In the publishing and writing support industry, terminology tends to evolve and shift over time, especially as practices change. We’ve previously discussed commonly misunderstood publishing terms, and the number one term that’s misunderstood is “editor,” largely because there are so many different kinds of editors. The term “book coach” is also a bit ill-defined in the industry, and many authors are left wondering what is the difference between a developmental editor and book coach and how to know what kind of support is best for you and your project. A book coach can be real secret weapon for your book, especially if you’re motivated but still struggling to make clear progress. Watch below or scroll on to see if a book coach can be the support you need.
Before we get into today’s post, we wanted to ask—do you have a plan for actually finishing your memoir? If not, we know you aren’t making the progress you hoped for. That’s why we developed The Memoir Method Checklist. This free guide (and video training!) will take you through every single step you need from idea to published marketable book. Grab it now at https://pageandpodium.com/checklist
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In general, a book coach is like a developmental or high-level editor who works with you as you go—whether you’re drafting for the first time or making major revisions We have three different styles of book coaching programs depending on your working needs. Our group method, which is for women working on memoir only, is called The Memoir Method. For those who need more one-on-one support, we have a program called editor in your pocket. For those who just need a bit of support, answers to some specific questions regarding your project, or help getting through that last stretch, we have asynchronous coaching through Voxer as well.
How does it work?
Different individual companies will have slightly different parameters for how they set up their book coaching support. In the case of our one-on-one program, we start by getting to know you, your book project, and where you are in the overall process. In most cases, our clients have been starting and stopping for some time—so while they have some written material but it’s not yet coming together as a book. Whether we’re starting from a completely blank page or from a lot of short form materials, the first step is establishing an outline and structure for the project in the first few meetings.
From there, our goal is to get on what we call the “chapter train.” Each week by Monday evening, you’ll submit up to ten pages for written feedback. We meet weekly, generally on Wednesdays or Thursdays, and review the pages you have submitted and our notes as well as looking ahead to the next section you’re tackling, so you are always going into that next chapter feeling like you have a clear understanding of your targets. Any obstacles or decisions that come up to stall you, we’re here to work it out with you. You can benefit from our experience and how we have navigated similar roadblocks—either in our own projects or in helping other writers through their own projects.
Accountability
The first benefit of having a book coach is also one of the key differences between a book coach and a developmental editor. Usually when you approach a developmental editor, you’ve got most or all of a complete draft—meaning you had to work much of that way on your own, without external accountability to help you keep forward progress.
In our one-on-one, this is really clearly baked in. You have clear due dates for smaller sections of your work, and we notice if you don’t submit it. That in itself is motivating. When you know someone else is waiting and expecting to read your work, that provides just a enough pressure to keep it in mind during the week so you get it done. When the only one invested in your progress it you, it’s just too easy to put it out of mind.
In our group program The Memoir Method, we don’t include one-on-one editing, but most people still feel accountable simply by knowing everybody will be on the weekly call. It’s a supportive group of women, so while there’s no scolding, everyone gives an update and nobody wants to say, “I actually didn’t work on it at all.” Even when that does happen, we can talk through what happened to hold you back. Often we hear our MM members say knowing they would be sharing made them carve out the time.
Accountability has to come from someone you don’t want to disappoint, which is why friends or partners often fall flat. But a professional book coach’s job it is to hold you accountable, and that external accountability keeps you invested.
Training and education
When you are working with a book coach, holding you accountable is only part of that person’s job. Using our experience and education, we can help you work through the obstacles. Writing a book is often a long series of decisions and having an experienced writer on hand to help you understand the impact and options of those decisions can help keep the momentum forward and avoid pitfalls. The number of things that can stump you grows exponentially the longer you work on the book.
In one-on-one coaching you get very personalized feedback. Every project is different, so a book coach can help you bridge the generalized how-to information with the specific needs of your book. Your book coach will be working with you week after week and will be able to clearly see where you are strongest and where you really are kind of struggling. For example, a client might not need help on the line level—writing a really beautiful sentence or thinking of strong ideas—but need support at the chapter level structure. So in our coaching we focus on that need, and the more we work together the more we can provide targeted guidance for the actual things you need help with.
In our group coaching program, The Memoir Method, we present this a little differently using a flipped classroom model. The actual instruction, the how-to, happens on your own time, and when you come into the classroom we spend that time digging into where you got tripped up, troubleshooting, and practicing so the material really gets into your bones. Everyone starts with the development module that takes you through the seven steps you need to create a strong outline and writing plan, and all the training materials are available on demand.
Regardless of format, one real benefit of a book coach is that we know how to do this; we’ve done it many, many, many times, and we can see where you’re struggling and identify the places you need support. You should be asking your book coach to give you this kind of training and expertise so you do not have to figure it out all on your own from trial and error; you can benefit from our trial and error as authors ourselves and from our other clients’ trial and error.
Community
The third thing you get from working with a book coach is community. Even with one-on-one coaching, it’s incredibly beneficial to have another person who knows what you’re doing, knows what your book is about, knows why it matters to you and how much it matters to you—having someone who’s totally in your corner can be so, so beneficial, especially when the relationship becomes intimate and personal through regular check-ins or asynchronous messages.
If community is what matters most, a group book coaching program gives you a made-to-order community: people doing the exact same work and people who already did it. That mix of peers and alum who can say, “I had the same problem,” and offer targeted encouragement is powerful—you can just feel the vibe shift when someone who’s been through it shows you that you can get through it too—plus lifetime access to app-based conversation means ongoing, varied support beyond the weekly calls.
Clarity
The fourth thing book coaching, both one-on-one and group programs, can provide is clarity. Often when you feel called to write a book, it’s because you feel the weight of all of what you’ve learned. As it lives in your head and heart, it can be very complicated—perhaps even a bit muddy. Having a coach or a group to share your ideas with week after week provides an opportunity to really get a strong and clear hold on what all those ideas and stories have in common. We spend time talking through what you want to say, asking the right questions to keep you talking, prompting for clarifying connections, and pushing you to explain your ideas in ways someone outside your field can grasp; in answering those questions you find so much clarity.
In our group program, authors can share developmental thinking about topic and message and feel the “vibe” shift when something clicks—peers and coaches help you see where your ideas cohere and where they need pruning. The result is not just a clearer sense of what your book is about, but a practical plan you can hold in your head and execute, which makes all the difference when you move from ideas to draft.
Support and Encouragement
The fifth and final thing you get from a book coach is steady encouragement and real support. High-achieving writers often bristle at the idea of needing cheerleaders, but when the doubt and fatigue set in, having someone whose job is to take an objective step back and point to your concrete strengths and progress is invaluable. A coach can pull you out of the spiral of self-criticism, show how far you’ve come from X to Y, and give a realistic appraisal that isn’t empty praise but a clear refocus on your momentum and next steps.
We see this again and again with clients who thought they were stuck—authors who had shelved projects for years, who returned during a crisis and, with a deadline and steady support, finished drafts they didn’t even realize they’d completed until someone pointed it out. That steady, informed encouragement isn’t about being a yes person; it’s about someone who knows your work, knows where you’ll falter, and helps you recognize growth you can’t always see yourself.
PS. Searching the internet for writing, publishing, and book marketing advice can be exhausting to say the least! If you’re ready for hands on, one-on-one support for your memoir, check out The Memoir Method. We’d love to welcome you into this nine-month group program specially designed for women writing their first memoirs. And don’t forget, if you’d like to chat with Amanda about the program (or any other services we offer), you can book a free consult any time!
