Many future authors believe they must write a book by themselves and figure out everything on their own. Do you relate to this? Perhaps you have a vision for writing a book and impacting your readers with your message, but you aren’t aware of the support that’s readily available. I have great news for you! You don’t have to go it alone.
In today’s episode, I get to share incredibly useful information to help you find just the right nonfiction book coach. Instead of wandering aimlessly with no idea where to turn, you get to take away practical steps for moving forward with your dream. You’ll learn what to look for in a book coach—from being a partner to collaborate with to providing skilled guidance to shape your book to knowing how to use AI with your work.
If you’re interested in learning how to partner with a book coach, join me and learn how a good coach enriches the writing experience and leaves you with a skill, not just a finished manuscript. And you get to the finish line with the support you need.
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5 Tips for Hiring a Nonfiction Book Coach | Episode 273
Transcript
These transcripts were generated by robots, not writers.
Stacy: So you are hiring a nonfiction book coach, or you’re thinking about hiring one, and you’re just not sure exactly what to look for or how to make this a really successful collaboration. That is what I’m going to help you with today.
Stacy: If you are new to my podcast, my channel, hi, I’m Stacy Ennis. I am an author. I have hit bestseller lists and won awards, but probably most importantly to you, I am a book strategist and coach. I love helping future authors uncover the book within them and write a book that’s not just great, but also a catalyst for their next big thing.
Stacy: We will talk through five tips that will help you if you want to work with a book coach. I hope that by the end of this episode, you’re going to feel so informed and confident that when you reach out to a potential book coach, whether it’s me or somebody else, you’ll feel great about your decision to hire them, because you’re making it from an informed place.
Stacy: Welcome to Beyond Better, a podcast that explores a simple but profound idea: we all deserve to live lives we love, and that includes our work lives too. I’m your host, Stacy Ennis, an author, book coach, speaker, and longtime location-independent entrepreneur, living in Portugal with my family of four. Join me as I talk business, location independence, writing, publishing, and so much more, all focused on building a life that is beyond better.
Stacy: Before we jump in, be sure you’re following me if you’re listening on the podcast, or subscribed if you’re on YouTube. This helps me create more content, reach more future authors, and support you on your author journey.
Stacy: What I find is that when future authors go into the process of writing their books, they often have some false beliefs. One is that I have to do this all by myself, and you don’t. The other is that I just have to figure it out on my own, and again, not true. Book writing is a skill, and accountability can be a huge part of helping you get your book done.
Stacy: So if you’ve hit that point, maybe even before you start, and you know you need a coach, or maybe you’re partway through your process and you’re so tired of not seeing this project through, it may be time to hire a coach. I’m going to help you know some things before you sign on the digital dotted line. Let’s jump right in.
Stacy: First and foremost, number one, is to look at your book coach as a partner, not just a service provider or a role you’re hiring. The very best collaborations come from true collaboration. You are hiring somebody not just as a hired brain, someone who knows how to do this thing, but as a partner in shaping this book and helping you craft it in a way that achieves your big vision, the why behind the book in the first place.
Stacy: Number two is to know that a great book coach has both the heart of a teacher and the skill of an expert. This builds on my previous point that a book coach is not just a hired brain. Of course, there is a component of that when you work with an expert. But ultimately, this person needs to be a true expert, somebody with demonstrated experience and maybe formal training, and they also need to show up with the heart of a teacher.
Stacy: When I work with future authors, I don’t want them to only get the book done. I want them to walk away with a new skill they can use again and again if they want to write more books in the future. And I always hope that they will.
Stacy: Number three is that a great book coach should be truly invested in you and excited about your book. I am very fortunate to be at a point in my career where every single person I work with is a “heck yes.” If it’s an “I don’t know,” I refer them on, because I want to make sure that when I see somebody’s name on the calendar, I’m excited. When I think about working with them, I’m excited. When I go to read the pages they’ve worked on, I’m looking forward to it. Your coach should feel that way about you and your work. They should see this relationship as something important and exciting, and you should be able to feel that. You will be able to feel it in a conversation with them.
Stacy: If it feels very “Okay, well, I’ll send you a proposal and blah, blah, blah,” very meh, that’s probably a sign this person isn’t as excited about working with you as you want them to be. The same goes if they don’t have demonstrated experience in the type of book you’re working on. I’m not talking about the topic, just your general genre. That might also be a sign this isn’t an area that really gets them fired up. So make sure the person you’re working with is genuinely excited about working with you.
Stacy: Number four is to know that a solid working relationship with a book coach should be clearly planned and time-bound. A great book coach will come in with a plan. You’ll shape some of it together based on your specific book, your goals, and how aggressively you want to get the draft done.
Stacy: I work with authors who have a lot of time on their hands. Maybe they’re newly retired, they’ve exited a company, or they’re taking a sabbatical. I also work with authors in C-level leadership, or running a business in a growth period, who are really busy. And there are always those in the middle who are able to make a bit more time. All of these require a different approach. So your book coach should not only have a well-worn, proven plan, but should also adjust it based on your specific project and needs.
Stacy: Now, if you have a lower budget and you’re working with a newer book coach, this may not be something they’re able to provide. Depending on what you’re able to hire, that will impact the quality of the plan. If you can’t hire a coach with as much experience as you would have liked, then a little of the onus is on you to make sure the plan is solid.
Stacy: A solid plan will have a big-picture overview, a structure for the entire engagement, and specific milestones. And you will review it regularly, as in every single time you talk. Your coach should have already reviewed the plan before you meet, and you will likely adjust some things together. That is super, super important.
Stacy: And number five, a great book coach should send you a legal agreement. That legal agreement should have some clear definitions around both who owns the work you do, that’s you, and also how they use AI. If that’s not in the contract, you need to get really clear with your book coach about how they are using AI.
Stacy: I advise my authors not to upload their books into AI at all. Even with unchecking the setting within Claude or other LLMs that allows them to train on your work, I still don’t recommend uploading your work to AI. We just don’t know enough, and I prefer my authors to be safe. That’s part of my job as their coach. You may have different feelings about it, and your coach may have different feelings about it. What matters is that you ask.
Stacy: It’s like this: you wouldn’t drop your child off at a stranger’s house, with somebody you’ve never talked to, when you’re not sure what their values are or how they’re going to take care of your kids. Don’t drop your book off in a no man’s land of how we’re using AI. This is very important, and you need to ask that question.
Stacy: So those are my five tips. Of course, there are many more things I could dive into, but with these five, you will be set up for really solid conversations with a potential coach. I hope you’re feeling more confident and excited as you move into this relationship with somebody who can not only help you get this book done, but also take you on the beautifully transformative journey of authorhood.
Stacy: Remember that it is your book and it’s your life. It is really important that you do the due diligence to make sure the person you’re trusting deserves to be trusted: that they’re going to show up, they have the expertise, they’re going to be all in, and they will be the right partner to support you in getting this book done and out into the world.
Stacy: If this was helpful, I would so appreciate it if you would follow me on your podcast app and rate and review the podcast, or, if you’re on YouTube, subscribe to my channel and leave me a comment. I’d love to hear from you, because it informs the future videos I make. I try so hard to create useful, free content to support your author journey. I’ll be back with you before you know it.
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