks remaining until her semester begins, reframing "behind" feelings into opportunities for strategic focus and realistic goal adjustment. TOOLS MENTIONED ● Penzu - Free online notebook for project planning and tracking (link in show notes) UPCOMING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES: DPL Writing Classes - Join upcoming free workshops at including: ● Paragraphing Workshop - Transform paragraph construction skills ● Sentence-Level Writing Workshop - Master academic prose at the sentence level Summer Faculty Development - Multiple free workshops available through Eventbrite designed for faculty developers, covering writing group facilitation and low-cost professional development programming. Coaching Support Available - Individual coaching sessions are readily available during summer months and never expire. Coaching supports manuscript development, writing practice refinement, and specific challenges like dissertation methodology feedback. /episode/index/show/defendandpublish/id/37168675

DP&L Episode 233 - Paragraphing 06/21/2025

DP&L Episode 233 - Paragraphing In this focused writing craft episode, President and executive writing coach Christine Tulley explores the fundamental structure that drives successful scholarly communication. Christine reveals how understanding paragraph architecture can transform academic writing from scattered thoughts into compelling, publishable scholarship that resonates with readers and reviewers alike. Christine introduces the concept that scholarly paragraphs function as miniature essays, each containing their own complete argument arc within the larger framework of academic discourse. This understanding shifts how writers approach paragraph construction, moving beyond simple topic sentences to crafting sophisticated micro-arguments that build toward larger scholarly conclusions. Drawing on insights from Eric Hayot's The Elements of Academic Style, Christine discusses what Hayot terms "The Uneven U" structure - a reliable framework where effective academic writing begins with broad contextual statements, narrows to present specific evidence and analysis, then expands again to draw wider implications and connections. This pattern creates the rhythmic flow that characterizes polished academic prose. The episode demonstrates a practical revision technique for assessing paragraph effectiveness: extracting the final sentence from each paragraph or concluding paragraph from each section to evaluate whether the writing demonstrates progressive intellectual development. Christine explains how this diagnostic reveals whether arguments are genuinely building momentum or simply repeating the same level of analysis without advancement. She emphasizes that strong academic paragraphs don't merely present information but actively engage in scholarly conversation, with each paragraph contributing a distinct piece to the overall intellectual puzzle. The concluding sentences of well-crafted paragraphs should collectively reveal an upward trajectory of thinking, moving from specific observations toward broader theoretical insights. Christine connects this paragraph-level attention to the larger project of scholarly publication success, noting how editors and reviewers can quickly assess manuscript quality by examining paragraph structure and flow. Writers who master these foundational elements significantly improve their chances of acceptance and positive reception within their academic communities. The discussion highlights common challenges academics face when translating complex research into clear, compelling prose, particularly the tendency to front-load paragraphs with evidence while neglecting the crucial interpretive work that transforms data into meaningful scholarly contribution. RELATED EPISODES: : Academic Article Writing Norms UPCOMING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY: Join Christine for an intensive workshop designed to elevate your scholarly writing through strategic paragraph construction: Thursday, June 26 This hands-on session will provide concrete techniques for implementing the architectural principles discussed in this episode, offering participants the opportunity to workshop their own writing while learning systematic approaches to paragraph revision and refinement. Summer Professional Development: Defend Publish & Lead offers multiple free webinars and seminars designed for faculty developers, graduate students, and academics at all career stages, available through their . https://www.eventbrite.com/o/defend-and-publish-20030111125 Free Resources Available: Visit defendpublish.com and click "Events" to access comprehensive faculty development programming including writing group facilitation, administrative writing support, and dissertation writing strategies. Need help developing stronger paragraph-level writing skills or implementing systematic revision strategies? Contact Defend, Publish & Lead for personalized coaching support tailored to your scholarly writing goals. /episode/index/show/defendandpublish/id/37093345

