Ep. 92 - Become Your Own Developmental Editor (with Dr. Laura Portwood-Stacer)
Send us a textIn this episode, Leslie welcomes back book publishing expert Dr. Laura Portwood-Stacer, author of The Book Proposal Book and the new release Make Your Manuscript Work: A Guide to Developmental Editing for Scholarly Writers. Laura shares her practical, step-by-step approach to developmental editing and how she helps authors create manuscripts that truly resonate with presses and readers. She discusses the most common mistakes scholarly writers make, how to clarify your goals, and why thinking like an editor can empower your publishing journey.We also talk about the realities of balancing writing with work, family, and life demands, and how authors can view their books as investments in their future careers. Whether you’re working on your first book or revising a manuscript after peer review, this episode offers invaluable guidance from one of the field's top developmental editors.Support the showCheck out Leslie's website at www.YourWordsUnleashed.com!The three ways Leslie can help you in 2025:#1: Six-month Your Words Unleashed signature book writing coaching program. Through 8 hour-long sessions tailored to your own needs and goals, we will pinpoint what’s keeping you stuck. We’ll figure out personalized solutions and strategies so you can create direction and lasting momentum with your book writing. I’ll also provide detailed feedback on your writing throughout #2: Four-month Career Reset Program for Overwhelmed Academics who want to reconnect with purpose. Over the course of 6 hour-long sessions, we’ll clarify your personal career vision, create space for what matters, overcome internal obstacles to change, and define what success means on your own terms so you can work less and live more. #3: Group Zoom Workshops that balance personal well-being with writing productivity. Topics include transforming your dissertation into a book; connecting to the deeper purpose of your work; as well as boundary setting. Check everything out on my website and if you are interested in any of these, please shoot me an email at ...
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Ep. 91 - How to Keep Writing When You're Running on Empty
Send us a textFeeling drained, scattered, or like your brain is running on fumes? You’re not alone—and you don’t have to give up on your writing. In this episode, Leslie shares what to do when your capacity is at rock bottom but you still want to keep your research alive.This episode includes strategies for protecting your mental space, rethinking what “counts” as writing, and tracking small wins that actually build momentum. Writing doesn’t have to be big or impressive to matter—it just needs to keep you connected to your ideas.Along the way, Leslie invites you to reflect on what truly deserves your attention and rediscover writing as both resistance and renewal in challenging times.If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed or guilty about not doing “enough,” this episode will help you find gentler ways to move forward. Remember that every little bit counts!Support the showCheck out Leslie's website at www.YourWordsUnleashed.com!The three ways Leslie can help you in 2025:#1: Six-month Your Words Unleashed signature book writing coaching program. Through 8 hour-long sessions tailored to your own needs and goals, we will pinpoint what’s keeping you stuck. We’ll figure out personalized solutions and strategies so you can create direction and lasting momentum with your book writing. I’ll also provide detailed feedback on your writing throughout #2: Four-month Career Reset Program for Overwhelmed Academics who want to reconnect with purpose. Over the course of 6 hour-long sessions, we’ll clarify your personal career vision, create space for what matters, overcome internal obstacles to change, and define what success means on your own terms so you can work less and live more. #3: Group Zoom Workshops that balance personal well-being with writing productivity. Topics include transforming your dissertation into a book; connecting to the deeper purpose of your work; as well as boundary setting. Check everything out on my website and if you are interested in any of these, please shoot me an email at ...
