Stepping Into Your Passion
Today’s success story comes to us from author and certified book coach, Mia Manansala!
How did you come to book coaching?
I've been a Pitch Wars mentor for years and have always loved working with a writer to push them to create the best version of their story. When an unexpected career change happened, I realized that now was the time to take my passion for helping writers and turn it into a business.
What was your experience in the Book Coach Certification program? What did you find most satisfying? What did you find most challenging?
I loved that each lesson not only helped me dive deeper into my own craft, but opened my eyes to new writing processes and gave me the language to explain why certain elements in a manuscript did or didn't work for me.
For me, the most challenging was striking the right balance between encouraging and constructive. My praise is always genuine, but tough love is more my style.
What is the most valuable piece of advice you’re taking away from the training?
That there's an alternative to straight plotting or pantsing and it's called the Inside Outline!
What did you do to celebrate your certification?
I immediately updated my website to indicate I was now certified and added the badge, then ordered a bunch of food from my favorite local Chinese/Thai restaurant (since going out isn't really an option now). Food is my favorite way to celebrate :)
Tell us more about your coaching plans and the next steps in your career.
I specialize in crime fiction (mystery, suspense, thriller, etc.), particularly from BIPOC perspectives, but am open to a wide range of genres and age categories. You can find out more about me and my services at my website. [My next steps are] to build up my client base and become known as the go-to coach for underrepresented voices in crime fiction.