Why hire a book writing coach?

You may have heard the term “book coach” or “writing coach” but what does that mean exactly? 

In short, a book coach is a professional who helps writers – aspiring or accomplished – dream up, plan, draft, revise, stay on track, pitch and/or publish, and achieve their writing goals with a lot of support, accountability, feedback, and motivation over the length of time it takes for their project.

Let’s put a book coach in context with some common scenarios - are any of these familiar to you?

People tell you “you should write a book!”

When people say this to you, what’s your response? Do you think, “That’s impossible. No one would read anything I wrote” or, “that’s too much work. I don’t have time for that.” Maybe another objection comes up for you. Perhaps the idea isn’t appealing and you don’t want to.

Note your reaction about writing a book when others mention it to you. When you identify your feelings, you can determine whether it is fear or doubt, lack of confidence, lack of desire, or something else at play. Many of these are forms of resistance that can be overcome. 

A book writing coach can help you figure out if you really do want to write a book, and then guide you to get started and accompany you through the process. 

You don’t know where or how to start.

As writers, we often have so many ideas but when it comes time to sit down and put them into words we can get stuck. I’ve found that, more often than not, it’s not a question of being ready, it’s a question of being willing. It’s easy to think we don’t have enough time or that there is more research to do before we’re “ready.”

It can be intimidating to think of Writing A Book and just the idea of it could be what’s holding you back. There is also a very common fear that once started you won’t be able to finish it. This can seem worse than not starting at all. 

A book writing coach will work with you to coax the idea out of your head and onto the page. By helping you identify, clarify, and crystallize your idea, together we’ll create an actionable plan so you can write with confidence. 

There are many prompts or exercises to facilitate the process of developing your ideas. You’ll have deadlines to hold you accountable. 

Most importantly, you’ll get feedback on your ideas and writing so you can see its shape and help you feel confident as you write. 

You have a draft of… something.

You may have some bits and pieces drafted, a notebook full of notes, a lifetime of journal entries, a year’s worth of blog posts, or 300 pages of words, or… but something is telling you there are issues. 

You have a vague idea of what to do but need a plan to move forward. That’s where a book writing coach comes in.

Through the coaching process, I’ll help you identify weak points in the narrative or gaps in the overall story arc. With an experienced eye and editorial mindset, I’ll help you keep improving the manuscript, whether it’s editing down or adding new chapters.

Is a book coach right for you?

I love helping writers achieve their goals. I guide my clients to structure their books, unblock ideas, and transition from planning through writing to publishing. 

No matter where you are in the process, I’m here to encourage you to show up and be more focused when you sit down to work on your book. When you’ve made a time and money commitment, it may be exactly what you need to do your best work.

Want to figure out if working with a book writing coach is for you? Click here!