The Footnotes
The conversations with coach authors on the Coach Write podcast are always inspiring, and here I’ll delve into some of the topics we discuss in more detail. If you want more, sign up to stay connected and be the first to hear about what’s happening in the Coach Write community. All free.
How Much Does It Cost to Self-Publish a Book?
If you search the internet (or ask your AI of choice) for the cost of self-publishing and you'll get answers ranging from nothing to tens of thousands of pounds. That isn't much help when you're trying to plan a budget. The answer is really that it depends on the...
Finding Strengths When You Used to See Flaws
A few years ago I took a strengths assessment and it explained a lot. My number one strength came back as Learner. I remember reading the description and feeling all the pieces start falling into place. For years I'd told myself off for spending 'too long' on research...
Newsletters, building them and why they are more important that social media
If you're building a coaching practice or working towards your first book, you've probably been told to post every day on social media. Do the reels, do the stories, write the LinkedIn articles, and the clients will come. It doesn't work like that. You don't own your...
What I’ve Learned in a Year of Hosting a Podcast
Twelve months ago, I launched the Coach Write podcast. I knew I wanted to talk to coach authors about their publishing journeys, and I knew I wanted to be useful to anyone thinking about writing their own book. I was also under no illusion how much work it was going...
Inclusivity and Accessibility in Writing and Publishing
Inclusivity is already woven into coaching. The EMCC names it directly as one of its core values, and the ICF captures something similar through the language of respect. Most of us come to this work because we want to serve, and we know inclusivity matters. The harder...
Should You Write Your Book in British or US English?
A question came up recently from an experienced coach, and it’s one I get asked often enough that it deserves a proper answer. Should you write your book in British or US English? On the surface, it seems like such a quick question, doesn’t it? A spelling question. Do...
The Joy of Missing Out: How to Make the Most of Conference Season
We are right in the middle of conference season. And if you're anything like me, you'll be weighing up which events to attend, which to skip, and how to make sure that when you do show up, you come home with something genuinely useful rather than an overflowing...
The Book and the Programme: Where Do You Start?
Introduction Today we’re diving into a question I get asked all the time, and a coach who reached out to me recently brought it front of mind. They said, and I’m paraphrasing: ‘I want to create a signature programme and write a book that goes with it. But where do I...
How to Get Book Reviews
Getting reviews for your book is a little bit like when you first start your coaching practice and you’re trying to get testimonials. We all know they’re really important. What we don’t always realise is how difficult they are to get. Think about it. How often have...
What is Kickstarter?
Making money out of publishing is notoriously difficult, but it is possible and one of the more lucrative ways to publish is through crowd funding. And it’s not for everyone. Kickstarter is a crowdfunding platform that enables creators to raise money for their...
How to dictate your book
.One of the things I took away from this year’s Ireland’s Publishing Show was the phenomenal output some writers there could produce. It turned out that a lot of them were using dictation in their process. Dictation conjures up an image in my mind of corporate...
It’s all a Matter of Style: Using Style Sheets When Working With an Editor
Readers notice inconsistency. Writers, not so much. So when you get to the end of your draft, it’s time to make some decisions: Are you an Oxford comma kind of a person? Do you write in British or American English? And words are hyphenated? A style sheet is a...
What is a beta reader?
A beta reader is someone who reads a completed (or near-completed) draft of your book and gives you feedback from a reader’s perspective before you publish. Think of them as a test audience. They’re not professional editors; instead, they’re real people who represent...
What is an ISBN and why do you need one?
At some point in the new author process, the topic of ISBNs nearly always comes up. What they are. How to get them. Why they are important. ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. It’s the unique identifier for each version of a book. That means you'll...
Creating your personal writing charter
As a coach, you understand the power of values. That when someone is anchored to what matters most to them, decisions are easier, boundaries are clearer, and work feels meaningful. So how can we apply that thinking to a book project? In 1932, Henry Miller wrote...
Your book as a business asset
When the conversation turns to money, it can all get a bit uncomfortable. Like it’s not okay to want to be re-numerated for the work that has gone into creating and publishing a book. And it’s important to note that even if the primary driver for writing isn’t...
Frameworks to build a book in
While fiction authors benefit from countless guides on how to structure their story in terms of acts and character arcs, non-fiction authors don’t tend to have the same resources. Of course, the book will have a structure; the question is really whether to create that...
Structural editing for coaches: how to build your book
Once the first draft is done (and you’ve celebrated) it’s time to kick your book into shape. Structural editing is all about zooming out and looking at the big picture. It’s about reviewing how the book is organised, whether it flows, and whether it delivers the...
Five reasons to write a book in 2026
You’re probably reading this because you like the idea of writing a book. It might be something you’ve been considering for some time but keep putting aside. Everyone else seems to be doing it, and every now and again you come back to the idea. Maybe you’ve got...
Why you need an ideal reader
The good news is, you probably already know who they are. They are most likely to be the same as your coaching client base, or you, either now or earlier in your life/career. Think about who you most enjoy working with. The transformations you’ve taken clients on. The...
What rights are right?
If you’re writing a book as part of a business, understanding publishing rights is vital. Yet, many aspiring authors remain unclear about what rights are available and how this can impact their book. Books come in all different formats: ebook, paperback, hardback,...
How to find your writer voice
When we talk about voice in writing, we mean the way the words will sound to the reader as they follow them on the page. Without the pitch or intonation from verbal speech, a writer must convey what they want to say and how they want it to be heard. As a coach, you...
How to be smart about your content
Many of the coaches I speak to worry they won’t have time to write the book they want to write, or find the idea of putting together something longer form overwhelming. The thing is, if you’re a coach, the chances are you already create a lot of content. Between your...
How do you choose between ‘exclusive’ and ‘going wide?’
There are lots of choices to be made when you’re writing and publishing a book. Whether to go down the traditional or independent route. What to write about. What tone of voice to use. Whether you’re an Oxford comma kind of a person or not. And like any industry,...
From Draft to Done – How to edit your manuscript
From Draft to Done – How to edit your manuscript Writing a book is an incredible achievement, and a lot of work goes in to getting words on the page. Typing ‘the end’ marks a significant milestone and the beginning of the editing stage. There are four stages in...
The bits of a book – is any of it about you?
When we think about writing a book, we think about the middle bit or what’s known as the ‘main body.’ This is the story you want to tell; the journey you want to take the reader on. But there were two other sections of a book to consider: the front and the back...
The Power of Community in the Writing Journey: Why Coaches Need a Tribe to Write Their Book
I started writing in secret. In the quiet moments when I was alone and nobody knew what I was doing. I hid my notebooks. I password-protected the documents on my computer. Until gradually, I found other people who liked writing too. Today I have writer friends all...