Hiring a writing coach for one-on-one coaching makes sense. Sometimes your timetable doesn’t work with a class, or you don’t enjoy sharing your work with others.
Most people choose a writing coach because they want one-on-one attention. That’s where one-on-one coaching comes in. You can hire a writing coach for fiction or non-fiction work as well as to improve your business writing.
What is a Writing Coach?
A writing coach isn’t just there for editing and the technical aspects of writing. Darcy will help you edit your work, but most importantly, she is there to help you on your journey to becoming a better writer. That, and finishing your project.
If you want someone to be in your corner, not lie to you, push you to do your best and supply you with a vault full of knowledge, then Darcy is the coach for you.
Fiction and Non-Fiction
A writing coach helps writers dig deeper into their creativity, into their emotions and get those ideas and emotions on the page. Work together with your coach to identify fears and goals, and to see if there are places where you self-sabotage. A writing coach highlights your strengths and helps strengthen areas where you may be struggling.
Darcy’s technique as a coach isn’t for everyone. Most often, writers hire her because they like her no-nonsense approach. Yes, she will push you past your comfort zone. Yes, she will challenge you. And yes, she wants you to succeed more than you’ll ever know. And now and then she’ll find a sentence that simply blows her mind, and she’ll tell you about that too.
Business Writing
With decades in business, plus a true understanding of what good writing can do for a company, Darcy is there to help. A magazine editor with over 95,000 hours of writing under her belt, she has a pretty good idea of how to write for maximum impact.
Before You Decide
Before you enter into a contract with Darcy as your writing coach, there are a few things that have to happen first.
- Email Darcy and let her know you’re interested. Let her know your genre, and goals for hiring a coach. Specify if for business or creative writing.
- Send in about 500 words of something you’ve written. Darcy will do a quick edit on it and send it back to you with edits and notes on how to improve and why certain things were changed. This is at no charge and is to help both Darcy and you decide if you are a good fit.
- From there we both decide if we want to work with each other. If we do, that’s great! If we don’t, Darcy can recommend other coaches to you.
- Then we sign a contract. Always Write/Artistic Warrior (AW2) has a contract for all our coaching and editing clients. It protects the writer and their work, as well as us.
Each package requires a non-refundable retainer. All retainers must be sent electronically at the time of signing the contract. Coaching cannot commence until the retainer is received.
- We do this because we learned the hard way. Many writers go through the trouble of doing all of the above, have one session and then lose their motivation. It’s highly motivating to continue when your hard-earned cash is non-refundable. You bought it, might as well use it.
- Plus, we value our time. When we book space for you and you don’t show up or send in samples, that takes up time another client could have used.
Once the contract is signed, the fun begins. We have two options for you to choose from.
Writing Coach Packages
Note that our basic hourly fee is $125/hour* outside of these packages. Services provided are:
- coaching
- developmental edit (as the story is being developed)
- structural edit (looks for plot holes and flow)
- copy editing (spelling, punctuation, grammar)
- substantive (full edit or content editing)
- line editing (line-by-line editing)
- book layout for eBook and print
- cover creation
- assistance with synopsis
- assistance with query letters
- assistance with self-publishing to Amazon, Kobo, Apple, etc.
- guidance for marketing, distribution, etc.
Basic: Six-Hour Starter Package
Our basic package starts at $675 (plus GST) CAD for six hours of editing/coaching. The entire fee is paid upfront as a non-refundable retainer. It includes:
- A half-hour initial meeting (after we agree to work with each other) to find out more about you, your project, your goals and hoped-for outcomes.
- Half-hour editing blocks where your coach goes through parts of your manuscripts (MS.) This is to find your most common errors and habits. The coach also looks at assignments (if any) that you’ve done.
- Each edit session is followed up with an email of the edited version and a minimum of a half-hour online or phone meeting.
- Coaching comprises whatever you need, whether it be emotional support, hard facts, information or help with writer’s block.
- When your retainer is used up, you may opt to continue at an hourly rate equivalent to what you signed up for. In this case, $112.50/hour. At that point, you will be billed either monthly or bi-weekly, depending on the time spent on the coaching/editing sessions.
US $ = USD 550 or $92/hour
Comprehensive: Twelve Hour Package
Twelve guaranteed hours of support/editing/coaching/critique and nagging for one low price!
Great Savings
Twelve hours of one-on-one private coaching usually runs around $1500. We’ve added a generous discount for those who purchase the full 12 hours. Your cost is $1300 (CAD) for the full 12 hours of mentoring/coaching. (plus GST)
This package requires a 50% (non-refundable) retainer of $650.00 (plus GST=$682.50) and a contract. Any work done together after the 12 hours is completed, will be charged out monthly at $108/hour.
US $ = USD 990 or $83/hour
It includes everything you see above, just more of it.
Seriously though, most writers want a mixture of personalized coaching, editing, critique, writing technique suggestions and general feedback. Some want more technical information about self-publishing and/or getting on Amazon/Kobo, etc. We even do layouts and uploads if that’s what you require. Or maybe you just need to be shown how. We do that too. Look at the list above, and pick and choose what you want from your coach.
With over 30 years in the writing industry, you’re hiring a coach with a boatload of knowledge and experience. Whatever you decide, you’ll get hours of personalized attention for you and your manuscript.
Before You Decide
We prefer to speak to you before you sign up for our one-on-one coaching. We know you have questions and we are here to answer them.
Please email us and we’ll set up a phone or online call to discuss your needs. We can also supply you with references from past clients.
Important Stuff
Note that all prices are in CAD. Payments are made via online transfer through Interac for Canadian clients. American clients may pay via cross-border money transfer apps such as PayPal or Wise.
Any fees associated with non-CAD payments are charged back to the client at a flat rate of $5.
And remember . . .
*Past students who have not signed up for a one-on-one package, receive a $15/hour discount on all projects. There is a retainer of $660 required, and after that is used up, a basic hourly rate of $110 will apply.