Goldenrod Editorial & Consulting, LLC

Today I'm thinking about the danger of interventions in scholarly work. Of course, interventions are great. All scholars need to make arguments for why their work is important, how they are pushing their disciplines or theory a bit, or how other scholars will build on them. But a pattern I notice as an academic editor is that scholars sometimes get stuck hanging onto an intervention that, while important, may not have much to do with their books' overarching argument. I notice this especially in dissertations that are being turned into books, perhaps because graduate students are very stressed about making a case (any case!) that their work is important (I felt this way anyway), but it can happen in any book. The problem is that if an intervention does not advance your argument, it can distract from it and confuse readers, thus detracting from the overall strength of your manuscript. What to do? Pay attention to places in your manuscript that multiple people have suggested cutting, but that you really, really don't want to cut. You may be right to keep them, but think about your reasoning here. Is it because of the sparkliness of the intervention? Rather than how it advances book-level claims? A good test might be to list your book-level questions. What is your book working to answer? Then think about whether this particular intervention answers those questions. If not, it might be time to cut or condense it. The good news is that often interventions that don't fit into a book can make really good articles. The kind of articles that can drum up interest in your book and that you may be able to write quickly. So beware the intervention! If it distracts readers, be tough and cut it! 🪴🪴 Also, I have scholarly writing groups coming up! Please consider joining! Scholarships still available too! https://lnkd.in/eknmnRFf 🪴🪴 Photo of some really cool frozen ground! #writingtrips #academicwriting #developmentalediting

🎁 I'm happy to share my second annual gift guide for scholarly writers! Use it to find the perfect gift for your faculty buds! Warning: it contains books! 🎁 I review my favorite books on scholarly writing that I read this year and also provide some tips on what kind of scholar each one might be best for. So read (and shop!) on! I'd also love to hear recommendations for what I should read in 2025. What are your favorite books on scholarly writing? #academicwriting #giftguide #scholarlywriting #facultylife https://lnkd.in/eTDEjiiV

Hi everyone! I'm working on scheduling my next round of scholarly writing groups. They will start in mid-January, and I need your help in figuring out when to have them! Faculty, please consider filling out this brief survey. 🌟 As thanks, I'll enter you in a drawing to win a free book on scholarly writing and will help you select one that will be helpful to you and your work. 🌟 Access the survey here: https://lnkd.in/ejwSe65s Lear more about my writing groups here: https://lnkd.in/eknmnRFf #writinggroups #academicwriting #writingsupport

So you're thinking of working with a developmental editor, or maybe you've heard that a lot of your faculty colleagues are doing so? But you're new to this process! What do you need to know and what can you do to make the most of working with an editor? My latest blog delves into these questions, discussing seven things to consider to help you have a productive and positive experience with your editor. They include communicating your needs clearly, figuring out your budget and sharing that with your editor, and providing feedback on your editor's work. It's a huge investment of money, time, and emotional energy to share your work with someone else, so hopefully this will help you do it right! Read the blog here: https://lnkd.in/ekPzbaFz #academicediting #scholarlywriting #developmentalediting #writingtips

Some good writing advice from my son's first grade teacher! Felix told me that he teacher told him that when you write a story, you need to think about watermelons. She explained that you shouldn't just drop the watermelon and let all of the seeds fall out. He said that would sound like this: "A story about camping would be like: First we went to our campsite. Then we set up the tent. Then we made a fire. Then we ate dinner." Even Felix could see that this wouldn't be the most interesting story. She suggests instead that the students pick one seed and explore that in more detail. Felix might talk about the challenges we faced in making the fire - wet wood, weird newspaper that didn't burn right, my temper in the face of such obstacles - and then narrate how this all played out. I love the idea of identifying the important seeds in our work, teasing them out, and bringing them to life for readers. Photo by 煜翔 肖 on Unsplash

I've been thinking a lot about book workshops lately. These can be wonderful ways to get feedback on your book manuscript, but they often can generate a lot of anxiety for scholars and an overwhelming amount of feedback. Some of this is inevitable, but putting careful thought into planning your workshop can help lead to a more positive experience. Think about your goals for the workshop; consider what timing would be best for you and your book; invite kind, supportive, critical readers; and shape the discussion in ways that will be the most helpful for you. I explore these ideas in my latest blog post: https://lnkd.in/epiC4jMM And I'd love to hear your thoughts on what made a book workshop work for you (or not!). #bookworkshops #academicwriting #facultylife

