What Is Book Coaching?
What if I told you we’ve been tricked?
Tricked into believing that one of the biggest, most daunting, and perhaps most significant passion projects we want to pursue — we have to go through
completely
alone.
Tricked into believing that the best help we could hope for is piecemeal workshops, well-meaning amateur advice from writing group colleagues, or classes with more and more information and higher & higher price tags, but no real one-on-one guidance. Oh yeah, & don’t get me started on all the books! All of these a never-ending sales funnel of self-help that makes big promises, but doesn’t fill the empty pages…or the empty space of someone being truly by your side through it all.
We believe that at the end of the day, we’re the only ones that would (& should) focus on our project, & we still have to figure everything out on our own.
We’ve been tricked into believing that maybe going into student loan debt might be the magical step-ladder to our goals, even though it’s really just more of the same classes & workshops.
Tricked into believing that real writers go it alone…the lone genius slaving over their typewriter, emerging with sweat on their brow and pages that shine…
But that, for the most part, is a myth!
The truth is, real writers get real help.
And here’s the big secret: they always have.
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For decades - centuries even - a writer could catch an editor’s attention if they saw potential in them.
Editors didn’t just correct grammar & format, or even wording - they developmentally edited the books & helped writers do complete overhauls of their stories & characters - they coached writers to write better stories. You didn’t have to have shining, polished, perfect pages ready to hit the press to get noticed. They deeply understood story, & would take a writer from good to great. This is why we have the greats: authors like Fitzgerald & Hemmingway…& most of the authors we know & love.
Editors used to serve as (wait for it) book coaches!
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So…what happened??
Well, the publishing industry made a shift. Over just the past few decades, an industry that used to define & choose what made it into the hands of readers — a culture-shaping, overseeing institution — rather quickly became consumer-driven. With the focus shifting more & more to profits, the equation is simple: the more books can be pumped out of the machine, the more $$$.
This unfortunately means that more time-consuming (& thus costly) projects - such as dedicating a large portion of editors’ time to coaching a few writers - is no longer deemed worth it. As a result, what we’ve seen is a publishing industry that seems nigh impossible to get into - accepting, for the most part, only print-ready manuscripts that don’t require large investments of time & effort. Editors are piled with projects & manuscripts - being assigned up to as many books as days in the month!
They simply don’t have time to develop writers anymore.
The problem is, how does a writer in today’s world get to that print-ready manuscript?
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That’s where I come in.
You see, since this shift in publishing has happened, it seems we have all but forgotten what came before.
The unspoken idea is that writers work solo, & that’s just the way things are.
But what no one will tell you is that many of the authors actually getting their books out there aren’t doing it alone. They get help - whether that help is a book coach, an editor friend or spouse, or they’re just lucky enough to know someone who’s fully dedicated to their work, deeply knowledgeable in story, & understands how to give helpful feedback.
Are you that lucky?
As a book coach, I’m here to help bridge the gap for you.
People don’t have the afore-mentioned skills by accident, & the likelihood of those who do focusing on your work as if it were their own…well, I haven’t done the math, but I don’t see it often.
I’ve specifically trained in these areas so I can help you in the way that the writers before you could take for granted.
So what about you?
Are you ready to invest in yourself & your writing?
Are you ready to go from good to great?
Choose your starting point
Explore all offerings
Sample Coaching - Opening Chapter
Free!
A sample Editorial Letter and In-line comments on the opening chapter of a self-published book, along with my full review.
I raise some key points that may help you identify how to take your opening pages to the next level!
You can also get a feel for my coaching style.
One-Offs
pricing varies by package
Blueprint for a Book Package (Planning your novel or getting unstuck - also great to prep for NaNoWriMo!)
Manuscript Evaluations (feedback on a full manuscript)
Pitch Prep (prepare pitch materials, agent list, & more)
Pitch Support (support & answers during pitching)
Monthly Coaching
from $250/mo
Great option if you:
Have completed a Blueprint for a Book or Manuscript Evaluation package
Would like accountability and encouragement to keep you on track
Would like guidance and feedback while:
revising a Blueprint
writing forward
rewriting
revision
