I’ve loved words as long as I can remember. I was one of those kids who always had a book with her. I began writing stories as soon as I learned to spell.
In my early 20s, I subscribed to Writer’s Digest, attended one of their conferences in Denver, and tried writing a novel in fits and starts. I had my two-inch thick copy of Writer’s Market and pitched a story about banana recipes to Woman’s Day. They declined. I’m slightly embarrassed by my optimism, inexperience, and lack of humility. If only I’d had a book coach then.
I worked at Apple for a few years, where I learned about event planning and meeting facilitation—skills that have served me immensely as a book coach. Book coaching is all about facilitating conversations.
I was introduced to the real world of publishing when I took a job at Publish magazine with the all-encompassing title of Special Projects Manager. I coordinated special issues and produced conferences for readers. More importantly for book coaching, I learned about content development, reader profiles, advertising and marketing, and editing.
Fast forward to 2008. I’d since moved to Italy, and my friend Joe Hutsko reached out to ask if I would co-author Macs All-In-One For Dummies with him. He’d supply the tech knowledge, and I’d do the writing.
Thinking back, the role I played in our collaboration had aspects of book coaching. I thought about the book structure and flow, the importance of stories to keep the reader engaged, and the accountability needed to meet the publisher’s deadlines. I liked the mix collaborative conversations with Joe and project management responsibilities.
That book led to other co-authoring opportunities. I was often paired with subject-matter experts while I provided the editing and project management support. Over the course of twelve books, I learned the ins and outs of traditional publishing: working with an agent, crafting book proposals, writing a solid manuscript, and meeting a publisher’s expectations.
In late 2015 I saw a freelance job posting for a “book developer” and knew it was the job for me. I was an early hire at Book In A Box (now ScribeMedia), a startup offering self-publishing services for nonfiction authors. I loved talking with experts about their ideas and turning those ideas into books. Since then, I’ve been involved with more than 200 books, as a book developer, ghostwriter, executive editor, and book coach. This was an incredible education in self-publishing and working with all types of personalities.
Most of the work I do today is coaching nonfiction writers. In 2020 I went through Author Accelerator’s Nonfiction Book Coach Certification program to professionalize the work I’d been doing for twelve years. This also gave me entry to a growing community of book coaches that’s working to set the standard for book coaching today.
I love this work. It’s a culmination of my professional experience, yet there’s always something new to learn. I have the opportunity to work with thought leaders from all fields, which satisfies my endless curiosity about the world. I can nurture writers through the difficult moments and celebrate their successes.
My favorite conversations revolve around ideas for books, the craft of writing, and how to bring them to readers. My goal for this newsletter is to have those kinds of conversations with you.
If you’d like my weekly newsletter Words on Wednesday to show up in your inbox, you can sign up here.