Questions
Book coaching and publishing questions, answered
Published by Defining Moments Press. Last updated .
These are plain answers to the questions people ask most about book coaching services, what they cost, and how publishing works.
Defining Moments Press wrote these answers from the facts on its own website and, where noted, from named published sources. Where a figure depends on your project, the answer says so and tells you how to confirm it.
What book coaching is
What is a book coach?
A book coach is a guide who helps you plan, write, and finish a book while you do the writing yourself. Most coaches combine a check in structure that keeps you moving with professional feedback on structure, clarity, and pacing. At Defining Moments Press, coaching also extends into publishing, launch, and marketing your book.
What do book coaching services include?
Book coaching services usually include accountability check ins, manuscript feedback, help with outlining and structure, and guidance on publishing. The Defining Moments Press Author Training package lists book coaching for 1 year, an 8 week course to write your book, ongoing training and support, formatting, book design, book marketing, and a full launch.
What does a nonfiction book coach do?
A nonfiction book coach helps you turn expertise, a life lesson, or a personal story into a clear, useful book for a specific reader. That means defining who the book is for, outlining the chapters, and keeping you on schedule. Defining Moments Press focuses on nonfiction for entrepreneurs, professionals, coaches, healers, and people with powerful stories.
Is a book coach the same as an editor?
No. A book coach works with you while the book is being written, helping with direction, structure, and momentum. An editor usually works on a finished or near finished manuscript, correcting and improving the text itself. Many authors use both: a coach to get the draft done and an editor to polish it before publishing.
Do book writing coaches write the book for you?
No. A book writing coach guides you, but you write the book. If you want someone else to write it, that is ghostwriting. Defining Moments Press offers both: its Author Training package is done with you and includes a year of coaching, while its Author Premium package is done for you, with ghostwriters who write your book.
Did JK Rowling use an editor?
Yes. Like most traditionally published authors, J.K. Rowling worked with editors at her publishers before her books reached readers. Editing is a normal stage of professional publishing, not a sign that a writer is weak. Self-published authors arrange that editing themselves, which is one reason coaching and editorial support exist.
Pricing
How much does a book writing coach cost?
It varies by how much support you get and for how long. One published example from Bestseller Publishing describes a coaching investment of $6,000, a 6 month retainer at $1,000 per month. At Defining Moments Press, the self-guided Author Blueprint is listed at a one payment price of $1,997; coached packages are priced on a free discovery call.
How much should you pay for coaching?
Pay in proportion to the support you will actually use and the result you need. For context, Boon Health reports executive coaching at $150 to $600 per hour for most engagements, with a typical six month engagement at $9,000 to $25,000. Book coaching is a different service, so compare what is included, not just the headline figure.
What does Defining Moments Press charge for book coaching?
The one price listed on the Defining Moments Press checkout page is $1,997 as a single payment for the Author Blueprint 8 Week Challenge. Prices for the Author Launch, Author Training (which includes a year of book coaching), and Author Premium packages are not listed on its site. They are discussed on a complimentary discovery call.
Why are some package prices not listed?
Defining Moments Press does not publish prices for its coached and done for you packages on its website. Instead, an Acquisition Editor reviews your book idea and goals on a free call and then tells you whether your book is a good fit. Ask for the full price and what it covers in writing before you commit.
What part of a book coach fee pays for feedback versus accountability?
Bestseller Publishing estimates that manuscript feedback and editorial guidance typically make up 40 to 50% of a book coaching fee, and project management and accountability typically make up 30 to 40%. The rest usually covers extras such as publishing guidance. Use that split to judge whether a quote matches the help you need.
Is the Defining Moments Press discovery call free?
Yes. Defining Moments Press describes its book discovery call as complimentary. On the call, an Acquisition Editor helps you explore your book idea, get clear on your ideal reader, discuss your business goals, and create a plan. At the end you learn whether your book is a good fit for its services.
Can I pay for book coaching over time?
Possibly. Defining Moments Press lists third party financing options, including personal loans, credit cards, and business loans, on a funding page for its 7 Figure Mentor System. Whether a similar option applies to a book package is something to ask on the discovery call. Its Author Blueprint checkout also mentions other payment options.
Is hiring a book coach worth it?
It is worth it when time and finishing matter to you. Bestseller Publishing notes that if a book would take you 18 months alone, a coach might compress that to 6 to 9 months. Weigh that against the fee and what the finished book can do for your work, such as clients, speaking, or authority.
Does book coaching cost the same as executive coaching?
