When It’s Time to Hire a Book Coach
Let’s be honest: after the shine of a new story idea wears off, it can be tough to finish your novel. Maybe you don’t know what the point is anymore, and you can’t seem to finish writing it. This is when it’s time to hire a book coach; these are professionals who will help you restore the momentum that you need to finish writing your novel.
Hiring a book coach doesn’t have to be scary. In fact, it will open your eyes to a varying perspective on your writing. If you end up enjoying the service (which we hope you do), then your book coach will be there for as long as you need them.
The beauty of having a book coach is that they will help you write your novel, share insights about storytelling that you may have overlooked, and help you draft other projects. You don’t have to hire them for one specific story, like you do a book editor. These services are two completely different jobs.
A book coach sticks around as long as you need them to, which will help you build positive writing habits. The skills you forge with a coach will last you decades of work and thousands of dollars, and we’re going to share with you all the benefits you get with a story coach.
Within this article, we are going over what book coaches do, the pros and cons of hiring one, if the service is worth the money, and how to hire a book coach. There’s a lot to unload, so grab a cup of coffee, a notebook, and let’s dive in!
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What does a book coach do?
Book coaches help you hone the development of your book. They advise upon your story’s structure, the character arcs, plot, and help you build a writing habit.
Pros and Cons of hiring a book coach
Pros
Story Techniques
Accountability
Collaboration
Story Techniques: When you hire a book coach, you learn how to write stories through the professional you work with. Every business serves their clients differently, so when hiring a book coach, ensure you believe in their mission about storytelling. These professionals will share their techniques with you while working on your story, so you’ll naturally learn how to write a book.
Accountability: A book coach keeps you accountable. Let’s face it—writing is a lonely endeavor, and you’re the only one in charge of the days you write. When you hire a book coach, you’re scheduling time dedicated to your craft. No excuses. Your book coach is your biggest fan; after you— they believe in your story the most. They are excited for the day you hit publish!
Collaboration: Coaching is a collaborative endeavor, one that will only strengthen your novel. When you’re sitting alone in your office, the story lives vividly in your mind, and you do your best to translate that onto paper. However, you may not notice when something within your story isn’t working until you hire an editor and they point it out to you. Then, you’re stuck with heavy revisions, and potentially hiring another editor after the rewrites because you're not so confident in the novel anymore. With a book coach, you get 1:1 input on your story ideas and how to make it truly become the book you were meant to tell before you send it to an editor. Your coach shows up at the writing table every session, ready to create a memorable book with you.
Cons
1. Hiring a book coach isn’t within your budget.
2. You don’t connect with your book coach.
Hiring a book coach isn’t within your budget: Not everyone can afford the service, especially if the author plans on hiring multiple editors and has a tight budget for indie publishing.
However, if you’re someone who truly struggles with story structure. We highly recommend hiring a book coach. A few sessions can truly give you fresh eyes on your project. There’s nothing more deflating than writing an entire novel with 80,000 words that you have to completely rewrite in draft two—or worse—draft three.
There are a ton of free story resources out there, including our novel planning workbook. However, hiring a book coach works out your specific story issues, not just a vague or general idea on how to solve it.
You don’t connect with your book coach: It’s imperative that you schedule a free consultation with your book coach before purchasing their service. Take the opportunity to meet them—you must ensure you connect with them about storytelling, otherwise it will be an arduous journey for both parties. Don’t waste your money if you disagree with a book coach’s philosophy on storytelling before you even start working together. If they don’t offer consultations before you purchase their services, ensure you scout their website and mission statement.
Is a book coach worth it?
Book coaching services are definitely worth the money, especially if you are lost within your story, and don’t see the way through. There could be a number of reasons you want to hire a book coach, and if you admit to any of these reasons below, you should consider hiring a book coach.
Reason #1: You’ve never written a book and don’t understand how to structure a novel.
Your book coach will guide you with their storytelling techniques, to help you write a book that shines.
Reason #2: You’re stuck in the middle of your manuscript and don’t know how to write the rest of it.
Your book coach will help you uncover where your story needs to go next.
Reason #3: You are a perfectionist that never finishes.
You know who you are. This writer never finishes a novel because they are always thinking about how they can make a scene better or are constantly reworking the piece. At that point, writing becomes cyclical chaos.
Your book coach is there to affirm when it’s time to send your story to an editor, so you can get started on the publishing process.
Reason #4: You can’t seem to build a writing habit.
When you have a coach, you are proving to yourself that your writing matters. You are literally scheduling time to write. A consistent schedule with a professional will help you build writing habits that get the book finished. No excuses.
Reason #5: You’re writing outside of a familiar genre and aren’t confident in your capabilities.
When scouting book coaches, make sure you’re hiring one within the genre of the story you’re telling. For instance, we specialize in fiction, so we wouldn’t take on a non-fiction author at this time.
Hiring a book coach: What to look for in a creative collaboration
Hiring a book coach doesn’t have to be scary. The best thing you can do is to ensure you and that coach share the same values about storytelling. What most people don’t realize when working with a coaching service is that it’s a collaboration.
You don’t have to agree with your coach on everything. In fact, you should question their tactics and reasonings becuase that’s how you learn. But, at the root, it’s essential for your novel’s success and your working relationship, that you share similar values regarding what you believe is most important about storytelling.
For example, at Humming Hearts Publishing, this is our mission statement: Our mission is to uphold the essence of timeless storytelling. We at Humming Hearts Publishing have been touched by countless stories through the years; like you, we’re pushed and pulled by the winds of contemporary trends that threaten the nature of narrative. So, we stand firm, dedicated to keeping the heartbeat of timeless storytelling alive.
On our website, we state that we seek the heartbeat in every novel, not the next sensationalized story because we help writers craft books that uphold universal themes through character growth.
So, if you’re an author looking to publish a book that desires shock value for marketing (i.e. smut, glamorizing toxic romantic relationships, propaganda pieces, etc.), whether that’s within the plot or through a character. Then, we are not the right fit for your story.
Going into a creative relationship without knowing your book coach’s mission will cause tension within the creative collaboration. Honestly, it’s essential to schedule a consultation with your book coach before you hire them. By doing so, you’re ensuring that both parties have a similar belief about the nature of storytelling.
Research who you hire. Make sure when you’re scouting professionals, view what other projects they’ve worked on. Do they have a website? Do they have testimonials?
Do you need a book coach?
Consider hiring a book coach if you answered yes to any of the four aforementioned reasons. Still unsure if a book coach is the right option for you? Get on our calendar today and schedule your consultation with us. It’s free for 30 minutes! We’re happy to help lead you in the right direction.
Happy writing!
