Because the term author coach means different things to different people, here are some of the types of author coaches I have found in my research on the topic.
THE ALL IN ONE AUTHOR COACH
This person functions as a mini-publishing company. They are really more of a self-publishing consultant than a coach. Primarily, they guide you through the bare bones of writing a book, consult and offer resources for book design, but more importantly, assist in the publication and marketing of print editions of the book. These author coaches are ideal for experts in a specific field who want to have a book on offer when they are lecturing or holding events.
THE AGENT/AUTHOR COACH
With the consolidating and shrinking market for print, agents are now getting into the field of helping authors self-publish, and acting as author coaches. This seems to represent a conflict of interest (how does an agent turn away the manuscript of an author they had coached?) but, on the other hand, agents read manuscripts every day and know what works and what doesn’t.
THE WRITERS’ AUTHOR COACH
This is where Word Pill falls. This kind of coaching focuses solely on the manuscript and the obstacles that are keeping the writer from making it the strongest it can be. This type of author coach has a deep understanding of narrative structure and empathy for the problems and insecurities writers face when approaching the material. Working closely with the text and author, the object is to bring a novel, memoir, or non-fiction manuscript to completion using traditional manuscript editing, firm deadlines, and personal motivation. For a few case studies, see the articles Adventures of an Author Coach, and Adventures of an Author Coach 2.
Matt Henderson Ellis is a freelance manuscript editor and author coach working with writers who publish in print and digitally.
