FAQ

What is the difference between a memoir and an autobiography?

An autobiography is the story of your life, written by you, usually at the end of your best years. Usually, autobiographies are a one-time book, often chronological, covering your life from birth to present. A memoir is the story of a specific time in your life, or a group of stories based on a specific theme in your life. You can have as many memoirs as you want. Time-based memoirs, like Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Wild has the literal starting and stopping points along the Pacific Crest Trail.

Autobiography is an obituary in serial form with the last installment missing. — Quentun Crisp

Are book coaches trained or certified?

Some book coaches have taken courses from organizations such as Author Accelerator or Story Grid. With the Author Accelerator program, book coaches that complete the advanced course (about 100 hours) and two practicums are eligible to be certified as Author Accelerator coaches. Story Grid certifies editors to perform developmental editing. Many book coaches are not certified by a specific organization, but have degrees in writing or fine arts and years of experience.

Why not just use a writing group instead of working with a book coach?

Sometimes, members of a writing group are great—insightful, able to see problems with a book, and able to get fellow writers unstuck. If you have such a supportive group, be grateful and stick with it. Other times, writers have received feedback that crushes the writer and destroys the writer's motivation. Or members may give feedback that is demanding or unspecific. A book coach is always on your side and gives feedback that is useful, specific, and inspiring. Working with a book coach can be intimate and challenging, which is why it’s important to find a coach you’re comfortable with. You’re paying someone to criticize your work, and few people like to be criticized.

What should a client look for in a book coach?

• Someone who will help you write the best work you can. Whether you are writing for publication, yourself, or your family, you want your work to be in your best voice.
• Someone who can add value, whether through helping you clarify your story’s arc, through paring away what’s not essential to your story, or helping you see what's missing.
• An accountabilibuddy—someone who will hold you to the deadlines you set and encourage you, cheer you on, and help motivate you to complete your pages when you hit a slow patch. Not a therapist, but a professional who is deeply invested in your work.

What is Inspired Book Coaching’s ideal client like?

Oooo! So glad you asked. Our ideal clients are:

• serious about writing and committed to the work (which involves specific exercises that surround the work, such as intake forms, outlines, and preparation for marketing the book)
• able to accept feedback gracefully
• believers in the value of having a coach