ScholarShape

If you start the process with the beginnings of a book proposal or draft, but don’t yet have a book contract, the milestone we’ll work toward is submitting your book proposal package to your target press. You’ll be guided through the development of your book idea into a solid prospectus that articulates why your project needs to exist and how the book will deliver on that promise, a growing draft you feel excited to complete (two body chapters that demonstrate your progress and show how you’ll execute the book stylistically), and a precise yet flexible plan for developing the book’s remaining chapters. Together, we’ll target all the essential questions and tasks involved in developing a compelling book-length Story-Argument for a scholarly publisher.

If you start the process with a book contract already in hand, the milestone we’ll work toward is submitting your book manuscript to the press. Depending on how full your draft is when we begin, you’ll be guided through the development of your book proposal package into a solid draft or the revision of your rough draft into a polished draft. Along the way, we’ll integrate any feedback you’ve already received from the press or reviewers. Together, we’ll target all the essential questions and tasks involved in developing a compelling book-length Story-Argument for a scholarly publisher.

If you’re not working on a book, another option is to focus on developing a long-term strategy for your body of work as a whole. Your body of work can include creations in any academic or non-academic genres. All these pieces are unified by questions and themes you may not be consciously aware of, and the crux of our work together is to surface those through-lines so you can trace them forward into the future. If interested in this option, take advantage of the free initial consultation to discuss possibilities for how to tailor this package to your needs. Because this option takes on widely varied forms, it is described in less detail on this page. You can request a free initial consultation via the Inquiry Form at the bottom of the page.

Do you have a different trajectory or goal in mind? Fill out the form at the bottom of this page to request a free initial consultation where we can discuss possibilities.

Upon purchasing the Story-Argument Foundations service package, you receive access to a Project Dashboard that provides all the info you’ll need for your journey through the Foundations experience. Inside the Dashbboard are an Intake Form to share in-depth about your needs and goals, detailed descriptions of each step of the process, and links to the homeworks you’ll be completing before each service component.

Your Story-Argument Foundations service package includes lifetime access to the ScholarShape Archives. Once you read and accept the Archives Terms of Service, you can enter this digital space, where you’ll find a large and growing body of Story-Argument design resources to support you in developing your current project. You can return again and again to use the Archives resources for future projects as well.

Note: If you are already a ScholarShape Archives member when you purchase the Story-Argument Foundations service package, you receive a bonus Strategy Intensive, described below between Steps 9 and 10.

Prepare for your first project deep-dive with Margy by completing a questionnaire, which Margy will review before your session. In the Strategy Intensive video call, you’ll work with Margy to hone your guiding question, identify a macro structure for your Story-Argument, and strategize next steps. You may be recommended specific ScholarShape Archives resources to help you with Step 3. Strategy Intensives last 60-75 minutes, and you’re provided an audio recording of the call.

Based on your takeaways from your first Strategy Intensive, as well as any Story-Argument resources recommended in the session, develop a draft of your Central Planning Document. This document is a blueprint or evolving summary that functions as a space to work out the essential components of your Story-Argument and track their evolution. Contact Margy when ready to schedule Step 4.

Book Track: The genre of your CPD will be a book prospectus if your goal is a book contract, and a book intro chapter if you already have a contract and are now working to complete the full manuscript.

Body of Work Track: Your CPD will be a strategic plan document, for which you’ll be given guidance in the Project Dashboard.

Submit your Central Planning Document (book prospectus, book intro chapter, or strategic plan) to Margy within your scheduled time window and receive her detailed written feedback within 1-2 weeks. You may also be recommended specific ScholarShape Archives resources to help you with Step 5.

Based on the Draft Feedback you received on your Central Planning Document (CPD) as well as any Story-Argument resources recommended in the feedback, work on revising your CPD and developing your larger draft(s). At this point, you likely have a timeline of mini-deadlines to work toward for generating your writings, and you can discern at what point the next service component will be most helpful for you. Contact Margy when ready to schedule Step 6.

Book Track: If you’re writing a book, you’ll be working to develop two or more body chapters; the next round of Draft Feedback will be on two body chapters.

Body of Work Track: If you’re working on a larger body of work, you’ll be developing writings according to what was discussed and strategized in previous steps of your Story-Argument Foundations service.

Prepare for your second project deep-dive with Margy by completing a questionnaire and selecting a 1,000-word sample from your Story-Argument-in-progress. Margy will review both before your session. In the Strategy Intensive video call, you’ll discuss with Margy whatever you need clarity on in order to develop your work for the next round of Draft Feedback. Examples include revising your guiding question and/or macro structure and elaborating it into a meso structure; figuring out the wording of key passages; and/or working to articulate how the through-lines carry across the whole. You may be recommended specific ScholarShape Archives resources to help you with Step 7. By the end of the session, you’ll have a clear sense of direction for your draft development. Strategy Intensives last 60-75 minutes, and you’re provided an audio recording of the call.

Book Track: We’ll be discussing your book draft, focusing on the two body chapters you plan to submit for feedback.

Body of Work Track: We’ll be discussing the development of whatever writings were planned and strategized in previous steps of your Story-Argument Foundations service.

Based on the discussion in your second Strategy Intensive, as well as any relevant Story-Argument resources, expand / revise / develop your draft to the point that it’s ready to submit to Margy for feedback. Feel free to contact Margy for additional resource suggestions during this process. Contact Margy when ready to schedule Step 8.

Book Track: You’ll be preparing drafts of two body chapters of your book for feedback.

Body of Work Track: The writings you’ll be preparing will be whatever was discussed and strategized in previous steps of your Story-Argument Foundations service.

Submit a partial draft of your Story-Argument to Margy within your scheduled time window and receive her written feedback within 2-3 weeks. You may also be recommended specific ScholarShape Archives resources to help you with Step 9.

Book Track: You’ll submit two book body chapters for feedback.

Body of Work Track: You’ll submit the writings you had discussed and strategized in previous steps of your Story-Argument Foundations service.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Draft Feedback is not a line editing or proofreading service, and feedback may be less granular than on your Central Planning Document to allow for greater focus on your structure and storytelling.

Book Track: Based on the Draft Feedback, as well as any relevant Story-Argument resources, work on revising your body chapters and developing the book manuscript as a whole.

Body of Work Track: Based on the Draft Feedback, as well as any relevant Story-Argument resources, work on revising your writings and developing your larger body of work as discussed and strategized in previous steps of your Story-Argument Foundations service.

You may purchase additional Strategy Intensives and Draft Feedbacks at any time. Margy is happy to answer any questions and help you strategize whether or how this extra support would be most useful to you.

For ScholarShape Archives Members: If you purchase the Foundations package while already a member of the ScholarShape Archives, you receive a complimentary third Strategy Intensive. In this session, we can go in-depth on any remaining pieces of your Story-Argument that feel confusing or unresolved. We can focus on high-level strategy, nuanced implementation, or anything in between. The goal is for you to have, by the end of this session, a clear vision of how to navigate all the way to your next major submission deadline or other work milestone. ($600 value)

At this point, you now have a solid Central Planning Document, a growing draft you feel excited to complete, and extensive guidance and resources for further developing your work. You’re welcome to contact Margy via email to ask any follow-up questions about your Draft Feedback and/or what ScholarShape Archives resources can best support you to your next milestone!