Scholarship Prepares Book Coaches of Color for Careers
The premier book-coaching company, Author Accelerator, is launching a 2-year scholarship program to train people of color to be book coaches and launch sustainable businesses helping writers write their best books. Applications are open November 15, 2022, through January 15, 2023.
Oct. 1, 2022 — SANTA BARBARA, CA — There’s no question that the publishing industry lacks equal representation at all levels. At the most vulnerable part of the process for writers – as they are nurturing their idea and putting words on the page – it’s crucial to have a trusted adviser in their corner who understands their story, their creative process, and the experiences they are bringing to the work. The newly launched Author Accelerator Book Coach Certification Scholarship provides one year of professional mentorship and feedback to up to three students of color as they complete the Book Coach Certification program and one subsequent year of career coaching and mentorship as they launch their business. The scholarship for the full two-year program, beginning in March 2023, has a $23,700 USD value. The only book coach certification company of its kind, Author Accelerator is making a noticeable impact on the publishing industry. With more than 115 certified book coaches, the company aims to train, support, and certify a diverse group of coaches who can serve writers of all backgrounds.
The Book Coach Certification Scholarship is open to Black, Indigenous, Latin, and other people of color who have formal writing and/or editing experience and who are interested in starting and running their own book coaching business. The Author Accelerator team will evaluate applicants’ commitment level, career goals, craft knowledge, industry knowledge, willingness to receive editorial and business guidance, and financial need.
The Author Accelerator team developed this scholarship as a way to amplify diverse voices and perspectives that are under-recognized in the publishing world. “The Book Coach Certification Scholarship has the potential to send ripples through the publishing industry as more people of color are given the tools and support they need to run successful, sustainable book coaching businesses helping writers of all backgrounds raise their voice and tell their story,” says Jennie Nash, Author Accelerator founder and CEO. “Book coaching is about more than just writing a good book: It’s a story about the changing nature of publishing, a professional movement that is empowering people at every stage of their careers, and the fact that the creative process doesn’t have to be as lonely nor as chaotic as we often believe.”
In a fast-moving publishing world looking for the next big hit, traditional publishers no longer have the time to nurture each writer’s project, let alone a writer’s whole career. Nash, an author who has spent more than 30 years on all sides of the publishing industry, saw the opportunity to offer writers what they have always needed but were no longer getting: the ongoing editorial, emotional, and project-management support necessary to produce their best work.
“Author Accelerator stands in opposition to the ‘quick win’ writing service companies that have sprung up on the internet,” says Nash. “So many businesses promise writers that they can or should write a book in 90 days or make a bestseller out of their blog posts or game the algorithms to sell books. That’s not what we do. Writing good books takes time and having consistent support makes the creative process not only less overwhelming but far more likely to result in a book people want to read.”
Author Accelerator: The Mission
Author Accelerator is on a mission to lead the book coaching industry. It teaches people the editorial and entrepreneurial skills they need to launch book coaching businesses that give writers the support they need. Coaches include writers, English teachers, former professors, librarians, book lovers – some of whom make book coaching a side hustle, some of whom do it full-time, and all of whom have been through the rigorous training program to learn Author Accelerator’s coaching methodology.
Ninety-eight percent (98%) of Author Accelerator certified coaches are women (of all ages, from their twenties to seventies).
Most book coaches launch their business within three months of earning certification and work with 5-10 clients in their first year.
Forty-eight percent (48%) made $15k or more in their first year as a certified book coach. Of that percentage, 40% made $30k or more. Several coaches are making six figures.
More than a third of Author Accelerator certified coaches have advanced degrees, including PhDs, law degrees, master’s degrees, and MFAs.
Most certified coaches are in the U.S., but there are Author Accelerator coaches working in Australia, Canada, England, Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, and Croatia.
The standards for certification are high. Approximately 25% of applicants for certification do not earn certification in their first pass. To be certified, coaches must complete a 90-lesson course and work with writers at three stages of the coaching process, submitting written and video examples of their coaching work.
The ultimate goal of the certification program is to help writers write better books. Writers who wish to work with a certified coach may opt into a bespoke matching service, in which Author Accelerator pairs them with a book coach who best suits their project.
Industry Leadership and Partnerships
Author Accelerator has entered into a partnership with industry-leading hybrid publishers She Writes Press and Page Two Books to provide book coaching for writers preparing to publish under their imprints. They are in conversation with other hybrid publishers for similar agreements.
Author Accelerator aims to help diversify the publishing industry. Their prior financial aid programs for people of color have helped bring 50 new students into the book coaching community.
Recently Certified Coaches are Saying:
"I love the Author Accelerator community. There is a place to ask questions and where everyone's wins are celebrated. There is enough work for us all, and I really feel like this community is home." —Akosua Jackie Brown
"I knew the course would be excellent quality after listening to Jennie on many podcast episodes. I even used information she provided over the years to write my own non-fiction book proposal, get an agent and a publishing deal (published June 2020). So I knew her work and already loved it. But I have been blown away by the detail, high-quality teaching, and structure of the course. I feel like I'm completely in safe hands. I have just begun work with practicum clients and I feel that I'm about to bring real value to their projects, on a practical as well as emotional level.” —Penny Wincer
"Book coaching gives me the flexibility to work from my phone for a few hours while I sit next to my kid on the couch, take a break to play a round of Uno, or just stop and read a book when I need a dose of compassionate understanding from a fellow single mom. It means I’m my own boss, so I get to be the one to decide if I need to push through and work after I put my kid to bed, or if I need to extend a deadline and choose sleep." —Erin Michelle Gibes
"The training is addictive, beyond thorough, and giving me so many 'Aha!' moments as to why I've been stuck on my own novels. I can't wait to... help other writers have the same Aha! Moments.” —Stuart Luca-Wakefield
"This course was exactly what I needed to take my writing business to the next level. Book coaching combines my cheerleading strengths with my writing knowledge and experience. The Author Accelerator community offered fabulous support. Overall a wonderful and worthy certification program." —Kim Hruba
"This course has changed my life. I feel more confident than ever in my abilities to develop a manuscript, as both a writer and coach, that will attract the attention of an agent and publisher." —Trevor Brooks
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For more information about the Book Coach Certification Scholarship and to apply, visit bookcoaches.com/scholarship.
For more information about Author Accelerator, visit bookcoaches.com and authoraccelerator.com.
For more information about Jennie Nash, visit jennienash.com.
*Nash’s first book coaching client landed a two-book deal at a Random House imprint (Lisa Cron, Wired for Story, Story Genius). Her second client wrote a memoir that was published by Scribner (Sam Polk, For the Love of Money). A recent nonfiction client scored a six-figure deal at Hachette (Jenn Lim, Beyond Happiness). A recent fiction client hit the New York Times bestseller list and was a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick (KJ Dell’Antonia, The Chicken Sisters). Nash’s clients who choose to publish independently have won dozens of national indie publishing awards.
