What consultants do

Real-time developmental editing of your book/manuscript: If you are an external processor, writing a book can feel like torture because you feel like you’re writing page after page into the void. A consultant can act as a sounding board for your ideas: write a quick draft, send it to your coach, and talk out the ideas. I love doing this in conjunction with editing because, over time, I become almost as embedded in the project as my clients are, so we can have deep conversations about theory, narrative, structure, argument, etc as the book is being written.

Accountability and writing support: The act of writing is hard. It’s super hard to develop habits that sustain writing in our crowded lives. A consultant can help with that on a macro and micro level. I help people develop practices that work for them (what kind of goals work for you? when do you write best? what do you need to say no to?), and then I’m an accountability partner to make sure you follow through on them.

I also work a lot with people to get past writing blocks, including dislodging the voice of reviewer 2 or your dissertation advisor from their role as your internal editor. I also do some strategic planning with some of my clients. What is your research pipeline? What do you want it to look like? I also can help in those moments of doubt where you’re ready to walk away from the project.

Targeted skill or writing sessions: Have you ever come across a problem you just didn’t know how to fix when you were writing? Maybe you are traditionally a quantitative scholar and need help integrating qualitative data and telling stories in your book manuscript. Maybe you’re stuck on how to convert a specific chapter from your dissertation into a standalone article. Maybe you want to brainstorm how to pitch your book as a crossover title. We can set up a few sessions to work on targeted issues that are getting in the way of your writing process.

Critique sessions: Do you have an article that’s been rejected a few times and you just want to know how to reframe it before sending it out again? Do you want someone to read your intro and workshop it for you? There are some editing tasks that are better suited to synchronous communication—critique sessions are great for that.

Academia is weird—having someone on your side helps. Some tenure cases, promotions, job searches, and committee assignments are straight forward. Some are not. If you’re not receiving institutional support as you apply for promotion or try to find a job, I can walk you through all of that, act as a sounding board, and help you figure out the tools you need to navigate difficult institutions. I also work with people on their decisions about whether to stay in academia. If you’re feeling anxious about navigating institutional processes, I can help.

Today’s question: “What do coaches or consultants do? ”

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