Nonfiction and memoir writers often begin with powerful ideas or lived experience — but turning that insight into a clear, reader-centered book is a different kind of work.
Book coaching helps you hold onto the thread of your book — the reader it serves, the message it carries, and the structure — right through to publication.
Bring your idea, your draft, or your questions — we’ll figure out the next step together.
Many writers come to the page with years of experience, insight, or lived perspective they believe can help others.
They may have taught, led, supported communities, or spent years reflecting on the lessons life has given them.
What they don’t always know yet is how to shape that knowledge into a book that readers will trust and engage with.
That’s where book coaching becomes valuable.
Together we clarify the purpose of your book, identify the readers it serves, and build a structure
that allows your ideas and stories to unfold with clarity and momentum.
Writers I often work with are creating book such as:
The goal isn’t simply to finish a manuscript — it’s to create a book that genuinely serves its readers.
Most of the writers I coach have spent years — often decades — developing expertise in their field
or reflecting deeply on their life experience. Many feel a growing desire to turn what they’ve learned
into a book that can genuinely help others.
They may be professionals, community leaders, practitioners, or thoughtful observers of
the worlds they’ve lived and worked in. Many have carried the idea for their book for a
long time before deciding it’s time to shape it into something real.
Many arrive with notebooks full of ideas, years of stories, or early chapters that haven’t yet found their final shape.
Some are writing practical nonfiction drawn from their professional experience.
Others are shaping memoirs that carry insight or perspective gained over a lifetime.
What all of them share is a desire to create a book that is thoughtful, useful, and worthy of their readers’ time and trust.
They want to write a book that matters — one that reflects the depth of their experience and
offers something meaningful to the readers who will find it.
Before becoming a book coach, I spent more than two decades working closely with writers and supporting the development of meaningful work.
Over the years I’ve supported writers at many stages — from early ideas to finished pieces ready for publication.
For thirteen years, I served as the editor–publisher of Open Minds Quarterly, a literary magazine dedicated to writers exploring experiences of mental health and recovery. In that role, I worked closely with both emerging and experienced writers as they shaped deeply personal and socially meaningful stories for publication.
Those years taught me how powerful writing can be — not only for the writer, but for the readers whose understanding expands when they encounter honest, carefully crafted stories.
That editorial experience continues to shape my coaching today.
Note: As an Author Accelerator certified book coach, I am qualified to coach writers using Author Accelerator's strategy, methods, and materials, such as the Blueprint for a Book method, but I operate independently of Author Accelerator and am not affiliated with them. Our coaching community is strong, however, and if I am not the right fit for you, I am happy to connect you to another certified coach.
One question sits at the centre of my coaching work:
Who is this book for?
When writers understand their readers clearly, every decision about the book
becomes easier — structure, tone, examples, stories, and even what to leave out.
Together we explore how your ideas, experience, and insights can
be shaped in a way that invites readers in and keeps them engaged.
The goal is not simply to finish a manuscript.
It is to create a book that communicates clearly and earns the reader’s trust.
Writing a book is intellectually demanding and emotionally complex work.
Even experienced professionals often find themselves questioning the direction
of the manuscript or losing perspective on the project.
A book coach provides something many writers do not otherwise have: a knowledgeable partner in the process.
My role is to bring editorial insight, structure, and accountability to the work
while respecting the voice and experience that only you can bring to the page.
Together, we hold onto the thread of the book — so your ideas, stories, and message unfold in a way that truly serves your reader.
See what my clients are saying about their book coaching experiences.
Writers come to book coaching at many stages.
Some arrive with an idea that has been forming for years but hasn’t yet taken shape on the page. Others have already started drafting and find themselves uncertain about structure or direction. Still others have a draft in hand and need help revising or preparing the book for publication.
Wherever you are starting from, our work begins there.
Together we clarify the message of the book, strengthen its structure, and create a writing process that allows the manuscript to move forward with steady momentum.
Many writers feel a sense of relief simply having someone who can help them see the book clearly again.
Writers enter the coaching process at many different points in their book’s development. Depending on your stage of writing, our work may focus on:
Clarifying your book’s core idea, identifying the readers it serves, and building a strong structure before drafting begins.
Maintaining momentum through coaching sessions, deadlines, and editorial feedback on early writing to strengthen clarity, structure, and reader connection.
Evaluating the manuscript as a whole, strengthening its structure through revision, or developing a book proposal for agents and publishers.
