FAQs about Vital Wordplay
Coaching and Editing Services
What is a book coach?
A professional who works with you over time on content development, writing approaches, and other aspects of book development. As a certified book coach with experience developing all levels of content for publishers and independent authors, I help writers hone their core message and content elements, whether from an initial concept and an outline, from a few chapters, or from a completed draft. I also teach current clients how to find and pitch a book to agents. Learn more about my approach and services here.
Do coaches differ from editors?
The skills overlap, particularly when a certified book coach has trained as a structural editor who helps in moving content between/within chapters, as I have. Later stage editing tends to focus on sentence-level details. But not all coaches have trained in editing for voice and style (aka line editing, which I have 90+ hours of training in), or are a certified copy editor who has thorough training in analyzing sentences for grammar, punctuation, etc.
What is your coaching style?
I am a high-touch professional for those wanting to improve craft skills. I help you decide how to develop your work based on the level of input needed at the moment, and your overall goal. That is, I use my big picture know-how to help discern the most important elements for improving a manuscript overall, and then help hone the content moving forward. Every writer has areas needing attention in book development, given the complexity of getting ideas on the page in a compelling way. I will help identify your strengths and growth areas, champion you on your professional path, and provide industry insights to meet traditional publishing house standards, as desired (from having worked with many publishing houses).
Will content still sound like me?
Yes! My job is to help your voice shine through. I discuss your responses to content feedback as a coach or ghost, and in editing, provide a summary of the broad factors addressed while offering suggested word changes. That is, as a thorough coach and editor, I seek to guide you on content clarity and such to appeal to readers and to help the content reflect your intelligence and personality. But feedback and edits are yours to accept, or not. Ultimately, my goal is to help express your truth clearly while putting your best foot forward.