We Ask a Book Coach: Part 3

In part one, Holly opened this series by exploring how book coaching differs from editing (from the perspective of an editor curious about expanding their offerings). In part two, I introduced the conversation from a writer’s standpoint. 

In this final part of the book coaching series, we have asked the book coaches to offer their candid advice for emerging coaches.

Anne Bokma (she/her) is a Hamilton-based journalist, author and memoir coach. 

Tanya Gold (they/them) is a fiction editor, translator, educator and coach for writers and editors.

Dinah Laprairie (she/her) is an Author Accelerator-certified book coach, writer and editor. 

Suzy Vadori (she/her) teaches writers with big dreams the actions they can take to get their books written. 

Anne Bokma on selecting your niche and refining your mindset 

AB: Consider specializing in a specific genre, such as fiction, non-fiction, memoir or self-help. Defining a niche (mine is memoir) will help you stand out in a crowded market and make your services more appealing to a targeted audience.

Writers often share personal stories or vulnerable ideas when working on their books. Make sure your coaching sessions provide a safe space for establishing trust. Effective coaching requires active listening, empathy and the ability to provide constructive feedback. You’ll need to communicate well to encourage, inspire and guide authors through their struggles, while also giving them honest critiques of their work.

Writing a book can be an overwhelming task, and many authors face self-doubt and writer’s block. As a book coach, part of your role will be to motivate your clients when they feel discouraged.

Finally, know how to give criticism that is helpful and honest and kind. Some people are understandably very sensitive about their work — this is their life story and you need to treat it with tenderness while, at the same time, giving constructive feedback that will improve their work.

Dinah Laprairie on balancing coaching and editing

DL: If you like people, you have strong interpersonal skills and you are willing to guide clients not only in the book preparation process but also in their emotional journey through it, you may like coaching. You must be patient with the iterative process of writing, too, and accept the messy bits of it — your clients’ doubts and all the forward and backward steps. But then you get to celebrate the aha moments that propel them forward with clarity.

Consider your strengths and expertise. What problems are writers bringing to you now as the editor? Do you want to come into the book process earlier, as I did, or do you want to coach writers through the steps between editing and publication?

Finally, consider how coaching can be integrated with your editing services. Personally, I separate editing and coaching. I don’t feel I can edit effectively if I have worked with a client on book planning because I’m much too close to the manuscript to see the writing with new eyes. I give some editorial feedback during coaching but refer out when the client needs editing. 

Tanya Gold on customizing your coaching approach to suit your life

TG: There are many people who will tell you that book coaching is one set thing, delivered in one specific way. It doesn’t have to be. You can make coaching — and all your services, for that matter — work for your life, your brain and the way you want to run your business. (And if you want help figuring out what coaching could look like for you, I offer Coaching Writers, a short self-paced workshop designed to do just that.) 

Shape your coaching services into something you enjoy, something where you get just as much out of it as your clients do. 

Suzy Vadori on building consistency and process

SV: I’d say to be both realistic and clear about what you can offer writers, and then show up for them consistently. Writers rely on their coach to guide them to the end of their draft with a firm hand, and many coaching relationships span several years. I have writers come back to work with me on books two, three and beyond because they know my process works. As a coach, you’ll need to have a clear process for writers. It helps to have a store of ideas and exercises up your sleeve to get writers unstuck along the way. 

For me, getting certified was well worth the cost and effort. Some of the best practices from my training were game changers in terms of my ability to create a sustainable business, including my client intake process, setting up my work week to have all client pages coming in on the same day, blocking editing time and grouping review meetings. 

I consider myself fortunate to have built a fulfilling business, employing three part-time staff and serving thousands of writers each year through my online courses and one-on-one editing and coaching, all while doing something I love. 

Wrapping up

That’s it for our book coaching interview series. We extend our gratitude to Anne, Tanya, Dinah and Suzy for offering their time and generous insights. We hope this series has been useful and inspiring. Be sure to check out their services!

About the co-author

Holly Vestad is a freelance editor specializing in memoir and non-fiction based on the unceded lands of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation. She has an MA in English literature and has held many writing workshops in the university setting. She is also a writing tutor at the McGill Writing Centre and the chair of Editors Canada’s career builder committee.

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Previous post from Yuxuan Francis Liu and Holly Vestad: We Ask a Book Coach: Part 2

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