By Cindy K. Sproles @CindyDevoted

Conferences are the best. Sure, they cost a little money…well, a bit of money, but if you are serious about your writing career then this is an expense you can’t afford to miss. Since Covid hit in 2020, many conferences were either shut down or forced to go online. Being online is great but there is nothing like that in-person experience.

Outside of the amazing classes you attend, networking is probably the next most valuable thing you will find. Networking allows you to meet industry professionals and not only pick their brains but become their friends as well. Faculties are generally chosen with specific things in mind and part of that is their willingness to share their knowledge and encouragement. You will only find this opportunity to network, at a conference.

Like anything, there are always warnings conferees need to adhere to. The most important is learning to discern whose services and advice to follow. Let me begin by saying this. It is always in your best interest to do your homework before you shell out additional money for services you feel you need. Having said that, let’s look at writing coaches. 

What is a writing coach?

A writing coach is someone who will come alongside you as you write, teaching you the ins and outs of good writing, encouraging you, and helping you find your niche and write the best you can. They will help you put together your proposal, hone a specific skill, work line for line with you, and direct you to industry professionals who may also be of service.

How do you know if a coach is qualified?

I know this sounds judgmental but hear me out. Step one on finding a good writing coach is finding a person who is well-published in the traditional publishing world. This is not to offend those who self-publish, but rather to say, that an individual who is well-published in the industry has years of experience. They understand the craft of writing, how to edit, plotting, and they understand how the industry works. Their experience alone will take your writing to a new level. That in and of itself is an important thing to consider. 

There are a lot of folks who sit by you at a conference and claim to be a writing coach. Your first step is to research their published work. If they are unpublished or have self-published a single book, doesn’t necessarily qualify them to have the experience or knowledge of the craft or industry to successfully help you. Again, this is not to say self-published authors are not qualified. They may have a writing degree, but nothing helps you more in a coaching situation than cold, hard, experience. Before you pay for coaching services, be sure the coach is experienced. If they are unpublished, there is probably a good reason. You have to be your own best advocate. Look for individuals who have walked the traditional path and understand the ins and outs. One published book does not a coach make. Those coaches who are set up by the conference director to see appointments have been vetted by conference leaders. Those sitting in the chair next to you…have not. Be wise.

I recently received a nice self-published book in the mail along with a business card that said, So and So, Author and Writing Coach. I opened the book and on the first page there were incomplete sentences, wordiness, and poor grammar. I’m certainly not perfect, but I get what a run-on sentence is and this book had sentences as long as my arm. (Maybe that’s a little exaggerated but you get my drift.) I looked at his business card and saw his website, so curiosity sent me to check it out. The only experience this person held was two self-published books and working as an unpaid blogger on a website. Then I checked out his references. None. And worse yet, his claims to bring interested folks into publication seemed pretty far-fetched when he’d only self-published through Amazon. 

Folks can puff themselves up and seem very reliable, but in the end, it’s up to you to be wise. Do your homework before you set yourself on a path that may do more harm than good.

What is fair pricing for a writing coach? J

ust like editors, coaching prices will vary. Some will charge per word, some per degree of needed assistance, others by the job. It really is a wide variety. Again, the more experience a coach has, the better and the adage, “You get what you pay for” tends to ring true. 

Can I ask for a sample of guidance before I agree to a coach?

Absolutely. It’s important to know that the person you are working with relates well to you and can explain and help you in a way that rings true for you.  Are they encouraging in their help or do they simply say, fix this or that? Ask for a sample coaching and either send one or two pages for the coach to look over, schedule a phone or zoom call and see what direction they can offer. If you are comfortable with their suggestions and ability to guide, hire them and remember, they are not a coach for life. Coaches will become your friend, but when it comes to work, be kind and don’t assume because you paid them to work on one project that you can get free advice on something else. Be kind about how you work with them. Be clear on what you need and don’t expect free advice just because you’ve worked with a coach on one project. Coaching is a way for experienced writers to make supplemental monies.

I, along with a very experienced friend, work together to coach. We work per job and per need, but you will find assorted methods of coaching. Do your homework and choose what is best for you. When I coach for a publisher, many times it entails rewriting manuscripts by authors who are not writers. Every job is different and must be considered so.

How do I know I need a coach? This depends on you. If you have a manuscript that is complete, but you are a first-time author, hiring a writing coach is not a bad idea. They can help you put your manuscript into order, assist with a good proposal, and even suggest agents who might be willing to look at your work. But hire them after you complete your manuscript so you have something to work with. You are not hiring them to write the book but to help you with what you’ve already written. Hiring a coach does not guarantee you will land a contract so don’t hire one and assume it’s a direct outlet into publication. Coaches are helpers. They help you get your work up to a level that agents and publishers will take a look. They do not hold the key to being published.

Hiring a writing coach can be helpful but ultimately, it’s up to you to do your homework and be sure that you will receive the help that will benefit you. Please be wise. Look at the experience of those who claim to be coaches. What are their credentials? Pray over your work and your decision and then take the steps you feel necessary to make your work the best it can be.

Cindy K. Sproles is an author, speaker, and conferenceteacher. She is the cofounder of ChristianDevotions.us and the executive editor of ChristianDevotions.us and InspireaFire.com. Cindy is the managing editor forStraight Street Books and SonRise Devotionals, both imprints of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. She is an award-winning and best-selling author and the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com. @cindydevoted