A book coach works with people, usually 1:1 on their books. Some book coaches work as editors, doing developmental (big picture) and line edits on their clients’ manuscripts, while others act as accountability partners, or both.

I am a book coach who works mostly in group settings with cohorts of women, though I do have limited space for women who prefer to work one on one.

And while I have worked in every aspect of publishing from ghostwriting to editing, to coaching, my favorite thing in the world is working on book proposals, and so that’s what I do.

However, since book proposals are hefty documents, the work I do with clients involves structure and craft, accountability and inspiration.

If you want to publish with a traditional publisher, and your book has broad, commercial appeal (like memoir, self-help, digestible social science, etc) you probably do. If your book is super niche or academic or scholarly, there are lots of independent publishers out there who put their proposal specifications on their website and you can submit on your own, without an agent.

The great news about agents is that there are so many wonderful ones to choose from!

Generally speaking, agents take 15% of your earnings. If you have a good agent, they deserve every penny. They can get you more money than you could get on your own, they will help you deliver the best proposal possible, and they will take care of all the legal paperwork. The very best agents are collaborative partners.

Where to start? Ask your bookish friends about their agents, read your favorite author’s acknowledgments pages, and start googling about agents in your genre. Then start querying them about your book.

Cold queries connect agents and authors every day. You can do this :)

If your goal is to get a book deal with a traditional publisher, then please stop writing your book immediately and start writing your proposal instead. Sure, every now and then a manuscript is so compelling an agent will try to sell it, but most of us need to write a proposal in order to get an agent and sell our book.

So yes, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you (and honestly, shame on some of the editors out there who are getting paid to work with people on their manuscripts when they know full well how the business works), but yes you will need a proposal.

But look on the bright side! You’re ahead of the game because you probably already have your book organized and you have your sample chapters. The rest will be a breeze :)

First of all, I really enjoy women, and I’ve tried working with men and—what can I say? It didn’t work for me.

Second of all, because we’re women, book proposals have extra juicy, personal growth opportunities because the whole platform business hits us right where it counts. Many women find it difficult to discover and claim their authority, and that’s a place I love to work.

Why? Because I want to live in a world where women know who they are, what they want, and how to make sh*t happen—bookishsly.

When I started as a book coach, I always began by asking my clients why they wanted to write a book—a grueling (and often thankless) task.

Most answers went something like this: I want to write a book so that I can become seen and respected as an expert in my field.

They had dreams—and I get it!—of being invited onto a national, if not global, stage to change the world, or at least the conversation, about their ideas or story.

Don’t we all!?

Unfortunately, they had their goals in reverse.

They hoped that having a book would help them become an authority, when in fact it happens the other way around.

What I’ve discovered after years of working with aspiring authors, entrepreneurs, and thought-leaders is that people with authority get the book deal, the keynotes, the morning shows, and the customers and clients they desire and deserve.

So, what is authority?

True authority includes both an internal experience of trusting yourself and being seen as an expert by others.

Unfortunately, real, impactful authority is one of those things in life that we just can’t give ourselves. It must be granted to us.

But if we don’t feel we deserve it, we’ll never be brave enough to step into the process of cultivating our own authority.

Which is to say—becoming an authority is a deeply personal and professional process that requires a ton of inner & outer work.

Authority is a project in and of itself.

I’ve been hosting conversations and gathering data about women and authority for a couple years now. Here are some juicy takeaways:

We fear that if we take care of ourselves by developing our own authority, we're neglecting our lives and our kids.

We wonder about when it's ok to do something professional or creative out of a hunger for "ego" satisfaction, and what that even means.

We notice that these days, everyone is "empowered" with a "you-do-you" attitude. Where does that leave society? And kindness? Compassion? The other?

We want to know what it means to be a *true* authority—the authority of our lives, and in our work. Will we know when we get there?

We're curious about when this whole imposter situation will fade away? After decades of personal authority building, why is she still hanging around?

Be part of the conversation by taking this survey called What’s Your Authority Style?

