A book coach helps you write your own book.
Not write it for you. Not edit it once it is done. A book coach helps you decide what the book is, plan it, and keep writing until it exists. This site explains the job honestly, compares it with editors and ghostwriters, and helps you work out which kind of help (if any) you need.
- 3,000+ books published by Scribe
- 23 NYT and WSJ bestsellers
What book coaching is
A book coach is the experienced person across the table while you write. Over weeks or months, they help with the parts of a book that are hard to do alone:
Deciding what the book is
Who it is for, what it promises them, what goes in and what stays out. Most stalled books are stalled here, not at the keyboard.
Building the structure
A table of contents and a chapter-by-chapter outline you trust enough to write from, so every writing session starts with a clear job.
Keeping you writing
A regular call, pages due before it, and specific feedback on what you sent. The outside view and the rhythm are what you are paying for.
What a coach does not do: write the book for you, replace an editor, or guarantee a publisher. Read the full explanation of the job.
Coaching tends to help if…
- You want every sentence to be your own.
- You can find two or more hours a week, most weeks.
- You have started a book before and stalled.
- You have too many ideas, or one that will not take shape.
- You do your best work when someone is expecting it.
Coaching is the wrong fit if…
- You do not want to write the sentences. Look at a ghostwriter instead.
- You already have a full draft and want a verdict on it. That is an editor's job.
- You truly cannot find time to write. A coach adds accountability, not hours.
- You have finished long projects alone before, and the plan is clear. You may only need an editor at the end.
Coach, editor or ghostwriter?
Eight questions about where your manuscript is, who you want writing the words, your time, what is stuck and your budget. One recommendation, with the reasons from your own answers, and what to do next. One of the possible answers is to write it on your own.
Everything to know before you hire anyone
What does a book coach do?
The job, what a session looks like, what a coach will not do, the four kinds of coach, and signs it is working.
Read the guide →How book coaching works
A typical engagement from first call to finished draft, what to prepare, the weekly rhythm, and how long it runs.
Read the guide →Book coach vs editor
Different points in the process, what each delivers, when you need both, and in what order.
Read the guide →Book coach vs ghostwriter
Who writes the words, how your voice is kept, the time each asks of you, and what you own.
Read the guide →How to choose a book coach
What to look for, 24 first-call questions, red flags, references, and what the contract should say.
Read the guide →What book coaching costs
The four pricing models, published survey rates, what drives the price, and how to compare offers.
Read the guide →A note on who is telling you this
This site is made by Scribe Media, a book writing and publishing company in Austin, Texas. Scribe sells coaching-style services, including Scribe Compass, a short engagement with a Scribe book coach to define your book and outline it, and Guided Author, where a coach guides you as you write and Scribe then edits and publishes the book. It also sells ghostwriting.
So we have an interest, and you should weigh what we say with that in mind. We have tried to write the guides the way we would explain things to a friend: independent coaches are a good choice for many people, plenty of books need an editor rather than a coach, and some people need no paid help at all. The tool says so when your answers point that way. How this site is written.
Rather talk it through with a person?
Scribe Media offers book coaching, editing and ghostwriting. Leave your details and someone from Scribe will get in touch to talk about your book, including whether you need paid help at all.
Rather pick a time yourself? Book a free 15-minute consult or call 512-325-0249.
Thank you. Your details are with the Scribe team.
Someone from Scribe will reach out by email. If you would rather not wait, pick a time for a free consult.
Common questions
What is a book coach?
A book coach is someone who helps you plan and write your own book. They help you decide who the book is for and what it does, build an outline, set a writing schedule, read your pages and keep you going until a draft exists. You write every word. Read what a book coach does.
Do I need a book coach, an editor or a ghostwriter?
A coach if you want to write the book yourself and need help with its shape or with keeping going. An editor if you already have a full draft and want an expert verdict on it. A ghostwriter if you want the ideas to be yours and the sentences to be someone else's. The free tool sorts this out from eight questions.
What does a book coach cost?
Coaches price per session, monthly, as a package or per project. The Editorial Freelancers Association's 2026 member survey puts the median hourly range for coaching at $75 to $100. See what book coaching costs for more.
How do I choose a book coach?
Talk to two or three. Ask which books like yours they have worked on, how many pages they will read, and what you will have at the end. Get feedback on your own pages, call past clients, and avoid anyone who guarantees a publisher or a bestseller. The full guide has 24 questions to ask.
Who runs this site?
Scribe Media, a book writing and publishing company in Austin, Texas that has published more than 3,000 books. Scribe sells coaching, editing and ghostwriting, which we say openly. Read about this site.