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Ep. 90 - Teaching with Courage in Polarized Times (with Dr. Brielle Harbin)
Send us a textHow do you keep teaching with integrity when the ground beneath higher education is constantly shifting? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Brielle Harbin—political scientist, award-winning educator, and founder of Your Cooperative Colleague. Brielle helps scholars, especially women and nonbinary faculty of color, create values-aligned academic lives that resist burnout and grind culture.We get into what it takes to build classrooms rooted in trust, courage, and respect in these polarized times. Brielle shares the practices she uses to sustain her teaching, from reflection rituals to her “mission filter” for staying aligned with core values. We also talk about how teaching and research can actually strengthen each other, and how to find hope in a time when academia feels especially fraught.If you’ve been looking for a way to reconnect with your purpose in the classroom, this conversation is for you.Support the showCheck out Leslie's website at www.YourWordsUnleashed.com!The three ways Leslie can help you in 2025:#1: Six-month Your Words Unleashed signature book writing coaching program. Through 8 hour-long sessions tailored to your own needs and goals, we will pinpoint what’s keeping you stuck. We’ll figure out personalized solutions and strategies so you can create direction and lasting momentum with your book writing. I’ll also provide detailed feedback on your writing throughout #2: Four-month Career Reset Program for Overwhelmed Academics who want to reconnect with purpose. Over the course of 6 hour-long sessions, we’ll clarify your personal career vision, create space for what matters, overcome internal obstacles to change, and define what success means on your own terms so you can work less and live more. #3: Group Zoom Workshops that balance personal well-being with writing productivity. Topics include transforming your dissertation into a book; connecting to the deeper purpose of your work; as well as boundary setting. Check everything out on my website and if you are interested in any of these, please shoot me an email at ...
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Ep. 89 - My Top 5 Writing Pet Peeves
Send us a textIn this episode of Your Words Unleashed, I’m getting back to basics—the kind of writing advice that makes the biggest difference for scholars who want their work to actually connect. Too often, academic writing gets stuck in old habits that make our ideas harder (and way less fun) to read.So today, I’m sharing my top writing pet peeves: the little quirks I see over and over that keep brilliant scholars from sounding like themselves. I’ll talk about why these habits show up, why they’re a problem, and most importantly, how to break them. This episode will give you a fresh perspective and some practical fixes. Give yourself permission to speak truth to power by writing words that actually sound like you!Support the showCheck out Leslie's website at www.YourWordsUnleashed.com!The three ways Leslie can help you in 2025:#1: Six-month Your Words Unleashed signature book writing coaching program. Through 8 hour-long sessions tailored to your own needs and goals, we will pinpoint what’s keeping you stuck. We’ll figure out personalized solutions and strategies so you can create direction and lasting momentum with your book writing. I’ll also provide detailed feedback on your writing throughout #2: Four-month Career Reset Program for Overwhelmed Academics who want to reconnect with purpose. Over the course of 6 hour-long sessions, we’ll clarify your personal career vision, create space for what matters, overcome internal obstacles to change, and define what success means on your own terms so you can work less and live more. #3: Group Zoom Workshops that balance personal well-being with writing productivity. Topics include transforming your dissertation into a book; connecting to the deeper purpose of your work; as well as boundary setting. Check everything out on my website and if you are interested in any of these, please shoot me an email at ...
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Ep. 88 - Leaving Academia #6: Starting a Successful Online Business (with Dr. Paulina Cossette)
Send us a textSupport the showCheck out Leslie's website at www.YourWordsUnleashed.com!The three ways Leslie can help you in 2025:#1: Six-month Your Words Unleashed signature book writing coaching program. Through 8 hour-long sessions tailored to your own needs and goals, we will pinpoint what’s keeping you stuck. We’ll figure out personalized solutions and strategies so you can create direction and lasting momentum with your book writing. I’ll also provide detailed feedback on your writing throughout #2: Four-month Career Reset Program for Overwhelmed Academics who want to reconnect with purpose. Over the course of 6 hour-long sessions, we’ll clarify your personal career vision, create space for what matters, overcome internal obstacles to change, and define what success means on your own terms so you can work less and live more. #3: Group Zoom Workshops that balance personal well-being with writing productivity. Topics include transforming your dissertation into a book; connecting to the deeper purpose of your work; as well as boundary setting. Check everything out on my website and if you are interested in any of these, please shoot me an email at ...
Your Words Unleashed Podcast, hosted by author and writing coach Dr. Leslie Wang, helps women scholars master their writing habits and publish a book that matters.
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