“‘Thank you so much 🙏 Melanie. You have been an incredible support with the grant bid. I cannot tell you how happy I am that you are in my life’ , ”

“I have attended two workshops with Melanie Smith, one a masterclass on editing, and the other on constructing a writing habit, effective planning and time management. Melanie is an excellent teacher and communicator, and is so insightful on all aspects of an academic career, not least academic writing.
She offers clear and practical advice on all aspects of writing, as well as helpful materials, which can be easily accessed following her sessions. I love how well structured Melanie’s sessions are, the amount of content (which can be tailored to the individual needs of academic departments), and the fact that she allows enough time for participant questions and engagement.
I recommend Melanie highly to any faculty or individual - whether novice researcher or more experienced academic - looking to review their existing writing habits and develop new and more productive ones.”

“When I first approached Melanie about the possibility of developing a bespoke coaching session for our school, she was incredibly helpful and insightful around the possibilities for meeting the needs of a diverse group of academics. Throughout our planning meetings, I was impressed by her depth of expertise and experience in academia and her skill in applying this to academic coaching. My colleagues found the content and delivery of the half-day workshop engaging and very useful, and many still talk about the tips and strategies that they learned at the workshop and now use in their research planning.

Melanie also gave an editing masterclass to the school and wider faculty and again the feedback from this session was extremely positive. In the words of one colleague, it was ‘superb’. I would highly recommend Melanie’s academic coaching services, especially where a bespoke session is required that meets a range of needs.”

“‘Thank you for all your help in 2022 Melanie, it has helped in lots of ways. I am getting better at saying no to things not in line with my goals and have managed to do some networking and put myself out there a bit in my own field, small steps so far but in the right direction. I love your approach and you have helped me work through some of the self-imposed obstacles which have been holding me back. I’m very grateful. ‘

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“Academic Coach has transformed my writing practices. The Academic Coach writing course draws on a range of literature to provide tools and techniques you can use to refine each element of the writing process. The emails both support the writing process and serve as a reminder to put writing on the top of my list. The effective, efficient academic writing process brought to me by the Academic Coach has released time to enjoy life without sacrificing productivity. ”

“Melanie has designed a no-nonsense, well rounded academic writing course which will appeal to any academic who needs a boost and very practical suggestions on how to carve out time for writing when faced with many teaching, administrative and management demands. The course builds on state of the art research in academic writing across the globe, but is also grounded in Melanie’s many years of personal and professional experience as an academic in UK institutions. In particular, I enjoyed learning about the emotional investment we have in writing, the way to deal with the ‘stories we tell ourselves’ that keep us from writing. The emphasis is on making writing a daily routine, however little time we might allocate, and foremost becoming a ‘happier’ rather than merely a more ‘productive’ writer. The daily mini-talks and interactive web-lectures provide a sense of routine that keeps one sticking to their project.”

“Starting the writing course was, for me, akin to starting a new writing project with a blank piece of paper in front of me: I was anxious and prone to procrastination. However, Academic Coach’s Academic Writing Course provided a clear and engaging structure to overcome those emotional barriers to writing and enabled me to establish a healthier and happier writing practise. Her constant virtual support and encouragement gave me the much-needed motivation to submit two papers during the course (which were subsequently accepted). I have no doubt that, with hindsight, this will be the start of a much better relationship to academic writing, particularly during term time and I would wholeheartedly recommend the course to anyone, at any stage of their academic career”

“I personally paid for the course and  it was excellent value for money. I liked the flexibility that an online course offers, and the way I did not need to book time away from the office or home as I would need to for a retreat. It was also possible to stop and start the course and it was easy to catch up. 

Melanie is an engaging and knowledgeable coach. The lessons have stayed with me and reshaped my writing habits. Even though it was a crazy busy start of semester teaching madness I have managed to cling onto my two hours of writing time in the mornings and I completed a book chapter proposal against all odds. Before the course, the research writing piled up to be done at evenings, weekends and holidays making me miserable. Now I am in control of the publication pipeline and I am a happier academic. This writing course works!”

