These links are all excellent sources of advice on the practical process of becoming an historian.  While I don't agree with everything these authors have to say, they generally do an excellent job laying out the challenges you face and present some good strategies for dealing with them.  If you find dead links, please let me know.


General advice:

Thomas H. Benton on succeeding as a grad student

Writing:

Liena Vayzman with practical advice on writing a dissertation / thesis

William Germano on avoiding passive voice

Patricia Limerick on bad academic writing

Bruce Mazlish on writing good book reviews

Conferences, talks, and presentations:

Julie Miller Vick and Jennifer S. Furlong with general advice

Benton with cynical but useful advice

Germano on academic talks

Linda Kerber on presenting a paper

Kerber on moderating a discussion

The Job Market:

Depressing but important news on the impact of the recession


Anthony Grafton and Robert Townsend on the current state of the market

Mary Morris Heiberger and Vick on job market terminology

Heiberger and Vick on preparing yourself to go on the market

Eve Levin on acing the job market and and Stephen Bittner on four things to know

Mary Dillon Johnson on job interviews

Marilynn Johnson on job talks

Rob Jenkins on community college jobs: article one
    Article two
    Article three

Publishing:

Christopher Tomlims on scholarly publishing in general

Elaine Maisner on university presses

Life as a new faculty member

Mary Deane Sorcinelli with ten things you ought to know

Rob Weir on starting as a new faculty member

Paul Gray and David E. Drew on what you don’t learn in graduate school

A roundtable on the transition to becoming faculty

Jenkins on succeeding as a new faculty member. Jenkins aims this at community college faculty, but everything he says is pitch perfect for faculty at any institution.