Publish.
Don’t Perish.
Make your writing as productive as possible with an expert editor, and have more time to enjoy your summer.
More often than not, no one actually tells you how to write a dissertation, convert it to a book, sustain a writing practice after the first book, publish articles, write book proposals, or write a tenure file. And with all the demands of teaching, service, research, and writing, it can be hard to achieve work-life balance. But when you hire an editor, you can lessen the stress of the tenure track while publishing more, and better, work.
I am Jacob S. Dorman, Ph.D., an academic editor and writing coach at Advantage Editing, and I offer services designed to help academic writers on the tenure track. My expertise is in African American history, but I can help all sorts of writers. Working with me can help you win tenure, receive fellowships, collect book awards, and have more success. My clients feel less stress and have more time to enjoy life and spend time with loved ones as they achieve those milestones.
I’ve been there.
I’ve edited more than one million words: books, articles, tenure files, fellowships, dissertations, biographies, and memoirs. I know how to help my clients while keeping their own unique voices. A former History and American Studies professor myself with eighteen years on the tenure track, I have published books with Oxford, Beacon, and Penguin. My work has won four book awards, including the Wesley-Logan book prize from the American Historical Association. I have also received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies (twice), and the Mellon Foundation (twice). My books have been called “beautifully written” by the American Historical Review, and “masterfully written” by The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, in addition to many other plaudits. I can help you have similar success. For more about my approach, click here.
Flexible editing services.
Before giving you a quote, I will ask for a sample of the work so that I can give you an accurate estimate and recommendation.
Premium Manuscript Support A full suite of services- (developmental, line, copyediting, proofreading, formatting, and 2-4 monthly conversations) This is my top-of-the-line offering, the best value, and the most popular. Premium clients receive priority over other clients and frequent communication (email, phone, or text) in addition to regular structured conversations. In addition, you will receive reduced rates on book proposal services if so desired.
Developmental/Structural Editing Developmental editing focuses on the big picture. I can help you clarify your core ideas and audience; restructure your chapters; reiterate and strengthen your arguments; identify what to cut, expand, or move; improve flow, pacing, narrative, and progression; and ensure that the book is ready to win awards. As a former professor, I have the training and experience to comment on argument, theoretical frameworks, and qualitative research design.
Copyediting This process involves correcting grammar and footnotes according to your chosen style guide, plus a deep engagement with the structure of every sentence. Copyediting enhances readability and style by smoothing awkward phrasing, optimizing word choice, and making subtle insertions or deletions. This service includes copyediting and emphasizes the author’s voice, ensuring your writing is polished, compelling, and memorable.
Dissertation and Book Formatting For graduate students meeting exacting format requirements or authors preparing to self-publish, a properly formatted Microsoft Word document is crucial. Issues like double spaces, extra hard returns, inconsistent paragraph styles, and page breaks can slow the publishing process. Oftentimes, the press handles this stage, but if not, I can handle all formatting in Microsoft Word, making your manuscript publication-ready.
(When I went through the arduous process of formatting my own dissertation, I produced a radio segment for NPR about the ordeal, which you can listen to here: The Doctoral Degree Paper Chase. You do not have to suffer as I did!)
Proofreading. This is not copyediting; it is the final stage before publication - approving the actual page proof PDFs. It saves you from embarrassing typos that are very difficult for authors to spot because they are too close to the text. No text is ever perfect, but proofreading allows it to be as close to perfection as possible. I am fastidious. No one ever found a typo in my books, which I proofread myself.
Not sure which type of editing you need?
No problem. Let’s schedule a complimentary call to evaluate how we might work together.
Coaching for every career stage.
What is Coaching?
Unlike editing, which focuses on a single text, coaching helps to strengthen your writing skills and process overall. Writing coaching is a collaborative process designed to help you clarify your ideas, strengthen your voice, and develop strategies to overcome obstacles such as writer’s block and negative self-talk. This is where you learn to go from procrastination to inspiration, anxiety to accomplishment, stressed to relaxed, and dread to joy. Depending on your needs, we can address things like:
· Creating a regular writing practice. The research is clear: slow and steady wins the race. We will work on finding what works for you, without guilt or shaming.
· Goal Setting & Planning – Define clear objectives and create a roadmap for your project, while retaining the flexibility to adapt those markers as your writing lives and grows.
· Voice & Style – Enhance your unique voice while ensuring consistency and flow.
· Feedback & Accountability – Receive constructive guidance and maintain momentum toward completing your work. Investing in coaching is a way of getting yourself to be more serious and more productive, while giving you a sounding board, conversationalist, and mentor in the process.
My approach is supportive, enthusiastic, practical, and tailored to your needs, whether you want short-term guidance on a single project or ongoing coaching for long-term growth.
Offerings:
Book and Writing Coaching:
4 sessions of 1 hour each ($800). 10 sessions of 1 hour each ($1900).
We will work together in person and asynchronously on your writing practice, on your particular feelings about writing, on your strengths and weaknesses as a writer, on research design if applicable, and on eliminating negative habits and negative self-talk while becoming a more successful writer. Throughout, I will introduce you to research-proven techniques to improve academic writing.
Dissertation Coaching Packages:
6 sessions of 1 hour each ($1200) 6 hour-long sessions plus chapter reviews ($2400)
Not all advisors have the time to give their students detailed feedback, let alone coaching along the way. These packages can fill in the gaps and markedly improve dissertation quality and time to completion.
Approaching Agents and Trade Presses:
2 sessions of 1 hour each ($400)
Getting published at an academic press is one thing; locating an agent and breaking into trade presses is something else altogether. This offering is usually paired with book proposal support.
Talk is cheap.
Free, actually.