DP&L Episode 232 - Look Yourself Up 06/14/2025

DP&L Episode 232 - Look Yourself Up In this essential professional development episode, President and executive writing coach Christine Tulley demonstrates the importance of conducting an annual Google search audit of your academic presence. She provides practical guidance for academics on monitoring and managing their online research profile, particularly during summer months when professional development tasks typically receive more attention. Christine begins by sharing her personal practice of Googling herself annually, acknowledging that while she doesn't always maintain perfect consistency, this summer task has become integral to her professional maintenance routine. She explains how summer naturally lends itself to career-focused activities like CV updates, professional organization memberships, and overall research profile assessment. During her live demonstration of searching her own name, Christine reveals several key insights about academic online presence. She expresses satisfaction that her search results display primarily research-oriented content, including conference presentations with proper institutional affiliations and research interests. Notably, she celebrates that Google's algorithm has finally updated to reflect her current research areas rather than outdated interests from 15 years ago - a common problem academics face with persistent, obsolete online information. Her search results showcase a well-rounded academic digital footprint including her institution, LinkedIn profile, Defend Publish & Lead company page, personal WordPress site, sabbatical work at Ohio State, book publications, ResearchGate, Humanities Commons, X (formerly Twitter) posts, and Google Scholar profile. She notes that posts from Inside Higher Education also appear in her results, demonstrating the value of external publication visibility. However, Christine identifies a significant gap in her current online presence: two new books published in April - an edited collection on faculty writing research and a Routledge publication on time management for academic mothers (Rec Comp Moms) - are notably absent from her first-page search results. This discovery illustrates the episode's central point about the need for proactive promotion of recent scholarship. Christine explains the strategic importance of maintaining current search visibility, noting that while people may discover new work through social media posts, many researchers conduct Google searches when they encounter someone's work for the first time. If recent publications don't appear on the first page, potential readers and collaborators may miss significant contributions to the field. She discusses the nuanced relationship between Google's algorithm and academic self-promotion, explaining that consistent activity around specific projects eventually leads to first-page visibility. While a 2018 book continues to appear prominently in her results, she emphasizes the need to actively promote newer work through various channels including Substack blogs, LinkedIn posts, and other content that refreshes regularly. Christine positions this digital audit as complementary to traditional CV work, particularly valuable for academics preparing for job market activities or tenure and promotion applications in the fall. She stresses that a well-organized Google presence can significantly impact professional opportunities when search committees or colleagues investigate an academic's background. The episode concludes with information about Defend Publish & Lead's upcoming faculty development seminarsavailable through Eventbrite, covering topics from faculty writing groups to supporting chairs and deans as writers, paragraph writing for dissertation students, and book writing strategies. Related Episodes ● ● DPL Resources Summer Coaching Opportunity: Defend, Publish & Lead is offering a limited-time summer burst sale with 100 coaching hours available at reduced rates. Whether you're a current client or new to their services, email [email protected] to learn more. Free Consultation Available: New clients can schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation to discuss projects, summer writing planning, or fall preparation strategies. Need help with your academic writing goals or semester transitions? Contact Defend, Publish & Lead for personalized coaching support tailored to your specific needs and timeline. /episode/index/show/defendandpublish/id/36892790

DP&L Episode 231 - Work or Play! 06/07/2025

DP&L Episode 231 - Work or Play! In this summer-themed episode, President and executive writing coach Christine Tulley addresses the common challenge academics face during summer months: distinguishing between work time and personal time while managing writing projects effectively. She provides practical strategies for creating sustainable boundaries around scholarly work during the less structured summer period. Christine begins by acknowledging a widespread issue among her clients - the tendency to view summer as an unlimited reservoir of time to "catch up" on writing projects that may have stalled during the academic year. However, she warns against this all-or-nothing approach, noting that summer brings its own challenges including schedule changes, family vacations, travel commitments, and the natural desire to enjoy pleasant weather rather than remaining confined to an office. The episode focuses on two key time management strategies that can transform how academics approach summer productivity. The first strategy involves establishing a realistic weekly hour commitment for scholarly work before each week begins. Christine emphasizes that attempting 40 hours per week of reading and writing is unrealistic due to the mentally taxing nature of screen-based, high-stress academic work, particularly for those working on dissertations or tenure-track requirements. Drawing from her personal experience, Christine shares her approach of targeting 8-12 hours per week during the regular academic year, with 8 hours as her minimum threshold and 12 hours as her maximum before she allows herself to stop. She explains the psychological benefits of using a range rather than a fixed number, as it provides flexibility while ensuring minimum productivity standards are met. For summer intensification, she suggests scaling up to ranges like 16-20 hours per week for those with reduced teaching loads. The range system offers several advantages, including the ability to track progress throughout the week and make informed decisions about additional work sessions. Christine illustrates this with an example of checking progress on Thursday and determining whether additional hours are needed by week's end to meet the minimum threshold. The second major strategy involves deliberately scheduling non-work days during the summer. Christine recommends intentionally designating certain days as completely writing-free, whether for vacation, service obligations, or simply personal choice. This planned approach to rest prevents the guilt and uncertainty that often accompanies unstructured time off. Christine concludes by emphasizing that this systematic approach to work-life boundaries helps answer the persistent question of "how much writing is enough?" She acknowledges that while there's theoretically no limit to academic productivity, realistic physical and mental constraints require thoughtful planning and self-imposed limits. DPL Resources Summer Coaching Opportunity: Defend, Publish & Lead is offering a limited-time summer burst sale with 100 coaching hours available at reduced rates. Whether you're a current client or new to their services, email [email protected] to learn more. Free Consultation Available: New clients can schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation to discuss projects, summer writing planning, or fall preparation strategies. Need help with your academic writing goals or semester transitions? Contact Defend, Publish & Lead for personalized coaching support tailored to your specific needs and timeline. /episode/index/show/defendandpublish/id/36892235

