Are you curious about a career for people who love books, have a talent for analyzing stories and ideas, and want to do meaningful work?
Our goal is to give you the skills, experience, and confidence to build and launch a book coaching business.
We help you take your love of books and turn it into a viable business.
We know that becoming an entrepreneur is not something that most writers, teachers, English majors, and book lovers have thought much about. Most of us are attracted to book coaching because we love:
People
Deep conversation
Learning new things
Big ideas that can change the world
But it turns out that running a business helping writers bring their dreams to life utilizes a lot of these same talents.
At Author Accelerator, we help you take your love of books and turn it into a viable business.
Over the next twelve months*, you’ll learn the skills, tools, and processes of book coaching.
*Or a bit shorter if you choose to study fiction or nonfiction, which are nine-month courses. The memoir course is twelve months.
Example lessons include:
Book Coaching Fundamentals
The 7 Core Principles of Giving Editorial Feedback — because what distinguishes a professional from a critique partner is the ability to give effective feedback with evidence and compassion.
6 Ways to Edit More Efficiently — including knowing the Hierarchy of Editorial Concerns and The Big 5 Editorial Skills so you can look for patterns in everything you edit. Pattern recognition is central to editorial efficiency.
The 5 Core Principles of Providing Emotional Support — including helping a writer with doubt and knowing how to hold them accountable to the goals they’ve set for themselves. This kind of support is what differentiates a developmental editor from a book coach.
Editorial Skills
The Blueprint for a Book framework — a process of inquiry for helping a writer get their idea out of their head and onto the page. This 14-step framework can be used at the start of a book project and also to rescue it and to revise it.
How to Evaluate a Complete Manuscript (fiction and memoir) — a process for effectively and efficiently reviewing a complete manuscript.
The 8 Elements of a Book Proposal (nonfiction and memoir — a process for helping a writer understand where their book fits in the marketplace and present a business case for their book.
How to Write a Clear and Actionable Editorial Letter — a framework for prioritizing what writers need to focus on first in their revision process.
Marketplace Skills
Navigating the Path to Publishing — the pros and cons of the three main paths to publishing, including discernment around issues of money, creative control, and time.
How to Research Agents and Comp Titles — a method for helping a writer approach the marketplace with confidence to ensure the best chance of success.
How to Develop Pitch Materials and a Pitch Strategy — a deep dive in understanding the fast-changing publishing marketplace.
Entrepreneurial Skills
How to Identify Right-Fit Clients — a process for defining your ideal client and identifying red-flag clients so you filter out the people who aren’t a good fit.
How to Design an Effective Client Intake Process — including defining your ideal client and identifying red flag clients so you filter out the people who aren’t a good fit.
Hosting a Discovery Call — including what to say and do, and what not to say and do as you welcome people into your business
View the syllabi for our courses to see a more complete listing of lessons
Our program gives you comprehensive book coach training
As soon as you enroll, you’ll get access to a Teachable course. You can start working through the lessons at your own pace. Some people with a lot of time, energy, or experience move through the lessons pretty quickly. Others do so in a more measured way.
The course comes with:
A Student Guide with all the key links you’ll need for accessing tools and resources/
More than 100 video lessons (you can choose captions or no captions) and a full transcript of the entire course.
A searchable 160-page workbook that aligns with the course lessons and gives you exercise to practice each skill. There are Bonus Lessons offered in the workbook that you can do as you go, or come back to later.
Templates, checklists, cheat sheets, and email swipe copy so you’re never left wondering how to approach a client, what to do with the pages you get from them, or what you will be sending back.
We meet once a month in a live call (which is recorded), where you can ask questions about the lessons you are working on, discuss successes and setbacks, brainstorm how to approach your practicum clients, meet other students, and become part of a thriving book coaching community. If you can’t attend live, send your questions in advance and we will answer them.
In addition, you can ask questions at any time in our Mighty Networks community—it’s like a private Facebook group but better organized and very supportive and friendly.
You will not just be learning in a vacuum. Throughout your training, you’ll be book coaching.
There are three practicums required for certification. You will coach a writer at three key stages in the book development process:
Starting a book
Evaluating a complete manuscript (fiction and memoir) or a complete book proposal (nonfiction.)
Preparing the materials and strategy needed to pitch to agents (a critical skill even for self-publishing writers, since it’s all about positioning the book in the marketplace.)
