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!
Through academic book coaching and developmental editing, I help scholars do two things that are harder than they should be: build a writing practice that actually holds under real conditions, and turn the ideas in their head into a manuscript they're proud to share.
I’m an academic book coach and developmental editor who helps scholars bring their best scholarship to life—and the creator of Publish Not Perish, a bestselling Substack newsletter on academic writing.
I know what it's like to sit with a document open and feel the gap between where you are and where you need to be. I spent years navigating that gap myself before building a successful faculty career—and eventually leaving to dedicate my work to helping other scholars through it.
What I've learned—and what shapes everything I do—is that the strategies most of us were handed don't actually fit most of our lives. The advice assumes a particular kind of brain, schedule, and household. When it doesn't work, the system says the problem is you. It isn't.
I help you build something that fits who you actually are.
Hi, I’m Jenn.
How I Can Support You
I offer personalized coaching and developmental editing for scholars at every stage of the book process—from pre-proposal through revision—built around your actual workload, brain, and life.
The coaching side of this work is about the process: managing a big, long-term project, working through perfectionism and fear of judgment, and building a writing system that doesn't collapse when teaching ramps up or life intervenes.
The editing side is about the manuscript: the argument, structure, voice, and the confidence to call it done.
Whether you need to get unstuck, build a system that survives the semester, or get expert feedback on the writing itself, I'll help you find the next right step and keep moving.