BOOK WRITING & PUBLISHING FAQs

I want to write a book. Where do I start?

My book coaching experience is with memoir, nonfiction, and self-development. 

There’s no one right way to start, so sure, you could dive right in — and I encourage you to do just that. It’s always better than overthinking.

As your book-writing coach, I can support you throughout the process. I'll help you find the shape of your book and get it written — see The Living Book, my 90-day coaching container.

If you prefer to DIY (and not write it completely alone), you can join us in the Intuitive Writing Studio, where you’ll get resources, templates, and accountability (we write together for 10+ hours each month). Click here to learn about the studio.

You might also like these articles from me at The Intuitive Writing School:

• Thinking About Writing a Book This Year? 6 Questions You Might Have

• Never Write Angry; 10 Practices for Feel Good Book Writing

• The NaNoWriMo Alternative: How To Create a Writing Habit Without Burning Out

• “I’m Writing a Book” – What To Do Before Declaring Your Intention

• 11 Surprising Lessons I’ve Learned From Writing a Memoir

• An Unfussy Book Launch for an Unfussy Book

• Keep Going on Your Big Project

• Behind the Scenes: How My Self-Development Book Turned Into Memoir

• Bad Book Review? How to Alchemize That Online Critic into Gold

I've written a book. What do I do now?

First, congratulations! I can’t tell you how many people say they want to write a book but never get started. Or, they start and fizzle out. 

You did it! YAY you! So, what’s next?

The next step is hiring an editor. Publishing a book without an editor isn’t even an option for me. While you can certainly publish many blogs and websites without a professional’s help, make the investment in yourself with an editor. They’re gold!

There are three levels of edits a book goes through:

1) Developmental Editing — this is the big picture stuff, flow, voice, pacing

2) Copyediting — commas, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure

3) Proofreading — catching the little things that step 2 (copyediting) missed

For a book that reads like a professionally published book, I always recommend doing all three.

Depending on your genre, I can direct you to editing professionals I trust.

Once your book has been edited, you'll be ready to publish!

My services are part coaching and include some of the first kind of editing mentioned — developmental.

I want to write my book, but I’m stuck!

Even if you’ve started writing your book and don’t know where to go next, I can help with a Book Mapping Intensive.

Should I self-publish my book or find a publisher?

It’s time to publish your book! YAY! Now, you get to wade through an often overwhelming amount of options and opinions. 

There are three primary ways to publish your book: traditional, hybrid, and independent self-publishing. 

There are pros and cons to every approach. I recommend learning about each and choosing what feels right to you.

For my books I went straight to self-publishing. I created a publishing company before publishing my second book (this is also an option for my clients) — Sovereign Owl Publishing. You can create your own publishing company just like I did (don’t worry, this doesn’t automatically mean you need to create a new business).

Articles from other experts on publishing:

• 8 Pros and Cons of Traditional Publishing

• Hybrid Publishing: Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know

• Read Jane Freidman’s archive on self-publishing

What's the difference between a Book Mapping Session and The Living Book?

A Book Mapping Session is a single, focused 90-minute session — we build your outline, define your audience, and get you a clear plan, so you're ready to write. It's a starting point, not ongoing support.

The Living Book is my full 90-day coaching container. We start with the same mapping work, then I stay with you through the writing itself — reading every chapter, coaching you through what's next, and helping you get to a manuscript that's ready for an editor.

If you book a Mapping Session first, the investment applies toward The Living Book if you decide to continue.

Is your book coaching the same as developmental editing?

No. This is coaching — I read every chapter to stay inside your book's world and coach you on what's next and coach you through the mind-body aspect of bringing a book to life. I'm not editing your prose, restructuring chapters for you, or handing back a manuscript with tracked changes. What you get is momentum, accountability, and, by the end, a manuscript that's ready for an editor — plus a referral list of editors I personally trust with my own words so you know exactly who to bring in for that step.