8-Week Programme · 26 October – 20 December 2026
Submit your article or chapter by December.
A structured editorial process, not another accountability group
For academics who have material - a conference paper, a stalled draft, a dissertation or book chapter - and need a concrete path from where they are now to a submitted journal article or book chapter - before Christmas.
Early Bird €349 until 22 October · Enrolment closes Sunday 25 October
Trusted by scholars at
Why this happens
The reason your article is still unfinished is not you.
It is that no one ever taught you the mechanics of constructing an academic argument that holds together across 8,000 words, positions itself clearly in a literature, and survives peer review. That is not a personal failing. It is a gap in doctoral training that nearly every academic carries.
Most writing programmes treat motivation as the problem: show up consistently, stay accountable, the magic will happen. This one is built on a different premise. The problem is not motivation. It is that your piece does not yet have a clear argument, a working structure, and a revision process.
A structured editorial process for your article or chapter, built specifically for the submission deadline.
Publications are the entry ticket to academic jobs, grants, and opportunities - the cost of not publishing is your career.
“This is not a productivity programme. It is an editorial process — argument, positioning, structure, evidence, revision — one step per week, applied to your specific article.”
Dr Melanie Sindelar
Where you are starting from
You have material. You need a path to submission.
A conference paper, a dissertation or book chapter, a messy or stalled draft, a rejected article that needs restructuring, a partly written draft that needs a clearer argument. You know your area but the argument keeps shifting, the literature review keeps expanding without closing, and every writing session starts with rereading instead of moving forward, and you have worked on the piece alone and the draft has not moved. You need a deadline and a structure that is external to yourself.
Duration: 8 weeks · Dates: 26 October – 20 December 2026 · Goal: one article submitted to a journal.
Before and after
From a stalled draft to a submitted piece.
Before
An article that keeps not being finished
Before
Writing sessions that start with rereading and end without progress
Before
A literature review that keeps expanding without ever closing
Before
Peer review that feels like a lottery — unpredictable and uncontrollable
After
An article with a clear argument and a path to submission
After
A weekly structure that moves the draft forward one section at a time
After
An argument-driven literature map that does intellectual work in the article
After
A draft positioned clearly for its target journal and ready to submit
The 8-week process
One step per week. One piece, moved forward.
Each week has one focus, one recorded input module with Melanie, four co-writing sessions, and a concrete deliverable. Each week comes with a dedicated workbook that brings clarity on your project and moves you to the next step in the process. The weeks build on each other: from material to argument, argument to structure, structure to draft, draft to submission-ready.
- 1
Week 1 · Monday 26 October
Article Audit and Christmas Plan
Clarify where you are starting from, what material you already have, and what a realistic article or chapter goal for the autumn looks like.
Deliverable: Article Roadmap
- 2
Week 2 · Monday 2 November
Revisit Your Material and Brainstorm the Article
Return to your data, notes, sources, and existing material. Identify what is actually interesting, what patterns are emerging, and which article or chapter is hidden inside.
Deliverable: Material Map
- 3
Week 3 · Monday 9 November
Argument and Contribution
Clarify the central argument, intervention, and contribution of the piece. The core question: what does this article help readers see differently?
Peer feedback round
- 4
Week 4 · Monday 16 November
Article Structure
Build the structure of the piece section by section. Decide what needs to go in, what can be left out, and how each section carries the argument forward.
Deliverable: Detailed Article Outline
- 5
Week 5 · Monday 23 November
Literature Review and Positioning
Clarify which literature is actually needed, which debate the piece enters, and how it positions itself in the field.
Deliverable: Literature Positioning Map
- 6
Week 6 · Monday 30 November
Evidence and Analysis
Work on one core section of the piece. Clarify how the evidence, data, cases, or analysis carries the argument - moving from “I have material” to “this material does intellectual work in the piece.”
- 7
Week 7 · Monday 7 December
Introduction, Abstract and Title
Write or revise the introduction once the argument, structure, and evidence are clearer. Work on abstract, title, keywords, and journal fit.
Peer feedback round
- 8
Week 8 · Monday 14 December
Revision Strategy
Identify what is working, what still needs revision, and which changes matter most before submission. Create a final revision plan for the last days before submission.
Deliverable: Revision Checklist
Closing submission event
The programme closes with a joint submission event on 20 December, where participants finalise and - where realistic - submit together.
Early Bird €349 until 22 October.
Yes, this is meWhat's included
Structure, feedback, and a writing system — every week.
Weekly input module with Melanie
Each Monday, a new module is released focused on the week's editorial step. All sessions are recorded so you can catch up if you miss one.
Four co-writing sessions per week
Monday 10:00 · Tuesday 14:00 · Wednesday 10:00 · Friday 10:00. Choose the sessions that fit your schedule. These are structured writing time — not workshops.
Peer feedback — twice
Two structured peer feedback rounds, guided so the feedback stays useful and specific.
Writing buddy
Matched with another participant for regular check-ins throughout the programme. An optional structure — offered for those who want it.
Access to Melanie as coach
Quick questions and check-ins in the community space during the programme. For focused guidance on your specific article.
Support Room access
Access to the Support Room - a smaller community with a monthly planning session and a weekly Ask Melanie feature.
Weekly workbook
Each week comes with a dedicated workbook that brings clarity on your project and moves you to the next step in the process.
What participants say
In their own words, from the September run.