You will find your practicum writers yourself and invite them into your process — which means you will be doing the fundamental work of running a book coaching business throughout the course and getting support as you build your skills and confidence.
Certification requires excellence
We want to make sure you have the skills you need to be an excellent book coach.
There are three criteria for certification:
Complete all the coursework. You can work through the lessons at your own pace.
Complete the three practicums. Each practicum has clear rubrics so you’re never guessing what skills we are evaluating and what materials to turn in.
Submit your work for certification within nine months of your start date (fiction and nonfiction) or twelve months (memoir.)
You’ll join a thriving community of certified coaches.
Once you’re certified, you’ll join our Membership Circle, which activates your license to use and teach with our proprietary tools and resources. It’s $15 a month — and it offers incredible value.
You’ll receive the Business of Book Coaching 90-day Start-Up Kit to help you lay a strong foundation for your business. You’ll be invited to monthly live accountability sessions and will unlock new areas of Mighty Networks for connection with other certified coaches.
Whenever you wish, you can opt into specialized training courses or a higher level of support for more accountability and resources. (Extra fees apply.)
What is the investment?
Your investment for Author Accelerator’s Book Coach Certification Course is:
$3,600 for fiction or nonfiction (nine-month program)
$4,800 for memoir (twelve-month program)*
Required reading for each course totals approximately $120 if you were to buy the books new.
Once you’re certified, the Certified Coach Membership Circle is $15/month for as long as you wish to use our tools in your book coaching business and for as long as you find the community worthwhile. There is also an option of a $50/month level that offers more support and feedback.
*The Book Coach Certification Program in Memoir is more expensive and longer because it includes additional training in fiction and nonfiction, and other additional lessons. We believe a good memoir coach needs to have all these tools in their toolbelt.
Please note that our prices are going up significantly in 2025. December 10, 2024 is the last chance to sign up at the current price.
Please note that our prices are going up significantly in 2025.
If you sign up before December 10th, 2024, you'll get the current price and the clock won’t start ticking on your certification application deadline until January 15th, 2025. That means that you could have several extra months to complete the requirements for certification.
Tamara Schweitzer, Author Accelerator Certified Coach
“This course is the gold standard! I thoroughly enjoyed every part of the experience and appreciate all the thought and intention that went into creating such a valuable course. I am extremely proud to be part of the Author Accelerator community and am so grateful that the book coach profession exists to help writers bring more stories into the world. I have grown so much as a student, a coach, and a writer as a result of this certification course and I’m looking forward to joining the ranks of this impressive group of certified book coaches. I cannot thank the Author Accelerator team enough for their care and support throughout this training process.”
Jessica Hunter, Author Accelerator Certified Coach, exerpt of letter to the community upon certification
“I am officially certified!!! 🤩🥰😄😵
Thank you to [the Certification Team] for responding to all of my posts and questions over the past year with such patience, gentleness and wisdom. Thank you for your deeply encouraging feedback on my submission materials. And for the way each of you support us every single day.
Thank you Jennie Nash for this amazing training and community you’ve built. I am astonished by how much I’ve grown in my coaching abilities, story telling, my own writing, and in life itself from this course and community. I really can’t imagine my life without this experience.
Thank you to every coach and coach in training in this community who have been a part of my journey here. Thank you for supporting me, guiding me, and encouraging me through this entire process. I would have never made it without all of you beautiful coaches and coaches in training. This community is absolutely priceless and I treasure you all so much.
I can’t wait to continue this journey with you all.”
Jennie Nash Answers The Seven Most Frequently Asked Questions
How much money can I make?
I give you some statistics on what our book coaches make in their first year of business and highlight some book coaching success stories. 12 minutes
2. How much time does it take?
I discuss the demands of the course and what you can expect to invest in terms of time and energy. 9 minutes
3. How do I get book coaching clients?
15.5 minutes
4. Can book coach training help my own writing?
2.5 minutes
5. What kinds of people make great book coaches?
7.5 minutes
6. Can I hear from some Author Accelerator book coaches?
9 minutes
7. I want to become a book coach, but I am feeling imposter syndrome. Can you help?
18 minutes
BONUS VIDEO: I’d like to see what the certification course and community space looks like. Can I have a tour?
20 minutes
Limited Time Special Offer!
