What Does a Book Writing Coach Do? Author Book Coaching Services Explained
If you’re an author, you’ve probably heard of a book writing coach.
You may well need one—especially if you’re a first-time author.
But you’ve got questions. And I’ve got answers. Why else would you be reading this? 😊
What is a book coach and what exactly does a book writing coach do?
What is a book coach? A book coach is your mentor, teacher, co-strategist, and accountability partner. Your personal trainer for your author journey.
➡️Click here to see my book coaching services for nonfiction authors.
You’ve got a lot to learn and you don’t have enough time to do it. It’s easy to get stuck and overwhelmed. And it’s easy to get derailed.
Hiring a book writing coach helps you in many ways.
A book writing coach can help you hash out a concept, define your audience and goals, and outline your book.
Your coach will help you select a title and plan the supporting elements of your book.
And you’ll together develop a writing plan and schedule.
Hiring a book writing coach gives you someone to talk to about your progress and your challenges, an expert to answer your questions about writing and publishing and about your book specifically—in real time—
and the opportunity to test ideas, get strategies and tips to try, and learn secrets that you may not know, all of which will make your book better.
You’ll better reach your goals and your readers’ expectations—in less time.
You’ll gain knowledge and skills for your next book (or to bore your friends with!)
You’ll be buoyed and supported in your author journey by an expert who cares. No pom-poms included, but you’ll be cheered on nonetheless. 🎉
Hire a book coach if you want to put your best book out there.
What do the best book coaches have in common?
The best book coaches specialize.
Beware of book coaches who claim to do it all.
The best book coaches focus on a few genres. They work with the authors of certain types of books. They may even have certain types of authors they serve (first-time authors, women, academic authors, etc.).
I work with first-time authors and authors who have never worked with a book coach before.
The best book coaches understand the audience and goals of each individual client and try to help them keep moving forward and achieve their objectives.
How are book coaching services billed?
Typically there are book coaching sessions and there are book coaching packages.
➡️Click here for an example of nonfiction book coaching.
A book coaching session might include a one-off coaching session, a regularly scheduled coaching session, or a recurring coaching session—whatever works for you.
A book coaching package, like the ones I offer, includes templates and resources as well as coaching calls or video calls to walk you through the writing process (and the publishing and marketing process, if that’s what you need).
Sometimes a coach will suggest and lay out tasks to achieve and milestones to reach.
Sometimes the role of a coach is to be a thought-provoker or an idea- or a solution-generator.
There are also some (expensive) book coaching programs out there. You might pay $3,000 or more for these.
They are often run by larger companies using coaches who have been trained in the company’s protocols. These programs may use a one-size-fits-all (or most) approach.
Often times, these programs are “group programs” led by your coach via Zoom or other videoconferencing with limited one-on-one access to the coach.
How much does a writing coach cost?
Book coach rates vary wildly, but $60 to $100 an hour and up is typical.
You might pay a few hundred to a few thousand dollars for a book coaching package or program, depending on how comprehensive it is and what is included.
But consider the benefits:
You’ll learn more with coaching—and more quickly—than you could on your own. Your knowledge and skills will grow. You’ll learn things you can utilize in your next book.
Do I need a book coach near me?
No. There are plenty of book coaches online. Almost all book coaching is done online these days.
What do book coaches do?
A book writing coach can help you
hash out a concept, define your audience and goals, and outline your book
select a title and plan the supporting elements of your book
develop a writing schedule and have someone to check in with about your progress and challenges
test ideas, get strategies and tips
➡️Click here for an example of a book-writing coaching package.
In addition,
A book publishing coach can help you
draft and improve your query letter and book proposal (book proposal coach) and pitch your manuscript to publishers and/or agents
prepare to self-publish and self-publish in a strategic way (self-publishing coach / indie author coach)
➡️Click here for an example of a self-publishing coaching package.
You can also take a self-directed course, learn how to do this yourself, and get a ton of helpful resources and templates. Learn more about the Step-by-Step Self-Publishing Process—the online course that guides you through how to self-publish on Amazon and elsewhere.
A book marketing coach can help you
Create a book marketing plan
Give you tools and tips for marketing your book
➡️Click here for an example of a book marketing coaching package.
You can also take a self-directed course and learn how to do this yourself, and a get a ton of helpful resources and templates on book marketing. Learn more about The Best Book Marketing Strategies—the online course that helps you get more publicity and sell more books.
Book coach vs. developmental editor: What’s the difference?
These are quite similar, especially during the early stages of the book-writing process.
By some definitions, coaching is more interactive and has some sort of program to it. It might include time on Zoom or on the phone and regular check-ins (whereas developmental editing typically doesn’t).
Coaching is more like counseling in the short term and one-on-one mentoring in the long term.
➡️Click here to learn more about developmental editing for nonfiction books.
Working with a writing coach can be a great investment in your book and in your future as an author.
You’ll not only write better, faster, and more confidently; you’ll also have a more publishable book, and you’ll have some support and accountability.
You might also like:
Daniel J. Tortora book coaching services (for US nonfiction authors)
Daniel J. Tortora editing services (for US nonfiction authors)
The Best Books on Getting Published: Learn How to Score a Publishing Deal
Happy writing and publishing,