What's a Writing Coach?

Think of a writing coach as the coach getting you ready for a marathon. Someone who’s on your side and wants to see you cross the finish line by working with you and providing support on what you need to reach your goals.

What Can a Writing Coach Do?

What if you’re so early in your writing that you aren’t even sure what you are doing? You might only have character sketches and a few random scenes, nothing you’d want to show friends and not enough to give to a developmental editor. Can a coach work with you based on that? No problem!

All writing coaches describe what they do a little differently, but it pretty much comes down to this:

A writing coach helps you with:

• Your Strengths and Weaknesses: We all have things we are good at and things we are not so great at when it comes to writing. Do you know what you need help with? Is it character development? Showing more than telling? A coach can help you identify and strengthen your writing weaknesses.

• Accountability and Project Deadlines: If you’re the kind of person who has trouble working on a project without a deadline that someone else has set, a coach can be that person. Let’s face it, sometimes if we plan our own project goals, it can be easy to brush them off when we get busy. Having to write a certain number of pages to show to someone else can make us more likely to do the work!

• Social Media Marketing Strategies: Not all coaches offer this, but some do and it can be a real plus when you’re trying to figure out marketing strategies. I personalize strategies to each author and their book, because what works for a romance writer who loves social media isn’t going to work for a historical mystery writer who hates social media!

• Cheerleader: Let’s face it. Writing is hard. If it was easy, everyone would do it. Sometimes writers hit a wall or get overwhelmed and need to talk to someone who knows what it’s like. Whether that means just venting to someone who’s been there or looking for new ideas, a coach is someone you know is in your corner on the bad days and is first in line to celebrate the good days.

When Should You Use a Writing Coach?

A lot of writers use coaches before they’ve even written their first draft. Their coach helps them flesh out their characters if they are the kind of writer who comes up with plots easier that characters, or enjoys building worlds more than character backstory. This is what I’ve found myself doing with writers at various stages in their drafts lately- helping them dive deeper into discovering some of their characters, how they would interact with others, and how they would respond in different situations. It can be a lot of fun and take authors down paths they hadn’t thought about before.

Other writers might do better with a coach when they are writing and get stuck in the middle of their draft. They may have written themselves into a corner or hit a wall and want to brainstorm how to get going again.

Should You Hire a Writing Coach?

Does every writer need a writing coach? No! Do you need a coach? That’s up to you. Are you struggling with writer’s block? Are you worried your characters aren’t cooperating or are one-dimensional? That your plot is full of holes? Have you talked with writing friends or other tricks and not had luck? Then you might want to give it a try. It’s always up to you.

Finding the Coach Who’s Right for You

Where can you find writing coaches? Ask writer friends if they’ve used coaches they’d recommend, or be brave and see what happens when you search for “writing coaches” on Google, LinkedIn, or various social media platforms- though that method can be a little hit-or-miss.

Ask yourself: what are you looking for? What kind of experience do you want to have? Do you want a coach who’s a drill sergeant and reminds you of your favorite English teacher or someone more laid back? Do you want phone calls only or video calls? Do you think it’s important that they have experience in your genre?

Next, check out their website. If they have a blog or post videos on social media, check some of them out. What kind of personality vibe do you get?

Feel free to disagree with me, but when it comes to coaching, I think the mesh of personalities and feeling comfortable with each other is the most important thing to look for.

Their website should also tell you if they offer you a free “Discovery Call.” Think of this as a “getting to know you” meet up. On the phone or a video chat, you talk a bit about your project, what you’re hoping to get out of the coaching sessions, and ask any questions you have. Ask them if you think they’re the right person for the project.

If they think your project would benefit from someone who knows more about that genre than they do, they’ll tell you. A memoir for example, or if you are writing a brand book about your business, I might recommend someone who specializes in those kinds of books, even at this early stage.

Or maybe that particular coach is all booked up and can’t take you on when you want to meet. A lot of coaches know other coaches they can recommend you contact if they can’t take you on for whatever reason.

Likewise, coaches will usually encourage you to talk to other coaches before you make a decision so you know you’re comfortable with who you choose. I always do, and will recommend a few other coaches for you to talk to if you’re having trouble finding any. Do a few interviews before you make your choice.

Then a nice, polite email to the coaches you didn’t pick just thanking them for their time and saying you decided to go with someone else is all you need to do. Don’t worry about it. We want what’s best for you and your project, and we understand that doesn’t always mean us.

What Does a Writing Coach Charge?

Again, the answer is: it depends. It depends on the coach’s years of experience, on the amount of time or number of sessions you want to book. Do they offer 1:1 sessions or group calls and which do you prefer?

But you can go to the Editorial Freelancers Association’s 2024 Rates Chart to get an idea of some average costs. These aren’t set rates or industry standards, but average costs based on surveys done in the winter of 2023 to find the average rates freelancers are charging in a range of specialities. So you might consider it some rough guidelines when you start budgeting.

Are you looking for a developmental editor or writing coach? Contact me and let’s talk about your project!