What is Book Coaching?

I first entered the book publishing industry in 1999, psyched to have landed my first job as an editorial assistant at a small press. I’d just completed a graduate certificate in publishing, and had a brand new BA in literature, and I was sure it was my destiny to work with books. 

As a kid, books were my first infatuation. When my friends were all playing with Glamour Gals, I was reaching for my worn Little House on the Prairie series. Books were my preferred entertainment, and a quiet refuge when I entered those inevitably rocky teen years. The Little House books were my gateway drug, but I quickly moved on to Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume, Sweet Valley High and VC Andrews. My interests matured as I did, of course, but books were a constant presence.

My younger self was right…I’ve loved working with books! I’ve had the good fortune to work in editorial and book marketing positions throughout my career. But I didn’t learn of book coaching as a job until 2023 when I heard author and book coach Jennie Nash speak about it on the #AmWriting podcast. The more I learned, the more I realized so much of this was what I was already doing when working with authors…it was actually my favorite part of my job! But I wanted to learn more, so I signed on to Jennie’s Author Accelerator program to get certified, and discovered this is the kind of work I was dreaming about all along.

Why Haven’t I Heard of Book Coaching Before?

Book coaching is a relatively new niche in the publishing field and, as far as I can tell, emerged in recent years for two main reasons.

First, book publishing is more competitive than ever. Today’s literary agents and acquisitions editors have a high standard and expect a very polished manuscript upon submission. Many book coaching services were traditionally done by in-house editors. There was a time when getting signed by a publisher meant a lot more back and forth and brainstorming with your editor. Yet this is not commonly the case now as in-house editors are more overworked than ever before and simply don’t have the time to provide the editorial guidance they once did. 

Now more than ever an acquisitions editor is more likely to acquire a manuscript that requires little work as they are already overtasked. Similarly a literary agent, who doesn’t even get paid until they sell your manuscript, will be more willing to sign an author whose manuscript is ready to go. As a book coach works with a writer throughout the writing process as well as during pitch time, we strengthen a writers’ chances of getting published traditionally . 

The second reason book coaching has emerged is the rise of the indie author. Self-publishing is so much more prevalent now, and no longer holds the stigma it once did. A self-published author not only needs to hire editing services, but can especially benefit from working with a book coach who can guide them through the often tricky publishing landscape.

What Does a Book Coach Do?

Book coaching is a custom experience and varies from coach to coach, and even from writer to writer as no two writers will have the same needs. However, all writers can expect a good book coach to serve multiple roles for you. I think of it as one part editor, one part project manager, one part industry guide, and one part cheerleader.

One Part Editor

The “editor” title is a bit confusing as there are many types of editors in publishing as there are different stages of editing. Most people think of editing as fixing typos, but there is so much more to it than that. The kind of editing that focuses on typos (copyediting or proofreading) comes much later in your writing journey. 

A book coach focuses on what’s called developmental editing to examine the structure of your entire story and address concerns like plot, narrative drive, character development, pacing or conflict. These big-picture issues determine whether your story makes sense and will compel a reader to keep turning the pages. 

Most book coaches will not only narrow their focus to fiction or nonfiction, but will also focus on a specific genre. A book coach who is well versed in the genre you write in will be able to determine if your story is adhering to the necessary genre conventions. 

For example, I focus on women’s fiction, romcoms, and middle grade fiction (novels for ages 8 to 12). A common issue that crops up in women's fiction is pinpointing if a book is actually women’s fiction or if it perhaps is upmarket fiction or romance or literary fiction. (Author and Author Accelerator book coach Lidija Hilje has an excellent article on this. https://lidijahilje.com/blog/genre-guide-womens-fiction-upmarket-romance-literary.) And while you don’t want a story that’s formulaic, there are genre conventions that matter. A romance needs a happily ever after, and a thriller should have pacing that matches. 

Keep in mind that understanding your genre is not only important for the writing stage, but also when you’re pitching because agents and publishers focus on specific genres.

One Part Project Manager

A good book coach doesn’t just give you feedback on your manuscript. They also provide specific, detailed action steps for how you should tackle that feedback. They provide you examples of solutions that could help solve the problem. They might assign you writing exercises to help you dig into a character or solidify the narrative drive. They also set deadlines for the work and hold you to those. The project manager role helps to ensure you stay on track with your writing goals and actually finish that manuscript.

One Part Industry Guide

For writers who wish to earn money from their story, the actual writing is only one part of the job. There is a lot to understand about the publishing world especially because there are a variety of paths to publishing. Writers who want to be traditionally published must navigate the pitching process to find and secure an agent or get acquired by a small press. They learn how to work with an editor through the revision process, understand how to advocate with the publisher, develop and maintain an author platform, and help to craft and implement a marketing strategy. An indie author skips the agent part, of course, but then has to do all that and more on their own.

A book coach has industry experience beyond writing, and can help guide you through the various stages of your publishing journey. Many book coaches have worked in various roles in the publishing industry (like me!) and can help ensure you are taking the right steps in the right direction to reach your goals.

One Part Cheerleader

My favorite thing about working in book publishing has always been working directly with authors. I love the back and forth and brainstorming when working on a manuscript. I get immense satisfaction helping writers find solutions when they are stuck, or providing them another perspective to consider that unlocks a block for them.

I also learned early on that working with writers can be emotional work. Because writing is emotional work. It’s important that a book coach respects that and can support the writer as they navigate the difficult task of unearthing this story from their imaginations and hearts. Relatedly a good book coach (or editor) will recognize that the work belongs to the author…we are just here to play a supporting role in helping you get the story as you envision it onto the page. 

So Can Anyone Be a Book Coach?

Well, yes and no. Anyone can say they’re a book coach, but not everyone has the experience or training or even temperament to help you reach your writing goals. Many book coaches have worked as editors in the publishing industry for years or are published authors who can draw on their own experiences. Some book coaches have also completed training, as I have, through the Author Accelerator book coaching certification program. (Author Accelerator, is an extensive one-year program involving hundreds of hours of education and training, and, to my knowledge, is the only certification program for book coaches.) 

As with anyone you hire, it’s important to do your due diligence and learn about their background and processes to see if they will be a good match for you. If you’re interested in working with me, please fill out an intake form here and I will be in touch soon. 

As always, I’m looking forward to reading your story!