Do You Need a Book Coach?

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What is Book Coaching?

 

Don’t spend a year writing an 80,000 word draft just to find out the plot is broken. A book coach can fix your pacing, stakes, and structure chapter-by-chapter while you write, saving you thousands of dollars in heavy developmental rewrites later.

If you want to take up boxing, and you have no idea where to start, you hire a coach. Same with dieting, marketing. All the things. If you want to write a book, there’s a coach for that too.

Book coaching is for people with a story burning inside them, begging to be set free. But the problem is, they have no idea how to write that story, and they’re Googling: “How to write a story for beginners.” They need creative writing help. Or maybe they’ve written nonfiction before and now they need novel writing help. Maybe your debut novel flopped, and this time, you know you need help!

Book coaching services will give you the story writing help you need. The approach can vary from coach to coach, but this is how we do things.

 

Writing Support

My first graduate degree is in composition and rhetoric, so I specialize in making your writing resonate with its intended audience. That extends to bigger picture concerns such as prewriting and organization, which ties into plot, pacing and, my favorite: character arcs.

Stories are about characters. Without them, you have no story. Characters develop or your story does not. That tip was free. Book coaching will get you all the basics and a thousand tips about writing while you are writing the book.

As I mentioned before, you don’t want to write a whole mess of a novel only to find out that you were missing that fundamental knowledge. Just like you don’t want to learn a new sport by winging it. That can cause injuries or major errors on game day that lead to losses. With writing, the thing you lose is time, and time is precious. I’ve met writers who waited to write their novel until later in life even though the story was brewing for years. There is nothing wrong with that, but don’t waste time on subpar writing. If you start out with a book coach in your corner, helping you along the way, any time you spend writing will be productive.

 

How Does Book Coaching Work?

How book coaching can work is this: You and your coach come up with a plan that includes deadlines for the different stages of the writing process, and then for each chapter.

The book coach then acts like a cheerleader, keeping you accountable to those goals and helping track your progress.

Chapter-by-chapter, you share your slowly improving novel with your coach. Your coach reviews your writing, cheers you on, and sets you on the next task. As things take shape or need adjustment, they help you along the way to make sure everything fits together.

One night at midnight you might decide to rewrite a previous chapter using a new tip or technique your coach shared. Or maybe you want to email a question about a character or plot direction you’re thinking of changing. Your coach will offer ideas, brainstorm with you, and spur you on to keep writing, even when it isn’t fun.

 

How We Do Book Coaching

A lot of book coaches offer periodic video calls, and others work on an asynchronous model. That means you message them at one time, and they respond during their working hours without having to schedule a time to do it. I do both, or whatever combination feels right for you.

Some communication is asynchronous, such as emails, and some is LIVE, such as Slack chatting during my office hours. I also offer a dedicated weekly time block where we either talk face to face (video) or one-on-one chatting using Slack.

How I coach really depends on your preferences and creative schedule. Are you an introvert and the idea of a video call makes your heart stop? No worries. We never need to do that. Do you feel like you aren’t being coached unless you hear my voice and see the compassion in my eyes? I can do that too.

The bottom line is, I’m a real person who really cares. I take time to review whatever questions or materials you send me, and I respond in whatever way works for you. No pressure to change your vibe. Everybody wins.

 

What Does Book Coaching Cost?

Is it really possible to have a book editor at your fingertips? Of course.

I like to be transparent, so click here and you'll see our packages and pricing.

Ninety-seven percent of people who want to write a book never finish it. Success increases dramatically if you hire a book coach. Do you have an idea for a book burning inside you? Set it free. It will be worth the cost, the effort, and the heart you pour in. Let’s get your name on the cover of a book.