I’m a book coach in training!
EDIT (3/27/2024): In a previous version of this blog post, Practicum 2 (P2)’s manuscript length requirement was only listed as 75,000 words or a little shorter. It has since been further clarified according to specific genre requirements for the practicum. Practicum details were also revised to clarify that coaching calls are video calls, not phone calls.
EDIT (3/15/2024): Previously, this blog stated to contact me by email. It has since been corrected to say that potential practicum clients should send their information via the Client Intake Form. Please read the full blog post for more detail before sending your submission. Thanks in advance!
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When I was five years old, I was asked by some well-meaning adult whose name and face I can’t remember that age-old question of time immemorial: What do you want to be when you grow up? I’m sure that it will surprise you to learn that I’d said I wanted to be a doctor because I wanted to help people.
Which sounds a little ridiculous, right? I’m getting my MFA in fiction this June, I’ve self-published a short story collection, I’ve written book reviews for The Coachella Review, and I have overall just spent an incredible amount of time surrounded by the written word, not stethoscopes and scrubs. I love fiction and storytelling. It’s my happy place, my outlet, my raison d’etre, my very first love, and rest assured, that won’t change one bit.
What I am finding that’s changing, however, is how I relate to writing—my own and that of others.
At nine years old, my best friend gave me her well-worn copy of the book that would change my life: Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl. I loved it so much that it inspired me to become a writer and to write stories of my own. Later, when I learned that you could make a career out of doing it, all bets were off. I started scribbling in journals, applied to colleges with MFA programs, completed two NaNoWriMos, wrote fanfiction, and shelved projects that will likely never see the light of day.
Yet in between all that time, I never really stopped helping people. I was always the one being asked to check others’ papers or be a class tutor. I was routinely praised for my comprehensive, positive editorial feedback in writing workshops or among my freelance clients. I helped two Japanese students place in the top nine out of roughly two hundred students in their respective English speech contests. Unrelated to writing but still somewhat relevant, I’ve even been paid for my tarot reading services which others have claimed were helpful and relevant to them.
So, yeah. I’m not a medical doctor by any means, but I like to think that I’m a sort of storytelling doctor in addition to being a storyteller.
In the simplest of terms, I’m a book coach.
Cool! but, uh, what’s a book coach?
Glad you asked!
As a freelance fiction editor, I’d say that I’m a very strong developmental editor. I enjoy disassembling and reassembling story structures down their scene units and how they’re all driven by the internal emotional engine of the story’s protagonist. I also take pride in being a sensitivity reader, addressing potentially offensive content with care and compassion in my comments and edits. Combine that with my recent professional publishing experience in the Sourcebooks BIPOC Editorial Training Program and Tessera Editorial’s BIPOC Mentorship, and I’d say that you’ve got a well-rounded, knowledgeable industry professional (me!) in your corner if you ever need one.
Yet editing as a technical skill sometimes doesn’t go far enough. Sometimes, a writer needs more help than they can get from a single editing pass. They might be struggling to come up with a regular writing practice, or they might be having trouble finding the motivation to write at all due to self-limiting beliefs. Or, it could be that they’re a terrific writer on the cusp of a breakthrough, but they just need a different set of eyes and hands to help them get there.
That, in essence, is what a book coach helps a writer to do. They’re not a therapist, a life coach, a ghostwriter, a co-writer, or just another editor. They’re a guide—someone who’s willing to get down in the trenches with the writer—and depending on that writer, coaching can look like a lot of different things. Maybe the writer needs help brainstorming ideas for their next book, or they need someone who will hold them accountable throughout the writing process. For a different writer, a book coach could help them become familiar with the publishing landscape so that when they’re ready to query their manuscript, they won’t be going in blind.
Above all, book coaches support writers when the going gets tough and when the going gets great.
Awesome! But it says you’re “in training” in the title of the blog post, so WHat’s that all about?
Another good question, and nice eagle eyes!
Way back in 2022, I was hunting for opportunities in publishing for BIPOC people like myself. Understandably, I stumbled upon the Sourcebooks BIPOC ETP and Tessera Editorial’s BIPOC Mentorship first, but I also found a Book Coaching Fellowship opportunity with Author Accelerator, founded by author and CEO Jennie Nash. I was so impressed that the company was offering fellowships to “BIPOC and all groups traditionally underrepresented in publishing” that covered the cost of certification for one genre, that provided extensive monthly support, and that understood the challenges many marginalized publishing professionals face. You can find Jennie Nash, CEO of Author Accelerator, on Instagram and her website, and you can also follow Author Accelerator as a company on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and their website to learn more.
Since I had just missed the application window for that year, I had to wait another year for the application to re-open in December 2023, and having to wait an entire year for something like that didn’t phase me at all. I’d done something similar for my MFA program back in April 2021, gathering letters of recommendation and crafting my personal sample well before the application period even opened. So when I got to that Book Coaching Fellowship web page on December 1, 2023, I submitted my application lightning-fast—a few hours, in fact, before I had to leave for my MFA’s winter residency.
And then, I waited. And waited. And waited. And I checked if the application had closed because it said it would close when it reached 15 applications or got to the end of the December, and I saw that it had closed around December 5.
I bit my figurative nails and breathed a sigh of relief. I had gotten in my application early and was one of fifteen other amazing people that would be considered for this amazing opportunity.
And then, on February 1, 2024, they extended an invitation to me, and I swiftly accepted it.
