Three Reasons to Hire a Book Coach (and How to Find the Right One)

Writing a book takes a solid team. Sure, you’re the mastermind whose ideas and writing talent will power the project, but you’ll need a supportive crew to help you cross the finish line. While you focus on your writing, your team will handle a long list of other tasks, including all phases of editing, formatting for hard copies and e-books, designing your book’s cover, and outlining your book marketing strategies. The head of this team is the all-important book coach.

Read on to learn exactly what a book coach does, why you might want to hire one, and some pro tips on how to find and partner with a great coach who will help you publish an outstanding book.

What does a book coach do—and not do?

In many respects, a book coach is similar to a professional advisor that a business leader might have, or a mentor you’ve always looked up to. You entrust them not only with all the details of your manuscript but with how you’re feeling throughout your writing process: when you’re excited, when you’re drained, and when you’re flat-out stuck.

Here’s a rundown of what a book coach does as the head of your writing team:

• Provides motivation and emotional support to keep you writing
• Outlines a manageable book project schedule and holds you accountable to deadlines
• Offers feedback on your story from outline through draft
• Helps determine whether self-publishing or traditional publishing is best for your book
• Provides even more motivation and emotional support throughout the publishing process

So, is there anything these angels of the writing world don’t do? Well, there are a few things. First, they’re not professional editors, so they won’t be able to provide developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, or proofreading services for you. And since they’re so closely involved in your project, they don’t make the best beta readers.

Finally, since your book coach is not your assistant, they generally won’t go out and find a professional book publishing service or an author success manager on your behalf—but they’ll be there to offer their opinions on the traditional or self-publishing services you’re considering.

Reasons you might want to hire a book coach

Writers who are serious about becoming professional authors often opt to hire a book coach because they understand the need for someone who’s been through the writing and publishing process before. They seek a mentor who has their best interest in mind, who has experienced the ups and downs of creating a book, and who can help keep them accountable every step of the way.

You need an accountability partner

One of the biggest struggles for any writer is maintaining the discipline necessary to actually complete their manuscript—and a book coach will help make sure it’s a great manuscript. Your coach will work with you to establish a manageable writing schedule that you agree to and will hold you accountable throughout that timeline so you hit your targets.

In addition to schedule-related check-ins, the ideal book coach will also touch base to see how you’re doing emotionally. They’ll help you smash through writer’s block, cool off your author burnout, and bear with you through the good, bad, and ugly emotions that sometimes come with writing a book. They’ll be your team lead and your cheerleader to help you get the job done…and get it done well.

You want help creating the very best version of your book

Constructive criticism can be tough for any writer to hear. However, as a trusted partner, your book coach should be able to deliver feedback in a way that’s easy for you to accept and that encourages you to take their notes and suggestions to heart. They’ll offer recommendations to strengthen your story from the early outline phase all the way to your fully written first draft.

However, the ideas don’t stop once your initial draft is complete and you’ve gone through a professional manuscript evaluation. Your coach will offer ideas for your rewrite—and once you’ve partnered with professional book publishing experts to help with your book cover design and formatting, your coach will also provide honest opinions on those steps. Trust your book coach as a seasoned veteran who wants the very best for you and your publication, and who care help you navigate the daunting world of publishing.

The publishing world is an intimidating mystery to you

Anytime you can reap the benefits of someone else’s experience, you should jump at the opportunity. The best book coaches are well versed in the self-publishing and traditional publishing industries, and their expertise is invaluable to many authors. Your book coach will use their firsthand knowledge to help you determine whether to self-publish your title or try to get a book deal with a traditional publisher and then guide you through the process.

Here’s another circumstance where emotional support comes in. While self-publishing appeals to many authors, it can be time-consuming, and many writers are intimidated by the uncertainty of their next steps. Traditional publishing, while a little less labor-intensive for the author, is riddled with discouraging rejections and frustrations in finding a book deal (not to mention losing creative control over the book). Your coach will be a shoulder to cry on and a cheerleader to high-five you throughout your publishing process regardless of which method you choose.

How to find the right book coach

The more excited and dedicated you are to publishing your book and becoming a professional author, the more seriously you should consider finding a book coach. Here are a few tips to help you find a mentor to support your writing and publishing journeys:

• Consider your needs. What services and support do you want your book coach to provide? Different coaches have different specialties, so think about what you want to gain and learn from them before starting your search.
• Identify your budget. Book coach costs vary dramatically. Some bill per hour and others by project, so you’ll need to determine how much money to set aside.
• Perform thorough research. Look around online, read book coaches’ websites and reviews, and ask other authors who they’ve had success with.
• Confirm the right fit. Once you’ve narrowed down the field, schedule a short call or meeting with your top candidates. A live conversation will help you ensure that you and your coach will work well together.

You need to be comfortable with your book coach, just like you need to be comfortable with the rest of the team that’ll help you publish a great book. Take your time and make sure you find the right professional to guide you on your path to becoming a successful professional author.

Add our book publishing and marketing experts to your team!

With the right book coach, publishing professionals, and marketing masterminds on your team, you’ll be well on your way to putting the best version of your book out into the world. When you and your coach are ready, we can jump in the game and handle everything from the developmental edit all the way through post-publication book marketing strategies.

With the right coach and publishing partner, your story can go further than you imagined. Share a bit about your project, and we’ll follow up with a few ideas to help you move forward. No pressure—just support.