Are you trying to figure out how to make time for writing at the beginning of the semester? Are you looking for opportunities to connect with other scholars? Would you like some guidance and support from a developmental editor? Then consider joining one of my scholarly writing groups! They start next week (Friday, September 13) and will help you get writing done this semester in a supportive atmosphere. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eknmnRFf I believe that writing can be easier and more fun. Groups like these help that happen! https://lnkd.in/eReYgGwj Also, I still have two deeply discounted spots available for scholars for whom the cost would be a barrier to participation. Please spread the word and learn more here: https://lnkd.in/eknmnRFf #writinggroups #writingtips #academicwriters

Here are some of the things that I’d like to say to frustrated academic writers. I’m talking about the writers who are feeling anxious about their work, who worry that they will not be able to finish their books or question the value of their ideas. I’m talking about the writers who feel like imposters or who feel paralyzed about getting their work done. You can do it: You passed quals. You wrote a dissertation. You got your PhD. Those of you farther along in your careers have published articles and maybe even books. If you have done these things, you can write, you have valuable ideas, and they deserve to be out there in the world. Your writing is likely better than you think. Authors who I work with often tell me that the writing that they are sending me is garbage. It never is! All writing can be improved, but I’ve observed patterns in which academic writers tend to underestimate the strength of their writing and their ideas. You may be doing this too. It’s probably time to send it out. Don’t hold onto revise and resubmits or work on an article for years. It’s scary to send things out, but doing so is how you get writing out into the world. Making time for writing helps you do it. It doesn’t have to be a lot of time (maybe just two 30-minute writing sessions a week). You can get a lot written in a little bit of time. See my full blog post for some ideas on how to do this: https://lnkd.in/eC8RrGbs Surround yourself with people who value you and your writing. As much as you can, try to avoid the people in academia who undermine you or your work or who don’t make you feel seen and appreciated. Seek out those who you enjoy spending time with and who are supportive of your work. Your writing matters in the world and don’t be afraid to say why. Many of the authors who I work with avoid stating the significance of their pieces (I did too!). Try not to do this. Confidently stating the value of your work helps ensure that readers don’t miss it and helps signal to other scholars how they can build upon your work. In the best cases, it helps change how we understand the world. Seek help. If you are feeling anxious, worried, or depressed about your writing, seek out support. This could come in the form of an academic editor or writing coach, but if you are concerned about how your feelings about academia and writing are affecting your mental health, consider therapy. It very much helped me navigate my academic anxiety. See my blog post for a fuller discussion of each of these topics, including strategies that you can employ to enact them. https://lnkd.in/eC8RrGbs And if you’d like some support in your writing as well as a chance to work with other like-minded scholars, consider joining one of my scholarly writing groups (starting in September!). https://lnkd.in/eknmnRFf #writingtips #writinganxiety #academicwriting #facultylife

Last day for EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT! ☀️ Are you anxious about finding time to write this semester? ☀️ Do you find that writing with others helps make writing enjoyable and inspiring? ☀️ Is there a project that you have been avoiding for way too long? ☀️ Would you like some contact and instruction from an experienced developmental editor? If you answered yes to any of these questions, consider joining one of my scholarly writing groups. They begin on September 13 and will help you start your semester's writing off right! See here for more details and to register: https://lnkd.in/eknmnRFf Through 8/20, enter LINKEDIN as the discount code when you register to get 10 percent off!

❤️ What would it mean to love our scholarly writing? To enjoy our writing processes? To not get constantly tangled up in negative emotions surrounding writing? ❤️ In my most recent blog post, I think through how to cultivate some love for our writing. I’m not suggesting that you need to only love your writing. Anxiety, stress, and self-doubt are normal parts of most people’s writing processes (including mine!). But finding ways to emphasize the positive emotions surrounding writing can be powerful and help you have a better overall relationship with your work. I have some suggestions for freewriting prompts to help you dig into what you do like about writing as well as some suggestions about how to further bring out the positive aspects of writing for you. So read on! https://lnkd.in/eneZGC99 As a developmental editor and coach, I deeply believe that scholarly writing can be more pleasurable than it is for so many academic writers. It won’t always be joyful, but it can be happier and more balanced. And, if you’d like to work on nurturing these sorts of emotions with a group, consider enrolling in one of my scholarly writing groups! They start on September 13! Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/eknmnRFf (Get 10% off with the discount code LINKEDIN!) #writingtips #writinggroups #academicwriting