Ongoing Book Coaching
You’ve always dreamed of writing a novel, but you have so many unfinished drafts in the drawer that you’re not sure you can actually do it.
You’ve said to yourself:
“It shouldn’t be this hard…”
“Maybe I’m just not disciplined or determined enough…”
“I must not be cut out to write a novel.”
And yet, you can’t let your dream go because sharing your story is such a deep-seated desire.
I’m here to tell you that you ABSOLUTELY can finish that novel, and I can help you do it.
One-on-one book coaching provides:
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Guidance to shift your writing mindset and habits
If you find yourself in constant doubt or you continually procrastinate and give up, perfectionism is keeping you from writing your novel. I’ll help you change your thoughts around writing so you can overcome perfectionism, and I’ll help you develop lasting and effective writing habits that will see you through to the end of your novel.
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A roadmap to complete your novel and weekly deadlines
It’s hard to stay on track with a project that has no clear end date or external deadlines. That’s why I help you determine how to structure your project, and I hold you accountable to those deadlines.
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Feedback and encouragement to improve
One of the hardest things about writing a novel is wondering if you’re doing it right. But when you get feedback as you go, you get the confidence boost from knowing what’s working and the even more valuable insight about how you can improve. This helps you develop your skills more quickly.
How ongoing book coaching works
Once you’ve completed your Blueprint for a book, you’re ready for one-on-one coaching while you draft your story.
We’ll start with an hour-long call to discuss your goals and writing challenges. We’ll also create a project roadmap for your first draft and discuss how you can build the writing habits you’ll need to get you there. Then—let the drafting begin!
Each week, you’ll turn in a specified number of pages and receive in-line as well as editorial feedback. This means I’ll help you see the strengths in your writing and your story, but also guide you on how you can improve.
You also get a weekly 30-minute call to discuss your questions, your ideas, and your challenges. Having a consistent sounding board is the best way to efficiently develop a compelling story, and it also keeps you going when your project gets hard.
In addition to feedback and calls, I will provide you with extra exercises and resources to help you tackle perfectionism and become a better writer!
Who is book coaching for?
I’m the coach for you if you’re passionate about writing a novel, but you’re also frustrated that you haven’t been able to complete one.
I can help you if you’re open to trying a new approach, and you’re not afraid to do some mindset work to overcome the mental blocks that have kept you stuck.
Even if you’ve struggled with receiving feedback in the past, coaching can be right for you. I’ll show you why feedback has felt so confronting and help you develop a better relationship to constructive criticism so you can learn and grow as a writer.
And if you write women’s fiction, YA, or romance/rom coms, you know you’re in the right place!
FAQs
How are you so sure you can help me?
Because I struggled with the same challenges you have. At one point in my writing journey, I felt so discouraged by my inability to complete a novel that I thought about giving up. Then I discovered two things: book coaching and the truth about perfectionism. I started training to become a book coach because I thought it would just help me; it turns out that I also love helping other writers! I began to use everything I learned about storytelling and writing from Author Accelerator with my clients and with my own writing. My clients were improving week-to-week, but I still felt blocked around my own writing. That’s when I hired my own book coach and started to learn about perfectionism. Working with a book coach has helped me stay on track and improve more quickly—especially when I paired it with the new habits and mindset I developed to overcome perfectionism.
I also have five years of experience helping writers improve their craft, and certification from Author Accelerator for fiction book coaching.
How long will it take to finish my draft?
This depends on a lot of factors like how much time you have to write every week and how much planning you’ve done before you start your draft. But if you’re asking because you want to have a completed novel in less than a year, I’d encourage you to rethink your expectations. Writing your first novel takes time—often longer than you think—because you have a lot to learn and you need to give yourself the grace to practice and develop your skills. You don’t expect to play like Serena Williams the first time you pick up a tennis racquet, so you also should plan to write like a best-selling author when you first start to work on your novel. Even if you’ve had success writing articles, short stories, or non-fiction books, you will have to contend with a skills gap when you first start to seriously work on your fiction. But this is why working with a book coach is so helpful! Getting feedback and direction from the start can speed up your learning and development process while you produce pages you can actually use.
Will working with you guarantee that I can get traditionally published?
No one can guarantee that working with them will get you traditionally published, and if coach, consultant, or editor says they can, run! I won’t lie to you—traditional publishing is a tough industry. It’s highly competitive, and it’s as much about business as it is about the craft. That means that a book could be beautifully written and compelling, but if there isn’t a place for it in the market, agents and editors likely won’t pick it up.
Here’s what I can promise: Drawing on my training and education, as well as my knowledge of the industry, I’ll show you how to write the best story that you can that also takes into account what traditional publishers expect. And I’ll help you improve as a writer. These are the two most important things you can do to maximize your chances.
I don’t think I’m a perfectionist—can coaching still help me?
Absolutely! Coaching can help any writer who’s struggled to find a process that works for them. And while you might not identify as a perfectionist, you’ve likely experienced self-doubt, struggled with procrastination and motivation, or even self-sabotaged at some point. These are all things I can help you overcome!
What People Are Saying
“Heather is a marvelous partner in the difficult process of writing a book. I feel very fortunate to have such an insightful coach in my corner. I have worked out many thorny plot problems with her help, and have benefited from her kind and clear-eyed assessment of my work-in-progress. Always encouraging, she has provided invaluable support for the emotional ups and downs of writing a book, helping me strategize on not just the mechanics of the writing but the process as well. I highly recommend Heather's services to anyone who is serious about getting a book out into the world.”
— Shawndra Miller
“Heather showed me the value of having a book coach; I highly recommend working with her. She helped me think through the prep work that would make my writing process smoother. I’m sure without her I would have scrapped my first few versions when I realized, too late, that I’d forgotten to think about critical aspects of character or storyline. She helped me focus on what was most important and make steady progress with check-ins and encouragement. Her feedback on my writing was helpful, both encouraging and constructive.”
— Shira Lee
$600
per month
Three-month minimum
I’m ready to get started—what’s next?
Yay! I can’t wait to help you dig into your story. Submit your request for coaching below, and I’ll send you a questionnaire to help me learn about your project. I’ll also send you a link to book a free intro call!