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Meet the master, I have. I first became familiar with Ken Henson’s book, Writing for Publication: Road to Academic Advancement, shortly after I was introduced to his articles in Phi Delta Kappan. With this book, Henson has brought to the book shelf a rendition of his work used in his “Writing for Publication” workshops and in his articles for various journals including PDK. As a professor at the Citadel and prolific writer, Henson knows of what he writes. He believes writing is challenging work, even for the most widely published authors; however, if one sincerely wants to succeed at writing, it takes discipline, time and energy. As a tenure-track professor and hungry for the “how to” of quality manuscript writing, Henson’s book provided me with practical suggestions for article and book publication and for designing grant proposals. The book is organized into a logical sequence from the first chapter appropriately entitled: “Why Write?” to the last chapter discussing gaining tenure. Key ideas are: setting goals for writing, organizing work time, writing clearly and concisely, knowing journals and publishers, selecting topics of interest for journals or books, and using steps for grant writing. Henson offers examples such as an article tracking system and models of a query letter and questionnaire letter. He provides a plethora of various forms, sample timetables for production, examples of grant proposals with prototypes for title pages and table of contents, a listing of university presses, and a table of publication information for selected journals. Henson reviews frequent mistakes and common errors with journal writing and publication. He shares common excuses for writing avoidance and helps the reader and neophyte writer dispel such notions with practical advice and a little cajoling. When I become victim of procrastination and start adopting excuses, I pick up Henson’s book and once again find his words to be both chiding and motivating: “The remark, I don’t have time to write, actually means I have committed all of my time to other things or I have not yet learned how to effectively budget my writing time.” Henson’s style is comfortable and informal, yet rife with honest, no-nonsense advice, sprinkled with dry wit. “Writing is good therapy; it lets you express yourself. Trading an evening of reruns for an evening of writing may be the best decision you’ve made in a long time.” It takes dedication and discipline to be a writer, and in Writing for Publication: Road to Academic Advancement, Henson, the master of writing, provides practical advice for those of us who are endeavoring to find success with writing. ----------------------------
Jan Walker is currently an associate professor in Educational Leadership at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. She has been a professor in educational leadership for nine years. Her areas of research and publication are educational leadership, diversity and parent involvement. Prior to teaching at the university level, she was a principal and director of curriculum for school districts in Iowa.
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Reviewed by Jan Walker
