Apply for a Book Coaching Fellowship
At Author Accelerator, we believe in collective strength and the responsibility to shape a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive future for publishing. We recognize the pressing need to amplify the voices of groups traditionally underrepresented in publishing. This work is ongoing, and we haven’t figured it all out. We’re learning, listening, and working to grow every day.
Our Fellowship for 2025 focuses on BIPOC and all groups traditionally underrepresented in publishing.
The 2025 Fellowship Program Details
The Book Coach Certification Program Fellowship is available to current book coaches, freelance editors, or people who wish to learn how to become a book coach and who want to widen the net of their positive impact in the publishing industry by focusing on inclusivity in their coaching. If this sounds like you and you are interested in either the fiction or nonfiction Book Coach Certification program, please fill out the application below. We are able to award one Fellowship a year.
The Fellowship includes the following:
12 months of support from March 2025 - March 2026 with our certification team members who can help you work through the course and prepare your practicum work
Regular accountability check-ins
Enrollment in the fiction, memoir, or nonfiction course with our high-touch coaching and guidance
Membership in our online coaching community which includes meet-ups and group chats
Upon certification, you will be entitled to all the certification benefits all of our certified coaches receive
We believe that book coaching can be a profitable side hustle or full-time career for people who love books and writers.
Our Values
We believe that both writing and book coaching are teachable skills.
We believe that assisting writers in their creative journey is important and rewarding work.
This fellowship is designed for those who share our passion for lifting up all writers and want to contribute to the ongoing efforts to advance equity in the publishing industry.
Our goal is to ensure that people from all backgrounds feel welcome and valued within our certification program and community. To achieve this, we are dedicated to training our coaches to be fully aware of the unique challenges faced by groups traditionally underrepresented in publishing and to understand the critical importance of welcoming and serving writers from all backgrounds with integrity.
Aishwarya, 2023 Recipient
“Being a recipient of the Book Coaching Fellowship (Fiction) has changed the way I think about and approach coaching. As an avid reader and an experienced coaching professional, finding a way to combine the best of both worlds has been a great learning opportunity, and an exciting way to look into how change can be facilitated on several levels. The course is structured in a way that works for people across different levels of experience with the publishing industry (and the coaching process). Dani [mentor] has been endlessly patient and kind with my curiosity, my approach to the process, and any nerves/fears I may have - the opportunity to receive one-to-one mentorship from someone who really understands the value core of what I want to do with book coaching has been instrumental to building my confidence to do this work more consistently going ahead.”
Yasmin McClinton, 2023 Recipient
“I'm not sure I can adequately express the amount of learning in the course and the support I've received as I've gone through the Fellowship. Everything and everyone has exceeded my expectations and have helped me to feel more secure and extremely excited about my book coaching. The community of coaches and mentors is phenomenal and I am lucky to be a part of it.”
The Fellowship Program Schedule
December 2 - December 16, 2024
The Fellowship Application period is open for two waves over two weeks or until 15 applications are received, whichever comes first.
January 2025
Applications are reviewed by our Manager of Certification and a short list is presented to Jennie Nash, CEO of Author Accelerator, for a final decision. We may elect to interview semi-finalists; if we do, we will contact them as needed.
February 2025
Decisions will be sent out to all applicants. The 2025 Fellow will be announced.
March 2025
Enrollment in the fiction/memoir/nonfiction certification program begins for the Fellow.
March 2025 - February 2026*
Fellow completes the coursework and practicum work, getting feedback from our certification team along the way, and submits their final application for certification**.
*We do have provisions for extensions, if needed. If the fellow receives a Revise & Resubmit (R&R) request from our certification team, that R&R work includes extra time.
** If a Fellow doesn't earn certification, they continue to work with their mentor and our Certification Team to help them get there. Most of our students earn certification within two attempts.
What we look for in a fellowship applicant
Current book coaches*, freelance editors, or people who wish to learn how to become a book coach
Applicants who want to elevate the voices of groups traditionally underrepresented in publishing for greater equity in the publishing industry
Applicants who have a platform already and are poised to begin making an impact if certified
Applicants who are ready to devote the necessary time to follow our fellowship program schedule (our certification courses are estimated to take about 100 hours for the self-study portion, followed by 3 - 4 months of practicum work, but this can vary by student; we estimate most students spend an average of 8-10 hours per week over the course of a year for learning, practicum work, and community engagement).
*Current book coaches must be enrolling in a new genre for certification in order to be eligible for a fellowship. In other words, if they’ve already purchased a course, they cannot get cash back on that purchase in order to proceed as a fellow.
The Fellowship Application
The first wave of applications for the 2025 Fellowship will be accepted beginning December 2, 2024. This form will open at that time.
Thank you for your interest.
FAQs
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Yes. Current students who are enrolled in only one of the Book Coach Certification courses (fiction, memoir, or nonfiction) may apply to receive a fellowship spot for another certification genre course (fiction, memoir, or nonfiction).
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No. Funding for a course is not available after you purchase it.
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Funding can only be awarded to cover one Book Coach Certification program course per fellow. If you are ambivalent about which course you would like the fellowship to cover, please indicate that in your application and our team will help you decide.
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You will need to submit a new application if you decide after applying that you’d like to enroll in a different course than you indicated on your application. You should also email us to rescind your previous application.
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Fellows have until February 15 to reserve their spot by responding to the fellowship award email. If they do not reserve their place by February 15, their opportunity will expire and they will need to apply again during the next application window. All fellows who accept their funding are expected to follow the schedule outlined above.
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Students earn certification based on their work in the Book Coach Certification program and in the practicums. Certification is contingent on each student's work and demonstrated skills, and is never guaranteed. However, our goal with the fellowship program is to give recipients who are committed to the work and making a broader impact in the publishing industry by elevating groups traditionally underrepresented in publishing the support they need to earn certification.
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As with earning certification, we expect fellows to get out of this program what they put into it. Success – whatever your definition of it is – takes time and deep commitment, and is never guaranteed. However, post-certification, our team offers all of our certified coaches as much support and guidance as we can on what it takes to launch and run a book-coaching business that aligns with your vision of success.