“I would highly recommend this writing course to academics at all stages of their career. It has made me more self-aware and taught me how to engage with the writing process in a more objective way. I now know what I have been doing well all along, and it has given me the tools I need to manage the writing process more effectively, and to address some of the common pitfalls. As result, I would consider myself to be a more confident, more productive, and happier writer. Quite simply, I love this course! It does exactly what it says on the tin!”

“I would like to say an enormous thank you to you for providing such a high-quality, PhD writing course. Before it started, I guiltily confess, that I believed that I probably knew much of what there was to come. You proved me so wrong! There was not one session in which I felt I was not learning or being reminded of something important. I was impressed by the depth of thought that had been put into the structure and design of the course. It was in no way overwhelming; just right, bite-sized amounts to think about. In these small bursts, it did not get in the way of my daily schedule. Instead, it set me off for the day and helped me to learn more discipline and better writing habits. I loved your delivery - direct, frank and sometimes making me laugh out loud! After 10 weeks I will miss my daily lesson. ”

“I entirely recommend this course, and am sorry I did not find it sooner in my PhD journey. The delivery, presentation and format are all engaging, providing the necessary amount of information alongside a welcome dose of candid advice. I believe my writing practice has benefited, and am confident that if I continue using the advice I will continue to improve. The daily delivery and mix of video and written instruction makes it easily digestible and it includes information which is beneficial from the very start of your academic writing. If in doubt, sign up as it will definitely help your academic writing!
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“I really enjoyed this writing course and would definitely recommend it to PhD students throughout their journey. I am a final year student and the course has truly transformed my writing and time management practices. I started each day with the tasks from the daily sessions, which helped set me up for a day of writing. Making task lists of 15 minute activities has been particularly useful; I now feel like I can work productively even when time is short. Before the course, I wouldn’t have entertained the thought of opening my laptop if I only had 30 minutes, whereas now, that time is enough to tick two activities off my to-do list. I also enjoyed the editing module, as I tend to get drawn into the rabbit hole of revising one paragraph for weeks on end. The tips provided by Melanie have allowed me to work through papers and chapters in a fraction of the time, whilst still making meaningful edits. Thanks to this course, I now have a daily routine I can stick to, and can finally see the light at the end of the PhD tunnel.”

“Even though I was looking for a course that had a linguistic approach initially, (as I am not a native English speaker) this course provided me with an anchor in a broader perspective. It gave very detailed insight of what the actual structure of a PhD is and it teaches efficient behaviour that will promote writing instead of waiting for the “perfect” moment to sit down and do the work. Last but not least, it also teaches how to start writing and how to do the editing steps along the way. These valuable insights are however not provided when starting your PhD. That’s why I would recommend to follow this course.”

“I contacted Melanie for support when I was struggling with organising my thoughts and structuring the thesis, which meant I was procrastinating and felt stuck. I had a number of supervisor changes over the course of my PhD so did not feel I was getting the writing support and encouragement I needed. Melanie was immediately helpful in her coaching to explain the nuts and bolts of structuring and writing practice - the things that supervisors don’t teach - and gave useful comments and edits to all of my work. In particular, she helped me organise my literature review, which was unfocused and unwieldy as I didn’t understand how to create a hierarchy of the key themes, and demonstrate connections across disciplines. She also guided my re-writes across the thesis to better explain my overall contributions and arguments more succinctly. I was diagnosed with dyslexia towards the end of my PhD and Melanie adjusted the way we worked to better support me. She was always encouraging and quick to respond, feeling like a critical friend. And she was very upfront with her pricing so that I could decide what I could afford and use her time where was most needed.””

