What is a book coach and why should I work with one?
There are many ways to get support when it comes to writing a book, from critique partners and writing classes to developmental editors and book coaches.
But it’s that last one I want to talk about today: book coaches. Book coaching is a pretty new concept, so don’t worry if you don’t know much about it yet or have never even heard of it until now. By the end of this post, you’ll know:
What a book coach is.
Why you might need a book coach.
How a book coach can help you.
So let’s jump right in, starting with what exactly a book coach is.
What is a book coach?
In a nutshell, a book coach is a professional who provides personalised guidance to a writer throughout the writing process and helps them bring their dream of writing a book to life. A book coach might work with a writer for anything from a few months to a few years, and on one or more writing projects.
Book coaches help writers right at the start of the writing process, as they develop their story idea. We support writers as they write their first draft. We guide writers through the revision process. And we can advise them on how to get their story out into the world once it’s finished.
We usually provide support by giving you specific writing exercises to tackle, providing you with editorial feedback on your pages and talking through your questions, ideas or concerns during one-on-one coaching calls.
Do I need a book coach – and if so, why?
You don’t need a book coach, no – you could write a novel without one. But if you want to take your writing more seriously, hone your craft through personalised feedback, work with someone who nurtures you and your story, and perhaps even develop a long-term writing career, then working with a book coach can make all the difference.
Let’s step back in time a moment. Back in the day, when a publisher acquired a new book, there was ample time to prepare it for publication. Even if the book still required quite some work to get it up to scratch and the author had a lot to learn, an in-house editor would help them polish their manuscript and grow as a writer.
Fast forward to today, and the publishing industry – like the world at large – has sped up. Publishers have much less time to nurture writers and their stories. Today’s editors are under pressure to find books that are ready to go and have the potential to sell well. As a result, their focus has moved away from editorial development.
Gone are the days when an in-house editor would help an author to develop a story idea, improve their craft or build their career. They simply don’t have the time.
Enter the book coach – the person who does have the time for all of this, who cherishes the process of guiding a writer from story idea to rough draft to finished draft, and who is ready and willing to nurture not only a specific book project but the writer and their career in general.
How can a book coach help me?
In so, so many ways! How exactly a book coach supports you depends on what you as an individual need in that moment and where you are in the writing process. Throughout the lengthy process of writing a book, we wear many hats and take on many roles. Here are a few of them:
A book coach is a one-on-one writing mentor
When you work with a book coach, the two of you work together as you plan, write or revise your manuscript. You’ll submit writing exercises and/or pages to your coach on a regular basis and receive personalised feedback on your writing.
From pacing to plot, character development to dialogue, we book coaches pinpoint what’s working on the page and what needs a little more attention. And because we usually work with our writers over a longer time period, we can see where you're making progress and which craft issues you still need more input and support with.
A book coach is a cheerleader
Because a book coach works with you throughout the writing process, we are there right by your side to celebrate your wins and successes with you as they happen – from writing your first chapter to fixing a plot hole to completing the first draft of your manuscript.
A book coach gets to know you as both a person and a writer. We encourage and support you as you write, working with you on one or more projects and helping you grow in both skill and confidence.
A book coach is an emotional support person
A book coach is also there for you when you’re struggling – on those days when you don’t feel like you’re smart enough to write a book after all, when you’ve lost your way or when you feel like giving up.
If imposter syndrome raises its ugly head, if you’re facing writer’s block or if you’re just feeling frustrated, you can reach out to your book coach and they’ll try to help you overcome your mindset issues and get back to your writing.
A book coach is an accountability partner
When you sign up for ongoing one-on-one book coaching, you will be working with your book coach on a regular basis. We set goals and deadlines for you and your writing, to which you commit both emotionally and financially.
As a result, you'll know that your coach is waiting to receive your pages come deadline day – so you'll be much more motivated to sit down and do the work.
But even more important than your commitment to your book coach is the commitment you'll be making to yourself. Working with a book coach means you'll be taking yourself more seriously as a writer – an incredibly empowering step on your writing journey!
A book coach is a brainstorming partner
Writing a novel requires creativity by the bucketload. You have to create protagonists and other characters that feel like real people, with real backstories, problems, challenges and strengths. Your story needs a point, a strong cause-and-effect trajectory, conflict, a resolution. So really it's no wonder that writers get a bit stuck sometimes or temporarily run out of creative inspiration!
That's where a book coach can help. We are there right by your side for you to talk to, brainstorm with and bounce ideas off, every step of the way. Think of us as your own personal sounding board for all things writing. Talking about plot holes, character problems or worldbuilding issues with your book coach can save you time, sleepless nights and tears – and will probably even be fun!
A book coach is also an editor
When you work with a book coach, you’ll get big-picture editorial feedback on your pages as you write. This usually takes the form of both in-line comments and an editorial letter. This is quite different from a developmental editor, who usually comes in and works on your manuscript when you have a finished draft.
There's absolutely a time and a place for both, but the advantage of the way a book coach gives you editorial feedback is that you get it in real-time, as you write. As a result, you strengthen your manuscript as you go, building the foundations for a solid draft, chapter by chapter. This can be an especially useful approach for newer writers working on their first novel.
A book coach is a project manager
Whether you're planning and writing the first draft of your novel or tackling a complex revision, a book coach can help you stay on track by setting you regular deadlines to submit your pages. We maintain the overview of what you've done, what you still need to do and where you're at.
Writing a novel is often a long and lonely business, so having someone to help you write in an organised, structured way can make the difference between completing your draft and giving up partway through.
A book coach is an industry specialist
A book coach knows their way around the publishing industry and stays up to date with trends and developments in the marketplace. We can help you to identify your target market, your ideal reader and comp titles (books that are similar to yours, that your ideal reader would also enjoy).
Many of us, myself included, also offer support when it comes to querying agents, such as helping you determine whether your book is ready to send out into the world, write a synopsis and query letter, and even find the best agents to pitch.
Conclusion: Book coaches are great!
As you can hopefully see, working with a book coach is a unique and incredibly personalised experience. Depending on what you need on any given day, we encourage you, hold your hand or celebrate with you.
We give you honest feedback. We laugh and we cry with you. We are at your side through every stage of the writing process and care about your book as much as you do.
At the end of the day, we want to help you realise your dream of getting your story out into the world – because, like you, we believe that stories really matter, yours included.