Should you hire a book coach, a writing coach, or an editor?

If you’re thinking of writing a book or in the process of writing, you may find that you get stuck somewhere along the way—many aspiring authors do. At this point, you may seek external support to get unstuck. The question is: who should you get support from with the range of publishing professionals out there? The answer may be a book coach, a writing coach, or a book editor depending on what you need. In this blog, we’ll break down the differences to help you make the right choice.

What is a writing coach?

Broadly speaking, a writing coach helps you improve your writing skills. So, they might help you develop your individual authorial voice, improve your storytelling ability, or become more proficient with grammar. For example, if you’re struggling to craft compelling sentences or make your writing readable, a writing coach would be the ideal person to work with. 

They’re here to help you become a better writer overall, and they can also help you overcome writer’s block, and provide accountability by setting regular deadlines for your writing. However, they may not provide feedback on the overall manuscript, such as if it is structurally sound or whether the content has inherent value and meets the reader’s needs.

What is a book coach?

By contrast, a book coach helps you with a particular book project. This might include helping you plan your approach for the manuscript, develop the initial ideas and structure, and providing strategic feedback on the whole book. So, if you’ve got an idea and don’t know where to start, a book coach may be the best person to work with. Then they will typically guide you throughout the whole process of writing the manuscript and may also help with accountability by setting regular deadlines for you, as well as providing regular feedback as you write the manuscript. While book coaching may include providing feedback on the writing, the focus is on helping you write a better book, not become a better writer. 

It’s worth noting that some book coaches can also help you understand the overall publishing process and guide you on how to self-publish successfully or seek a traditional publishing deal, but not all book coaches offer this. If you want help with publishing, ask whether the coach can provide this or search for a “book shepherd”. 

What is a book shepherd?

A book shepherd helps you on the path to publishing. This may include explaining the various publishing paths available, the pitfalls to look out for, and insider tips to successfully publish a book. For example, they might explain the pros and cons of traditional publishing vs. self-publishing vs. hybrid publishing, or the reasons for choosing various publishing platforms such as Amazon KDP vs. IngramSpark. 

So, if you want insights into the industry and someone to walk with you every step of the way, making sure you don’t miss anything vital, a book shepherd may be the best professional for you. They are called book shepherds as they guide you along the way, making it easier for you to publish professionally (great name, right?). 

What is a book editor?

Finally, there are editors. An editor helps you improve the written manuscript so it is ready to publish. Unlike coaches who guide you as you are writing, editors come into the picture when you have a full draft to work with. So if you’ve already written the manuscript or written a substantial amount of it, you would be better to work with an editor rather than a coach. Coaches do not typically support with manuscripts that are almost done or fully finished. 

There are different types of editors available, so ensure you choose the right type of editor for your needs. To provide a quick overview, content editors help with the big picture (content, message, and structure), line editors help with the middle ground (writing style, tone, and flow), and copy editors help with the smaller details (consistency, clarity, and grammar).  Finally, proofreaders offer the final polish by catching sneaky typos and formatting errors before you publish.

Which one is right for you?

Now you know the difference between each role, it’s time to decide which book professional is right for you. You might want to ask yourself:

• Do I need help with the craft of writing or the process of writing a book?
• Do I want to focus on a single book or on improving my writing in general?
• Do I want guidance through the process of self or hybrid publishing?
• Do I want industry-informed feedback on my written manuscript?

You might find that you would prefer to work with a book coach through the process of writing a book then hire an editor to give you feedback afterwards. That said, working with a book coach often hugely reduces the need for hefty editing as the coach helps you get it right (or at least pretty damn good) the first time. In the freelance market, you might also find people who offer both coaching and editing services.

It’s also worth considering that whoever you work with, you need to be open and receptive to constructive criticism, getting an objective outsider’s view on your manuscript, and hearing sometimes challenging feedback. Your coach or editor is there to help you become a better writer or write better books, not to massage your ego or tell you everything you’ve done well (see, the brutal honesty starts here!). 

So, who will you work with? The choice is yours.