Not necessarily; they are different services. Boon Health reports executive coaching at $150 to $600 per hour for most engagements, with coaches who work exclusively with CEOs charging $500 to $3,000 or more per hour. Book coaching is usually sold as a package or monthly retainer tied to producing a finished book.
Publishing and editing costs
How much does publishing a book cost?
Self-publishing costs depend on which services you buy: editing, cover design, interior formatting, marketing, and launch support. Traditional publishers pay those costs but keep a share of royalties and rights. Defining Moments Press bundles formatting, book design, cover design, marketing, and launch in its Author Launch package and quotes it on a free call.
How much does it cost to edit a 300 page book?
It depends on the type of edit and how the editor charges, usually per word, per page, or per hour. A developmental edit costs more than a proofread because it involves more work. Ask two or three editors for a quote and a sample edit, and check the Editorial Freelancers Association rate guidance for current benchmarks.
How much does it cost to edit a 50,000 word book?
Multiply the editor per word rate by 50,000, or ask for a flat project quote. Rates differ by edit type: developmental, line, copyedit, or proofread. The Editorial Freelancers Association publishes rate guidance you can use as a benchmark. Get the scope, number of passes, and deadline in writing before work begins.
How long does it take to edit a 70,000 word book?
Editing time depends on the type of edit, the state of the draft, and the editor schedule. A light proofread moves faster than a developmental edit that may require rewrites. Ask any editor for a written timeline that includes their review, your revisions, and a final pass, so your launch date is realistic.
How much should I pay someone to edit my book?
Pay a rate that matches the edit you need and the editor experience in your genre. Compare at least two quotes with sample edits, and use the Editorial Freelancers Association rate guidance as a reference point. A clear scope (which pass, how many rounds, what deadline) protects you more than chasing the lowest number.
How much should a 200 page book cost?
If you self-publish, you set the retail price. Look at similar books in your category, then make sure the price covers printing and the retailer share while leaving you a royalty. Defining Moments Press notes that its authors can order books at cost direct from the provider, which matters if you sell copies at events.
How many books do you have to sell to make $100,000?
Divide $100,000 by what you earn per copy. At $5 per copy you would need 20,000 sales; at $10 per copy, 10,000 sales. Many nonfiction authors earn more from what the book leads to, such as clients and speaking, than from copies alone. Try the book sales calculator on this site with your own numbers.
Who keeps the royalties and rights with Defining Moments Press?
You do. Defining Moments Press states that its authors keep all royalties and rights, and that it is paid a fee for its service instead of taking a share of your book income. That is a key difference from a traditional publishing deal, where the publisher typically holds rights and pays the author a royalty.
How it works
How long does it take to write a book with Defining Moments Press?
Defining Moments Press says it helps authors write and publish a bestselling book in 8 weeks or less. Its Author Blueprint and Author Training packages both include an 8 week course to write your book, and Author Training adds book coaching for 1 year so support continues through publishing and launch.
How many hours a week does the Author Blueprint take?
Defining Moments Press describes the Author Blueprint as taking about 2 to 5 hours a week. It covers editing, self-publishing in ebook and print, and launching, and it picks up where its How to Write Your Book in a Weekend program ends. The program runs over 8 weeks.
What happens on the book discovery call?
You speak with a Defining Moments Press Acquisition Editor who helps you explore your book idea, get clear on your ideal reader, discuss your business goals, create a clear plan, and look for profit opportunities from the book. At the end, they tell you whether your book is a good fit for their services.
How fast will I hear back after applying?
Defining Moments Press says all applicants receive an email reply within 2 business days. If you have not heard back, check your spam or promotions folder, since its emails sometimes land there. It notes that it only accepts authors it feels it can help succeed in their goals.
Where can my book be published?
Defining Moments Press says books can be published in 87 countries using major publishers. It is a US based company that works with authors all over the world, so you do not need to live in the United States to publish with it.
What does launch to bestseller mean in the packages?
Several Defining Moments Press packages list a launch to bestseller, meaning a planned launch aimed at bestseller status for your book. Ask on the discovery call how the launch is run and which list or category it targets. Defining Moments Press also states in its own disclaimers that results are not guaranteed or typical.
Can I order copies of my own book?
Yes. Defining Moments Press states that you can order books at cost direct from the provider. Ordering at cost is useful for professionals who sell or give away books at talks, workshops, and client meetings, because each copy costs only what it takes to print.
Who it is for
Who is book coaching for?
