March 5, 2025
Do you need a writing coach? As a self-publishing author, you can choose how you spend your budget. The necessary costs include the amount you put toward printing. Since you can run smaller quantities with an on-demand printer like Publishing Xpress, those printing costs can be spread out over time by making an initial run of your book and then printing more as needed, even making changes to the manuscript in between if you want to.
You might even consider putting money toward marketing as a necessity, although plenty of self-published authors don’t spend much on that budget category. Some writers devote some of their budget to paying for a writing coach during the writing and final stages of completing their manuscript. But with printing and distribution costs looming, is paying for a writing coach worth it?
Professional book coaches are specialized writing supporters who help authors in a variety of ways at different stages of the writing process.
While a book coach and an editor may seem to overlap because both professional positions exist to improve an author’s writing, they have unique perspectives and different ways they do it.
A coach will work on your development as an author, helping you to meet your goals in the process and craft of writing by supporting your creative work. Authors choose and hire a coach based on their individual needs and which unique skills the coach has to offer.
Editors are specialized writing experts who help an author polish their writing once it has begun or been completed. Editors focus on grammar, sentence structure, and style issues to refine a manuscript to prepare it for publication.
Authors use a writing coach to improve their book content, but they can contribute much more than that to an author’s craft and writing experience.
Unpublished authors, writers with one book, and authors who have penned a handful or more books all can find themselves in a situation where a book coach can help. An authentic look at your current status can help you determine if a book coach could help you.
Are you searching for personalized support that can help you develop your writing voice? Strengthening your voice can take time because it typically happens throughout writing multiple pieces, whether they are books, short stories, or other narratives. However, a coach can tailor their advice and writing techniques to an author’s weaknesses, helping to speed up the process of voice development in writers who need longer to find themselves.
Are you an unpublished writer and want to fast-track your writing without falling into the common traps of inexperienced writers? Often new authors choose to use the services of a coach so they can sidestep the typical problems that new or less-experienced authors have by implementing good advice on writing strategies, staying motivated during a project, or other issues with self-publishing a book. A coach can steer you through these minefields instead of struggling with the wasted time and/or costly mistakes that can come with learning how to navigate best practices in self-publishing a book.
Have you found yourself stuck on a project with no idea how to move forward or complete it? Even talented, experienced writers can find themselves stumped on how to continue with a project, but a writing coach has the training and skills to assist you in finding your way through these kinds of roadblocks.
Do you have feedback on your writing but don’t know what to do with it? Maybe you are working with an editor or a trusted, experienced writing guide, and they have offered excellent suggestions to improve your content. But knowing the advice and understanding how to implement it are often different things. A book coach can turn that advice into actionable steps that you can follow so you can take advantage of great help with a concrete, defined approach.
Does it seem like time management is always hard for you? Following a schedule or creating a writing pattern that you can keep up with can be challenging, even for the most dedicated of writers. A coach can help you design a time management strategy that works for you, considering your experiences, lifestyle, and desired practices so you can make the most of the time you have to write your book or project.
Do book logistics seem less appealing than book writing itself? If you would rather spend your mental energy on writing and leave the planning, organizing, ordering, and financial concerns to someone well-qualified to do so, a coach is an excellent option for you.
Does motivation always seem to be an issue even though you have great writing skills and ideas? Losing motivation is a common problem with writers, often creeping up with life changes, challenges with home or work life, or sometimes even for no discernable reason. A book coach can help you find a path to rebuild your motivation so you can get back on track.
If you decide to work with a professional writing coach, plan to budget accordingly so you can make the most of your experience. Costs for this service can vary widely, depending on things like where you are located, the coach’s experience, and the unique services you are looking for in a coach. Writers can expect to pay between $50 and $200 per hour for coaching support but some businesses offer a discount for purchasing multi-session packages that can run from $500 up to $10,000 for packages that include services beyond basic coaching.
Connecting with a coach that meets both your writing and budget needs can happen in four different ways.
1 Ask other authors, friends, or online communities like Reddit for their recommendations. Find out the details about what their recommended coach did for them and compare that to what your needs are.
2 Research platforms online like Reedsy and Writer’s Digest for coach connections. Social media platforms are also a good location to check with your community for their recommendations or referrals.
3 Look at testimonials or reviews of book coaches to see what other people say or who they recommend.
4 Ask a potential coach for a consultation session to see if you are both a good fit for your needs.
The five characteristics to consider when thinking about engaging a coach is their approach to coaching, their credentials, their experience relative to your needs, the coach’s personality and how you communicate with them, and the coach’s reviews by past clients. When all five of these elements align with your interests, needs, and writing goals, you may have found a writing coach who you will want to work with.
Whether your idea of making progress is getting unstuck, finding your motivation to keep writing, learning how to balance writing with the business elements of self-publishing, or you just want to finish your book as quickly as possible, a writing coach may be a smart option for you to consider.
While a writing coach may not be necessary for every writer, you do need to make sure that your final manuscript looks amazing when you send it off to the printer so your readers will love the book they hold in their hands in a few short days. Self-publishing a book comes with lots of decisions, but choosing to allocate time and money toward a writing coach might be just the encouragement you need to finish your book successfully and send it off to the printer so you can call yourself a published writer sooner rather than later.
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