Have you wondered whether it’s time to hire a book coach or editor? Wondered whether it’s a good time to invest or whether you are not far enough along yet?
As you work on your book, do thoughts like any of these come up:
- “I feel like I’m writing in circles, writing and rewriting the same chapters over and over.”
- “I’m not sure I’m on the right track and it’s making it hard to move forward.”
- “I’m wondering whether I’m writing the right book, or if this is turning into more than one book.”
Any of these (and many other wonderings or challenges) could indicate the need to work with a guide, such as a book coach or editor, to help you make further progress and/or get unstuck.
What can a book coach or editor do for you?
What can a book coach or editor do for you? And what’s the distinction between the two?
There’s a continuum in these professional titles. Some editors do a fair amount of coaching. Others avoid phone and Zoom entirely and only send written material, either via some “Track changes” or handwritten and scanned edits to your document. And editors fall in between.
Let’s begin with book coaching, since you may want to hire a coach near a project’s beginning, middle or even near the end.
What Does a Book Coach Do for an Author? What Services Does a Book Coach Provide?
A book coach can help you:
Learn the phases of writing and editing a book.- Gain clarity on your book concept (vision, audience, content, features, voice, style, structure, etc.) so you can write the book that best meets your vision and goals.
- Plan out your book before you begin writing.
- Decide on what goes in the book and what doesn’t, perhaps what you’ll save for the next book.
- Support you in finding time for writing your book and being accountable and committed.
- Support you in gaining confidence, getting unstuck, firing the inner critic, and other related challenges that can get in the way.
- Write a book that accomplishes your goals and add creative aspects to make the book as powerful, impactful and accessible for readers as possible.
- Navigate any new challenges that come up in the process.
- Choose the optimal publishing path, given your genre, goals, platform, etc.
- Get referrals for good-fit publishing professionals and book marketing professionals, as well as other resources.
- Strategize on how to market your book.
- They may also provide editing services, such as some or all of what is listed in the next section of this post.
Learn the phases of writing and editing a book.What Do Book Editors Do?
In general, book editors provide written feedback on various stages of writing/revision, which can come in the form of:
- Manuscript review (big picture feedback including structure, content, style, voice and more).
- Developmental editing (structure, what to include or take out, what needs expanding (development), ideas to make the book as accessible and compelling for your audience as possible). Developmental editing can also include a manuscript review but go beyond it.
- Line editing generally comes later in the game when you’ve got the structure and content down, and it’s time to wordsmith, make things clearer and more powerful, fine-tune, etc.
- Copyediting sometimes refers to line editing but is sometimes less extensive and more focused on proofreading for grammar, punctuation, and style.
- Proofreading focuses on grammar, punctuation, and style; generally, not much is done in the way of wordsmithing or development. You save proofreading for the final step. Often, copyediting includes proofreading. Most publishers ask for authors to refer to the Chicago Manual of Style for trade books.
When to Hire an Editor
Your Book Writing Coach and EditorYou can often save money by editing your work before sending it to an editor. Here are some tips on editing a book and revising your manuscript. However, if you feel stuck or unsure about what content to include, what areas of the manuscript need development, how to organize the material, or what to include in the book, you may save a great deal of time and effort by hiring a developmental editor before you work on revisions (or hire a book coach to get off to the best start).
Once you’ve written a first draft or reached the above crossroads, it’s time to hire a developmental editor who will help with all of the aforementioned tasks.
Once you’ve done the work of developmental editing, it’s time to revise your document line by line and wordsmith for:
- Clarity
- Tightness (get rid of those extraneous words!)
- Accuracy
- Finding the perfect word(s)
- Tone and voice
- Style
In your final copyediting phase, you may also include proofreading for grammar, punctuation and style or do that in a separate final proofreading step.
You can read more about types of editing here.
A Special Valentine’s Offer for Book Coaching
I did such a good job setting boundaries and getting work off my plate that I now have space for a couple of new clients!
To celebrate and fill those spots, I’m offering 30% off a 3-month package called “Bronze Level Book Coaching” (limited to two clients). That means you’ll get 3 months of book coach, each month including a one-hour consultation, feedback on up to 10 pages per month and weekly email support for $665 per month instead of $950 per month!
BONUS: In addition to coaching and editing, your monthly coaching package comes with a bonus of joining me for up to 16 hours of “Get Your Writing Done” live group writing/coaching calls on zoom per month)
Get Your 3-Month Book Coaching Package for 30% off.
