Where book coaching
meets developmental editing
Imagine you had:
It sounds amazing, right?
But let’s face it. At this point, your book is mostly just a
dream.
You’ve spent a lot of time thinking about your ideas—maybe you’ve even jotted down an outline or written a chapter or two—but that’s about it. You don’t know where to start, and you certainly don’t know how to finish.
So the days pass with no real progress to speak of. And every day that passes, your self-doubt ratchets up a notch or two.
Your book idea is so good.
You just don’t know how to bring it to life.
It’s the oldest trick in the book.
Hollywood tells us that writing a book is all about flash-of-lightning inspiration and natural talent.
So most prospective authors dramatically underestimate the amount of time and training they’ll need to finish the job.
Professional writers spend an average of seven years and $72,550 just training to write their first books (yup, you read that right).
They get personalized instruction on the basics of structure, storytelling, and productivity.
They meet with their mentors weekly for critiques and moral support.
They learn habits and structures to keep writing (even when they aren’t inspired).
They get regular feedback so every piece is stronger than the last.
Most professional writers will tell you it’s all worth it.
After all, Google and YouTube can give you basic frameworks, but your book idea is probably too unique to really benefit from generic online advice.
Not to mention that scrolling through blog posts on your phone won’t get you the accountability, encouragement, or feedback most first-time authors need to succeed.
—Noah McNeely
Founder of Project Kickstart
Amanda did a great job helping me get things together… we explored what I was trying to do, and it greatly expanded my thinking and will help me create a much better book with a much higher chance of success.
Amanda was very easy to work with. It was a fun, yet extremely valuable experience.
If you are serious about writing (and more importantly actually launching) a book, she is someone you should have on your team.
Introducing the
Program
I’m Amanda Nell Edgar,
and I created the Editor in Your Pocket program because I saw first-hand how powerful weekly mentorship can be.
After half a decade of mentorship from two best-selling, award-winning, badass women authors, I knew it was time to give back.
So I spent the next decade developing my own approach to supporting aspiring first-time authors.
The result?
A unique program that blends book coaching and developmental editing.
The Editor in Your Pocket program was designed to give you
regular mentorship
weekly feedback
consistent accountability
and positive, encouraging mindset work
So you can plan, write, revise, and publish your book, without sacrificing years of your life (not to mention tens of thousands of dollars for a degree you absolutely do not need!).
Clients Have Been Featured On
Because there’s no reward for slogging away on your book alone.
In this program, you’ll get
A customized, actionable plan
You’ll have all the training and support you need to create an effective outline for your book, plus concrete weekly assignments to help you get this thing done!
Weekly professional editing
You’ll get feedback from a publishing house editor every single week, so you know exactly what’s working (and what’s not) as you move through your manuscript
Encouraging accountability
Your coach-editor will hold you accountable to your goals, giving you the motivation to make steady progress every single week
Lasting skills
There’s more writing in your future, so we’ll make sure you take away all of the training and skills you need to make your next book (or blog post or whitepaper or newsletter) a breeze
—Michael Steudeman, PhD
Professor, Pennsylvania State University
Despite eight years of working on it, my book project had stalled. I spent whole days writing and rewriting individual sentences, losing my sense of overall narrative of the book.
In part, I needed to rekindle my enthusiasm for my project to make it through my final chapter. More fundamentally, I needed to rebuild the habits and skills that once helped me be a productive writer.
Amanda helped me break through my writer’s block and find the enthusiasm I had lost for the project. To help me rediscover the “big picture,” she helped me think through the development of my book’s narrative and the trajectory of my ideas in each section. Additionally, she helped me develop specific strategies tailored to my particular struggles as an author with ADHD and executive function challenges.
In short: she’s a fantastic coach and great at meeting people where they are!
Get writing support that meets you where you are.
Every author is different, but here are some of the results our clients have achieved:
Efficiently finish your manuscript
With a professionally supported plan, our clients breeze through their chapters (even when they’ve spent years spinning their wheels!)
Conquer writer’s block once and for all
Clients walk away from the program with more than just their book—they develop lasting strategies for getting words on the page quickly and without the headache
Learn to write powerful scenes and arguments
If you’re feeling a little shaky about writing vivid scenes and engaging arguments, rest assured that you’ll end the program feeling more confident than ever about your ability to tell a powerful, message-driven story
Craft a proposal that makes agents swoon
Our clients publish with small, boutique presses and major publishing houses—if you want a big book deal, we’ll happily include proposal coaching in your nine-month program
Gain confidence in your authority
You’ll leave the program feeling empowered to share your message, even when you step far outside your comfort zone
Publish a book that gets attention
With the right support, you can level up your thought leadership so your story—and your message—gets featured in the media
—N.W.
entrepreneur and soon-to-be published author
I was opening a new business and time for one was a factor. I also had no idea where to start to put together a book proposal.
Since working with Amanda, I have got an agent and hope to get a publisher too soon.
