FAQs

What is book coaching? Where did it come from? How will it help me?

Editors used to be coaches and mentors, and would nurture promising rough ideas into polished works. Think Max Perkins and his writers F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway!

Today, the publishing industry has shifted away from that, into a fast-paced, consumer-driven entity where editors can often be juggling as many authors as days in the month, with no time for developmental editing. They accept only the most polished work that is essentially ready to go to press as is.

But the question is, how do you get there?

That’s why book coaches have risen up to bridge that gap. We can be for you what editors used to be for writers: a coach, a mentor, a guide. Book coaching may be newer, but it is actually a very old and respected line of work, with a new name.

Book coaching can help you plan out, draft, revise, and develop a pitch and plan for your book, and identify what’s wrong and how to move forward when you’re stuck. It is more focused than a class, seminar, workshop, conference, or retreat, because your book will be my focus, and it is my job to know it inside and out. I can personally say that when I had someone focused on my work, who knew it in that way, truly understood story, and worked with me one-on-one with brutally honest feedback to make it better - my writing grew in ways I never could have imagined. It made me wonder why I had paid so much to take so many classes and workshops, and made me question why the creative writing community focuses so much on them.

What qualifies you as a book coach?

Before this, I completed my B.A. in English, with a Certification in Creative Writing, at the Commonwealth Honors College within the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

And beyond this, I have a passion and a talent for developing writers on a one-on-one level.

I’ve been coaching for years, and a contract editor at North Eastern Baptist Press since 2022.

You can explore some of the published books I’ve worked on here!

*As an Author Accelerator certified book coach, I am qualified to coach writers using Author Accelerator’s strategy, methods, and materials, but I operate independently of Author Accelerator and am not affiliated with them.

What should I expect during coaching?

• If we’re starting with developmental prep/planning, you can expect us to work through the 14 step Blueprint for a Book, a method I learned from its developer, professional book coach Jennie Nash.

• If we’re coaching on a draft or re-write, coaching may consist of a mixture of writing forward and circling back to key steps from the Blueprint tailored to your needs.

• If we’re coaching through a revision, we’ll follow a plan developed either during Monthly Coaching or a Manuscript Evaluation, which may involve working on the same set of pages each week until they’re good enough to move forward to the next.

Who do you work with? What genres do you accept?

I am a fiction book coach. I specialize in working with Christian writers, but I don’t work with Christian writers exclusively. I am willing to work with novels in most genres outside of horror and erotica. My favorite genres to read and to work with are fantasy, contemporary, thrillers, dystopian, magical realism, and literary fiction. I love books across all age groups: Adult, YA, and Middle Grade. (Though there’s a special place in my heart for Middle Grade!)

I am looking for writers who are passionate, committed, and take constructive criticism well. Whether you are serious about wanting to get published, or it would just be a bonus to the accomplishment of completing a good book, I'd be happy to work with you. If you are writing mainly as a means to get rich quick, I am probably not the coach for you.

What can you guarantee as a return for my investment?

I wish that I could shower you with promises, but the reality is that in the writing and publishing world, there are no guarantees. For example, one could write an outstanding novel, and the timing simply be off in the publishing market.

I would advise you to be wary of anyone making sweeping claims or guarantees to you about your writing if you enroll in their program. Publication, best seller lists, and dollar amounts are just not things that can be predicted, let alone promised.

However, I understand the desire to have something to show for such an investment.

What I can give you is clear, honest, professional feedback on your work, evaluations of your work’s market viability, and professional guidance to navigate you through the daunting pitching process. Take a look at my Packages to see the tangible deliverables that I can promise, such as in-line comments, editorial letters, email and coaching call support, and researched agent lists.

What is your Pricing based on?

Pricing for various packages is reflective of the many hours of work it takes to evaluate work on a professional level, develop and share feedback, provide meticulous project management, and communicate with writers, as well as the significant time and investment it takes to undergo training for this line of work. It takes into account both the intellectual and emotional labor of coaching, and the overall value it provides to writers. A single line of feedback holds the power to change the whole course of a story and its market viability.

Hundreds to thousands of dollars are spent every year on music lessons (coaching, really) and all the various expenses of organized sports, both team and individual, and almost any other hobby you can name, purely for the pursuit of getting better, and enjoying the activity/creative outlet. Writing is no different!

What if I’m not sure which package I need?

Take a look at this Guide for suggestions on packages based on what stage you’re at in the writing process.

If you’re still unsure, I’d be happy to help you determine which package would most benefit you wherever you’re at. Please drop me a line and tell me a little about what you’re looking for here!

For Monthly Coaching, 6-month plans are the most value for your money, while month-to-month coaching may fit your needs if you’re not sure how much time you can commit in the future, or if you expect to only do one to a few months of coaching and are looking for a lower overall investment.

Whatever your writing needs are, I’m here to help.

What is Standard Manuscript Format?

Standard manuscript format is as follows:

• letter size paper

• 12-point Times New Roman font

• double-spaced text

• 1” margins

• averages to about 250 words per page

What software do you use for document sharing/editing?

I use Microsoft Word with its Comments and Track Changes features.

I may use Google Docs on request.