Putting Your Skills to Work
Today’s success story comes to us from Kayla Davenport, who just earned her book coach certification!
How did you come to book coaching?
I have been writing stories my whole life, but a few years ago, I discovered my love for editing and working with other writers. I started out as a beta reader and casual editor, but knew I wanted to eventually expand. I discovered book coaching and Author Accelerator when I was looking into editing/publishing tracks for grad school. Author Accelerator's program was exactly what I wanted, and a more streamlined way of getting there.
What was your experience in the Book Coach Certification program? What did you find most satisfying and most challenging?
I absolutely loved the program from start to finish. Although I already knew a lot about writing and publishing through my previous editing experiences, the program allowed me to think about aspects of the process in new ways, as well as how to better help clients achieve their goals. The most satisfying for me was the practicums. It was amazing to put what I had learned to use, and to see the writers grow and accomplish their goals.
The most challenging was honestly just finding the time to complete the program. I had to balance it with working and finishing up my undergrad degree. It was worth it though, because now I am able to pursue book coaching as a full-time career and continue growing my business.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you’re taking away from the training?
You don't have to know everything, and you don't have to be perfect. As long as you care about the writer and you do everything you can to help them succeed, they will be able to benefit from working with you. This was impactful for me because as someone who is a bit of a perfectionist and worries about messing up, it is good to be reminded that coaching, and the writing/publishing process in general, is not a perfect process. It has ups and downs, successes and setbacks. But if we work with integrity and put in the work, we can do our best to help our writers achieve their goals.
What did you do to celebrate earning your certification?
When I first found out, I immediately screamed and jumped around, then proceeded to text and call everyone, including my family, friends, and the writers I was lucky enough to work with for the practicums. The next day, I celebrated by hanging out with friends at a Halloween party!
Tell us more about your book coaching plans. What are the next steps in your career?
As I mentioned, I've been working as a freelance beta read/editor for several years now. Moving forward, I plan to add various book coaching options to my services, and to increase my marketing efforts on social media to get my business out there. My services are listed on my website Kayla Davenport Books and I most frequently interact with readers and writers through Instagram, where I have been working to build my brand for years.
I plan to expand my business and client list, and to continue assisting writers in any way I can. Working as an editor and book coach is my dream job, and I am so grateful and excited to make a career out of it.
