What is this?

A workshop designed to help you develop, research, write, sell, market, and edit your book.

Ever since I began book coaching, I’ve dreamed of teaching a course where people could come together to spend time focused on getting their books written and out into the world.

I’ve designed a process that works—even for people with complicated lives—whether it’s your first or fifth book.

Who is the instructor?

Me—Kelly Clancy, PhD. I am an editor, consultant, the author of two books, and I’ve edited and consulted on dozens of books, including ones published with and under review by publishers like Oxford University Press, University of Chicago Press, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Elements, UNC Press, Jossey-Bass, Routledge, and Palgrave Macmillan. As a writer, editor, and book coach, I know what it takes to write a book that people will want to read.

I know that writing is particularly challenging when you’re negotiating the stresses of the tenure track, managing writing with family obligations, and/or writing with an intensive teaching load. Because I’ve written, and helped people write, through all of these circumstances, I know what it takes to get things done.

Who is this workshop designed for?

Anyone who wants to write a book! The workshop is targeted to scholars in the social science and humanities who are writing books for scholarly or crossover audiences.

This workshop is ideal for people who do not have full drafts of their first manuscript. Please also see “So You Want to Finish Your Book,” the companion workshop.

What will we do?

This hybrid model is built around quarterly three-day-long meetings, monthly check-ins/office hours, weekly co-writing sessions, and daily support on Slack so you’re never far from the book—or your community. You also have the option to add one-on-one meetings and editing with me.   

You also have the option to join every quarter, so if the May start date doesn’t work, you’re very welcome to apply on a quarterly basis.

Sequence, Topics, and Schedule

The workshops are 1.5 hours long each day. The office hours are 1-hour long. Each week, we will also have a Friday co-writing session. Times for the workshops and office hours will be determined based on the schedule of the participants.

2025: So You Want to Write A Book: Cohort II

(beginner and intermediate flavors)

Part One: Macro-level. Structure, organization, and vision. (May 12, 21, 22, 2025)

Why do we write books? Finding the core of what your book is about.

A deeper look into structure, organization, and narrative

Workshop: how many stages are there to writing a book? Backward planning your book writing strategy.

Part Two: The messy middle. Building and supporting your argument (August 2025).

How are books different than articles? Finding and tracing your book’s argument

Zooming in and out to write narrative and data more effectively

Workshop: Writing an intro scene. Also! Making a plan to get you through the semester

Part Three: Finding a home and an audience for your book (January 2026)

Finding a home for your book (the world of proposals)

Finding your book an audience (the world of marketing)

Workshopping your book proposal/marketing plan.

Part Four: Micro-level. Words, and how to revise them (April 2026).

Voice: Who do you want to sound like as a writer?

Paragraphs and sentences

Workshop: Writing in your voice. And…next steps!

End of cohort celebration TBD

Registration Options

Application available here.

Year-long Program: May 2025-April 2026

Please contact me with questions about registering mid-year or for only one quarter of the program.
(can be paid in quarterly or monthly installments)

Tier I: $2225

• 3 days of intensive sessions in May, August, January, and April focused on process and craft.

• Workbook, assignments, and templates to support your book at each step with written feedback each quarter.

• 12 monthly hour-long group strategy sessions

• Weekly co-writing spaces.

•  Slack channel for ongoing support.

Tier II: $2750

The workshop plus: Six hours of one-on-one coaching calls with me, scheduled as you like to best support your book, with specific comments on pages in progress (A $1200 value!)

Tier III $5000

The writing, the six hours of one-on-one meetings, plus: a developmental and stylistic edit of your book and book proposal (a $3000+ value!)

FAQs