What’s the Difference Between a Book Coach and an Editor?
Despite the image of authors that many people have–of the harried writer locked alone in a dark room, typing frantically at a keyboard at all hours of the day–writing a book is far from a solitary pursuit. Writers have more resources for support than ever, and at all stages of their book, from planning to publishing and everything in between.
While most people are familiar with what an editor does, the practice of using a certified coach to help you write your book has only become more mainstream in recent years, and many people aren’t certain what the difference is. This is sometimes complicated by the fact that many certified book coaches, myself included, are also editors! If you’re thinking about finding someone to support you on your writing journey, you’re probably wondering how you can determine who’s going to be the best person for you and your book. You don’t want to waste your time and money on the wrong service, after all! So what’s the difference between a book coach and an editor, and which one do you need?
Book Coaches: Your Personal Cheerleaders
The main job of a book coach is to support the author as they craft their book’s first draft, or in the case of nonfiction and memoir authors who are seeking traditional publication, their proposal. This can look like many different things, depending on the writer’s need, and many coaches have particular areas of expertise. For example, a book coach can help you plan out your book’s entire structure, including exploring why this idea is important to you and developing a detailed outline, like Liz Green and Laura Aliese do.
Coaches also support writers from week to week as they write their draft, offering accountability, encouragement and feedback. Many work with specific types of projects, like Dinah Laprairie, whose specialties are prescriptive nonfiction and books by everyday experts, Trisha Loehr who works exclusively with romance writers, or Kim Reynolds, whose area of expertise is literary, thriller and women’s fiction. Others, like Alex Van Tol and Jodi Janz, work with a wide variety of genres and age groups. Some coaches even specialize in supporting particular groups of people; my concentration is working with neurodiverse writers to develop writing practises that address their challenges, for example.
You can also find coaches who will help you perfect your pitching materials for when you’re ready to query agents or publishers, like Carol Teal and Michelle Bish do. Many book coaches also run group programs, like Liisa Kovala with her quarterly groups (her spring group is open for registration now!).
If you’re struggling to develop your story idea or are looking for accountability to make sure you’re writing on a regular basis, a book coach is your best bet.
Lastly, working with a book coach tends to be an ongoing process over several weeks or months, with regular submissions from the writer, feedback from the coach and meetings to discuss the writer’s progress. When I work with a client, for example, each coaching session typically takes place over a two-week period. The writer will submit pages for me to review, and a week later I send them my feedback and comments. A week after that, the writer sends me their revisions to read and we have a virtual meeting to discuss how they’re feeling about their progress, any challenges they’re facing, and their goal for the next two-week period. We repeat these sessions over a series of months as the writer continues to work on their book. Some writers will work with a coach from the first chapter to the last, whereas others will choose a specific time period where they can develop a healthy, sustainable writing practice with the coach’s help, then continue forward on their own. Each person’s needs are different, and coaches are highly adaptable to ensure their clients are getting the type of support that’s right for them.
Editors: Your Expert Eyes
Working with an editor, on the other hand, usually takes place over a shorter time frame and involves a one-time job. The writer submits their work, the editor reviews it, makes comments, suggestions and corrections, and returns it to the writer. Many editors will include a virtual meeting or phone call to go along with their edits as well. Writers generally seek out an editor when they’ve completed one or more drafts of their book and are looking for a fresh set of eyes on their work from a professional.
Just like with coaching, editors can specialize in different types of feedback: a manuscript evaluation, which consists of a read-through of the work and feedback outlining any major issues with plot, structure or characterization; a developmental edit, which is a more in-depth look at the work and includes comprehensive feedback on the entire manuscript; line edits, which address the writing line by line for structure, word choice and style; and copy edits or proofreading, which check for proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. Regardless of the type of edit, the relationship between the writer and the editor is usually complete once the work has been returned, unless the writer engages the editor for ongoing support as they work on their revision. This is most common after a developmental edit when the writer wants to make sure their changes are actually resolving the issues the editor discovers, and can save a lot of time and rewriting over future drafts.
Which One is Right For Me?
What determines whether you need a book coach or an editor is what stage the manuscript is at and what type of support you need. If you’re struggling to develop your story idea or are looking for accountability to make sure you’re writing on a regular basis, a book coach is your best bet.
If you’re ready to start revising and get your book into the best shape it can be, turn to an editor. You can also hire a book coach-editor combo to work through your revision chapter by chapter or week to week if you think that’s what you need to keep moving forward!
Certified book coaches and editors are both highly-skilled professionals whose missions are to help you write your best book. You can find certified book coaches and editors working with all types of authors in the Book Coaches Canada directory for fiction, nonfiction and memoir writers. I bet you can find a book coach that offers exactly what you need!
Nicole Bross is an Author Accelerator-certified fiction coach, magazine editor and author. She understands the challenges neurodiverse authors face and can help you tell a different story about who you are as a writer. Specializing in adult and YA genre fiction, Nicole works 1:1 with authors of all experience levels to develop a writing practice that works for them. Whether you're struggling to get started, keep going or stay focused, she's here to make the journey easier. Learn more at www.manuscriptalchemy.com
This is good information for writers and readers! There's a lot of overlap between what book coaches and editors do, but coaches can work across the lifespan of a publishing project. Thanks for helping to dispel the fog, Nicole & Book Coaches Canada 🍁