WRITING STRATEGY

& STRUCTURE PROGRAM

A coaching program for scholars who are ready for

steady, sustainable forward motion

on their book manuscript.

You know the book matters. The bottleneck isn’t motivation.

It's the gap between caring deeply about the work and being able to move it forward consistently. You have ideas, maybe notes, maybe partial drafts—but no reliable sense of what deserves your attention right now or how to keep going without burning out.

So the book gets pushed to evenings, weekends, and breaks that never materialize. And the longer it stalls, the harder it becomes to start again.

The strategies you've tried before

weren't broken because of you.

They were built for an idealized version

of scholarly life that doesn't exist.

You might be

  • Unsure what to work on next, even though the book is clearly important

  • Stuck in cycles of overthinking, planning, or intermittent bursts of productivity

  • Finding that perfectionism, fear, or exhaustion keeps interrupting momentum

  • Trying to write alongside teaching, service, caregiving, or health constraints

  • Carrying manuscript decisions alone with no one to think them through with

This program is for scholars who need traction

—not another productivity hack.

You don't need another "write every day" system built for someone else.

You need a structure that fits who you actually are

and a process that can survive your real life.

How We Work Together

Over approximately 2–3 months, we build a writing practice around your actual workload, energy, and life.

We clarify what the book needs now, reducing the decision fatigue that keeps you spinning and addressing the emotional barriers that make progress fragile, such as fear of failure or perfectionism, which can hinder your writing journey.

Your Customized Path to Success

  • #1 CLARIFY YOUR FOCUS

    We begin by identifying your goals for the book and uncovering what’s keeping you stuck—so you can move forward with purpose, not pressure.

  • #2 BUILD FOR SUSTAINABILITY

    We co-create a writing plan that fits your actual life—so you can build consistency without burnout, even when things get busy.

  • #3 MAINTAIN MOMENTUM

    With regular check-ins, mindset support, and strategy, you’ll keep momentum going—so your book doesn’t stay stuck in endless draft form and makes it out into the world.

Client Testimonials

  • "I truly cannot overstate how impactful our work together was."

    Working with Jenn during the summer after my first year on the tenure track was so incredibly life-giving.

    First, I was able to finally submit (and get an R&R!) on a dissertation paper I had been dragging my feet on as a direct result of our work together. Specifically, Jenn helped me recognize and overcome some specific mindset roadblocks I didn't even realize I had around writing; and she also supported me in articulating and analyzing my writing process clearly for the first time. This fundamentally changed my research process!

    Jenn is incredibly kind, supportive, organized, and clear in her communication and approach. I truly cannot overstate how impactful our work together was, and I recommend working with her to anyone who is feeling lost about their research, writing, and/or career!

    Dr. Meaghan McSorley, Assistant Professor, Florida State University

  • "I’ve learned how to envision the career I want and take actionable steps toward achieving it. "

    Jenn has been a steady source of support, encouragement, and guidance. She doesn’t just give advice—she models everything she offers. As her client, I’ve learned how to envision the career I want and take actionable steps toward achieving it.

    She’s helped me prioritize the projects that matter most to me and find better ways to manage my time as a neurodivergent person and parent of a neurodivergent child. 

    Dr. Briana Barner, Assistant Professor, University of Maryland

  • "These shifts in my mindset have helped me grow more confident as a scholar."

    Working with Jenn has helped me transform my relationship to writing. Her attentive listening, suggestions, and positive reinforcement have helped me decrease my anxiety towards writing and remember all the things I love about writing.

    Jenn's coaching has helped me think of writing as any other part of my life, rather than a high-stakes "my career depends on this" act of perfection. These shifts in my mindset have helped me grow more confident as a scholar and move towards a daily writing practice. 

    Dr. Karolina Dos Santos, Postdoctoral Scholar, New York University Gallatin

  • "Jenn is able to decipher an end goal through what felt like my confused rambling."

    What I appreciated about working with Jenn is that when you tell her about your project, what you want to accomplish, and what you are having trouble with, she can turn it into tangible and specific goals with solutions. She is able to decipher an end goal through what felt like my confused rambling.

