Thesis Coach Hotline

HOCKEY PRIEST: FATHER DAVID BAUER AND THE SPIRIT OF THE CANADIAN GAME by Matt Hoven will be published by the Catholic University of America Press in April 2024. It was a pleasure to copyedit this inspiring historical account.

THE BLACK COPTIC CHURCH: RACE AND IMAGINATION IN A NEW RELIGION by Leonard Cornell McKinnis II was published by New York University Press in July 2023. My copyediting work on this fascinating examination of a religious sect taught me much about the life of the spirit in the wake of the Great Migration.

I'm honored to have provided final copyediting on MARTIN LUTHER AND THE SHAPING OF THE CATHOLIC TRADITION, the proceedings of a scholarly conference, edited by Nelson H. Minnich and Michael Root. It was published in 2021 by the Catholic University of America Press. Check out the note below, from a prominent supporter of interreligious dialogue - His Holiness Pope Francis.

A client just submitted a master's thesis at the University of Strasbourg (France), and Thesis Coach Hotline provided the final-draft editing. Awaiting results.

I provided final copyediting on SYRIAC CHRISTIAN CULTURE, published in March 2021 by the Catholic University of America Press. I was honored to provide a "final polish" on the English-language passages of this beautiful book on a vital area of Christian history.

Dave C. from NYC has successfully defended and deposited his dissertation at CUNY, the City University of New York. He will receive his PhD later this year. His insightful proposal and diligent research got him where he is, and Thesis Coach Hotline was honored to help.

Client Josh Osowski received his PhD from the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Rutgers University! The work was all his, but Thesis Coach Hotline was honored to assist. Congratulations, Josh, for completing your dissertation and getting it DONE.

TIP #7 of 10: DON’T MAKE THE PERFECT THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD. When Voltaire said this, he could have been speaking to thesis and dissertation writers at every university in the world. What he meant is that you shouldn’t let your desire to GET IT RIGHT (the perfect) stand in the way of forward PROGRESS (the good). Remember that mistakes are all part of the process! It's the role of your coach to take the good work you're doing and help you turn it into something great.

Ten years after beginning a PhD program, only 57% of students have received their degree (according to phdcompletion.org). A leading reason? Many candidates never quite finish their dissertation. There’s even a term for this status: “ABD,” which stands for “All But Dissertation.”

It’s easy to get stalled – and one of the big challenges is the fear that your work won’t be good enough. That’s why I emphasized in Tip #1 that you need to write your sh**ty draft. A bad draft isn’t a disaster – it’s progress! That's why it's called a draft! 

Think of your thesis coach as your “corner man” – a term from the world of boxing – the one who cleans you up, tends to your wounds, and rubs your shoulders after every round. You don’t have to be perfect to work with your coach! You just have to keep fighting. Email me at ThesisCoachHotline@gmail.com, and I’ll help you finish. 15 minutes, absolutely free. 

See Tips & Ideas page for more of these.

Thesis Coach Hotline also works editing manuscripts and scholarly articles for a major academic publishing house. This is editing of a different sort - taking manuscripts that are already at a high degree of readiness, and lifting them even higher before publication!