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Nonfiction Coaching

I specialize in making complex and abstract ideas easy to understand. Together we will build your book – your argument, structure, table of contents, and ultimately your manuscript – into the clear, captivating, persuasive book you want to write.

Books have a purpose for you and a purpose for your reader. I can help you deliver on both.

For you, writing a book can:

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  • build your brand and business,

  • satisfy a long-held desire to make an impact,

  • create a lasting legacy,

  • and introduce your brilliant idea to the world.

For your reader, your book can:

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  • inspire,

  • ignite,

  • and transform them from the inside out.

Where I fit in:

I help you translate the idea from your head onto the page in a way that is clear and compelling, so that readers can make the transformation your idea imagines.

A book is an agreement an author makes with a reader. You are promising the reader a transformation—a solution, an outcome—and they are paying you to deliver. They want to open the treasure chest of knowledge, and you have the key.

 

If that seems like a weighty responsibility, that’s because it is.

 

But here’s the secret: No one does it alone, and you shouldn’t either.
"Marni was able to give constructive and actionable feedback from both a big picture and detailed perspective. Her insights helped me reshape and refine the manuscript for publication."

Colin Bryar

Working Backwards, St. Martin's Press, 2021

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The Type of Client Who Has the Most Success
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  • You are engaged, committed, and willing to do the work (or ask for help).

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  • You trust the process, can persevere, and understand that writing a book is iterative and evolutionary.

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  • Even though you have unlimited ideas for books (and maybe businesses!), you understand the importance of picking and writing one at a time. You can resist “shiny object syndrome” to stay focused.

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  • You respond to direct and firm, but supportive, feedback. You are ready to invest in your idea and yourself to commit to this endeavor. Your time is valuable, so let’s not waste it.

Get a sense of what to expect when we work together.

All of the coaching I do is high-touch, one-on-one service. The work we do is customized to your specific needs.

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We will meet for a free consultation on Zoom to talk about your idea, your goals, and how I might be able to help you. From there I’ll customize a plan for our work together. Typically, I use one of the following frameworks to build our first set of deliverables:

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Quick-Start Book Plan

We will work to make your argument, articulate the point of your book, define your target reader, and outline reader transformation. This is an opportunity for you to do a little deep work on your own and receive written feedback accompanied by a follow-up Zoom meeting to discuss.

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Signature Intensive

Want to fast track your starting point for your book? We will meet in person for an efficient one-on-one intensive where we will push through all the basics, including your argument, target reader, reader transformation, publishing goals, and a rough shape for a manuscript.

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Preliminary Proposal Evaluation

Do you think your proposal is ready for agent review? I will review it and help you identify any opportunities to tighten or build sections to improve your chance of securing representation.

This initial work often leads to long-term coaching. When you decide to work with me to build your proposal or manuscript, you can expect weekly meetings, editorial feedback, and ongoing accountability until you have reached your goal for the book.

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I can also be your "Book Sherpa."

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Your work as an author doesn’t end when you submit your manuscript for copy edit.

 

The end of writing is the beginning of another phase – you’ve got to sell it. Your Amazon description, your author day, the talking points for your next book, social media strategy……you don’t have to tackle any of this alone.

 

As your book sherpa (a continuation of our long-term coaching relationship), I will partner with you so that you have continuity and support through the entire process.

WHAT I DO

Listen, coach, coax, cheer, co-write, and edit.​

This includes:

  • book coaching

  • book doctoring

  • developmental editing

  • publishing path consultation

  • proposal development

  • select ghostwriting

  • manuscript evaluation

  • ghostwriter pitch preparation

  • agent pitch support (query letter, synopsis, bio)

  • marketing support (Amazon description, publicist review, etc.)

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WHAT I DON'T DO

Let you off the hook, make decisions for you, or leave you on your own.​​

I also don't do:

  • agent research

  • pitch strategy

  • certain fiction genres

  • memoir or fiction ghostwriting

  • coach writing craft

  • copy editing

Ready to Reach Out?
Great! Here's what will happen:

1

You'll fill out a client questionnaire.

2

If we're a good fit, we'll have a consult call.

3

I'll design a coaching package to fit your goals.

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