Wherever you begin, the goal is the same: to create a book that is clear, purposeful, and meaningful for the readers it is meant to serve.
Many writers arrive with an idea, notes, or early chapters — but aren’t yet sure
what kind of support would help them move forward.
If your book idea feels important but still slightly out of focus, you do not have to figure it out alone. Begin with my Mini Blueprint Strategy Session, a focused session that helps you turn your idea into a clear one-page plan using the Blueprint for a Book method.
It’s a simple way to clarify your reader, your message, and your next step before committing to a longer coaching engagement.
For writers who want sustained support while planning, drafting, or revising their manuscript. Coaching provides ongoing editorial guidance, accountability, and partnership throughout the writing process. Various options are available, such as monthly coaching, intensive coaching programs, or manuscript evaluation.
Writing a book can feel solitary, especially when it unfolds slowly across full and demanding lives.
I host a small online community called Writing What’s Possible, where nonfiction and memoir writers gather to return to their manuscripts, join co-writing sessions, and talk about the craft of writing with care for readers.
It’s a welcoming place for steady progress and good company while working on a long project.
If you’re considering writing a nonfiction book or memoir and would like thoughtful guidance along the way, the best first step is a conversation.
You can tell me about your idea, what you’ve written so far, and where you feel uncertain. We’ll talk about what your project might need next and whether working together would be helpful.
Bring your idea, your draft, or your questions — we’ll figure out the next step together.
If another publishing professional would better serve your goals, I’ll point you in the right direction.
Either way, you’ll leave the conversation with a clearer sense of how to move forward.
Who is your ideal reader? We will spend much time on this question in our coaching sessions because it informs so many of your decisions as author. You can begin this work today by downloading my workbook, "7 Key Questions to Ask About Your Reader Before You Write." This fillable PDF is available to you for free when you subscribe to my newsletter, The Book Case. Sign up now, and get the link to the workbook in your welcome email.
Here are some of the most common questions I hear when I meet with prospective clients. If you can't find an answer to your questions, get in touch through the contact form below. Want to know more? Visit my Book Coaching Services page.
Our work begins with a discussion about your goals for your book project. I will evaluate the work you have done so far and develop a coaching plan. Each time we meet, I will review your progress with you, we will discuss which challenges you are facing, and I will offer suggestions and exercises to help you move forward. After we agree on your next step, I will give you a deadline to submit your new work to me. I will review it before our next meeting. You can also expect me to cheer you on and keep you on task during our coaching sessions! I aim to give reassurance while being firm on accountability.
No, although I do offer copy editing separately as a service, my book coaching packages do not include copy-editing services. What I do offer is high-level editorial guidance. If I notice you need writing assistance, I may point you to other resources. You may want to engage an editor in later stages of your book-work, and I can direct you to the most appropriate editor for your project or provide a quotation for copy editing or proofreading service.
No, I can’t. The trends and buying decisions of the publishing industry are changing all the time. But the work you do now will reveal where your readers are and what they need from a book like yours. You may see that your best publishing path is through traditional publishing, but alternatively, you might discover you can reach your readers best through other avenues like self-publishing or a hybrid publishing model. No matter which publishing path you choose, I can support you with a Book Proposal Coaching Package. We will work together on a proposal that you can use to approach literary agents or publishers or to develop a marketing and publicity plan for your self-published book.
I like people a lot, especially people who think about social issues and how each of us impacts the world. Do you have big ideas about how to change the status quo? Do you believe in hope and in people? Do you enjoy working in collaboration and problem-solving? Are you open to new ways of working? Are you comfortable with critique of your work? Are you willing to invest time in thought as well as in action? In details as well as big ideas? If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, we may be a good match. I work well with ‘everyday experts,’ people who gained their wisdom and insight by showing up, often for years, in support of their community.
My roster of recent clients includes people I admire very much. People who founded small community agencies, academics who applied themselves to bettering circumstances for vulnerable people, and artists who engage community to improve health outcomes. Often, my clients have a personal reason or experience behind their passion to change the status quo. Some are in roles of responsibility and leadership because they understand how the systems work and want to change from within rather than fighting against. Others are doing the front-line work on social issues. All of them hope that their daily efforts will make a big impact through incremental change. They know how to fix the problems they see.
When you fill out the contact form, tell me about yourself and about your project. What difference do you want to make? Let’s see if our work together will help both of us reach out goals for the future.
Of course you can! Many people tackle big projects on their own. Here are 10 reasons why a book coach might help you:
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