Clients report that Joy Howard's coaching is productive & empowering.
They say that their writing habits become more effective & just a normal part of their daily & weekly routine. They also note that their lives become a lot less stressed. That is important to Joy.
She wants her clients to publish & be successful, but NEVER at the cost of their physical health or mental/emotional/spiritual well-being. Short term gains mean nothing if the stress & toxicity of academia exacerbates or creates health problems that shorten a person’s life.
“Academic writing coach Joy A. J. Howard changed my world last year when she argued that I had the capacity to read tangential academic work in passing. I had always put off scholarly reading for when I was sitting down, highlighter in hand, with full attention and no possibility of interruption. You can imagine how often that actually happened in this world of juggling work and kids, which led to a growing stack of reading that I kept meaning to get around to. Granted, reading material directly related to your research will require note taking and thought processing, which probably requires carving out specific time. But reading at the fringes of your field or engaging with interdisciplinary work can be done in snippets and without perfect conditions.
Joy insisted that not everything needed to be read as though preparing for candidacy exams and explained that graduate school had trained my brain to absorb and process information at a high capacity even without a highlighter in hand. Trust yourself, she contended, and as I have since then, my stack of reading has dwindled rapidly. Best advice ever.”
—“The Dilemma of In-Between Time” by client, Julie Mujic, Ph.D. May 6, 2021 https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2021/05/06/how-academic-parents-and-others-can-make-best-use-brief-between-moments-opinion
“Your coaching helped me feel brave enough to make this leap!”
—S.V., Postdoctoral Fellow who left a teaching heavy contingEnt position to move to a college in the geographic region she prefers. She now also has an advanced book contract in hand!
“I came to you thinking I did not know how to write. You helped me see that I know how to write and that I am actually quite good at it. What I did not know how to do was care for myself. I did not know how to sleep, eat, rest, laugh, and be a whole person. I had no idea I needed you to teach me how to be human, but I’m so glad you did. My work is only a small part of a happy, busy life now and I am forever grateful to you for that.”
—J.A., now a newly tenured, Associate Professor of Engineering at an R1 State School in the Northwestern U.S.
“Joy always says: ‘Hoping is hard work. Hoping for something different is brave.’ She has said it enough that I now believe it. I am better at hoping & I am braver because of Joy.”
—M.K., Full Professor & Activist, African American StUDIES at a STATE UNIVERSITY IN THE MIDWEST
“Your enthusiasm and passion when you coach is contagious. Thank you for helping me dramatically improve my writing over the past two years."
—S.P., graduate student coaching client who is now a successful business writer for a biomedical company in California
“Joy’s job application writing help and interview coaching was truly invaluable. Without her help, I doubt I would have made it very far . . . She’s an excellent coach and can always be trusted to dispense clear, encouraging feedback. Whether you are looking to improve a resume, strengthen an article, or practice interviewing for a job, Joy is the definitely person you need to see. I couldn’t recommend her more highly.”
“Joy helped me with every step of the academic market, from reading my documents and sharing hers, to running a mock interview. I was grateful for her insight and help, especially because her feedback directly impacted the shape my documents took and my interview preparation, and I’m quite sure it helped me ultimately find a position. I would recommend her help to anyone.”
Clients also report that Joy’s editing is effective & reliable. Best of all, they say that her editing helps them trust their own expertise & analysis. Joy does not help clients “find” their voice. She is of the opinion that they already have a voice; they often possess strong, brilliant brains with fierce motivation & wonderful communication skills. Instead of looking for a client’s writing deficits, Joy’s editing, discourse analysis, & editing coaching helps researchers identify how they can play to win inside a system set up to silence the voices of BIPOC, members of the LGBTQ+ community, women, younger scholars, & scholars who live with chronic illnesses.
“For nearly 20 years, I have benefited from Joy Howard’s editing expertise. She has edited my dissertation, post doc work, journal articles, research reports, as well as very specific, page-limited grant proposals. She does much more than check grammar. She knows the differences between scientific genres and targets the language and organization accordingly. She keeps the overall goal of the writing in mind. But more than providing only technical expertise, Joy provides targeted, kind feedback. She always builds the writer up and is interested in how the writing and the writer intersect. I never feel torn down or discouraged after working with her; in fact, she has gotten me un-stuck on numerous occasions by providing insights about my writing when I was too close to my work to see ahead clearly on my own. Simply put, Joy is both effective and compassionate.”
“Joy is amazing! She is a patient reader and generous editor. For almost ten years, I have relied on her to edit dissertation chapters, my first book manuscript, and several journal essays. She always approaches the copy with kindness and an astute critical eye.”
“I am so thankful to have benefited from Joy Howard’s editing. She has edited my journal article and interpreted reader comments in a way that helped me so much. Joy is a generous and kind editor who has helped my writing immensely. ”
“Dr. Joy Howard brings to the table an exceptionally strong background in the mechanics of writing and research and a deeply held passion for bringing out the best in others. As an editor, she consistently provides thoughtful, meticulous feedback that strives to maintain and enhance the writer’s own voice. Joy’s guidance offered an important critical perspective that empowered me to write more precisely and more authentically. I am grateful for her compassionate approach, and I am most certainly a better writer for it.”
“Joy saved my dissertation & made it possible for me to finish! What my dissertation chair had not been able to identify, she, within a short period of time, was able to target my problem and offer helpful suggestions to make it flow more meaningfully. I wish I had approached her months earlier.”
“In reviewing my application materials, Joy provided detailed and helpful feedback on my essays. She reads and edits for clarity, grammar, and persuasiveness. I found that my essays were stronger upon Joy’s feedback. She is also very friendly and encouraging to work with, and fast in her response time! I highly recommend her services.”
“It was my first time writing a grant proposal. I was not at all familiar with the format. Joy not only helped me create the outline, but also gave the best suggestions which strengthened my proposal all the more. I am happy to say that I have received the grant.”
“I am so happy to be working with you!”
“We could not have done this without Dr. Joy A.J. Howard’s writing coaching, editing, and facilitating the circle of trust.“