For students new to Author Accelerator
The One-Page Book Coaching Business Plan Challenge 5-Day Course
Includes a 30-minute review of your work with Jennie Nash
The 5-day course will walk you through:
Writing a mission statement for your business — why does book coaching speak to you?
Defining what kind of coaching you might like to do — fiction, nonfiction, or memoir to start, but also where in the process will you work, what kind of outcomes will you promise?
Who your ideal clients might be — you’ll consider demographics, psychographics, and more.
How much money you could reasonably expect to make given the time you have to devote to coaching — what will it take to earn back your tuition and make the money you want to make your first year?
What is your first idea for marketing to your ideal clients — what’s one thing you would feel comfortable doing to connect with them?
At the end of the course, you have the opportunity to sign up for a 1:1 strategy session with Author Accelerator CEO Jennie Nash. Here’s a note from Jennie about what to expect:
I’ll review your One Page Business Plan and in our 1:1 session, we’ll discuss where there are holes — and possibilities! I can share the websites of coaches who are working in a similar space so you can find real-world inspiration. You can ask me any personal questions you have about our certification program. I will not try to sell you on joining our book coach training and certification course. We find that the people who build the best book coaching businesses are the ones who know it’s right for them — and twisting your arm is not something we believe in.
Please note that our prices are going up significantly in 2025. December 10, 2024 is the last chance to sign up at the current price.
Please note that our prices are going up significantly in 2025.
If you sign up before December 10th, 2024, you'll get the current price and the clock won’t start ticking on your certification application deadline until January 15th, 2025. That means that you could have several extra months to complete the requirements for certification.
Do you still have questions we didn’t answer here?
Go HERE to read Jennie’s book coaching manifesto and the story of how she started Author Accelerator
Go HERE to read book coach Success Stories
Go HERE to read the first chapter of Jennie’s book, Read Books All Day and Get Paid For It: The Business of Book Coaching.
Go HERE to listen to Jennie on a podcast — she’s been on more than 50.
Go HERE to follow her on Substack where she writes weekly about book coaching and is happy to answer your questions.
Scroll down for more testimonials.
Jessica Hill, Author Accelerator Certified Coach
“I have a M.A. in creative nonfiction, and as much as I loved my educational experience, I feel like I learned more about how to write a book in this course than I did in my program.”
Laurie Calkhoven, Author Accelerator Certified Coach and author of more than 50 books
“I worked in book publishing in various editorial capacities for twenty years, and have traditionally published more than 50 titles since I left the corporate world. I found the Blueprint, the Inside Outline, and the Hierarchy of Editorial Concerns invaluable in approaching other writer’s work and my own.”
Sabrina Estudillo Butler, Author Accelerator Certified Coach
“The Author Accelerator Nonfiction Book Coaching Certification course was EVERYTHING. Coming from an architecture background, I was extremely worried that I just wouldn’t know enough and that it would take forever to learn what I needed to. But since starting (and finishing) the course, and going through the practicums, I truly feel like a book coach! And all of the clients I've already started coaching would agree."
Liisa Kovala, Author Accelerator Certified Coach
“The Author Accelerator program exceeded my expectations. I love the supportive online network and the interaction with staff. The practicum prep sessions were invaluable as I prepared for certification. Jennie Nash, her staff, certified book coaches, and coaches-in-training make the Author Accelerator an amazing community.”
Marni Seneker, Author Accelerator Certified Coach
“Author Accelerator certification gave me a framework and Blueprint (literally) for the work, the confidence that once I was certified I was qualified to do it, the ongoing support of classes, MN, and community, and so many other resources. I have created true friendships with so many coaches and I am so grateful to be able to "talk shop" and learn from all of you wonderful humans.”
JoAnne Tompkins, Author Accelerator Coaching Student (and Edgar Award-Winning Novelist)
“I am nearly 50% through the program which I am finding extremely useful! I wasn’t sure how much new I would get out of the course as I have had a lot of coaching and editing. My debut novel was published in 2021 by Riverhead Books. Sarah McGrath, Riverhead’s Editor in Chief, is my editor and she has edited [many literary luminaries.] I also completed an MFA in 2017 where I worked with award winning faculty. But, like most things in life, I’m constantly discovering how much more I have to learn. I am loving the framework you provide for approaching the work, our clients and the business of book coaching. It makes me feel very anchored. Thank you. And thank you for putting together such a thoughtful, well-presented course.”