    In the time I worked with Jenn, I was able to complete my dissertation, which has now garnered the interest of publishers and is the blueprint for my forthcoming book. Additionally, I was able to write, revise, and publish my first peer-reviewed academic article. Her help is invaluable and neither of these projects could have been completed without her assistance.

    Dr. Lily Kunda, Assistant Teaching Professor, The College of William and Mary

  • "Jenn's support and guidance have empowered me to overcome mental barriers, prioritize my goals, and approach academic writing with renewed confidence and clarity.

    Working with Jenn has been transformative—she has helped me cultivate a positive and productive relationship with writing through sustainable routines and clear strategies. Her support and guidance have empowered me to overcome mental barriers, prioritize my goals, and approach academic writing with renewed confidence and clarity.

    Anonymous

  • "I am so glad I found Jenn at this stage of my career."

    Jenn is an amazing coach. She is gentle, receptive, and, most importantly, she has helped me overcome my fears of academic writing. Her structured outlines, discussion point recaps, and clear next steps truly bring clarity to the task at hand. I greatly appreciate her prompt replies and encouraging notes. I am so glad I found her at this stage of my career.

    Dr. Muniza Askari, SPJ Singapore Campus

What’s Included in the Strategy & Structure Program

  • An initial Strategy Session

    We clarify what's stuck, identify barriers, and establish clear priorities for our work together

  • Four Tailored Coaching Sessions

    To support planning, decision-making, and common barriers—perfectionism, procrastination, time pressure, competing demands

  • An Editorial Snapshot

    A bird's-eye read of an extended abstract of your book, used as a thinking tool in session to inform strategy and next steps rather than as detailed written feedback

  • Email or WhatsApp support

    Connect with me throughout the program for questions, accountabilty, and course correction between sessions

  • A Closing Session

    To consolidate what's working and talk through what kind of support—if any—would serve you going forward

Your Investment

$2050

plus VAT in the UK and EU

Want to use institutional funding? I'll provide whatever documentation your institution needs.

Paying out of pocket? A reduced rate of $1850 and payment plans are available for self-paying clients.

You've tried other things.

Here's what's different.

You may have tried retreats, accountability groups, or productivity apps. Something worked briefly—and then it didn't. And you probably blamed yourself rather than recognizing the mismatch.

This program is individualized—built around your brain, your workload, and your life. Not a formula. Not a one-size-fits-all system. A structure designed for the person you actually are, doing the work you're actually doing.

And underneath the strategy and the planning, this is what we're really building toward: the confidence that your ideas hold. That you can write this book. We'll build the structure that lets you prove it to yourself on the page.

Let's figure out what your book needs.

Fill out the form below or email me at jenn@jennmcclearen.com.

Tell me about your book and what's feeling stuck. If you're unsure whether this program or a different level of support is the right fit, we'll figure that out together.

Send Inquiry

FAQs

  • Developmental editing and coaching serve different—though often related—purposes in your writing life.

    Developmental editing focuses on improving a specific piece of writing. An editor will give you detailed feedback on structure, argumentation, clarity, and coherence to help you strengthen a manuscript in progress. It’s about shaping that article, that chapter, that proposal into its best possible form.

    Coaching, on the other hand, focuses on you—your process, habits, mindset, and long-term goals as a writer and scholar. Coaching supports you in building the systems and self-awareness you need to write more consistently, reduce avoidance, navigate self-doubt, and make steady progress on high-stakes projects. It’s about creating sustainable practices that help you move forward not just once, but again and again.

    I always say that editing supports the writing and coaching supports the writer.

    Writers often benefit from both modes. Editing can refine your work. Coaching helps you get it written in the first place—and keep writing long after.

    I offer developmental editing as a feature Book Development Program

  • Developmental editing is included as a core feature of my Book Development Program (up to 30,000 words). For the Writing Strategy and Structure Program, I provide a bird's-eye review of an extended abstract of the book.

    Because of my own academic background, I specialize in editing work in the humanities and qualitative social sciences. That's where I can offer the most meaningful and field-specific support—especially when it comes to argument development, voice, and structure.

  • That’s exactly why coaching can help. We’ll build strategies that work with your real schedule, not an ideal one. And if a rough week happens, we’ll adjust without judgment.