“When I first spoke to Melanie, I was confused about where my thesis was going, and the relationship with my supervisors had broken down. She was incredibly understanding, and gave me practical planning advice about finishing on time. The feedback Melanie provides is detailed and constructive, but also incredibly empathetic! Her knowledge of dyslexia has helped me make real progress, and with Melanie’s help, I have learnt how to make sense of my ideas. I have had moments where I needed to talk through ideas or decompress after a bad meeting, and Melanie has been fantastic at encouraging me and making sense of it all. I honestly don’t think I would still be pursuing my PhD if it had not been for her. I would recommend 1 to 1 support to anyone in need of understanding, practical advice, empathy, and humour. ”

“Before working with the Academic coach, I was completely overwhelmed by my PhD. I didn’t know where to begin or what questions to ask, and I wasn’t getting clear feedback from supervisors. Since working with Melanie, she has been a “fairy godmother” to me helping me with not only my academic writing but also with colleague management as well as time management and organisational skills. I am dyslexic so time management and organisational skills are something which I struggle with in my day to day life as well as in my PhD. Through her coaching, Melanie has taught me how to manage my writing and my time, and it has now become much less of an issue. I work and plan much more efficiently. She has transformed my PhD experience, has empowered me in my writing and has made the whole process more enjoyable and efficient. Melanie is extremely knowledgeable and helpful regarding navigating the daunting academic world. I cannot recommend her services enough, whether it is for writing coaching in a PhD environment, or for time management and organisational skills, she is a consummate professional and has given me the confidence to continue with my PhD.”

“I’m a happy administrator but have been tormented that I never published my research on an area that remains under-researched and topical. Melanie is enabling me to embrace and enjoy new approaches to my research field. She helped me finesse a chapter for an edited collection I thought was finished. We applied structural approaches that took it to another level, making my arguments more explicit and coherent. She gave me feedback right up to the deadline. I have carved out a new topic for an article that I am currently researching with several more in the pipeline. Melanie’s mentoring is transforming my confidence and helping me recover my voice. It’s the best personal investment I’ve ever made, and I cannot recommend Melanie as an academic coach enough. Go for it!”

“Thank you for all your support and advice during the past year - it has been massively beneficial to me, and made a huge difference to the way I think about myself, my job, and my identity as a researcher. I still have some distance to go, but I just wanted to thank you, as you really have helped make me a happier and more productive writer.
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“2022 has been a year of recovery – and recovering my writing practice has been central to that. I am ending the year having a) completed this paper and b) submitted a grant application I said at the start of tour coaching, 6 months ago, that if I got to this point, I would be delighted. And I am. Your support has been crucial in getting there.

I am in a so much better place than I was at the start of the year.”

“Thank you for all your help in 2022 Melanie, it has helped in lots of ways. I am getting better at saying no to things not in line with my goals and have managed to do some networking and put myself out there a bit in my own field, small steps so far but in the right direction. I love your approach and you have helped me work through some of the self-imposed obstacles which have been holding me back. I’m very grateful. ”

“After a period of leave from academia, I have been searching for an academic writing coach to help put me back on the right track towards a balanced, healthy and productive writing career. Melanie has been a rare find! As a very successful legal academic and writer, Melanie offers a coaching approach drawn from research and directly from the coal-face of academia. Her one-on-one coaching has been tailored to prioritize overcoming my most pressing writing obstacles, and has given me the confidence to re-start my writing. Melanie combines sage, practical advice on academic writing with recognition of the emotional stumbling blocks that many academics encounter. The most revelatory element of Melanie’s coaching has been to expose the basic gaps and deficits in my approach to research and writing that should be addressed as a requisite part of PhD training.

