Thriving with Flexibility
Author Accelerator certified book coaches come from a wide variety of backgrounds and careers. We hope you enjoy this recent interview with certified book coach Ceridwen Hall.
How did you first hear of book coaching?
I first learned about Author Accelerator through a Wellesley alumnae newsletter in the fall of 2020 — there was a listing for a talk Jennie Nash offered on putting together a book proposal and a tiny blurb about Author Accelerator. I spent the whole afternoon reading about book coaching.
How long did it take for you to decide this career was right for you?
I decided to start the certification course on New Year's Eve 2020. I knew right away that I would love book coaching and that I had the temperament and skills for it, but I'd just finished a PhD in May of 2020 so it took me a few months of reflection to let go of my plan to apply to academic teaching jobs and reconcile myself to more "homework". Ultimately, I realized that book coaching involved all the things I loved about teaching (writing feedback, helping students find their voices) without the parts I found draining (grading, tracking attendance etc.) AND that book coaching would give me so much more flexibility and freedom to spend time with my family and pursue my own writing projects.
Tell us more about the types of writing clients you work with.
One of the things I love about bookcoaching is working one-on-one with a variety of people and projects. No two writers and no two novels are the same. That said, I do have two favorite types of writers. I love working with writers who are introverts and/or highly sensitive people — those writers who might struggle amid the social bustle and drama of a conventional writing class or MFA program, but thrive creatively when they receive thoughtful, individualized feedback and coaching. I also love coaching stories about women choosing unconventional paths, stories that explore women's lives outside of marriage and motherhood, stories that celebrate the messy complexities of friendship and sisterhood — because I believe the world needs more of these stories.
What does a typical “day in the life” look like for you?
I use the very early morning for my own writing; this helps me stay tuned and present to support other writers' creative work throughout the day. Then I use mornings for deep focus work: reading clients' pages, writing thoughtful comments and feedback letters, and designing revision plans. This time of year, I like to take a midday walk with my dogs to clear my head. Then I use afternoons for Zoom meetings with writers and/or administrative and marketing tasks like writing newsletters and updating my website. I love the flexibility of book coaching! I get to schedule work around my focus and energy for different kinds of tasks.
What advice do you have for book clubbers who are considering a career shift into book coaching?
Getting certified and growing my business have both taken longer than I'd initially anticipated they would. At times, I've found this frustrating, but recently I've started to appreciate it. Growing slowly has given me time to reflect, to make intentional decisions, and to weave my life and work together in a balanced way, rather than than trying to squeeze my life in around the edges of my work. So that would be my biggest piece of advice: allow for extra time (who knows what curveballs 2022 will throw at us?) and embrace the opportunity to rethink your whole life, not just your work.
Ceridwen Hall is a poet and book coach. She holds a PhD from the University of Utah and is the author of two chapbooks: Automotive (Finishing Line Press) and Excursions (Train Wreck Press). Her work has appeared in TriQuarterly, Pembroke Magazine, The Cincinnati Review, and other journals. You can find her at www.ceridwenhall.com.