S. W. Raine

Last weekend, my coach did a live Publishing Q&A in one of our course Facebook groups. It was great and informative, as always, and it reminded me of how much I appreciate her and her guidance. So I thought I’d share my experience with an author coach to inspire you on your own creative path.

Mindset

I didn’t realize how much I had a poor mindset until I started doing the work. I admit, I kind of rolled my eyes when my coach first talked about mindset, but listening to her explain it made sense. Unfortunately, just listening and realizing wasn’t enough.

She’d often give us prompts to journal on and affirmations to repeat. And at first, I wouldn’t do them. Not entirely. I’d think about my answer, but I wouldn’t write it down. I wouldn’t dig deeper. But the physical act of writing helps keep your thoughts organized, allows for more self-reflection, and just overall promotes emotional well-being.

And while I still struggle here and there (especially with money), my mindset did a complete 180° from what it once was once I started really doing the work. Self-doubt and imposter syndrome aren’t as big of an issue as they often are with other self-published authors. And my confidence in everything I do for my author business is stronger than ever.

Publishing

While I had a published author friend help me with a lot of my journey prior to publishing The Techno Mage, I quickly realized there was something that wasn’t clicking, and I felt overwhelmed. My coach helped me realize that everyone’s journey is different, and not every process is exactly the same.

She even helped me navigate the complexities of the publishing industry by creating an easy-to-follow timeline checklist, from pre-publication to post-publication. In fact, she created three different timelines (one for rapid release, one for slow releases, and one in the middle), and from those, I could shift things around to suit my own (extra slow) timeline.

I love repeatable processes, and I especially love ones that don’t change too much during my own extra long timelines. Haha!

Marketing

Ah, book marketing—the often intimidating but essential aspect of being an author. Before working with my coach, I struggled to connect with readers and promote my books properly. But with her guidance, I got better at it. Sure, my marketing wasn’t perfect, but it was infinitely better than it had been.

(And then when I found my social media manager, it was like adding the final pieces of my marketing puzzle clicking together—but that’s a story for another day.)

Marketing isn’t just hanging out on social media, either! Through my years of working with her, she also taught me a little about PR, sell sheets, media kits, media outreach, how to build my dream brand biz, how to monetize my craft with more than just books, and more.

Working with my author coach has been a game-changer. She not only helped me transform my mindset, but she positively affected my publishing journey and approach to marketing. So whether you’re just starting out on your craft’s journey or you’re aiming to improve, I can’t recommend seeking guidance from a professional coach enough. Trust me—the investment is worth it.

I’d love to hear from you! Have you ever worked with a coach or considered seeking guidance? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments! And while my coach has shifted her business and is no longer taking clients, I’d be happy to point you to a few other coaches I follow, both inside and outside authorship, like writing coach Monica Hay, editing and business coach Tara Whitaker, Freelance success coach Cheryl Heppard, and more.

Raine