10 Steps to Take Before Your First Book Coaching Deadline

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So, you’ve made the leap — you’re working with a book coach!

It’s time to make the book that’s been haunting you a reality, but what should you expect? What will the process look like?

Well, the good thing is you’ll have a partner through the process, but you’ll have some preparation to do before you begin. 

Here are 10 steps to prepare you for a successful book coaching experience.

1. Create (or Refresh) a Dedicated Writing Space

You’re going to spend a lot of time in front of your computer, so you should be surrounded by things that inspire you. And it should be a place where you (and the rest of your household) know writing will happen.

An ergonomic desk and chair set-up are game-changers and can cost as little as a few hundred dollars. A healthy workstation not only prevents injuries from repetitive motion and eye strain, but it can increase energy and productivity.

If you don’t have room or a budget for a new office setup or you travel a lot, you can find portable lap desks with wrist rests to make writing more comfortable. I’m obsessed with my HUANUO Lap Desk, and it’s made all the difference when I’m not at home, or want to work somewhere besides my desk. (Full disclosure: I’m not paid for this opinion. It’s just that good.)

Having a piece of “equipment” that you can use anywhere and isn’t wildly difficult to use, can create peace of mind that you’ll have a good writing place, no matter where you are.

Already have a sweet writing space? Add a new plant or upgrade your headphone game to make your time more enjoyable and focused.

Give yourself every opportunity to enjoy the time spent showing up to do the work you’re meant to do.

2. Add Coaching Deadlines and Appointments into Your Calendar

You think you’ll remember, but you won’t. 

3. Schedule Regular Writing Time

Block out time in your calendar for writing time. Make sure your people are on board with this too. 

You wouldn’t bail on a work appointment or date night with your partner, so you shouldn’t cancel plans with yourself. You owe it to yourself to show up, even when things are chaotic and it would be easy to push it off.

4. Add Additional Writing Time as a Buffer When Life Gets Hectic

Crap’s going to happen. You can’t predict what work emergency will pop up or sudden illness will sweep through your house. 

Add additional writing time “just in case”. It could even be 2 blocks of 30 minutes, but that’s an hour extra if you need it. 

A big mistake writers make is assuming they’ll have time if they make time, but there are things that are out of your control. You can only do so much, but anticipating life’s mishaps beforehand, will make it more likely that you can still make deadlines and progress with your book even when things fall apart.

5. Decide What Is and Isn’t Essential for This Season

No matter what you’ve been told, you really can’t do it all.

Not without help and not all at the same time. 

There are seasons, where you might have to let some things go. 

Maybe, it’s saying no to volunteer commitments or extra-curricular activities at your kid’s school. You might have to cut back on dinner dates with friends or work retreats. 

It’s not that your whole life has to stop, but it’s time to decide what is absolutely essential and what’s not for this season. As Greg McKeown says in his book, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less:

Essentialism: only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter.

And you can’t do that if you’re running around trying to be all things to all people. This is the season of the book.

6. Know The Process Will Take Longer Than You Expect

This may be the hardest pill to swallow for writers, but writing a book is a process in every sense of the word. 

Clients often tell me they plan to write a book in 6 months or a year, and while there are people who have done that, it doesn’t mean you will. Some writers spend years writing a book. 

Whatever idea you come into book coaching with will need fine-tuning. You’ll write pages you’ll throw away or find you’re struggling with how to implement feedback. 

You may get half-way into your manuscript and realize the story doesn’t feel right or you may have a hard time giving up your initial idea, so you get burned out quickly.

I’ve had clients who realized well into their second manuscript draft that most of their book should be thrown out the window. I also know first-time authors who landed a book deal and didn’t see their work on the shelf for seven years. 

Writing a book is messy, and there’s no one way to do it. But knowing the path will be rocky frees you up from unrealistic expectations of yourself and the process. 

You were meant to write something that creates meaningful impact, so make sure it’s a book you can be proud of, instead of a book you finished just to say you finished it.

7. Plan to Over-Communicate with Your Coach

Your coach is rooting for you, so let them know if you have a crazy travel schedule coming up or if work is slamming you hard over the next few weeks.

It’s not that it’ll change deadlines or assignments completely, but it allows your coach to be more mindful of assignments or not freak out when they haven’t heard from you in a week. 

And if you’re going to miss a deadline, tell them as soon as possible. Don’t make them chase you or leave them hanging. We’re all adults here.

8. Take It Easy on Outside Feedback

You’ll want to know what friends and family think about your pages, but pace yourself, especially in the beginning. 

Writers tend to want to know what everyone else thinks from the very beginning, but it’s too soon to tell what’s what with their pages. You’ll become overwhelmed with what people are saying and become more confused with how to write forward.

And if you have too many people weighing in, you won’t be able to focus on the feedback your coach, the one you’re paying, has for you. 

9. Keep Reading

Add books to your reading list! Know your genre, but read outside of it to get new inspiration. 

This is a crucial time to dig into other people’s work. It’ll keep you fresh in your own craft and be a resource to spark new ideas.

10. Trust That You Have Everything You Need (Book Coach Included) 

A common fear of my coaching clients is: Do I have a compelling enough story that people will want to read?

More often than not, the answer is yes, but we won’t know that until we start working together.

For some writers, it’s just a matter of reworking their initial idea and with others, it’s a total overhaul.

And then, there are the writers who realize they don’t want to write a book at all. Writing becomes too overwhelming or they find they don’t want all the responsibility that comes with writing a book. 

That’s where your book coach comes in. You have a built-in guide to help you navigate the book writing process and to help you see the book that is or is not there.

So, stay open to where the journey takes you and know you’re not alone.