ACADEMICS

EDITING

I work with academics on articles, chapters, book proposals, and full manuscripts, including theses and dissertations. My training is in literary studies, but my teaching and scholarship has ranged widely, so I feel comfortable editing in most Humanities and Social Science fields, and I especially value interdisciplinary work.

I have a Ph.D. in English and sixteen years of experience as a college professor. In addition to my own book—Evil Children in the Popular Imagination (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016)—and over forty published articles, chapters, and reviews, I've edited three published academic essay collections. I’ve reviewed submissions for the Journal of Children in Popular Culture as a member of the editorial board, as well as for PMLA, ESQ: A Journal of the American Renaissance, and Style, and I’ve assessed proposals and book-length manuscripts for university presses including MIT, McFarland, University Press of Mississippi, University of Wales Press, Routledge, Palgrave, and Wallflower. Students I’ve mentored have presented at academic conferences and published work in Journal of Popular Film and Television, Journal of Popular Culture, Dread Central, and other outlets.

My goal is for you to produce something that doesn't just earn you another line on your CV but that other scholars actually consult and cite. That means it needs to be readable, not just smart. I’ll help you articulate your thesis and its contribution to the field, effectively integrate research, construct a well-organized argument, and refine your prose so that your ideas are conveyed clearly and directly.

COACHING

I also help academics translate their training and expertise into sustainable careers, whether inside higher education or beyond it.

I began my academic career in a one-year instructor position and retired as a full professor. Along the way, I served as the associate chair of my department, a Faculty Senate officer, co-chair of the Commission on the Status of Women, a reviewer of faculty grant applications, and a member of various job search, curriculum, and assessment committees. I know how academic institutions function, and I understand the formal expectations and the unwritten rules that shape academic life.

I can advise on applications for graduate school, fellowships or grants, and academic positions. I can help you build a consistent working practice, learn how to manage long-term projects without losing momentum, and think more strategically about how your work develops over time. I can also help you increase the public impact of your work, improve your teaching, or prepare for leadership roles.

Considering a different path? No problem. I designed career exploration capstone courses that helped students identify their strengths and interests, explore career options, develop professional materials, and prepare for interviews. I also know how to turn academic expertise into public-facing work. I've presented my own scholarship to general audiences through public lectures, done interviews with newspapers, radio stations, and podcasts, and even appeared as an “expert” on The Travel Channel’s The Dead Files. And I left academia to pursue other paths, and I'd love to share what I've learned along the way with you.

Whether you're pursuing a tenure-track position, an alt-ac career, or something else altogether, I can help you design a career path that puts to use everything you've gained from academic study—and everything you love about it.