Book Coaching Services

mindset & craft support 
when you need it

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.



‌benefits of book coaching


Why do writers use book coaches?


"With a coach, I get the work done. I make progress."

"I stay committed to my goals."

"My book coach helps me feel confident in my decisions."

"I get expert guidance and feedback from my book coach."

"My coach holds me accountable to my writing goals."

"My coach believes in me. Finally, I have someone in my corner."

What you can expect

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.


when to use a book coach


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.



Which stage are you in?

Click to find out how coaching can help you.

PLANNING & OUTLINING 

If you have a great idea for a book but you don't know where to start, I can help you move your idea into a plan. In your coaching sessions, you will explore your reasons for writing and your book's purpose, and you will identify the readers who want to hear from you. Out of this work, you can begin to structure and outline your book. This foundational work prepares you for drafting your manuscript or writing your book proposal.


Ask me about these coaching options:

 6-Session Clarity & Confidence Coaching Package • VIP Focus Days • Manuscript Momentum Monthly 1:1 Coaching


WRITING FORWARD

Many writers find they can meet their writing goals faster with external accountability and outside eyes. When it is time to write your manuscript, ask me to support you with deadlines and feedback on your drafts. In your coaching sessions,  scheduled once or twice a month, we will review your writing goals, discuss what challenges you are facing in your writing sessions, and set deadlines for your next pages. Before your next session, I will review your submission and offer feedback on your early drafts.


Ask me about these coaching options:

Manuscript Momentum Monthly 1:1 Coaching

REVIEW & REVISE

Do you find yourself with a draft in hand, not sure how to move forward with revisions or struggling to stay true to your message? As your book coach, I can review my editorial eye and suggest some tools to help you find your way forward in writing. 


Ask me about these coaching options:

2-Session Mini Blueprint & Outline Package • Manuscript Momentum Monthly 1:1 Coaching 

PREPARE TO PUBLISH

When you are ready to share your book plan and pages in a book proposal, whether for an agent or publisher, I can coach you through proposal development and agent or publisher search. Build your proposal from scratch or ask for a review.


Ask me about these coaching options:

VIP Focus Days • Manuscript Momentum Monthly 1:1 Coaching


do you have a new project?

Clarity & Confidence Book Coaching Package

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:


  • a clear idea of your reading audience
  • the expertise you have that will solve their problems
  • or change their minds
  • a table of contents and a framework for your book
  • two sample chapters in first draft
  • a plan to move forward into publishing, whether that is traditional, self-publishing or hybrid


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.

ready to start?

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 your questions

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:


  • Integrity • I will work honestly and transparently with you. I believe that working in mutuality and reciprocity, where everyone can share their strengths and viewpoints as equal partners, leads to growth for everyone at the table.
  • Creativity • The problems we have to solve as writers can occur on and off the page; I promise to work creatively with you as your book coach to solve these problems to the best of my ability. If one tactic does not work for you, I will work with you to find another solution. I promise to give you the benefit of my education and experience in the creative arts as well.
  • Empathy • I promise to treat you with kindness, to listen actively to you, and to treat your work with the same respect I treat my own. I promise to always provide constructive criticism of the work and not the author.
  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion • I want you to feel this coaching experience is accessible and welcoming. I promise to provide book coaching that will help your work and you shine without the application of my own biases. I am open to learning about myself and how I can be a better coach and ally. 



ready? get in touch

more about me

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.  

about my training

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.

ARe you ready?

Get in touch.

Fill out the form below to send me a message. Tell me a bit about your goals for your project and what you need to move it forward. If you prefer a phone call or a Zoom conversation in response to your question, let me know!

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