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“I came across Melanie’s details at the time I needed coaching to help me review my book before submission. My manuscript was almost finished but it felt terribly disjointed and lacked clarity. I needed fresh eyes and a set of skills to help me understand where I went wrong and how I could make the changes necessary to produce a better and more interesting book in my research area. Working with Melanie is like working with a colleague who has the time to asks the right questions, helps you think and provides just the right level of steering you need when she knows you have strayed from the point you are trying to make, or you are simply writing something totally unrelated to your initial argument (e.g., something you like to write about rather than something that relates to the book). I look forward to my one-on-one sessions with Melanie because even though I have published my work for many years, I still need to be reminded that writing is a process that has several distinct stages that should be respected to ensure good writing habits. ”

“Inspired by Virginia Woolf’s quote, I right away knew that Melanie would be the person I was looking for. Melanie evaluated swiftly my needs and in less than two months, she changed my old habits into renewed efficient academic writing skills. The journey we joined together was inspiring, joyful, effective and impactful: thanks to Melanie’s careful review, my paper was published. Thanks to her encouragement, timely interventions, kind reminders and continuous support, I was elected best presenter during the first Conference I attended after many years of absence. Thanks to Melanie’s flexible, pertinent reviews and accurate encouragements while writing my papers I was able to finalise my study in the best circumstances. Melanie is the person who you wish you would have met before. She is also the person you send a message to, just to ensure that you receive a reply: proof of her existence! Thank you, Melanie, you make studying and writing a wish come true!”

“Academic Coach’s planning workshop is one of the most effective and positive training experiences I’ve had. The content is carefully researched, grounded in a thoughtful and engaging philosophy, and delivered with warmth and good sense. The focal point is a highly practical planning exercise, but the most impressive aspect is the way Melanie supports participants to identify and overcome the logistical and psychological obstacles faced when developing and delivering writing goals. Highly recommended.”

“This planning workshop gave me the tools to connect the work of my weeks to the output of my year. It’s not only about time management and organizational concepts -although there’s plenty of that-it’s about providing concrete, practical tools for planning and sequencing my research and writing. And now I have a weekly benchmark of clear and realistic writing goals to meet and track-I feel like I have a new and healthier relationship to my time, my writing and my purpose.”

“Working with Melanie has been the kick start I needed at the beginning of my research career. I came into a permanent position after many years of teaching-only positions, so felt quite lost and ‘out of practice’ when it came to my writing. Melanie supported me with really great habits, scheduling and strategies to get me writing again more regularly and that has already helped me to build confidence and take action. I look forward to working with Melanie on an ongoing basis as I work through new areas of research and attempt new styles of writing. I feel much more confident knowing that I have her in my corner.”

“As a student into the writing up phase, I really wish i’d found this support sooner! The sessions laid out pragmatic and understandable steps to progress writing and editing your work. The sessions also helped me overcome my fear of writing in a group! It left me more confident in planning my time because I could be more realistic about my concentration levels and writing style. It was also a great chance to meet virtually with other PhD students - which as a distance-learner I found very valuable. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Academic Coach teachings and workshops to any postgrad researcher. ”

“Thank you very much for the writing retreat last weekend, and for uploading all of the material so promptly. A lot of good tips and advice to take in - in a good way. The retreat was very well organised, the content useful, practical, clear and therefore excellent in every way. No doubt it will help me going forward in my PhD.”

“Overall, I got a huge amount out of the retreat. Although I have listened to your editing masterclass recently, hearing it a second time helps to reinforce the method. It was a good opportunity to keep writing over the weekend. ”

“I found the retreat very useful and am interested in futures retreats or retreats that focus in on writing styles. It has given me a focus. I am writing this week with clear goals.”

“I wanted to drop you a quick line to say hello - and thank you.

10 days ago, the article you were supporting me was accepted by the journal after a very minor set of final revisions. I am very firmly back on the writing “horse”. I am writing my next paper. I have some good writing discipline and am very much taking forward some of the actions we discussed. I’m hoping for a decent first draft by tomorrow lunchtime when I leave.

Realising I was stuck, and reaching out for help was one of the best things I did last year. It could so easily have gone in a different direction. But maintaining a good (if constrained) research and writing practice is really crucial to me. So thank you for helping me get back to it.”