You’re working on a book, and it’s not quite working. You know you need help, but what kind? Some kind of editing?
There are many kinds of editing, each required at different phases of book writing. Developmental editing, content editing, line editing, and proofreading are types of editing we all need.
As a book coach, I help authors in a couple of ways.
- I orient them to their motivation and vision for the book. This helps writers stay on track when the work gets tough.
- I bring typical coaching skills of sounding board, accountability, and cheerleading to my clients.
- I help people manage their time, their projects, and their emotions.
I also help with developmental editing. I love helping writers sculpt their ideas into a book. Each book has its unique blueprint and style and will reflect the author’s deeply held point of view and voice. As a coach of over twenty years, I use my reservoir of great questions to help authors pinpoint the purpose and structure of the book.
As a businesswoman, I know how to help writers craft a book that meets their goals. Identifying the reader and the reader’s needs right away is essential. Clarifying a vision for the book and its impact is also vital to understanding how to write the book.
When you need a developmental editor
Most authors need some sort of developmental editor help. It’s hard to imagine someone crystal clear about their concepts would need help putting them together in a book. But all books benefit from a caring outside perspective to bring it to coherence and cohesion. Here’s when to get help with designing your book’s contents:
- You’ve written some pieces but feel all over the place. Your manuscript is a chaotic mess.
- You haven’t started writing yet, but have a bunch of ideas. You don’t know how to put them together.
- You don’t know if your ideas cohere, make sense or are complete.
- You don’t yet know the shape, style, or organizational structure of your book.
A book is its own beast
Pulling ideas into a book form is a much bigger project than just writing one-off articles or blogs. Most of my clients are writers and have written articles and course curricula.
No matter how smart or accomplished my clients are, they still suffer from these inner challenges. Writers are often:
- blind to what’s there, both on content and quality levels.
- uncertain about how to make their book different than ones in their genre
- insecure about their voice or writing style
- done with an outline but keep veering away from it and returning to the uncertainty that plagues everyone at the starting line.
Helping people sort all these things out so they can write their book or book proposal is my total joy. I’m honored to be in on such a profound creative project with them.
I work with clients for six or twelve months to get all this hammered out. By the end of six months, most people have a blueprint for their book. They also have a committed practice and know how to stay on track and avoid getting derailed by insecurities or life’s challenges.
If you’re stuck with your book and need help organizing your time and structuring your content, reach out. I’m a pro at helping navigate the inner and outer challenges at the beginning of getting our book brain on.
Schedule a call with me to see how we can work together to bring your book to life.
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