Ask a Book Coach: The Basics of Book Mentoring
As authors move closer to the finish lines of their novels, they look to several service providers, from editors and cover designers to social media managers and drop-shipping services, to help them bring their books to life and into readers’ hands. But some authors need support even before they’ve reached “The End.” Book coaches can provide individualized, specialized advice to authors who need it, on craft, revision, and publication, but they’re also there to cheer you on through the emotional roller coaster that publishing can be. In this guest series, book coach Rona Gofstein is here to answer your questions about coaching, craft, and more; all you have to do is ask.
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Many authors see writing a book as an often solitary pursuit, but the truth is authors don’t do it alone. We have editors, critique groups, beta readers, masterminds, and more to help us through the publishing process.
And some choose to work with book coaches, someone who is there with you for a portion—or the entirety—of the journey that is developing, writing, editing, and submitting your book.
I was doing work as a development editor when I found the Book Coaching Certification program from Author Accelerator. Over nine months, I earned my certification so that I could help writers with stronger structure and encouragement skills. I work with authors at all levels to develop their characters and their arcs while staying motivated through the writing process.
One question I get most often about book coaching is: With all the courses and conferences out there, why would a writer choose to work with a coach?
The simplest answer is because coaching works better for some writers in helping them reach their writing and publishing goals. There are people, so I hear, who can stick to a nutrition plan and go to the gym. Others of us need consultants and trainers to help with motivation, staying on track, and seeing our progress. When we want to get better at something, such as relationships, fitness, or personal development, and a class isn’t enough, a coach might offer the individualized support we need.
Not every writer can take what they learn in a course or workshop and put it into usable, sustainable action. Sometimes, a class turns out not to align with how an author wants and needs to write a book, or a conference overwhelms them with information, and they don’t know how to get started. A book coach comes in to provide personalized support.
You can look to a coach for help with brainstorming, drafting, revising, or submitting your manuscript to publishers or awards but also for accountability, encouragement, and clarity. Most often, the right coach provides a combination of guidance and structure—elements that can make the difference between a manuscript that remains unfinished and one that reaches publication. There are also coaches who specialize in working with authors of a particular genre; a particular personal situation, such as neurodivergent writers, moms with young children, or people who struggle with perfectionism; or a particular need within the publishing industry, such as those who are getting started, revising, or working without an outline and struggling to move their book forward. A coach meets a writer where they are with the goal of offering what they need most.
A coach can offer many services at different stages of the production process. Some writers choose to work with a coach early in the story development stage to clarify character arcs, conflicts, and major plot points. Some authors find they want a manuscript evaluation after finishing the first draft to give them feedback on where the book is working. Others work with a coach more directly through the revision process, taking a deep dive into each chapter to expand the story. It all depends on when you want more support. Like when you hire an editor, the cost of these services varies from coach to coach and whether you hire them on an ongoing basis, but the services generally align in price.
Coaching provides a special opportunity to work with a writer as they learn to trust their creative instincts, tell the story they want to tell while overcoming challenges that come up—expected and unexpected—and support them to finish their books while making choices that work best for them. We are there for the good days and the bad ones; the breakthroughs and the breakdowns; the beginning, messy middle, dark moment, and the end—which is, hopefully, the beginning of the next book.
And I hope to offer you a piece of that. Send your questions to feedback@indieauthormagazine.com with the subject Asking A Book Coach, and let’s see if I can help.
Rona Gofstein
Rona Gofstein is a published romance author, developmental editor, and an Author Accelerator certified fiction book coach who loves working with writers who need support to make their book writing dreams a reality. She describes her style as intensive feedback combined with compassionate enthusiasm because she knows that on this journey, writers need clarity, support and encouragement. She has spoken on writing craft and business across the country and is the past president of the New Hampshire RWA chapter and Broad Universe. A Jersey girl at heart, she lives in Massachusetts and is always up for getting coffee, finding a great new pair of shoes, or deciding where to go out for dinner.