To explore the silver and gold programs, email me to check for availability, parameters and pricing.
Special pricing will end on February 19 or after two people have signed up.
Geri and I cooked up this special offer when one of my clients completed her book proposal and two others were finishing up books. Just two days after we cooked up our plan, a new client signed up. As a result, I’m only able to offer this special offer to two clients for March/April/May. Once those two slots are filled, the price will return to full price. However, if you know you are ready to sign up, but wish to defer coaching to June/July/August or July/August/September, just email me and we can discuss a payment schedule to sign up now, pay over the next 3 months, and receive the coaching this summer, while still receiving the 30% discount! Update: 1 slot filled; one left. [once that is taken, I can create a waitlist for June/July/August, for those who want to pay ahead to get the discount]
Nautilus Book Award, Mom’s Choice Award
“Awestruck by the Publisher’s Offer”
“Lisa Tener is an amazing coach and so much more. One day I was googling online for ideas on how to write a nonfiction book, when I stumbled upon her web page. I continued my internet search, digging deeper, but kept circling back to her website. Something inside nudged me to reach out and give her a call. I was nervous because I only had a vague idea for a book. Nothing solid.
“That first phone call to Lisa, I probably sounded like a nervous chipmunk struggling to get my idea out. Lisa immediately jumped in, put me at ease, and thoughtfully guided me. I knew I’d found my critical support.
“Lisa has been with me every step, from providing spot-on writing advice and driving strategic connections to cheering me on when I feel overwhelmed and thinking things won’t work out. Her Bring Your Book to Life® Program provided valuable content and amazing connections.
“Through Lisa’s course and coaching, she helped me develop a vague idea into a solid book proposal, complete with a book outline, sample chapters, and an outstanding platform. With all the pieces in place, Lisa connected me with a wonderful and savvy New York literary agent. Just this week, my agent called and asked if I was sitting down. Then she gave me the news.
“She’d received the first offer from a top publishing House with an excellent advance. I was, and continue to be, awestruck by the offer. That same week, I heard from a second top publishing house expressing sincere interest. Now, I’ve signed a contract with my dream publisher.
“It has been an amazing journey. None of this would have been possible if I hadn’t met Lisa. She has truly been an inspiration, and thank goodness I made that initial call.
— Rhonda Spencer-Hwang, PhD, Author of Raising Resilient Kids
2019 Nautilus Award – Silver, Personal Growth
“A Valuable Partnership”
— Jill Sylvester, Author of Trust Your Intuition
Mind, Body Spirit Awards Finalist, National Indie Excellence Awards Winner, Reader’s Favorite Bronze Winner
5 book awards from 3 different organizations
“When I sought advice from authors about writing my book, Hidden Treasure: How to Break Free of Five Patterns that Hide Your True Self, they uniformly suggested I employ a good writing coach. Most suggested local people, but my friend Micaela Karlsen told me how much she loved Lisa Tener, who had coached her in writing her book, A Plant-Based Life.
“Lisa helped change my academic writing style to a more personal and engaging one. I was amazed at how Lisa created such engaging and creative chapter titles and subtitles for Hidden Treasure. She told me when a concept wasn’t clear, I could explain it better. Book reviewers uniformly comment on how clear and accessible my writing is; a large credit goes to Lisa.
“Lisa helped me with so many aspects of my book’s process. She’s a gift that keeps on giving! Lisa took me through the whole writing and editing process, helped me choose a publisher, reviewed my contract with a publicist, offered insightful comments on my website, and arranged interviews with people she knew. I have felt her support through each step.
“I’m convinced that Lisa’s coaching has been a major factor in Hidden Treasure’s success. It is being used in several prominent training programs/institutions, including the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, and it has won 5 book awards from 3 different organizations.
“When I decided to write my second book, I immediately asked Lisa to help me with editing and feedback. She’s excellent at seeing the overall picture and making suggestions accordingly. She rightly challenged my title and brilliantly proposed I add shaded boxes with stories, tales, and poems from the spiritual traditions to break up and add lightness and insight to the text. I also followed her guidelines for creating a successful book proposal, which landed me a book contract with Wisdom Editions, an imprint of Calumet Editions.
“I recommend Lisa wholeheartedly.”
— Alice McDowell, Author of “Hidden Treasure: How to Break Free of Five Patterns that Hide Your True Self” and “Dance of Light: Christian, Sufi, and Zen Wisdom for Today’s Spiritual Seeker”
Special pricing will end on February 19 or after two people have signed up.
