Craft/Career: What’s Group Coaching and How Can It Help You?
Group Coaching
Most authors understand the benefits of editing, at some level, and realize that it can help them have a professional set of eyes on their book and make it better.
But are you aware of book coaching and how it can help your writing career and take your writing to the next level? If not, that’s understandable because book coaching is a newer area in the publishing arena.
In the past, publishers and agents often provided this service, guiding authors into making their manuscripts levels better than where they started. But this service has gone by the wayside, with agents and publishers expecting top-notch work before they’ll consider it. It’s no longer good enough to show “promise.”
Even in self-publishing or indie publishing, authors need to make their craft standout from the crowd of other books in order to create superfans who are begging to read their next book. And to take your writing to this next level most often requires professional help.
Book Coaching
Book coaching comes into the writing process much earlier than a developmental editor. At Tandem Services, we offer two kinds of coaching–draft and revision–in either an individual or group setting. Coaching also often addresses your goals and career aspirations as a whole, not just one book, which is something editing doesn’t get into.
Here are some common areas where book coaches provide feedback:
- Character development. Fleshing out protagonists, crafting compelling backstories and personalities.
- Story structure. Analyzing plot structure, pacing, act breaks, resolution of character arcs.
- Theme. Surfacing the core idea/message and ensuring it’s effectively threaded throughout.
- Writer’s process. Time management, organization of drafts/edits, addressing writer’s block or other challenges.
- Outlining. Reviewing outline structure and offering suggestions to refine it.
- Research techniques. How-tos on fact checking, interviewing experts, weaving research subtly into the narrative.
- Publishing/marketing. Guidance on finding an agent/publisher, cover design, building an author platform.
- Genre considerations. Maintaining genre conventions, subtleties like suspense/tension or emotional resonance.
- Series development. Plotting sequels, maintaining continuity, evolving over multiple books.
The goal is a holistic approach that empowers authors at any stage, from concept to publication and beyond. Authors who need help with bigger picture structure or conceptual elements of their manuscript or career generally benefit from coaching.
Here are some signs that you may benefit from book coaching:
If you’re getting rejections, feedback, or reviews citing issues like unclear plot/characters or inconsistent tone, two-dimensional characters, coaching may uncover bigger problems requiring fixes first.
If you lack clarity on your writing process or goals, coaching provides guidance on strengthening your craft and productivity.
You’re struggling to clearly outline your plot and character arcs. Coaching can help strengthen structure.
You get stuck or lose momentum frequently when writing. Coaching provides deadlines, accountability, and brainstorming to get unstuck.
Group coaching
Group coaching is ideal for brainstorming, networking, and accountability. Often in a group coaching setting, you’ll have folks working through both draft and revision coaching. Group coaching cohorts should be kept small so everyone has plenty of time to discuss their project. I have no more than four people in a ninety-minute session.
While it may seem like you get less benefit in group coaching, I actually think you get more. You have your cohort’s opinion on your work and their feedback, which can be invaluable. You’ll also find that listening to other people work through their issues and getting feedback can be informative to your own work. And finally, you’ll find that someone else will ask a question you didn’t even know you had. There is a wonderful synergy that happens with group coaching.
Whether you need coaching, editing or just to discover what you need, reach out to us. We’d love to help you make your book the best it can be.
