Nonfiction Book Coaching

What is the power of your book?

A book well written has the power to transform a person’s life. A book well written has the power to transform the world by informing and educating and inspiring people to change their behaviour. Not all books inspire transformation on a mass scale, but every book has the power to inspire positive transformation in one person, in one business, in one corner of the planet, and that is an incalculable gift.

By providing value to others, your book also provides value to you.

If you are a thought leader, your book offers a powerful message that you can use to increase your influence and your income.

If you are a professional or a scientist outside academia, your book provides knowledge filtered through your unique experiences and perspective that you can use to rise in your profession and increase your income.

If you are an academic, your book translates the important findings of your research into a form that many people can understand and use for the benefit of themselves and others — and that you can use to advance your career.

Not sure that you want to actually write the book yourself?
My ghostwriting service might be right for you.

Why work with a book coach?

Writing a book is a different endeavour from writing an article or a research paper. Organising a great amount of material, deciding what to include and what to leave out, understanding how to speak to your reader in a way that will reach them, managing the whole project, staying motivated when Mont Blanc seems to grow to the size of Mount Everest — if this is not your first book, you understand these challenges.

A coach can guide and support you through the mental, logistical and emotional work of writing a book.

When, at the age of 49, I first started training for mountain running, I educated myself about the physiology of training for endurance sports, joined a group training programme for a year to learn from those coaches, and then felt confident in managing my own training.

Intellectually, I thought I understood what to do. But I did not do a good job at adjusting the training according to my body’s response, and over and over again I allowed my emotions to carry me high and far in the mountains when what my body needed was time to recover. I got frustrated and I got injured.

I hired a coach. Initially I felt a loss of power. But then, as I placed my full trust in her, I felt a big load lift off me. I didn’t have to worry if I would attain my goals, and I wasn’t alone with my injuries. My coach keeps me on track with firmness, understanding, encouragement and compassion.

That’s what I want to provide for you. I want to give you the strength of my guidance, along with the depth of my compassion and understanding.

Just as a mountain is climbed one step at a time, a book is written one word at a time, to express one idea at a time.

As a book coach, I guide you in preparing for the journey and mapping out how to get to the summit. Then we start walking, putting one foot in front of the other, again and again, adjusting the route as necessary.

Like a mountain guide, I’ll provide you with the tools, guidance and support to travel along the path to completing your book.

I will guide you in

  • developing and executing a plan to reach your book writing goals
  • homing in on your reader and your purpose
  • discovering and developing your authority as a writer (your ‘voice’)
  • organising and structuring your material
  • project management
  • staying accountable and on track

A note about publishing in English for academics

These days, a professor or assistant professor who wants to have a successful and influential career in academia must publish in English. As the saying goes: “Publish or perish.” If English is not your first language, this puts you at a disadvantage.

I have over fifteen years of experience in working with scholars from Asia, Europe and other parts of the world. Since 2008 I have served as copy editor for social science journals published out of Korea. In addition, many years of living in many countries have given me familiarity with many languages and cultures.

I understand the extra challenge you face to write in English, and I can guide you.

I can be your guide at any stage of the writing process:
– initial research
– defining the structure
– creating an outline
– developing a logical flow
– organising your material and arguments
– managing the project

When you’re bogged down in the process, I will help you see the way ahead.

IRPA has been very thankful for your prompt and thorough work.

M Jae Moon
(former) Editor in Chief, International Review of Public Administration

**NEW**
Accountability Coaching

Feel confident in your writing but want someone to hold your feet to the fire? Then sign up for accountability coaching. We’ll set a check-in schedule that meets your needs and procrastination tendencies. Can also include consulting.

Custom pricing

Nonfiction Book Coaching

Get Started

Single Consultation

Do you have multiple book ideas and don’t know which would get you the results you want? Do you want to reach a broader audience with your research to make an impact but aren’t sure how to go about it? Or perhaps you’ve started writing but want feedback to know if you’re going in the right direction.

Sign up for a one-hour coaching call via Zoom. I’ll answer your questions and provide you with professional guidance on your options and how to proceed.

I will also review up to 5 double-spaced pages* of your writing. (*Times New Roman 12 point, 1”/2.5 cm margins)

If you sign up for a coaching package or for my ghostwriting service, the $175/175€ is credited to that cost.

$175 / 175€ (1 hour)

Define Your Book

You want to reach a broader audience with your research and expertise. You want to promote your business with a book. You want to create a positive transformation for your readership. But you’re not sure how to get started.