  • I work with scholars on a wide range of writing projects, including books, journal articles, grant proposals, conference papers, and dissertations. Whether you're working toward tenure, preparing for the job market, or trying to carve out time for a long-delayed project, we can tailor our work together to fit your goals.

    Please note that I can offer coaching for any discipline but only offer developmental editing in the humanities and qualitative social sciences.

  • Yes, I work with all of the above! I coach scholars at various stages of their academic journey—from PhD students navigating dissertation writing and early publishing to precariously employed faculty looking to augment their publications for the job market to mid-career faculty balancing research, teaching, service, and leadership responsibilities.

    Whether you're just starting out or looking to regain momentum later in your career, I tailor my coaching to meet you where you are and support your goals without adding to the overwhelm.

  • Most clients meet with me approximately every other week over the course of 10 weeks or 6 months, which provides momentum with space to integrate. That said, we can absolutely discuss meeting more frequently or spreading coaching sessions out to fit your needs.

    For example, if you have a pressing deadline you need support on, we could design our work together to span 5 weeks, meeting once a week.

  • Of course, only you can answer that question for yourself! But I invite you to consider what it might be costing you to stay stuck—missed deadlines, ongoing stress, projects that don’t move forward, and the nagging feeling that you’re not reaching your full potential.

    The professional, emotional, and even financial impacts of stalled progress can be significant. For scholars working toward tenure or promotion, unfinished writing can contribute to delayed recognition, fewer opportunities, or a more uncertain path forward. And the toll it takes—on confidence, well-being, and peace of mind—is just as real.

    Coaching is both a time and financial investment, and it isn’t a quick fix. But many clients find that the structure, clarity, and support it offers make a meaningful difference—not only in how much they write but also in how they feel about the work.

    Everyone’s experience is different, and there are no absolutes. But if you're ready to shift out of survival mode and into steady, supported progress, this may be the right next step.

    Many clients have told me, once they began, I wish I’d started sooner.

  • I want you to feel confident in your decision to invest in coaching. If after the strategy session, you feel like we aren’t a good fit for your needs, then reach out within 48 hours, and I will issue a refund (minus a €300 fee).

  • Yes, many of my clients use university funds to pay for coaching. Typically you connect me with a department administrator and they pay me directly.

  • Yes—flexible payment options are available. You’re welcome to pay in monthly installments rather than all at once, and I’m happy to discuss a longer plan if that would make coaching more accessible.

    I also offer a small number of scholarships for scholars with financial need. If cost is a barrier, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’d be glad to talk with you about what’s possible: jenn@jennmcclearen.com.

  • Coaching and therapy can both be powerful forms of support—but they serve different purposes.

    Therapy is typically focused on healing, mental health, and addressing past experiences or emotional difficulties that may be interfering with your well-being. Therapists are licensed professionals trained to work with issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and other psychological concerns.

    Coaching, by contrast, is forward-looking. It’s focused on helping you clarify goals, develop strategies, and build the habits, mindset, and support systems you need to move forward—whether that means finishing your book, navigating academic expectations, or creating a more sustainable writing practice. Coaching is not a substitute for mental health treatment, but it can be a valuable complement if you’re feeling generally well and want guidance, structure, and accountability.

You don’t have to do this alone.

I remember what it felt like to be overwhelmed by academic writing—confused by what was expected, second-guessing everything I put on the page, and wondering if I was really cut out for this path. Those struggles started for me in graduate school, and they nearly derailed my confidence before my career had even begun.

Over time, I learned how to write with more clarity, resilience, and purpose. I carried those tools with me into a successful tenure-track position, and now I use them to support other scholars who are facing the pressure to publish—and to do it all perfectly.

If you’re feeling behind, stuck, or unsure how to move forward, you’re not alone. And the risk of staying stuck is often far greater than the risk of asking for support.

You deserve a writing life that’s not defined by panic or perfectionism, but by progress. You deserve to finish your projects, to feel proud of what you publish, and to build a career that reflects your values—not just your obligations.

This is your chance to get the support you need to do your best work without burning out. I’d love to be in your corner.

Let’s make it happen—together.

Let's Chat!