A Powerful Life Story
Opens Doors
Joshua Doležal, Coach and Editor
I Guide Writers from First
Idea to Finished Book.
The Right Reader
Makes All the Difference
Crowded workshops leave you with conflicting advice and no clear path forward. I offer something different: targeted literary guidance refined through 20+ years of professional writing and publication in journals that accept less than 1% of submissions.
I transformed my own writing career by working one-on-one with a mentor who understood exactly what makes stories resonate with readers and gatekeepers. I now provide that same focus to help you achieve your writing goals.
You've Carried This Book for Years.
Let's Finally Bring It to Life.
BOOK COACHING → Turn your experiences into compelling stories that connect with readers, whether you're writing a memoir, personal essay, or professional narrative. From initial concept to completion.
EDITING → Take your completed manuscript to the next level. I'll help you identify strengths to amplify and weaknesses to address, providing both big-picture feedback and line-by-line improvements.
CLEAR DIRECTION → Together we locate the core of your story and define your ideal audience. Then we design a plan to guide you through the drafting process with expert feedback.
PITCH READY → Sharpen your writing with advanced tools, such as defamiliarization, extended metaphor, and lyricism. Craft a persuasive query letter for agents or a proposal for small presses.
Case Study - Dr. Gertrude Nonterah, PH.D.
What Clients have said
about working with Josh
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![headshot of Gertrude Nonterah, Author of “Navigating the P.I.V.O.T.”]()
“I wanted my book to be quality. And when I thought of quality, I thought of Josh.”
-Gertrude Nonterah, Author of “Navigating the P.I.V.O.T.”
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“I can’t thank Josh enough for the transformational experience I had working with him as a writing coach. Josh has an uncanny ability to help writers tap into their inner power. His keen eye for detail helped shape the memoir in ways I hadn’t imagined possible. He encouraged me to embrace my unique voice and style, empowering me to write with confidence and conviction."
— DJ Lee, author of Remote: Finding a Home in the Bitterroots
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"Working with Josh has absolutely improved the quality of my writing. But the greatest benefit is having a thought partner. It’s so easy to treat writing as a solitary experience when writing, for me at least, is really about sharing and being in conversation."
— Beth Anne Macdonald, Grants Manager and Memoirist
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"Before working with Josh, I had not completed a draft that I loved in about ten years. After ten sessions, I have written several drafts that are quite dear to me. I feel confident that when new ideas come, I have the tools to help them live outside of me."
— Joseph Hirsh, Lecturer for the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin
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![headshot Rishi Shah, Economics Major at Duke University]()
“I was at a gridlock for a few months in picking a personal statement topic, and with Josh's help we were able to finalize and develop my essay within a month. He also has made me a better writer and I am already starting to see that show in my other supplements and school assignments.”
—Rishi Shah, Economics Major at Duke University
About Josh
Writer, Book
Coach, Editor.
I am a writer and award-winning teacher with 20 years of experience in publishing and editing.
My work appears in more than 50 literary magazines with acceptance rates below 1% because I understand what makes writing stand out in competitive environments. I bring this same discerning eye to every client project, helping you create stories that resonate with your specific audience—whether you're preserving family history, building professional credibility, or competing for limited spots at elite institutions.
To get a sense of my writing, check out my Substack, The Recovering Academic. Or read my memoir, Down from the Mountaintop: From Belief to Belonging.
Popular Posts
The Recovering Academic
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Why Everyone Should Keep An Authority List
I'm just Josh. What does an average guy like me have to say? If you ever find yourself thinking that way, you should try an authority list.
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Answering The "So What" Question With The XY Formula
The Power of the XY Formula
One of my grad school professors started class by asking a young man in the back to hang his coat on the wall. -
You Know Literary Fraud When You See It
Two weeks ago I inadvertently sparked a debate about truth telling while commenting on David Roberts’s essay “When A Billionaire Maligned My Wife And Me.”
Subscribe to
Josh’s Substack
Featuring craft resources for writers, reviews and interviews, and new chapters from a book in progress.