This week on Beyond the Thesis With Papa PhD we will be talking about demystifying academic branding with Dr. Sheena Howard, author of “Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation”, “Black Queer Identity Matrix: Towards An Integrated Queer of Color Framework”, “Critical Articulations of Race, Gender and Sexual Orientation”, and “Encyclopedia of Black Comics”, who is now preparing to publish her new book: “Academic Branding – A step-by-step guide to increased visibility, authority, and income”.
Dr. Sheena C. Howard is the first Black woman to win an Eisner award at San Diego Comic-Con for her first book, Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation (2014). The Eisner is considered the ‘Oscars of Comics.’ Howard has published comic books for both Marvel (Illusion of Fairness, 2023) and DC (Fresh Air in Philly, 2021, and others) comics. She has written a graphic novel and stage play for DMC (from RUN-DMC), published with Bloomsbury (Black Comics: Politics of Race and Representation, 2014), Chicago Review Press (Encyclopedia of Black Comics, 2017), BenBella Press (Why Wakanda Matters, 2021), and more. In addition, her work has received numerous book awards, including an American Library Association’s Outstanding Reference Sourcebook award and more. Her books have been featured in Good Morning America, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and more. She is also the subject of an Emmy-nominated episode of State of the Arts. Finally, Dr. Howard writes and ghostwrites for celebrities, CEOs, and social impact companies that seek to empower, inspire and motivate.
What we covered in the interview:
Academic Branding: Monetizing expertise, increasing visibility, income
Financial Stability: Challenges of academia, diversifying income streams
Mindset: Unlearning academic norms, prioritizing personal growth
Professional Growth: Expanding beyond academia, long-term planning
Media Coverage: Pitching to newspapers, leveraging previous exposure
Speaking Engagements: Strategically setting fees, advancing professional status
Exit Strategy: Preparing for transition, building personal brand
This episode’s resources:
Thank you, Sheena Howard!
If you enjoyed this conversation with Sheena, let her know by clicking the links below and leaving her a message on Linkedin:
Send Sheena Howard a thank you message on Linkedin!
Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David!
You might also like the following episodes:
Adriana Bankston and Jamie L. Vernon – Making an Impact in Research Through Science Policy
Amal Abuzeinab – Flourishing in Your PhD and Beyond
Merle van den Akker – Debunking PhD Misconceptions
Emma Brodzinski – Supporting and inspiring graduate students
As always, if you find value in Papa PhD and in the content I bring you every week, click on one of the buttons below and send some of that value back to me by becoming a supporter on Patreon or by buying me a coffee 🙂