FAQs
What's the difference between a book coach and an editor? How do I know which one I need?
A book coach can help you identify and achieve specific writing goals both on and off the page. Think of it as one part writing mentor, one part editor, one part drill sergeant, and three parts champion for your creative vision. Many writers initially engage a book coach to help keep themselves accountable and find after just a few sessions how much they benefit from working one-on-one with someone who does more than edit their writing, but who also talks to them about the writing life and their longer-term writing goals, helps them through creative blocks, introduces them to other professional resources, and creates action plans for building a more robust author platform or for completing multiple projects with competing deadlines.
An editor can help you to restructure, rethink, and clean up an existing manuscript with an overall eye towards publication. They might also help you with improving character, plot, dialogue, style, and tone, or with formatting your piece to adhere to a specific style guide. A good editor can extract the greatest potential from an unfinished piece and make it sing, and they can cut fat without compromising vision, but their job is done once they've edited your piece.
In short: a book coach will often edit, but an editor won't be able to help you with everything off the page.
Check out our services pages for more info or contact us to discuss which option might be best for you.
How does book coaching work?
Every writer and every book has different needs, so it varies from client to client, but ultimately writers work with coaches because they need help starting, revising, or completing something. Some writers can't find time in their busy week to work on their books, so we start there. Other writers might have a full draft but don't know what to do next, so we help them break it down into simple, actionable steps and create a schedule for meeting achievable revision milestones. And many writers can't even open a Word doc to start writing, so we gently guide them through crippling creative blocks with a series of generative exercises until they've re-established a regular writing discipline.
In general, our clients get the best results when they commit to at least three months' worth of weekly or bi-weekly coaching sessions, but we'll customize a schedule and plan that works for you.
So do I need a coach and an editor?
Not necessarily. Every writer needs an editor, but not every writer needs a coach. A coach can help you conceive of a project and get a first draft out, or they can help you stay on track to meet all of your revision goals and deadlines. Once your manuscript is complete, even if you've been working with a coach, you'll want to enlist an editor to ensure you're submitting the cleanest and best piece possible for publication.
Where do you hold your coaching sessions?
All coaching sessions are currently held via videoconference and will be for the foreseeable future.
Can you just read my manuscript and tell me if it's any good?
Well, sure, but is that all you want? In addition to general manuscript reviews, we offer expert developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading services, so regardless of what shape or stage your manuscript is in, we will help you take it to the next level.
Are you a publisher?
No. Cover to Cover Co. is a writing services company, which means we provide services at all levels leading up to and through publishing, including helping authors navigate the manuscript proposal and self-publishing processes, but we are not a publisher. We'll help you do it yourself, though, so you won't have to split royalties with anyone other than the company distributing your book.
We don't think authors should forfeit any of their royalties to companies that take cuts of their authors' sales for little to no marketing in return. We feel strongly about this and provide our clients with the info and resources they'll need to keep their own copyrights and pocket as much as possible from their book sales.
Can you help me get an agent?
No. But we will help you turn your good manuscript into a great one, or your non-existent draft into a complete one; and we can walk you through the agent query and submission processes.
Why is writing so hard?
Let's talk. : )