Book Coaching 101 by Diane Bator

 

NEW RELEASE!! An explosion leaves a gaping hole in the streetscape where the Nine Lives Consignment Shop and the former martial arts school once stood. When police find remains of a bomb inside, Gilda Wright needs to track a killer before her suspects scatter like debris.

 

In today’s world, anyone can write and publish a book, but few of us get the help we need. Sometimes we’re stopped by external forces such as lack of money, lack of tools, and lack of support, which is a big one. Sometimes, we’re stopped by internal forces like fear, Imposter Syndrome, and a perceived lack of knowledge.

Imposter Syndrome is that voice in your head that tells you, “I am not talented enough to make this happen,” or “I’m afraid of messing up,” or “Why bother? People will hate my work.” If you’ve ever read Brené Brown, then you recognize that is vulnerability at it’s finest.

We’ve all dealt with it no matter who we are and what we’ve achieved. I have a friend who’s a comedian and author. He’s been fortunate to meet some amazingly accomplished people who will say, “I don’t know why I’m at this event. I’m just a writer/astronaut/musician.” Meanwhile, he’s trying hard not to beg for autographs, but he does have some great photos!

One of my biggest reasons for starting my Escape with a Writer blog, was to help promote other writers brave enough to launch their books. To be honest, when I first started my blog in 2019, I never expected to have authors sign up to do an interview with me. After all, “Who am I to think I can do this?” But I did. In no time, I had my calendar full 4-6 months ahead and now work alongside a publicity firm in Saskatchewan.

Then I learned there was such a thing as a Book Coach. That was my AHA moment!

It took me ten minutes to sign up and I’ve loved every minute of the training as well as working with writers and a great accountability partner. The funny part is, I wrote an entire series of blogs for BWL Publishing about the Who, What, Where, When, Why and How of Writing two years before I’d ever heard of book coaching. That’s how naturally the role comes.

So, what is a Book Coach and what do they do? A Book Coach is someone who assists with the book writing process. We help writers improve their work, their writing, and give moral support along the way. Whether you plan to self-publish, reach out to agents or traditional publishers, or use a hybrid publisher, a Book Coach can help you smooth out plot problems and improve your book. We can help you smooth out your entire book or clean up a pitch to send to agents or publishers.

How can a Book Coach help me? That varies from coach to coach. Some do strictly Developmental Editing to help make sure your book flows without any flaws in timeline or storyline. They can also help prepare your book to be line edited before you submit. Others will help you get from the basic story idea right up to preparing your manuscript to be submitted to an agent or publisher, which we’re happy to help you find. We cheer you on throughout the process and celebrate with you once your book is in print!

How do I find the right coach? When writers reach out to a Book Coach for help, we have a list of intake questions we ask to see if coach and client will be a good fit. Not all coaches are comfortable working with all writers—and vice versa, just like any other sort of coaching. The best way to see if a coach (or even an editor, for that matter!) is a good fit, is to ask if they will edit the first ten pages of your manuscript. If you like they way they edit or give suggestions for your work, chances are you may work well together.

Won’t a good agent or publisher do all that? Not as many publishing houses have the staff or capacity to do all those things. The cleaner, better, and stronger you can submit your book, the less time and energy they need to spend to get it prepared for publishing. Agents and publishers love it when writers do their homework and send them solid stories they don’t have to spend days editing.

Where do I find a Book Coach to learn more? Right now, there are some fabulous coaches out there! You simply have to Google to find us! We’re always seeking new clients who are eager and willing to work with us to develop their manuscripts into things they’re proud to publish. Be sure to read the fine print, check out what genres they prefer to deal with – please don’t send a romance coach a sci-fi novel! –  study their packages as to what they offer and what they’re fees are, then find out how they prefer to be contacted. Most have an intake form attached to their contact page and may ask you to attach the first 10 pages of your manuscript so they can get a feel for your work.

What if the coach I contact doesn’t accept me? There could me many reasons. Some will contact you to let you know if you’re not a good fit. Others may say they are already overwhelmed and refer you to another coach. Either way, there’s always another coach, just like there are more than three agents and publishers. The right fit is out there.

Does having a coach assure that I’ll get an agent or publisher? Nope. But, we can definitely help you to submit a great query and synopsis that will give you a solid chance at getting their attention.

If you’re interested in learning more, please check out my brand new website at www.dianebator.ca.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Diane