Editorial Toolkit: Coaching Writers

Coaching for Accountability Coaching for accountability is a great fit for coaches working with writers, even new coaches! One concern that often holds newer editors back from offering coaching to writers is that they don’t know everything. And of course, that’s true! No one knows everything. But as I described in this post, coaching isn’t…

Talented developmental editors are often hesitant about adding coaching to their menu of services. Over my years of teaching, I’ve learned there are two main misconceptions that stop people. First misconception about coaching writers One common misconception editors have is thinking that coaching is a lengthy, ongoing process, like therapy, and they don’t necessarily feel…

Coaching for introverts Editors, like authors, are often introverts (me among them). This can make them/us/me resistant to offering coaching as an option for writers as it seems like a service that has to be delivered in person or over a phone/Zoom call in one-hour increments. Many introverts have trouble even meeting friends in person,…

Define your coaching services When I first began offering coaching to writer clients, I had copy on my website that said something like, “I offer coaching services for all aspects of writing and publishing.” If a potential client got in touch to ask me what coaching was, I would say something like, “Anything that is…

Because coaching is expensive, personal, and requires trust, it’s unlikely that a random client will see your website and immediately sign up for services. They need to get to know you first. And this is a good thing! There are some people I’m not a good coach for because our personalities and approaches don’t mesh…