What does a book coach do? How can one help me?

An academic book coach wears several hats. First and foremost, they are an academic editor, bringing a deep background in academic writing, and an ability to keep both the big picture and the small details in focus. They are also a story developer, helping scholars find and emphasize the core argument(s) of their book or article –– the thread that pulls the reader through the narrative. A book coach is also an accountability and support partner, checking in regularly to give you feedback and keep you moving. As your personal project manager, they also help you set reasonable project milestones and stay on track.

What kinds of projects do you work on?

I can help you with journal articles, book manuscripts, book proposals, query letters, and abstracts in the humanities and social sciences, at any stage of development. Whether your work is in the messy early stages or close to a final draft, I can help you get it publisher-ready!

What services do you provide?

I focus mainly on developmental editing and book coaching for academics in the humanities and social sciences. I also offer academic copy editing, and specialize in helping multilingual authors fine-tune their texts for acceptance to English-language journals and presses.

What’s your background & training?

I’m actually an academic myself, with a PhD in Asian History from the University of California, Berkeley. While in grad school, I taught academic writing and research courses to both grads and undergrads, and I went on to continue advising academic writers for ten more years after that. I’ve also spent time “on the other side of the desk,” working for three years as managing editor of an academic journal. There I learned what acquisition editors and scholarly presses are looking for. I’ve also done coursework to augment this experience, including Laura Portwood-Stacer’s course in Academic Developmental Editing (2021), the Poynter-ACES Certificate in Copy Editing (2020), and numerous courses at the EFA (Editorial Freelancer’s Association).

I’ve also published a book and several of my own scholarly articles, so I understand the scholar’s struggle: finding time and motivation to write in a busy schedule; coping with the inevitable “revise and resubmit”; and publishing what you need to earn tenure. It isn’t easy balancing research, writing, teaching, and having a life outside the classroom. I derive joy from providing a space where my fellow scholars can discuss their ideas freely, and support them from feeling “stuck” to finding their story and telling it with confidence.

Can I afford to work with you?

The real question is, what’s the cost of not getting your writing projects done? I can confidently say that book coaching will help you take your projects (and career) to the next level, and take the anxiety out of the writing and publishing process.

Money-wise, my rates are in line with those posted at the EFA, and with other coaches in my field. Whatever your budget, I offer several types of payment options. As many university departments now offer funding to support faculty writing projects, Please take a look below at what my previous clients have to say about working with me — they have all made more measurable progress on their projects than they felt they could have alone.

What is developmental editing? How’s it different from other kinds of editing?

If you need advice about the structure, argument, flow and/or tone of the work, you need developmental editing. The developmental editor takes an “eagle’s-eye” view of your manuscript or journal article to identify ways to strengthen its thesis, organize its sections, and improve the tone of your writing to make the final product as cohesive as possible before it reaches an acquisition editor’s desk.

In copy editing, the focus is on grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other usage issues, and on ensuring the consistency of terms throughout the piece (for example, “21st century” vs. “twenty-first century”). This type of editing also includes light fact-checking (i.e., the names of authors and titles of books, etc.), and making sure the footnotes and bibliography are formatted correctly.

Line editing is the process of fixing things that “trip up” the reader’s mind, such as convoluted sentences or unclear phrasing. It can also include simplifying language using the principles of Plain Language to make your prose as readable as possible while retaining your unique voice.

Although my focus is usually on the developmental side, I provide all three kinds of editing to my clients to provide “end-to-end” support for their projects. Whichever type of editing you need, my goal is to make sure your prose is crystal-clear, allowing the brilliance of your ideas to shine through!