Strengthening Your Skills
Today’s success story comes from Amy Isaman, who just earned her book coach certification!
How did you come to book coaching?
Several years before I left teaching, I started an online writing community for teen writers which I managed to grow to several hundred kiddos, but I was terrible at marketing and never monetized it. At the time, I was also blogging and finally starting to write my own novel, after a 20-year hiatus from writing.
I managed to get an agent but he didn't sell my novel. When I got the rights back to it, I learned all about self-publishing and published it myself.
From these experiences, I actually got pretty good at tech and ultimately left teaching HS English and started a small web design business. I was still writing my own books when a friend asked for support with her book. And she paid me!! What?!?
I didn't realize that book coaching was a thing, but I did some research and found Jennie's book Read Books All Day and Get Paid for It which I ordered and devoured. I began to slowly close my web design business and shifted to working with writers, which I love.
It actually has surprised me a bit how much I love working on nonfiction books, but it's hands down my favorite. I LOVE hashing out client's big ideas and helping them clarify them. As a former teacher, I'm very comfortable with teaching writing and supporting writers. I've also got an MA in Lit which is really a degree in story analysis, so I feel comfortable with the writing and structural pieces. I'm comfortable with the query process for fiction and the entire self-publishing process, but I was not at all familiar with the proposal process for nonfiction.
I enrolled in the Author Accelerator nonfiction Book Coach Certification program at the very end of 2021 to strengthen my skills working with NF writers in terms of supporting them with their structure and the path to publication.
What was your experience in the Book Coach Certification program?
I loved the whole program. It was hands-down the most rigorous online program I've ever done (and I've done quite a few - some with major regrets). It pushed me - I cried more than once, questioned myself, but I DID IT!!
I debated for months on whether or not I should enroll. I wanted to be sure that I was enrolling because the program would supplement my skills and not just because I felt inadequate and wanted external validation that I could be a book coach.
Also, in all honesty, I was a little leary of another online certification program that has zero oversight and someone just came up with a framework that they're now certifying people in. I don't share that to offend, but it was definitely a concern. So, I attended several of Jennie's open Q&A's and she completely alleviated those concerns. She's open, honest, and answered all questions. She also knows her stuff which was so clear in those sessions. I also dove into the syllabus and knew that the nonfiction program would absolutely fill in the gaps of my knowledge.
In the program, I very much appreciated how present Jennie was. She was at most of the NF practicum prep sessions which was amazing and she'd stay way over to make sure questions got answered. As for the program, the practicums were the most valuable and another reason I enrolled. I could have just gotten a book on crafting a proposal, but knowing that I would actually DO one with a client was HUGE. It also really helped me refine some of my systems which was incredibly helpful.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you’re taking away from the training?
"There are no guarantees in publishing." For whatever reason, this helped me take off the heavy load of personal pressure I was putting on myself. And I'm not even sure if this was in the training or if Jennie said it somewhere else, but it also made me think deeply about the ROI of writing a book, from a personal/spiritual perspective as well as a professional perspective. I was only focusing on the professional growth for my clients but when I think of my own writing journey, it's WAY more about the personal growth, and it can be that way for my clients too. Also, I'm not responsible for their successes or their perceived failures. I will do everything in my power to support them in getting where they want to go to guide them on the path that I think is best for them, but ultimately, it's their book, their career.
What did you to celebrate earning your certification?
The priority is to continue serving my existing clients. I asked several people to be practicum clients, some of whom aren't done, so I need to finish those clients up. Unfortunately, my plate has too many free clients on it, but I'm learning! So I need to finish them up and serve my paying clients as well.
Then, I'd want to continue to grow my business and market it until I'm at wait list status which is about 3 more clients.
Starting last spring I began shifting my web copy and updating pages/services on my website from general book coach to NF coach. Having been in the online world for some time, I know how long the runway is to getting traction so a lot of that work is done - thank goodness.
I have a podcast that I paused last spring to focus on launching my latest novel, and I'd like to get some new episodes up on that focused on NF. I'd love to have Jennie on it to kick off a NF series!! ;)
I'd also like to do some in person teaching and speaking as the world is opening up again. And finally, I have an idea for my own NF book, so I think I'm going to volunteer to be a practicum practice client and get started on that project!
Tell us more about your coaching plans.
I plan to continue running and growing my own business. I also have a small community on Circle (similar to Mighty Networks) called Let’s Write Café where I host co-writing sessions, my group programs, all coaching clients in a private space, and classes (coming soon).