Amanda was kind, genuine and made me feel very comfortable to ask any question, no matter how big or small. The best part was the genuine care and enthusiasm for my book to do well.
If you are in need of guidance in the world of publishing, which to be honest as a first time author it is a little daunting, then Amanda is your woman. She is knowledgeable, determined and collaborative in her working style and is committed to helping / supporting you gain success.
For aspiring authors who want their books to make
a difference
The program is perfect for you if you’re:
Invested in social change
We’re a values-based business, and our authors want to change the world
Service-oriented
The best way to stay motivated is to remember your “why”—and that works best when your end goal is helping others
Motivated and determined
Editor in Your Pocket will give you the tools and trainings you need to write this book, but you’ve still got a lot of work ahead of you
A proficient writer
Books can be a beast, but the ideal one-on-one client is confident about their ability to write shorter projects like blog posts and professional emails
Curious about the book industry
Success is easiest when you’re excited to learn the tools of the trade
Ready to commit
You’ll need to put aside several hours per week to knock this book out—publishing isn’t for the faint of heart!
Behind the Scenes of
When you sign up for the Editor in Your Pocket program, you’ll get:
A one-on-one kick-off call to set you up for success
(a $250 value)
Personalized session to make sure you get the most out of the program
Weekly one-on-one calls tailored to your book’s needs
(a $2,575 value)
Clear, customized direction every single week, so you never get stalled wondering what to do next
Developmental editing on up to 360 pages of writing
(a $6,450 value)
Weekly feedback on your writing to help you improve with every chapter
Email support between sessions
(a $3,750 value)
Between sessions access to your coach-editor for those times you get stuck in the weeds
Templates and worksheets
(a $1,000 value)
Professionally designed templates to help you format your manuscript and proposal like a pro
Insider publishing and marketing advice
(a $1,250 value)
Guidance on choosing a publishing path to get your book into readers’ hands
The Editor in Your Pocket program is worth $15,275.
But you pay only $6,499,
or 9 monthly payments of $950
Plus, you’ll get these bonuses to make sure you have the support you need, even after you complete the program
Complimentary access to The Memoir Method vault
Women and nonbinary authors working on memoirs are automatically added to our group site so you can take full advantage of our resources and community
10% off additional
done-for-your services
If you decide you’d rather just offload some of the work to our team, we’re here to help
Lifetime access to all Page & Podium webinars, master classes, and happy hours
We hope you’ll stay in touch so we can celebrate every win along your journey!
It’s time to step into your role as author
Apply for the Editor in Your Pocket program today.
FAQs
Yep! Each week your coach will read up to 3,000 words (about 10 double-spaced pages) and provide developmental feedback. This typically includes things like:
- Prompts to fill in your story’s or argument’s gaps (“How did you feel when this happened?” “Can you clarify what you mean by XYZ?”)
- Suggestions for clarifying language (“What about using the phrase ‘XYZ’ here?” or “It would be helpful to add something about XYZ. Maybe this wording or something similar: ‘Lorem ipsum dolar…’”)
- Pacing suggestions (“This is a key moment in your story, so it might be helpful to slow down a bit. What if you added XYZ?”)
- Potential reader feedback (“As a non-specialist reader, I am dying to know more about this! What do you mean by the term, XYZ?”)
- Acknowledgment of your strengths (“Wow. This chapter was powerful. I love how you XYZ” or “I laughed out loud! Excellent explanation!”)
Depending on where you live, we may be able to offer evening sessions. If evening sessions are a must, please let us know in your application so we can accommodate you from our first contact.
Both Amanda and Emily offer one-on-one coaching services. Once we receive your application, we’ll review it to make sure you’re matched with the best-fit coach for your project, personality, and needs.
If you already have a full draft of your manuscript, we suggest starting with a manuscript review. Once we review your work, we can give you more specific guidance on how to move forward to your goals.
We know nine months can seem like a long time, but time flies when you’re racing from idea to polished book! Most authors need:
- 2-4 weeks to complete and revise a solid outline
- 22-28 weeks to draft the manuscript
- 10-20 weeks to revise
- 2-4 weeks to plan and execute their publishing path (whether this is a book proposal or a self-publishing checklist)
As you can see, the various stages of your book can add up quickly! We offer this program as a nine-month offering because we know that’s how long you’ll need to complete the book at a very high level of quality. We promise that’s more important than finishing fast!
We do! If you’re working on a memoir, check out The Memoir Method. The program is included for all memoir-focused Editor in Your Pocket clients, but you can also enroll in the group program without adding the one-on-one component.
Maybe. If you struggle with writing shorter pieces (professional emails, newsletters, blog posts), you’ll probably struggle with your book, too. We can still help you get your ideas on paper, but you may be better served by hiring us to Write for You.
Besides your weekly 50-minute session, we recommend setting aside at least 3-5 hours per week for drafting. The nine-month timeline assumes that you will write approximately one chapter (or about 3,000 words) per week for the majority of the program.