CONSULTING & COACHING

Receive expert guidance to help you develop a strong, marketable, cohesive idea and put the writing plan into action.

Why You Need a Coach

Writing a book is a solitary activity. Writing a good one requires the support and feedback of a firm-but-fair critic who will offer praise for the strong points of the manuscript while delivering candid feedback about its weak spots.

A coach can work with you at any point in the writing process: if you have a vague idea and need a professional to help you refine it until it’s book-ready, if you have a clear topic but are not sure how to structure the book, if you have already started writing chapters but don’t know if you’re on the right track, or if you have completed the manuscript already. A coach will make sure your book’s thesis is cohesive, cogent, and original, provide feedback on style and flow, and allows you to bridge the gap from “concept” to “finished work.”

Manuscript Critique

If you have a fully or partly completed manuscript, consider the critique. A critique provides a candid assessment of your work, detailing strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions for improvement. It also includes comments in the margin of the manuscript. Many clients combine the critique with a few hours of coaching.

We can send you examples of previous critiques.

What Does It Cost?

Consulting is $200 per hour. Sometimes just 2-3 hours of coaching is enough to get you on track. Other offers sign up for a longer engagement (such as the Writing Coaching package, described below):

A manuscript critique costs 2.5 cents per word ($1250 for a 50,000-word manuscript) and takes 1-2 weeks depending on the length of the book.

We also offer a special Writing Coaching Package ($8000) that includes:

– Book planning/outlining

– Detailed written feedback on 2 complete drafts of your book

– Up to 15 hours of one-one-one consultation

The Value of Accountability

Admit it. You’ve been saying for years “I want to write a book one day.” Maybe you even started outlining. Perhaps you’ve been hacking away at a manuscript for a while. It is common for clients to toil on a book for so long that they don’t even remember what they wrote at the beginning, or their writing style has evolved so much that the first chapter reads like it was written by someone else.

In art or really any endeavor, it’s easy to talk about starting, harder to actually do it, and harder still to finish it. You may need an accountability partner, someone to make sure you’re completing your milestones and sticking to your schedule, offering a well-timed kick in the pants when you falter. A writing coach will create a plan with you to complete your book, in addition to provide editorial guidance. And there are few things so satisfying as completing a long-term creative project.