Sometimes writers just need a little support, and there is ample help available. Whether you are a gifted writer, or a first-timer, here are five great reasons to hire a writing coach as well as a freelance editor.
Inspiration
Let’s face it, the people we love are not always the people to help us with our writing. A proper and objective writing coach will be just as excited about your project as you are; a coach is often your greatest cheerleader.
Writers spend a lot of time up in their heads, contemplating, and even worrying about their current goal. It can be fruitful to build a connection with another writer, another set of eyes upon what you are doing, for brainstorming and a constant source of suggestions. We want to access the heightened energy that comes from another passionate human.
Expertise
A writing coach is skilled in the use of language. They are not too close to the project to hold biases, and therefore, they can tell you where to best slow down and expand, when to combine sentences to be more concise, promote an effective order of ideas, to improve clarity, and to share questions your readers might consider.
A writing coach can even step in when you are stuck and do some ghost writing for you. This can prepare you for meaningful shifts in tone, or provide samples of what you may try on your own.
Accountability
It’s easy for motivation to fade over time, which might lead to never completing your goal. An effective writing coach will balance patience with prompts, so you’re more likely to stick to a timeline. Structuring your time and commitments allows for checkins, feedback, and step-by-step goals. These check-ins can rekindle your fire, and remind you of why you once found this project worthwhile. A coach can provide tips on forming reasonable organization, how to create a book cover, an introduction, a foreword, an author bio, and acknowledgements.
The Clean-up Crew
One of the most common things I see in self-published books are far too many errors. Beware of overconfidence with this part of the project. Editing involves many tasks, such as copy edits, proofing, line edits, and sometimes documentation. Edits can help with formatting, mechanics, fluency, impact, and confidentiality. With a freelance editor, your writing will meet a professional standard.
Selective Spending
Writers can modify coaching and editing times to meet their individual budgets; a hired coach can help writers set parameters around necessary tasks. If you would like a free consultation to discuss coaching and/or editing, just reach out! I am happy to chat about this service. My website also shares more specifics on coaching and editing as well.
