What is a Writing Coach, and Should You Hire One?
The right writing coach can be one of the best investments you’ll ever make in yourself and your business.
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Writing coaches existed long before the pandemic, but it seems like so many came out of the woodwork in the spring of 2020. A writing coach can be a great asset to an entrepreneur, even if they don’t intend to write a book or other piece of long-form content. Like anything else, it’s important to do your homework before working with a writing coach. Writing coaches aren’t just for books
While my official title is book development coach and consultant , I work as a writing coach in other capacities upon request. One client of mine is a money mindset coach. She wanted to improve her ability to write emails, PowerPoint slides for webinars and sales pages rather than hiring someone to write them for her.
Many entrepreneurs would rather just hire a copywriter than learn how to do it themselves. But, there are plenty of people who feel they know their audience the best. Yet, they don’t necessarily have the writing skills to properly communicate the value of their product or service.
When I work with this client, she sends me her emails, slides and sales pages before our Zoom call. I share my screen while we discuss what I would change (and I make those changes for her, essentially putting on my editing and writing hats). The sessions are recorded so she can go back to them at any time. I email the completed documents to her at the end of our session.
Over about a year of working together, I’ve seen marked improvements in her copywriting . In fact, she doesn’t need me as much anymore — which is a good thing. (I’m not one of those coaches who wants people to feel they can only succeed if they’re constantly paying me money for help.) Writing coaches can also serve as business coaches
Occasionally, people come to me hoping to become freelance writers. Again, I walk them step by step on how to identify their ideal client, improve their existing writing skills, create a portfolio and pitch to prospective clients.
With my book coaching clients (the majority of my coaching business), I also teach them how to turn that book into a lead generating machine for their businesses, book podcast interviews, be consistent and engaging on social media and so much more. Some writing coaches are great book coaches, but some aren’t
As I’ve discussed in past Entrepreneur articles, not all writing coaches are created equal. And not all are qualified to guide people step by step through the process of writing and publishing a book.
Taking someone from book idea to final chapter wasn’t something I knew how to do at the beginning of my professional writing, editing, teaching and coaching career. Though I’ve been in the writing and publishing industry for over 25 years, I’d say I’ve truly refined my abilities as a […]
