Academic Book Coach
& Developmental Editor
Jenn McClearen, Ph.D.
I help scholars finish the book without burning out, losing the thread, or waiting for a semester that finally cooperates.
You became a scholar because your research matters—and the book is where that impact will live. But academia's relentless demands—and a system that was never designed for the way most scholars actually live and work—can make even the most capable, committed writers feel like they're running out of time, confidence, and runway.
This is precisely where I can help!
I’m an academic book coach and developmental editor who helps scholars make steady, sustainable progress on books that matter. I know this work intimately from the inside.
Hi, I’m Jenn.
I earned my Ph.D. from the University of Washington, held a faculty position at the University of Texas at Austin, and published my own academic book while navigating many of the same pressures my clients face. I later left faculty life to support scholars in doing meaningful work.
My feminist and cultural studies training shapes the lens I bring to this work. It helps me see academic writing struggles not simply as personal failings, but as shaped by the power and pressures built into the academy. That’s why I help clients build writing processes that are more humane, sustainable, and resistant to the publish-or-perish grind.
Together, we design a realistic book-writing process that fits your actual life.
My approach combines two things most scholars struggle to find in one place: the strategic support of writing coaching—structure, accountability, and mindset work—and the editorial expertise of developmental editing—argument, voice, and organization.
We work together to map out the arc of your project, break it into manageable stages, and work through the roadblocks—perfectionism, decision fatigue, procrastination, and the messy middle—that keep smart, capable writers stuck.