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[02824219]

I posted a message about 10 days ago asking for advice on how to continue to do research while handling a heavy teaching load.  I got quite a few helpful suggestions and have been following them quite faithfully.

But now I face a new dilemma: I have only about 4 months to work on my revisions before I resubmit it to the university press (purely self-imposed deadline).  I want to ask everyone with experience of R & R (especially those whose resubmission has been accepted): Do you revise your ms to the extent that it is perfect?  Or do you mainly spend your time and energy working on the parts your reviewers have raised objections to?  How do you achieve the balance, especially when you have limited time?

My predicament is:  I finally finished rewriting the chapter both readers have the biggest objection to.  But because it was a while ago that I submitted my ms for the first time a lot has happened.  In addition, putting down the project for a while has enabled me to gain fresh perspective and develop new insight.  Ideally, I would like to incorporate all the new information (and new research) and insight into the revision.

But time is the essence here. I teach 4 courses (2 new preps).  I have been getting up at 5 every morning 6 days of a week to work on my project for an hour.
That is all the amount of time I can spare and all the energy I have.

As one fellow forum participator pointed out, I should spend 1 to 2 weeks mapping out a revision plan.  That is what I am doing right now.  But I would very much like to hear how others have dealt w/ the same situation.  Any suggestions and advice are much appreciated.  Thanks!

[seniorscholar]

The question here: why is your self-imposed deadline important?

If the answer is that the book must be in print by the time of your tenure review, the answer is, obviously, do what you have to do in order to meet the demands of the reviewers and promise to yourself that your next book will be much better.

If you have some other less urgent reason for the deadline, consider your goals. Do you have a second project already pressing at your mind, so you can be satisfied that this is your apprentice work? Or -- if you can yourself already see many ways that the book could be better -- will you be forever somewhat ashamed to be known as the author of that weak book that got lackluster reviews?

On the other hand, do know that none of us produce perfect books: even after several well-received books with good academic presses I always know what else I should have done (though the reviewers don't seem to spot these flaws).

[02824219]

Hi, Senior Scholar,

Thanks for raising those scorching questions.

The deadline is important for 2 reasons:
First, if the ms is accepted by the said press, it will still give me a little time to make other career choices.

Second, I first submitted the ms in the spring of 2005, and did not get any feedback from the reviewers until the fall of that year.  Then I was given 2 new preps to teach each semester (out of a teaching load of 4), and had not been able to work on my project until this summer.  I think if I turn in the resubmission by the end of this year, it is a reasonable timeline.

But apparently, you are very experienced in publishing scholarly work.  I will take your advice and set a reasonable goal for myself and work toward that.  In the meantime, if you (and others) have any other suggestions, please let me know!
Thanks!