Envisioning writing in 2023...

Writing should feel sustainable! A few ways that consulting can help.

Last week, I told you 12 reasons you might want to work with an editor in the new year. This lovely chart on my website also walks through different types of editing that might be useful.

This week, I want to write about how working with a coach/consultant might help you achieve some life goals.

2023 - A Year to Breathe and Make Progress

This time last year, I spent some time envisioning where I wanted to be a year from now. So much of my life at the time was in flux; I was still “on leave” from my tenured position; my husband was navigating a variety of job possibilities; we were watching the worst COVID wave yet sweep across the country and still eight months away from a vaccine for my youngest kids. Setting goals felt hard, but I knew a few things. I didn’t want to go back to teaching in Nebraska. I wanted to continue to grow this editing and consulting business and building a community of writers (you!). I wanted to keep writing things that interested me. I wanted to see my book published.

A year later, I still wake up every day knowing that editing, writing, and consulting is what I want to do. We’re back in New York City, which is where we wanted to be. I published some pieces this year I’m proud of, and have an actual draft of the book that I’m ready to stop writing and start editing. I’m starting to think about where I want to be next year, how I want to stop transitioning and instead focusing on growing what I’ve planted in the past year.

It also means taking a pause - I’m going to be offline from the 23rd until January 2nd, spending time with my family and doing a lot of reading. (We did our own version of Jolabokaflod (Icelandic Christmas book flood) this year, with a winter-themed book for the kids to open each day of the month, so there are a lot of books around right now)

So! This last post of the year is to make the soft pitch that coaching/consulting, whether short-term or long term, can do the same thing for you.

5 reasons to hire a coach in the new year

Even though I edit manuscripts on a wide variety of topics, the editing process is fairly predictable. More words here, fewer words here, move those words here, different words there, and done.

Consulting, on the other hand, varies considerably from person to person and week to week, which makes it fun! I’ve worked with people for an average of seven weeks this year, but the range is pretty wide - some people want one or two sessions to talk a few things out, and others people want to work together for six months or more. Here are a few ways coaching can make your life better in the new year:

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

For my long-term clients, I always think of myself as being on a problem-solving retainer. I believe in them, I believe in their projects, and my job is to help clear away roadblocks so that they can produce scholarship that’s important to them.

I do limit the number of new books I’m working on at a time to make sure I can give them my full focus, so if you think consulting might be helpful to you in the new year, it’s helpful to get penciled in early!

Consulting can also make a great gift! Tell that special someone in your life to get you a gift certificate for coaching sessions, and I’ll throw in a beautiful gift card and everything. Having someone who’s on your side as you battle the academic morass is the gift that will give all year long, right?

Housekeeping

As always, thank you for reading, thank you for sharing, and thank you for supporting this project. This is also my last plug for my January writing workshop, where you can experience all of this coaching in four amazing sessions! I’m still offering discounts for graduate students and folks on strike, and you can find out more here.

I’m excited for 2023, and everything it has in store!

Warmly,

Kelly