Join the programme
Early Bird €349 until 22 October.
Early Bird
€349
€349 until 22 October. Then €449.
8-week programme · 26 October – 20 December
8 recorded modules, released every Monday
4 co-writing sessions per week
2 structured peer feedback sessions
Writing buddy matching + community + coach check-ins
Programme access for the duration of the programme
Weekly workbook for clarity + next steps
Secure my placeVIP — 4 places
€799
Everything in Standard, plus:
Written feedback on each submitted workbook
Private 30-minute onboarding call
Feedback on up to 5 pages of your draft
Pay-in-three and institutional invoicing available
Apply for VIPFit
Should you join?
Join if
✓ You have existing material and want it submitted
✓ You want an external deadline and structure
✓ Your piece is an article or a chapter
Skip if
× You do not have any existing material yet
× You want a co-writing group, not a diagnosis
× You want generic writing tips
Guarantee
If you complete the programme and still need more time to submit — you get one more month.
Submission timelines vary. Some participants will submit during the programme. Others will be one revision away as it closes — and that is still real progress. If you complete the programme and still need more time, you receive one additional month in the Writers Studio at no extra cost.
Your instructor
Melanie Sindelar
Academic Writing and Career Coach
Melanie is an academic writing and career coach with more than ten years of experience supporting PhD candidates, postdocs, and early career researchers with academic writing and publishing.
As an Assistant Professor, published academic, journal reviewer, and Chief Editor of an academic journal, she knows the journal article process from several sides. She has reviewed, edited, and given developmental feedback on countless article drafts.
This programme uses the same material she works with inside the EMERGE Support Room.
She brings together the perspectives most academics rarely get in one place: coach, editor, author, reviewer, and journal editor.
10+
Years coaching academic writers
Academic Career Coach
Social Sciences and Humanities
PhD · Assistant Professor
Published academic & journal reviewer
Questions
Frequently asked
How much time does the programme take each week?
The programme is designed around your existing schedule, not against it. Co-writing sessions run four times per week and are drop-in - you attend what works. Modules are not fixed commitments - you can watch them anytime you want. Each module is about an hour, plus as many co-writing sessions as you would like to join. If you are teaching or travelling, the recorded sessions mean you do not fall behind; you catch up.
My article is not ready enough to work on in a group.
You do not need a finished draft. You need material - a conference paper, a dissertation chapter, a book chapter, a rejected manuscript, a stalled draft. The first two weeks are specifically designed to clarify your argument and build a working structure from whatever you are starting from. That is the point of entry. You do not need to share your article with others - share only whatever you are comfortable with. Anything you share with Melanie as your coach is treated as fully confidential.
I am writing a book chapter, not a journal article. Is this programme for me?
Yes. This is the first run open to chapter writers as well as article writers. Chapters stall for similar reasons to articles, and the weekly editorial process applies to both. Peer feedback and check-ins cover your chapter the same way. Your unique situation - whether chapter or article - can be discussed and taken into account during the programme.
I have tried writing accountability before and it did not move the article forward.
Most accountability programmes treat motivation as the problem - show up, be consistent, the article will come. This one is built on a different premise: the article is not moving because the argument is not clear, the structure is not working, or the evidence is not landing. Those are editorial problems. Each week addresses one of them directly, applied to your specific piece, so you can move on with confidence.
Can I pay with institutional funds?
Yes. You can pay in instalments or use Klarna. For institutional invoicing, please contact Melanie as soon as possible (info@melaniesindelar.com).
What is the Early Bird price, and when does it end?
Workshop attendees get the Early Bird price of €349 from 19 to 22 October. After that the full programme price of €449 applies until enrolment closes on Sunday, 25 October.
What is included each week?
Each week has one focus, one recorded input module with Melanie, four co-writing sessions, and a concrete deliverable. You also get two structured peer feedback sessions, writing buddy matching, community access with coach check-ins, access to recordings during the programme, and a dedicated workbook each week that brings clarity on your project and moves you to the next step.
What is the difference between Standard and VIP?
VIP is capped at 4 places and adds written feedback on each submitted workbook, a private 30-minute onboarding call, and feedback on up to 5 pages of your draft. To take a VIP place, use the Apply for VIP button and email Melanie directly with your name, your discipline and institution, what you are writing and where it is stuck, and what you would want from the VIP feedback. She reviews every application personally and confirms the place by reply. Because there are only four, an application does not guarantee a place — apply before the Early Bird window closes if you want to be considered for the run.
What happens at the end of the programme?
The programme closes with a joint submission event on 20 December, where participants finalise and - where realistic - submit together.
What if I cannot submit by Christmas?
Submission timelines vary. Some participants will submit during the programme. Others will be one revision away as it closes - and that is still real progress. If you complete the programme and still need more time, you receive one additional month in the Writers Studio at no extra cost.
Will the sessions be recorded?
Yes. All input sessions are recorded and available during the programme, so you can catch up on anything you miss.
When are the live sessions?
There are no live input sessions - modules are recorded and can be watched anytime. The only live elements are the co-writing sessions and the peer feedback sessions, the dates of which will be decided collectively amongst programme participants.
Submit by December
That article has been waiting long enough.
Eight weeks. One article or chapter. One editorial process from stalled draft to submission-ready. Early Bird €349 until 22 October.
Secure my placeSubmit by DecemberEarly Bird €349 · until 22 Oct
Secure my place