Do you have a book in you? Do you have expertise or wisdom that could make this world a better place if only you could share it with a wider audience? What would it mean if you could speak directly to people who wanted to hear what you have to say? A book coach can help you do that. I'm here to support you with the craft of writing, but I am also here to help you meet your goals: to hold you accountable to the work that will realize your dream.
Why do writers use book coaches?
Accountability
A book coach is support for you. A good coach will challenge you to show up for your book and give it time and attention. Think of it as project management: I’ll walk you through the steps of book planning and we’ll work towards deadlines so that you move forward. A book doesn’t write itself, after all!
Editorial Guidance
There are so many ways to share your story, your ideas, your wisdom. But what is the best way to do that so it becomes a book that people want to read? As your book coach, I will guide you through discussions and exercises to identify your readership and how your message can be tailored to reach them.
Clarity and Confidence
A good book coach will point out where your message is getting lost. If you are not communicating it clearly, you want your coach to push you to get it right. It may not be easy — in fact, it’s often hard! — but this effort pays off. You will be able to take the next steps in your project with confidence knowing that your book’s foundation is strong.
Support
The creative process is full of celebrations and pitfalls, starts and stops, doubt and uncertainty. It can be lonely navigating this journey. It can also lead to confusion and backtracking as you try to figure it out on your own. I want to support you through this process and give you a way to move through it, especially when your self-belief is lagging behind your enthusiasm.
Depending on your strengths, some stages of book preparation will be exciting and easy, and other stages will be challenging. This is because a book project is big. It's long. There will be times you get too close to it or lose your sense of purpose. Writing a book asks you to use skills you may be still learning.
A book coach is your partner in the project. A book coach is someone to talk to, someone to hold you accountable. someone to keep you motivated and moving forward, even when it is hard. A book coach can support you through all stages of book preparation, from planning to publishing, or only when you need support.
Click to find out how coaching can help you.
Book a 12-week coaching package with me and in three months, you’ll know whether you want to move ahead with your project. You’ll have in hand:
As your book coach, I’ll be there guiding you through each step of the planning. We’ll take the seed of your idea and grow it into a book structure that conveys your message to reader clearly and with confidence. You’ll identify your target readers, understand how you can convey your message clearly, and imagine your book into reality.
You’ll have me by your side coaching you to be the expert you already are.
Do you have a book in you? Let’s find out.
Ask me about the other coaching options available to you. Based on your needs and where you are in book preparation, I can suggest the best option for you.
Will a partner in the process help you? Book a call with me to find out. You can tell me about your book project or idea, what is working and what is needed, and we'll discuss next steps. If a coach seems right for you, I'll share ways we can work together. If you need another publishing support professional, I'll let you know. In any case, you'll come away with a better idea of your next step, and you'll get a taste of book coaching and whether we are a good fit.
Let me answer this one first — it's always my first question! Fees vary depending on how intensively and quickly you want to move forward. If you are seeking personalized, one-to-one coaching support, you can expect a minimum investment of $250 per session. You are investing in yourself and your dream of writing a book, and I take that seriously. I want to make sure that the time I reserve for you — in coaching sessions and during my review work — is dedicated to your needs, so my pricing is structured to allow me to deliver good-quality coaching and feedback without competing pressures.
I meet most of my clients in video calls or by telephone. Local clients can request in-person meetings. No matter how we meet, coaching sessions are focused on your goals and the challenges you want to address. We agree to the coaching schedule and deadlines at the beginning of your coaching engagement. You submit your work to me in a shared file folder, where you can also access your feedback and the coaching schedule. In between sessions, you have access to me by email if questions arise.
Yes, I ask all of my clients to sign off on a Coaching Agreement that lays out the terms and conditions of my services. I want you to have everything you need to make the decision to invest in yourself. Included in the agreement are the payment terms, how we can expect each other to conduct ourselves, what happens if you miss deadlines or if emergencies arise, and so on.
This is exactly the question I want us to explore when we meet in a discovery call, so please ask me questions about how I work and my experience. A writer and a coach need to believe they can work together productively and effectively. If we aren't a good fit, I'll try to match you with another coach who can better meet your needs. I am part of an extensive book coaching community who each have their own strengths, aptitudes and ways of working. In the Coaching Agreement, you will see I aim to stand behind my values:
I love working behind-the-scenes, supporting the dreams and goals of people who have stories to tell and loads of experience to share with the world. Over the years, I have supported writers dedicated to the craft of writing and many others who were exploring it for the first time. I have a soft spot for projects that challenge the status quo and aim to improve the lives of people experiencing unfairness. For 13 years, I served as the Editor–Publisher of Open Minds Quarterly, a long-running, small magazine here in Sudbury, Ontario dedicated to writers who experience madness, mental illness, or mental health challenges. In this work, I coached emerging writers as they crafted narratives of lives that had been dismissed by many, including family. Their storytelling was necessary to survival and redemption. Today, I work with authors writing non-fiction, people who want to make change by sharing their professional and lived experience on the page. Whether it’s practical advice for specific audiences or big ideas that need to be brought to the general public, I’m here to help you translate your passion into words.
In my off-hours, you’ll often find me reading crime novels and news bytes, listening to podcasts, or deep in other quiet pursuits like sewing or cross-stitching or trying new recipes in the kitchen. I live in the Greater Sudbury area of Northeastern Ontario, in the traditional territories of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek and Wahnapitae First Nations, with my husband, children and our dog.
I am an Author AcceleratorTM Certified Book Coach in Nonfiction and Memoir. Author Accelerator is a community of certified book coaches who support authors. To receive our certification, we complete a robust training program that includes practicums and feedback from experienced coaches. In our coaching community, we share resources and experience with each other, and as a licensed Author Accelerator coach, I have access to tools and resources, such as the Blueprint for a Book method, to help you write your book. There are coaches specializing in many areas, and if I'm not the right coach for you, I can connect you to other coaches who may serve you better.
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