In this four-week programme we will

  • define the book you’re excited to write and why you’re the perfect person to write it
  • identify your ideal reader and how your book will benefit them
  • determine your book’s market fit
  • draft a table of contents
  • map out how to get going on writing the book you want to write

Includes:
2 one-hour Zoom calls
assignments
2 writing deadlines with feedback
my availability via email

At the end of the four weeks you will have a solid book concept, an understanding of your ideal reader and the book’s place in the market, and defined next steps.

If you sign up for a coaching package or for my ghostwriting service, the $750/750€ is credited to that cost.

$750 / 750€ (4 weeks)

Thank you so much. It is so delightful to work with someone as reliable as you! I just integrated all your corrections in the text. I am really impressed at your work —​ I think you really understood what I am trying to convey. Thank you especially for the lovely suggestion ‘to take something with a grain of salt,’ which perfectly renders what I meant.

Francois Mirguet, PhD
Assistant Professor, Hebrew, Arizona State University

Get Serious

Nonfiction Book Prep
& First Chapters

Note: This programme is also suitable if you’re writing a book proposal, because you’ll draft all of the major components.

You want to reach a broader audience with your research and expertise. You want to promote your business with a book. You want to create a positive transformation for your readership. And you’re ready to get some solid work done!

In this programme I take you through the beginning fundamentals to determine exactly what your book is about, why you’re writing it, who you’re writing it for, and where it will fit in the marketplace. You will create a detailed chapter outline and write and receive feedback on two chapters. Finally, I’ll provide you with a map of how to finish the journey.

How it works

In our initial call I will learn about you and the book you want to write. Then we will discuss how we’ll work together over the next three months to take you far along the path to bring your book into the world. I’ll give you your first two assignments.

In weeks 2–6 you will define the point of your book and why you are the perfect person to write it, followed by identifying your audience, how your book will serve them — why they will read it — and its market placement.

After this fundamental work is done, in weeks 7 & 8 you’ll define the book itself, choosing a structure and developing an outline of the chapters.

Finally, in weeks 9–12 you will write two chapters of your book and receive written feedback from me. In our calls we will review and discuss my notes on the chapters.

In our final call in week 13 we will review everything you’ve done and see if it feels right, adjusting where necessary, and then we’ll map out your path to finish the book and get it into the hands of your readers.

Includes:
60–90 minute onboarding call
6 one-hour Zoom calls
assignments
6 writing deadlines with feedback
my availability via email

At the end of the thirteen weeks you will have a sense of purpose and excitement; a clear concept of your book, your audience, and where your book fits in the marketplace; and a map of the path to the summit along with the confidence to reach it.

$2,250 / 2,250€ (13 weeks)

Get Your Book Done
(ongoing coaching)

Prerequisite: Nonfiction Book Prep or Define Your Book

You’re ready to write your book . . .

Or

You’ve started writing . . .

and you know you’ll progress faster and be more likely to actually finish if you have support, guidance and accountability.

This service is for you.

How it works

Each month we will have two Zoom calls and you will submit up to 50 double-spaced pages* to me over two deadlines. I will review the pages and send them back to you with my notes. In our calls we will discuss your progress, your blockages, the structure, organisation, research, the writing itself, and any other needs you have related to the writing.

This is an ongoing service, but because we humans are experts at using up all the available time for a task, in our initial call we will set a realistic but challenging-enough target completion date, and map out how to get there. The map will change, of course, because life happens, but a fuzzy map is better than no map at all.

Note: The prerequisite cannot be waived. Your completion of the prerequisite gives us the foundation to build on, and it shows that you are willing and prepared to do the work and to invest in bringing your book into the world. Writing a book is an indescribably rewarding endeavour, and it is also hard work. Consistency, commitment and determination — as well as joy at each page written — are your best friends for this task.

Includes:
60–90 minute onboarding call
working map

plus Monthly
2 one-hour Zooms
2 writing deadlines with written feedback: each deadline you will submit up to 25 double-spaced pages* (*Times New Roman 12 pt, 1”/2.5 cm margins)
my availability via email and WhatsApp/Signal/Viber/Telegram

$825 / 825€ per month
3-month minimum; 1 month’s notification to cancel

The price of the prerequisite is credited towards this package.

Thank you very much. You did a wonderful job and I appreciate it.

David Bunnell — Founder
PC World; Macworld; BioWorld
Jane Mackay

As a nonfiction book coach, I guide you to bring your book into the world. I find joy, purpose and great inner reward in helping people share their expertise and express themselves well through the written word. My experience includes over 15 years of copyediting and line editing research papers in the social sciences, along with business, memoir, nonfiction, and fiction books, as well as professional writing and journalism both under my own byline and anonymously. I am obsessed with mountains and the physiology of training for endurance sports, and I train with a coach for mountain running and other alpine activities.

Passo del Gatto (2416 m)