\"an extremely useful book...answers all those questions other textbooks leave unanswered.\"

- Anne Marie Bradley, Lecturer in EFL, University of the West of Scotland

Starting study at an English medium university can be a frightening prospect for students for whom English is a second language. 50 Steps to Improving Your Academic Writing takes away one area of concern by providing students with a step-by step guide to academic writing, ensuring they are able to write well-constructed academic essays. The book addresses the challenges facing every international student beginning a programme of academic study, and it is packed full of information that will be invaluable to students striving to achieve better results.

One of the reasons this book works so well is that the ‘50- step’ approach enables students to focus on those areas of academic writing they struggle with the most. The ‘steps’ take them right from the basics of academic writing, dealing with questions such as How is academic writing different from other forms of writing? to more advanced topics, such as plagiarism, the use of I in an academic essay, the use of unfamiliar words, vocabulary and collocations, grammar usage and final checks and submission.

The real beauty of this book is the flexibility it offers both students and teachers. It can be used in the classroom, in small study groups or as an independent self-study resource. Students of all levels, from presessional to those studying for a PhD, will benefit from it, as will the teachers preparing students for academic study, who can utilise the practical exercises in the classroom.

Overall, this is a comprehensive and incredibly useful book that I can highly recommend to teachers and students alike. The material is accessible and will ensure that this is not just another book bought at the start of term and never looked at. Students will want to refer to the text time and time again and will view it as an invaluable aid to their academic career.

-Myrtle Harber for English Teaching Professional, Issue 81, July 2012

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\"What I liked about this book was the sheer amount of information it provides, and the wide range of topics addressed. Yet despite the breadth of coverage there is also depth. For example, in discussing the use of reporting verbs for sources, three aspects are considered: denotation, connotation and the strength of the verb. This is followed by a page-long table analyzing various reporting verbs according to the three criteria. All in all, this is a very practical book, and a very useful addition to the library of those learning to write and also to teachers of EAP. The latter group will find this text most helpful as a classroom resource for additional explanation and practice.\"

Rosemary Wette for the TESOLANZ newsletter, December 2012||

\"Speakers of other languages are able to focus on their specific needs and goals in order to improve their academic writing and the book is a great academic aid for students and teachers alike.\"

Kayla Noel for Teflnet, January 2013||

\"It is clear that Sowton is an experienced and knowledgeable teacher of English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Each step is written as a question and you can imagine students asking them. His steps are well chosen and, from my perspective, he has really tapped into what a student needs and wants to know about academic writing\".

Meredith MacAulay for English Australia Journal, Vol. 28, No 2, 2013||

“Many students learning academic writing skills would like to obtain an instant understanding and knowledge of the skills required for academic writing without having the bother of reading a book on the subject as well. This user-friendly and colourful study-guide could be a useful aid for such students looking for easily accessible, no nonsense information. 50 Steps to Improving Your Academic Writing is conveniently separated into ten units focusing on different aspects of academic writing and grammar. These units are then each divided into five steps presented as answers to questions such as Step 3 ‘What is plagiarism?’ (a form of cheating and a serious academic offence…), Step 25 ‘How can I strengthen my argument?’ (arguments must be analytical, thorough and persuasive…), through to Step 50 ‘What final checks do I need to make?’, focusing on self-reflection and analysis of the essay draft. The structure of each of these steps has also been separated into different aspects on the topic under consideration, which have been divided into A: Reflection; B: Contextualization; C: Analysis; D: Activation, E: Personalization and F: Extension. Once the reader understands this format, they can gain the full benefit of the thinking behind each unit and how it is related to academic writing as a whole. 

Sowton successfully outlines the most important processes of understanding, drafting and finalising an essay ready for submission. Although the book is divided into ten units which can be read sequentially, it is probably best used as a reference guide depending on the type of information sought. This would be a useful guide for new students who want a general overview of the writing process, but it could also be used by teachers to discuss key points in a factual and accessible way. I would recommend using this book as a supplement and self-study guide for students new to academia and those wanting some insightful insider tips on the writing process. The elixir of true knowledge of the academic writing process may be hard to find but this is a good first step … if not the first 50 of them.”

Christie Goodall for the ESP SIG Journal, Issue 41, April 2013