DP&L Episode 230 - Closing Out Spring Semester 05/31/2025

DP&L Episode 230 - Closing Out Spring Semester In this episode, President and executive writing coach Christine Tulley provides essential strategies for effectively wrapping up the spring semester and preparing for a smooth transition into summer. Christine focuses on specific end-of-academic-year tasks that differ from typical semester closures, offering practical advice for academics looking to tie up loose ends before the fiscal year ends. Christine emphasizes the critical importance of addressing deadline-driven tasks first - from spending remaining faculty development funds to completing annual productivity reports and tenure-track requirements. She stresses that these tasks often involve funding or have significant consequences if missed, making them the top priority for spring semester closure. The episode covers essential organizational strategies including managing digital files from spring classes, deciding what materials to keep versus delete, and developing effective naming conventions for future use. Christine shares her approach to handling physical materials like books and printed articles, recommending binder clips with descriptive notes over traditional filing systems that can bury important documents. For educators, she discusses the nuances of course management between semesters, explaining why copying fall-to-fall courses often works better than adapting spring materials due to calendar differences and energy variations between semesters. She also suggests creating a dedicated folder for fall prep ideas without actively working on them until August. Christine concludes with the importance of annual CV updates, timing this task to coincide with required annual reports. This systematic approach ensures nothing gets overlooked while maintaining professional documentation current. Episodes Mentioned: DPL Resources Summer Coaching Opportunity: Defend, Publish & Lead is offering a limited-time summer burst sale with 100 coaching hours available at reduced rates. Whether you're a current client or new to their services, email [email protected] to learn more. Free Consultation Available: New clients can schedule a complimentary 30-minute consultation to discuss projects, summer writing planning, or fall preparation strategies. Need help with your academic writing goals or semester transitions? Contact Defend, Publish & Lead for personalized coaching support tailored to your specific needs and timeline. /episode/index/show/defendandpublish/id/36799265

DP&L Episode 229 - Tips for Academic Mom Summer Planning 05/24/2025

DP&L Episode 229 - Tips for Academic Mom Summer Planning In this longer episode, President and executive writing coach Christine Tulley and coach share valuable insights on balancing academic writing with parenting responsibilities during summer breaks. Drawing from their personal experiences, they discuss strategies for maintaining scholarly productivity while managing childcare for children of different ages - from preschoolers to college students. The episode explores how to create effective summer routines that accommodate both professional goals and family needs. Christine and Heather share their summer writing plans and offer practical advice on carving out productive time amid the parenting demands of summer. From creative activities to keep children engaged to community-based childcare solutions, they provide realistic approaches for academic parents to make progress on their professional work. This conversation highlights how different institutional contexts shape summer writing strategies - whether using summer for intensive writing to meet annual review requirements or focusing on smaller projects while recovering from a demanding academic year. The hosts share honest perspectives on managing the logistical challenges of summer while acknowledging the importance of enjoying this special time with children. Resources Mentioned Related Episodes: (if you missed the summer planning 2026 webinar, email and ask for a copy). Don't miss our upcoming FREE webinar! Join us Monday, June 2nd at 11 am Eastern for where we'll expand on these strategies in more detail. Register now or email [email protected] for the recording if you miss the live event. The Textbook and Academic Authors Association (TAA) conference is approaching on June 6-7 with full virtual access. Christine highlights an especially valuable session on - perfect for academics managing collaborative projects. Registration includes TAA membership and provides access to numerous valuable resources for academic writers. Need personalized support with your book proposals? Our team of experienced writing coaches can help you develop strategies tailored to your needs. Email [email protected] to learn more. /episode/index/show/defendandpublish/id/36597235

DP&L Episode 228 - Short Form Academic Books 05/17/2025

DP&L Episode 227 - Summer Writing Strategies for Restoration and Project Completion 05/10/2025

DP&L Episode 227 - Summer Writing Strategies for Restoration and Project Completion In this valuable episode, President and executive writing coach Christine Tulley explores the two common speeds of academic writing during summer breaks. Learn how to navigate between intensive project work and necessary rest periods while maintaining productive writing habits. Christine shares five practical strategies for integrating writing sessions into a more relaxed summer rhythm, with a focus on restoration that supports both your wellbeing and manuscript revision. This episode provides essential guidance for academics seeking to establish sustainable summer writing routines that balance productivity with much-needed restoration. Discover how to set realistic writing goals that allow for both project completion and rejuvenation during academic breaks. Resources Mentioned Don't miss our upcoming summer writing FREE webinar! Join us Monday, May 12 at 11 am for "Summer Writing Strategies for Restoration and Project Completion" where Christine will expand on these concepts in detail. A link will be sent to all registrants 48 hours before the webinar, and everyone who registers will receive the recording. Perfect for enhancing your summer writing productivity while maintaining balance! Register here to attend live or get the recording: If the webinar is full, email to get a seat Summer Writing Episode Playlist: DP&L Resources Need personalized support with your summer writing projects? Try us out in a free consultation. Our team of experienced writing coaches can help you develop strategies tailored to your needs. Email [email protected] to learn more. Check out our current and past workshops at for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from The Textbook and Academic Authors Association continues to offer excellent resources for academic writers. Visit them at: (use DEFEND25 for $25 off for podcast listeners!) New to TAA? Join for just $30 using discount code TAA70 for 70% off!!! Returning TAA members can use the coupon code TAADP10 for $10 off an annual membership. You will also receive a copy of the eBook, /episode/index/show/defendandpublish/id/36411840