Coaching Services

A book coach offers editorial feedback, project management help and emotional support. As your coach, I’m committed to helping you tell the best story you can, working with you week after week to get it where it needs to go . . . and helping you to level up your writing along the way. My coaching style helps writers become better sleuths of their own stories, identifying their own writing patterns and tendencies, and using tools of the writing craft (and mystery writing craft) strategically. My ultimate goal is to train writers to coach themselves through their subsequent drafts and books.

Coaching is a good option for you if you:

• are at the start of a draft or revision
• need a partner to keep you accountable and moving toward a deadline
• like having a sounding board for ideas and brainstorming help
• like to revise as you go or get feedback as you write
• struggle with perfectionist tendencies or overthinking
• want help researching comp titles or thinking of how to position your book
• want to improve your writing skills and process in general

I offer three coaching programs:

Planning Package: $1,200
(or payment plan of $600 / month for two months)

Plan a draft — or a revision — and get ready to write forward with confidence.

Using Jennie Nash’s Blueprint for a Book system combined with my own mystery writers’ pre-writing exercises, I will help you to think through foundational decisions about your book’s audience, structure, characters, plot, and mystery ingredients.

This program typically takes 6 weeks with weekly deadlines, but may be customized to accommodate different time frames. Most people complete this package in about 2-3 months. 

Includes thorough written feedback on workbook exercises (including an outline), and three 45-minute coaching calls along the way.

Includes a digital copy of Jennie Nash’s Blueprint for a Book and accompanying workbook.

EXTRAS:

Course access: Add Jennie Nash’s self-paced Blueprint for a Book course on Teachable, or – if you are preparing to revise a complete draft – add on the self-paced How to Revise a Novel course. These courses, offered by Author Accelerator, give you more in-depth explanations and examples of some tools we’ll be using. You have lifetime access to the course you select and can use it for future projects. Click on either of the courses mentioned above to learn more about them and preview the curriculum. 

Additional cost: $169 per course ($30 savings with coaching discount; each course is normally $199) 

Three-chapter audit and outline starter (for people revising): I will review up to three chapters or 50 pages of your manuscript, providing inline comments and an editorial letter, at the start of your planning program. I will also start you off with two types of outlines (my “Question Outline” and Jennie Nash’s “Inside Outline”), based on those chapters. You’ll be able to see the outlines in action and continue one or both of them on your own. 

Additional cost: $299

Intensive Book Coaching: $4,200
(or payment plan of $1,400 / month for 3 months)

Requires a 3-month minimum commitment. Ideally this program is completed in 6 months. Deadlines expire one year from purchase date.

It includes 12 deadlines of up to 30 double-spaced pages for each deadline. Submissions can be all new material, revised material, or a mixture of revised and new material adding up to 30 pages.

Deadlines are typically scheduled biweekly, which would get you through the program in six months, but you can work faster and schedule weekly.

Feedback includes in-line comments and suggested edits, as well as global comments in an editorial letter for each deadline submission.

The program offers email correspondence between deadlines to answer clarifying questions, weekly email check-ins for accountability, and assistance with researching comp titles and mentor texts.

Also included: a one-hour project planning call and six 45-minute Zoom calls to discuss the feedback or to brainstorm together. (Additional calls can be scheduled; rate is $100 / hour).

This program can be used for drafting or revising. I recommend the 6-week planning program first, but if you have a project underway and feel reasonably sure of the direction, you are welcome to start here.

Discount available: $100 off the 12-deadline coaching package price for clients who have completed the six-week planning package.

Classic Book Coaching – $2,100
(or payment plan of $700 / month for 3 months)

3-month minimum commitment required.

It includes 12 deadlines of up to 20 double-spaced pages for each deadline. Submissions can be all new material, revised material, or a mixture of revised and new material adding up to 20 pages.

Deadlines are typically scheduled biweekly, which would get you through the program in six months. You may schedule weekly and work faster.

Feedback includes in-line comments and global comments in an editorial letter for each deadline submission.

The program offers limited email correspondence between deadlines to clarify written feedback.

Also included: a one-hour project planning call and three 45-minute Zoom calls. (Additional calls can be scheduled; rate is $100 / hour). 

This program can be used for drafting or revising. I recommend the 6-deadline planning program first, but if you have a project underway and feel reasonably sure of the direction, you are welcome to start here.

Discount available: $100 off the 12-deadline coaching package price for clients who have completed the six-week planning package.

Interested in working with me?

The Intake Process:

Please fill out my intake form and tell me about you project, goals, writing background, and any deadlines you may have. (If you are a referral from Author Accelerator and have already filled out their Q&A form, you may skip this step).

Once I receive your inquiry, you can expect to hear back from me within 7-10 business days.

If I think we might be a good fit, I’ll send you a Calendly scheduling link so we can set up a complimentary call and discuss your project and my coaching / editing options in more detail. This call typically takes place over Zoom. I like to meet people face to face on Zoom, but it can be audio only if you prefer. Sometimes these calls only take 15-20 minutes, but please budget time for 30 minutes. I like to spend this time upfront to make sure I understand your project goals, to answer questions you have about my programs, and to make sure we both feel that it is a good fit. 

If we decide we both want to move forward and work together, I’ll then send you my Terms of Agreement, payment links, a Welcome Packet, and we’ll be on our way!

If you are booking a program or service that will begin more than four weeks after our phone call, and wish to reserve a specific start time, I require a nonrefundable $200 deposit to hold the space in my schedule.  

I send a newsletter about once a month with writing / idea organization advice, reading recommendations, updates on my own books, special offers, and writing prompts to use for yourself or in classrooms. If it’s not your thing, you can unsubscribe any time!