7 Reasons to Hire a Book Coach
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Every so often I get people who ask: Why would I hire a book coach? What does a book coach do?
People often come to book coaching for one of these reasons:
They have gone as far as they can on their own, cobbling together information from books, courses, websites, podcasts, workshops, conferences, etc. They are ready to work intensively and strategically on their craft and writing career.
They are at the beginning of their writing journey, and they want help to fast-track their learning.
They don’t want a group experience. They want individualized attention, focused in their specific needs, and they are willing to pay for it.
But what can a book coach give you that an MFA program or freelance editor, or course, workshop, conference, or writing group can’t?
Individualized attention – A book coach starts where you are, and focuses on what you need to learn to be a stronger writer. They might offer exercises, workbooks, frameworks, etc. based on what they know has worked for many writers, but they also understand that everyone is different. You can go at your pace, whatever that is.
And unlike in many courses, workshops, or MFA programs, you are not in competition with other writers, nor are you spending a ton of precious writing time critiquing other people’s work. That can be valuable, but it’s not always in the writer’s best interest.
(Note that some book coaches do offer group programs – and sometimes that is the most economical or preferable option.)
Accountability – It's easy to let life sidetrack your writing. With a coach, you have deadlines – a writer’s best friend! And money is also a great motivator. It’s a signal to your brain that you’re taking this writing thing seriously. It’s an investment.
Understanding of craft and narrative design – What this looks like will depend on whether the coach specializes in nonfiction, narrative or creative nonfiction, or fiction, but the idea is the same: How do you structure your book for maximum impact? How do you design it so it leads the reader on the journey you want them to go on? What elements of craft do you need to strengthen?
Big-picture developmental editing of an entire book – In tandem with understanding of narrative design, working with a coach allows you to get feedback on more than just one or a few chapters. Whether you’re working through a first draft or a tenth, your coach will be keeping the big picture in mind, helping you produce a book that works, in many cases in half the time it would take to do it on your own.
Project management – Writing a book is a massive project. You need to keep many things in mind. From drafting to revising; to pitching and querying or self-publishing, your coach can help you strategically manage the process. (Note that not all coaches coach all parts of the process, but they can certainly refer you to coaches who are appropriate for your needs at the time.)
Understanding of the marketplace and various publishing paths – This is hard to cobble together by yourself. And if you want readers, you will need knowledge of how best to get your work to them. A coach can help you understand the realities of traditional publishing, or guide you in understanding the possibilities of hybrid and self-publishing.
Coaching the writer, not just the work – Book coaches offer encouragement, cheerleading, understanding, and sometimes tough love. Writing a book well is a huge commitment of time and energy, sustained over a long haul. We help manage the psychological aspects of the creative process. We offer support when it gets tough. Sometimes we’re a writer’s only source of such support for their writing. We’re honest about what’s working and what isn’t. We’re not a friend or family member - our relationship is based on your writing. We’re knowledgeable about the craft and business of writing in a way your critique group probably isn’t.
A book coach can help you make leaps in your writing that would take ten times as long on your own. Having someone in your corner, guiding you and encouraging you and strategizing with you, can be life-changing for a writer.
For more reasons why you should consider working with a book coach, see Author Accelerator’s Benefits of Working with a Book Coach page.
A few considerations to keep in mind:
It’s all about fit. You can learn a lot about a coach’s style and approach from their website or social media, but if the coach offers a free or inexpensive discovery session, take them up on it. A conversation can be the best way to get a feel for how you will work together.
Make sure the coach works on the type of book you want to write. Some coaches specialize in particular genres, or in different stages of the book writing process (new draft, revision, pitching/preparing for publication), or other specialties. Author Accelerator has a coaching directory as well as a coach matching service that can help.
Understand that a coach (at least an ethical one) cannot guarantee any particular publishing outcome. They cannot guarantee you will get an agent, or be traditionally published. They cannot guarantee you will get a spot on any bestseller list, or a particular number of readers.
What a book coach can help you do, in short, is write the best book you are capable of writing at this time. They can share methods, knowledge, and support for you to achieve your writing dream.
In getting such personalized support, I:
Finally finished the novel I’d been trying to write forever, but kept getting stuck and giving up.
Leapfrogged over years of cobbling together pieces of craft, by getting feedback that focused directly on the areas I needed to improve.
Learned methods and frameworks that helped me complete my next novel in half the time.
Worked on overcoming self-doubt and imposter syndrome. Yes, this is a work in progress! But having another person who believed in me and my writing was critical.
Established a regular writing practice, finally learning to take my writing seriously enough to invest the time and money it needed.
If any of this sounds good to you, why not check out book coaching? If you think we might be a good fit, hit me up at the Contact Page. Or see Author Accelerator’s page Work With a Book Coach.
And if you’re thinking, “Hey, I’d kind of like to be a book coach myself,” also let me know via the Contact Page and I’m happy to talk with you honestly about what it takes both to coach and to run a coaching business.
If you find this useful, head on over to the Contact Page and sign up to get my weekly email featuring tips on creativity, productivity, and the writer’s craft.
