“The 8-Week ‘Crafting Your Scholarly Book’ made my book project feel possible. I came away with so much concrete, specific language that describes my project and its portents, and a much clearer sense of how each part builds on and informs the other. Through the workshop exercises I was able to see my project from multiple vantage points I had not previously been able to access, and developed the core structures and narrative of the book in ways that make me energized and excited about the project!”

“Ellen’s ‘Crafting Your Scholarly Book’ workshop had a tremendous impact on my book project and writing practices. Before joining Ellen’s workshop, I was experiencing difficulty with the narrative arc of my book project, the flow of my chapters, and finding my voice as a writer. Thanks to Ellen’s feedback and the support of fellow workshop participants, I emerged from the workshop with a solid book narrative, cohesive chapter flow, and more confidence in my project! Ellen kindly gave pep talks throughout the process and met with me to discuss any questions that I had about my project and the workshop exercises. She also hosted co-writing sessions for interested participants, which provided some much-needed accountability for my chapter revisions. Ellen clearly invested a LOT of time in the workshop, evident by her informative uploaded videos, worksheets, and remarks during our live sessions. The atmosphere of the workshop was also very warm and fun. Even though all of the participants were from different time zones, institutions, and career stages, I felt as if I was co-working with good friends. I highly recommend—and have recommended—Ellen’s workshop to my colleagues. If I had not participated in this workshop, I do not think I would have been able to develop the strong foundation for my book project that I now have. Thank you, Ellen! ”

“I really benefited from Ellen’s expertise and her detailed comments and suggestions. Ellen was supportive, understanding, and I felt like her comments on the writing exercises were spot on in articulating what I was trying to say.

I found Ellen’s weekly presentations on the book publishing process/editing especially helpful. They helped answer a lot of questions I had about the process, and provided clear guidance, especially for early-career researchers.

Writing can be solitary, but having the live meetings gave me a sense of community (and also soft deadlines for working through the workbook). It was comforting to hear about others’ experiences and about the strategies they used to overcome challenges in writing.

[Before the workshop,] I was feeling stuck, and unsure of where to start in terms of converting the dissertation into a book. This workshop has definitely given me a new set of lenses to think about my project’s bigger claims together with chapter-level details, and new motivation to work on my draft. I now feel like I have a clearer plan for moving forward, and a foundation to return to. Deciding to attend this workshop was the best decision I’ve made this summer!”

“I tend to collect [strategies and tools] like a magpie—what I appreciated most about the way the workshop presented these things was the additional philosophy/elucidation of mindset that accompanied the practical advice/strategies, because it has helped me reason my way into better habits of MIND in addition to habits of practice.

I appreciated the video lessons for their aggregation of useful writing practices and the mental narratives that underpin them. I really liked starting my week on Sunday evening with the videos, to give me a focused topic to prioritize for the week and think about incorporating in the long-term, rather than trying to revamp my entire practice all at once. Ellen’s live and written feedback was instrumental in being able to play-test writing and see if we were on the right track, and also to have a level of built-in accountability that I personally really benefit from.

I appreciated the dual nature of the workshop—breaking down elements of working ‘on’ the book, while also breaking down and slowly building a writing practice bit by bit, and thinking about what that can look like in the long-term. Developing both over the course of our eight weeks felt geared toward the long-term—the book, the job as a whole. It’s an 8-week workshop, but it’s not an 8-week marathon where everything happens, only to go back to having nothing happen afterward.

I would absolutely recommend this workshop. The workbook we used is fantastic, and the exercises within it are augmented by the experience of working through it with others and hearing about their projects, as well as by Ellen’s feedback and additional framing. It’s a big time commitment in terms of the exercises and heady book-thinking, but works well as far as timing goes (first 2/3 of summer), and is well worthwhile.”

“Before the beginning of Ellen’s workshop, the prospect of turning my dissertation into a book seemed daunting and nebulous. By the end, it seemed eminently doable, and I felt motivated to write! I heartily recommend her workshop as a way to kick off a book-writing sabbatical.”

“Ellen was amazing at distilling the most crucial aspects of my argument and book questions. I felt very comfortable sharing my thoughts and confusions with her, as I knew she would always help me land somewhere more concrete. Ellen is [also] very insightful and warm. She knows how to work with diverse kinds of projects and help everyone articulate their own ideas better. Dream editor to work with!

Crafting Your Scholarly Book provided not only strategies and tools but also the necessary space for mutual support among junior scholars. It was very encouraging to share ideas, methods, and frustrations with Ellen and the participants.

The workshop helped me ground my project better. I now feel so much more secure with my manuscript ideas. The workshop gave me fresh momentum to move my project forward, and I’m now excited to start working on the manuscript!”

“I had an incredible experience participating in Ellen’s ‘Crafting Your Scholarly Book’ workshop. Not only did it help me to gain new insight into my book project and more confidence in the work that I am doing, but I also feel like I am working to develop a better relationship with my practice of writing. I am very appreciative of all the time and labor that Ellen put into the workshop to make it so rewarding.

Prior to starting the workshop, I was worried about having enough time to devote to it. However, I soon found that participating in it actually helped me to feel less stressed and more supported. I always looked forward to the morning sessions, especially because of the community that Ellen fostered with such intentionality.

Not to mention, Ellen’s comments on the discussion forum went above and beyond what I would normally consider helpful feedback. She so carefully went through each of my posts to offer meaningful insight that has truly benefited the development of my book. I am grateful for the work she put into those comments.

I enjoyed Ellen’s videos [the “Building a Writing Practice that Works for You” curriculum] as well! I learned so much about the writing process in a way that is helping me work through my anxieties and insecurities. I now have concrete skills that I can implement if I find myself getting stuck. I appreciated her sharing this wisdom with all of us!

Finally, Ellen is an extremely generous person. She gave each participant so much of her time and has offered to continue sharing various resources with us even now that the workshop has ended. Her kindness and energy made the workshop even more fulfilling.”

“Ellen’s ‘Crafting Your Scholarly Book’ workshop helped me efficiently work through a stellar curriculum that has enabled me to solidify for myself what exactly my book does and to articulate that to others. I expect the work we did will be immensely useful in completing and revising the manuscript and in drafting a book proposal. Throughout the summer, Ellen was professional, encouraging, energetic, and responsive, and I highly recommend this workshop!”