Why Do You Need A Business Book Writing Coach?

This is an interesting question and one I’ve actually thought about a lot given that I’ve developed The Book Adviser specifically to mentor business people through the whole process of writing, publishing and marketing their book.

The Book Adviser idea started as a result of people being referred to me for advice about their business book. I’m colloquially known as ‘the book lady’ (not the bag lady I am quick to respond), as pretty much anyone in my network knows I am the person to speak to about writing, publishing and marketing business books.

In researching the concept for The Book Adviser I spoke with a wide range of business people about their needs and challenges when it came to writing, publishing and marketing their book. Their combined responses summarise why most business people need a book writing coach.

Before I get to these responses though it’s important to point out that writing a business book is only part of the business book process and while its the critical first part (no writing no book), one of the biggest challenges for most business people is what happens after the book has been written, so I’ve included the key points around the publishing process and marketing a business book in the summary as well.

  1.  To help you get started

A majority of people I work with share the same story. ‘I’ve had this book idea in my head for ages but I don’t know where to start.’

As a writer myself (I face this challenge all the time, starting). While I’ve had a bit of practice at it now I understand how to get what’s in a person’s head out of their head and on to paper or into a word document.

  1. To help you work out what to write.

This is another common challenge and one that often stops people starting. Most business people who have been in business for a while have so much knowledge they can share that it’s often hard for them to work out what to share and what to leave out.

This is were a book coach can help. By working with you a book coach and help you refine what knowledge you specifically want to share, what to focus on and what to leave out.

This often takes 2-3 iterations, sometimes more.

  1. To work with you on identifying your target audience

This is a bit like the yetti. Business people know they need an audience for their book, that it’s out there, but they don’t really know where (or who). A book coach can help you focus on and identify the key target audiences for your book.

This is absolutely vital for your business book to be a success.

The more clarity you have about who you are writing for the more targeted and useful your content will be . . . and more people will buy it.

  1. To help you understanding the key challenges of your target audience

While working out what you want to write about and what your book will include is important, it’s equally important to understand the challenges

your target audience face, where they currently go to find information to help them and why is THE NEXT MOST IMPORTANT discussion that a writer needs to have.

A book coach can help you through this process, guide you on who to ask, how to ask and how to revise your content outline, key messaging and elevator pitch.

  1. To keep you on track

It’s one thing to plan to write it’s another thing altogether to actually develop the discipline of writing. I know this only too well as I research and write when I am not mentoring business people through The Book Adviser program.

A good book coach will take on a number of roles. They’ll be your accountability partner, help you when you’re stuck with writing, review and provide constructive feedback on what you’ve written, encourage you when you’ve had enough or have writer’s block, rework your outline half-way through if you need to . . .

Won’t they can’t do is write your book. That’s up to you. (Well I could but most book coaches can’t).

  1. To help you through the whole editing and proofreading process.

Getting the first draft of your manuscript completed is a huge achievement. Then comes the feedback, revision, reworking (maybe two or three times) and then the editing and proofreading.

A good book coach will explain this process to you and work alongside you throughout it. They’ll also have editors and proofreaders they can recommend and know how to brief them.

  1. To help you through the production process

Once you’ve got a final manuscript (congratulations) then there’s the process of getting the pages and front cover designed and then printed. Of course, ‘printing’ is a many and varied thing today. There’s digital versions – eBooks – and multiple options available here, printed books – a huge range of options from DIY through to more professional options and then there’s the whole ‘do I go Amazon or not’ discussion.

A great book coach will know all this and more because they’ve done it all themselves. In short, a great book coach will have experience in writing and book production. This will save you time and money and there’s a single line of accountability.

  1. To work with you on developing the marketing and content strategy and plan for your book and provide the tools to implement this yourself, or brief someone else

Just went you thought you could relax you have to market your book. In fact, you should have started thinking about, planning and started executing your marketing plan way before your book is about to be delivered.

A great book coach would know this and will help you through working out the whole ‘front end’ (aka marketing) of your quite early on in your business book journey.

It’s like most elements of business book self publishing. Planning, thinking ahead, giving yourself time to learn, develop and execute in the best way possible for you.

So, if you’re looking for a great book coach, contact me.

I am passionate about business books and helping others change the world one book at a time.