PS: To find out more, download this PDF called The 7 Myths of Female Authority

I’d love to! With all my years of college teaching and professional editing, carving with the written word is one of my favorite things to do. Unfortunately, my focus these days is on getting as many women’s books published as possible (and my own writing!) so I can’t commit to large editing projects. However, when you work with me 1:1 you’ll certainly receive a lot of my notes and editorial know-how to take with you.

Thank you so much for asking! I have done ghostwriting in the past, and am no longer available. I’m all about giving women what they need to write their books on their own.

While certainly a book published by a traditional publisher will be like fire to your personal + professional brand, you’re better off thinking about it the other way around. As in, building a personal + professional brand will help you get a book deal with a traditional publisher.

The very best way to build your brand is to write a book proposal, which will force you to establish your “platform” which is essentially, the basis of your brand, aka, your authority.

Are you seeing a theme here?

Authority + brand first. Book second. Then watch the bookish magic grow!

And if you’re interested in learning more about brand-building check out the most impressive body of work by Dorie Clark.

Your publishing path—whether you choose traditional publishing, self-publishing or hybrid publishing—is 100% dependent on your goals, and your budget.

Download my one-pager here on the differences between traditional, self and hybrid publishing.

For instance, if you really want to write a book and see your name on the cover of a book and you aren’t concerned with building your credibility AND you have lots of money to spend (self-publishishing can cost up to $35,000) then by all means, self-publish!

Another option is the hybrid publication path, which means you pay to be published, but part of what you’re paying for is professional distribution of your book, so unlike the self-publishing route, hybrid books can be found in bookstores alongside traditionally published books. By the way, hybrid publishing can cost up to $50,000. Just sayin’.

If, however, you’re interested in writing a book to help you build a personal + professional brand, then you have nothing to lose—and everything to gain—by diving into writing a book proposal and seeing if there’s a market for your book. That way, you don’t have to pay to play (though many authors do pay for marketing and PR help post-publication) AND you become an expert in your topic (and yourself) and make a lot of progress on the writing. And if you don’t sell it, then you revert back to self- or hybrid- publishing.

One important caveat: If you are someone who already has a significant business and/or platform and you have a book that you know you can sell to lots of readers, then you’re in a very different position than most, and if you want to self- or hybrid- publish to avoid the hassle of traditional publishing, that makes sense.

If I seem to be throwing shade at hybrid- or self- publishing, it’s only because I want women to take the risk of putting themselves out there by writing that proposal, building that platform and seeing what happens.

I’m all about helping women build their story and build their authority.

In traditional publishing—from the time you turn your manuscript in, to the time it’s published could take six months or more. But that’s ok. You’ll have lots to do preparing for the launch because that’s another thing writers have to learn how to do—market their books.

In a word, no. And while you may be fortunate enough to work with an editor and marketing team who will go all out for your book, even the most successful writers still do a LOT on their own. Which is to say now is a good time to study your favorite writers’ marketing vibes and see how they do it :)

And if you’re looking for a rockstar marketing guru to help you craft your own successful (and affordable) launch, check out my friend Fran Hauser’s Book Launch Pro masterclass..

And here’s a great article on the secret lists behind the NYTimes bestseller list.

I have well-known clients who received $10,000 as an advance and relatively unknowns who received $200,000. Unfortunately there is no algorithm, but publishing is not a get-rich-quick (or ever!) scheme, that’s for sure.

A good agent will help create a sense of urgency (aka FOMO) about your book proposal and hopefully editors will feel it.

Your advance will be paid out in up to four installments (for instance, upon signing, manuscript delivery, publication and six months later) so even a larger sum doesn’t end up feeling like much!

The bottom line is that the best way to get a lot of money for your book is to write a kick-ass proposal with a juicy idea and to be a person with authority who is attractive to agents and editors.

While publishing (like our culture) is rigged in so many ways, it is actually possible for a first-time writer to get a great deal and write an important book you can be proud of.

I did it myself, and I’d be honored to help you do it, too.