After hearing so many people say, “No,” I can’t tell you how good it felt to hear the folks at Author Accelerator say, “Yes!” The importance of having a community behind your back that will support you in your creative and professional aims is paramount in such a cutthroat industry like publishing, both on the freelance and full-time sides. And it feels good to know that I’ll be going through the certification course with that knowledge and comfort.
COngratulations! What happens next?
Well, a few things.
First things first, I have to complete Author Accelerator’s Book Coaching Certification Course in Fiction, which involves watching a series of videos, doing some required reading, completing activities in the accompanying workbook, and all the while having weekly and monthly check-ins with my mentor and the certification team. It sounds like a lot, but trust me. As I said before, I’m in good hands, and all those activities I mentioned are the relatively easy parts.
The next part is where you come in.
Wait, WHat? Me?
Yes! You!
At least, I hope it’s you. If not, that’s totally fine.
Anyway, here’s what I’m getting at.
As part of my certification to become a book coach, I’m required to complete three practicums with three amazing clients, one for each of the practicums. For those unfamiliar with practicums or how certification typically works, the root of the word practicum is the same as the root for the word practice. In these practicums, I practice my coaching skills and demonstrate what I’ve learned to the certification team that will pass or fail my application, depending on how well I do.
Also, these practicum clients aren’t just ones that Author Accelerator selects for me to practice on. They’re real people who’ve got a story they want to tell (you!) and are looking for an amazing book coach in training (me!) to make it happen—all for free!
Yup. You read that right. As a practicum client, you receive professional book coaching services for free. If you would like to work with me after the practicum as a true paying client, you’re also more than welcome to do so once terms of service and payment are clarified, but even then, you get to have a head start on your writing journey while helping me on my book coaching journey. It’s a win-win for both of us!
Fantastic! What are the practicums about, and who are the practicums for?
Practicum 1 (P1) is perfect for you if you have a book idea that you’re dying to write but haven’t started working on it yet. First, I’ll send a writer intake Q&A form for you to fill out, which will help me get a sense of your project. If I think your project might be a good fit for my practicum, we’ll set up a short discovery call to discuss more detail. Then, you’ll be given a series of exercises to lay the foundation of your story, and I’ll provide feedback and coach you on a video coaching call which will be recorded. This, along with my feedback, will be shared with the Author Accelerator certification team as part of their evaluation of my application.
Practicum 2 (P2) is ideal if you if you’re looking to get professional feedback on a completed novel manuscript that’s at least 75,000 words if it’s adult or YA fiction or at least 45,000 words for middle grade fiction. Please note as well that I cannot evaluate a short story collection for this practicum. My specialty is in speculative fiction genres such as science fiction, fantasy, horror, and magical realism, but I’m open to lots of different genres so long as they’re a good fit. As part of this practicum, you’ll receive a no-cost full manuscript evaluation with developmental notes on the first two chapters/twenty pages followed by a video coaching call which will be recorded. This, along with my feedback, will be shared with the Author Accelerator certification team as part of their evaluation of my application.
Practicum 3 (P3) is great for you if you’re ready to query your manuscript to literary agents. You’ll first work through exercises to develop a synopsis of your story and draft a query letter. Then, I’ll conduct an edit of your query and synopsis, and I’ll return them to you with feedback and suggestions for next steps. On that same day, I’ll send you a list of 10 agents and/or publishers that I believe would work for your project as well as notes on those options. Then, on our video coaching call, we’ll discuss the agent list and develop a pitch strategy for how you’ll approach them. This, along with my feedback, will be shared with the Author Accelerator certification team as part of their evaluation of my application.
Above all, if you’re a BIPOC and/or LGBTQ+ fiction writer who’s tired of being told no, who wants to write stories that make a difference, who wants to see themselves in the books at their local bookstores, and who wants to uplift marginalized and underrepresented voices, I think you’d be a great practicum or paying client. And while I can’t promise guaranteed publication or even overnight, New York Times-bestselling success, I’ll do my best to help you get to the next level of your writing career, wherever that might be, practicum client or not.
this sounds like me! Where do I sign up?
Thank you! I appreciate your enthusiasm!
If you’d like to be one of my practicum clients, please fill out as much information as you can about your writing journey and the project you’d like to work on through this Client Intake Q&A Form. If you have any questions about the form or about anything else, please email me hello@karenaparker.com with the subject line “Practicum Client Inquiry,” and I’ll be happy to answer your questions as soon as I can get to them.
For all those considering becoming one of my practicum clients, please submit your information via the Client Intake Q&A form no later than June 1, 2024. This will give me enough time to sort through potential practicum clients while still meeting my other certification needs. Thanks again for your consideration!
Are there any other ways I can support you on this incredible journey?
Absolutely! Here are just a few off the top of my head.
Follow my book coaching journey on as many social media platforms as you’re able. It would mean the world to me for you to cheer me on when the going gets tough as things inevitably do. Like I said before, having support is paramount for a journey like this, and I greatly appreciate it!
Share this blog post to as many writerly family and friends as you can. Word-of-mouth is one of the most underrated marketing tools for any business, and telling your writerly family and friends about me is one of the best ways to help me build what I know will become an amazing business.
Write a testimonial for my Testimonials page if you find (or have found) my services helpful on your writing journey. If after the practicum you enjoyed working with me and feel comfortable sending me a photo of yourself and/or at least 2-3 sentences about how amazing I am as a book coach, I’ll be forever in your debt. If you haven’t been one of my clients but you’ve worked with me in the past in some editorial capacity, that counts, too!
More to come soon!
Thank so much for reading until the very end! I hope to hear from you soon!