Book Coaching
Do you have a story in your head that only you can tell? Do you want a guide to keep you accountable and help you get the that story onto the page? That's what a book coach does! Cheerleader, project manager, task master, tough love critic, insightful listener, guide. Yes, like an athlete, you will have to practice (kind of like drills!) in order to hone your craft and deliver the best possible outcome. Like an athlete, you will have to set many small goals along the way in order to achieve your big goal — a published book!
Memoir
Writing a memoir is deeply personal and intense. It’s difficult to think of yourself as a character in your story, because it’s your story! It can also be hard to decide what the one big thing is you want to say and how to say it with clarity, purpose and authentic emotion. I'll work with you from the very beginning of the process — ideally before you've even written your first chapter — and guide you step by step through the rest of the process. Here's how it usually works:
Part 1: Fundamentals
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Identifying and reaching your ideal reader
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Mapping out your table of contents
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Designing a simple chapter template
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Drafting your first and final chapters
Cost: $3K
Part 2: Draft Revisions
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First manuscript review
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Revision plan
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Second manuscript review
Cost: $2K
Part 3: Query-to-Pitch
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Query letter
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Agent list
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Pitch strategy and pitch support
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Choosing an agent
Cost: $1K
Cost for full package: $5K
Deliverables: Weekly or semi-weekly 30-minute calls, plus written feedback
Timeline: 6 months
Nonfiction
If you want to publish a nonfiction manuscript through a traditional publisher, you will need to pitch and then write your full manuscript. Together we will work through three parts of this process:
Part 1: Fundamentals
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Structure
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Target reader and target reach
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Chapter structure and development
Part 2: Proposal
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TOC
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Overview
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Comp titles
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Sample chapter(s)
Part 3: Pitch
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Pitch materials
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Agent list
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Pitch strategy and pitch support
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Choosing an agent
Cost for full package: $5K
Deliverables: Weekly or semi-weekly 30-minute calls, plus written feedback
Timeline: 6 months
Fiction
You have a brilliant idea for a story but you aren’t sure where to start. Together we will work to make your vision a reality by creating a blueprint for your manuscript, revising it and preparing it for an agent. These three stages are designed to get your best manuscript on the path to a release date!
Part 1: Story Fundamentals, Structure and Scenes
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Point, basic plot, genre, target reader, jacket copy, etc.
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Story structure, POV, point in time, detailed plot, outline
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Opening and closing scenes, etc.
Cost: $3K
Part 2: Draft Revisions
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First manuscript review
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Revision plan
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Second manuscript review
Cost: $2K
Part 3: Query-to-Pitch
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Query letter
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Agent list
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Pitch strategy and pitch support
-
Choosing an agent
Cost: $1K
Cost for full package: $5K
Deliverables: Weekly or semi-weekly 30-minute calls, plus written feedback
Timeline: 6 months
Marni was able to help me dig deep into my characters and make their true essence shine through by asking insightful questions that led me to understand who I wanted those characters to be. She made sure the magic that was inside my head ended up on the page.
— Mindy Carlson, Fiction Writer