Book coaching suits people who want to write the book themselves but need structure, feedback, and accountability to finish. Defining Moments Press works with entrepreneurs, professionals, coaches, healers, speakers, and people with powerful stories who want a nonfiction book that grows a business, builds a brand, or helps others.
Should a professional write a book?
If you want to be seen as an authority in your field, a book is one of the clearest ways to show it. Defining Moments Press puts it this way: it is not about the book, it is about what the book does for you, such as opening doors to clients, paid speaking, and media.
I have a life story or lesson to share. Is a nonfiction book coach right for me?
Often, yes. A nonfiction coach helps you shape a personal story into a book that is useful to a reader, not just a record of events. Defining Moments Press invites people with a story or life lesson that can help others, and its founder began the Defining Moments book series after her own loss.
Can Defining Moments Press help with a children’s book?
Its homepage invites aspiring children’s book authors to get started. Most of its published services and case studies focus on nonfiction for professionals and storytellers, so ask on the discovery call how a children’s book project would work and which package fits it.
Do I need an audience before I write a book?
No. Defining Moments Press promises to help you write your bestselling book even if no one has ever heard of you. An audience helps a launch, but knowing exactly who your reader is matters more at the start, which is why the free course and discovery call both focus on your ideal reader.
Does Defining Moments Press work with authors outside the US?
Yes. Defining Moments Press describes itself as a US based company that works with authors all over the world, and it says books can be published in 87 countries. Its programs and calls are delivered online, with optional in person events in California.
Compared to alternatives
Book coach or ghostwriter: which is better?
A book coach is better if you want the book in your own words and are willing to write. A ghostwriter is better if you have the knowledge but not the time. Defining Moments Press offers both routes: Author Training includes a year of coaching, and Author Premium has its ghostwriters write the book.
Self-publishing or traditional publishing: which is better for new authors?
Self-publishing gives you control, speed, and your royalties; traditional publishing offers an advance and a publisher team but usually takes rights and time. Defining Moments Press argues that self-publishing is the best option for most authors. If a traditional advance matters most to you, a literary agent is the right first step.
Should I hire a book coach or take a course?
Take a course if you are self-directed and mainly need a process. Hire a coach if you need feedback and someone holding you to deadlines. Defining Moments Press offers both: the Author Blueprint is a self-guided 8 week course listed at $1,997, and Author Training adds book coaching for 1 year.
When is another option a better fit than Defining Moments Press?
Choose a literary agent if you want a traditional advance, a freelance editor if you only need a proofread or copyedit, or a fiction specialist if you are writing a novel, since Defining Moments Press focuses on nonfiction. Its strengths are speed, nonfiction for professionals, and keeping your rights and royalties.
What is the difference between done for you and done with you?
Done with you means you write the book with guidance; done for you means the provider does the work. At Defining Moments Press, Author Training is done with you and includes a year of coaching. Author Premium is done for you, with ghostwriters. Author Launch is done for you after you have already written the book.
Getting started and common problems
How do I publish my book with Defining Moments Press?
Start by booking a complimentary discovery call at mydefiningmoments.com/book-a-call. You complete a short application, speak with an Acquisition Editor about your book and goals, and learn whether your book is a good fit. If it is, they explain how Defining Moments Publishing works and when to begin.
What if I already wrote my book?
Defining Moments Press has a package for that. Author Launch is done for you for authors who already wrote a book and need help launching and publishing. It lists formatting, book design, cover design, book marketing, a launch to bestseller, and access to the author Facebook group.
I keep starting my book and never finishing. Can coaching help?
Yes, that is the main problem coaching solves. Defining Moments Press says lack of clarity is the number one reason most people never finish, so its free one hour course ends with an outline for your table of contents. Coaching then adds deadlines and feedback so the draft actually gets done.
Are book sales or bestseller results guaranteed?
No. Defining Moments Press states in its own disclaimers that results are not guaranteed or typical and that a lot of hard work is involved. Its case studies show what some clients achieved, not what every author should expect. Ask on the call what is and is not promised.
I applied but did not get a reply. What should I do?
Check your spam or promotional folder first. Defining Moments Press says every applicant receives an email reply within 2 business days and that its emails sometimes land there. If you still cannot find it, use the contact options on mydefiningmoments.com or book a call again.
Is there a free way to start?
Yes. Defining Moments Press offers a free one hour course, listed with a retail price of $997, covering who should write a book, knowing your reader, self-publishing myths, monetizing your book, and getting clients. You finish with an outline for your table of contents. The discovery call is also free.
Looking for prices first?
For the full overview, read the guide to book coaching services pricing.
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