WRITING COACHES - DO I NEED ONE?

THE FOLLOWING IS A GUEST POST by Rachel Sentes of gal-friday publicity. I've featured Rachel on Suzenyms before, and she always comes at the writing process from an interesting angle. This time, she talks about writing coaches, what they do, and whether a writer should use one. 

IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, the term 'coach' has been overused and has lost value, because anyone can declare they are one. There doesn’t seem to be any regulation or monitoring in the life, business, creativity, or writing coach arena. Sports coaches have to have some academic schooling and training on their resume, but it doesn’t seem like you need much of anything to declare yourself a writing coach.

The terms 'Writing Coach' and 'Life Coach for Writers' are often interchanged and I never understood who needed this kind of person. Shouldn’t a writer just sit down and write? Writing can be hard. What does a writer need a coach for? I wanted to know the answer to these questions after I received a manuscript that had been mapped out by a writing coach. The author was enthusiastic and fully committed to getting his book completed at breakneck speed. The outline of the book was succinct and well ordered, the timelines for completion seemed achievable, but the actual manuscript was a mess. I thought, "What's the point of having a great organizer help you, if the structure and content are unreadable? Why would a coach not mention that the writing isn’t yet publishable?"

After doing some research, I discovered (for the most part) that a writing coach doesn’t work with a writer to critique the content or edit work. She helps the writer with his process and makes him accountable so he achieves specific goals. If you're looking for someone to validate how great your story is, you won't get that. What you will get is a great resource who has expertise in helping you  reach goals and learn the value of your writing. A good coach can answer your questions about how to map and time manage your career. She will boost you when you're feeling discouraged. Coaches set achievable goals, hold you accountable for your work, push you through roadblocks, and counteract self-sabotage, with the end goal being your project's completion. 

Every writer is different, and every coach will have a different take on the work they want to do with you. Not everyone works well on his own. Some writers need someone to monitor them, to make sure they hit deadlines, and to push them when they aren’t self-starters. Many need that kind of interaction to keep them going. The people who hire writing coaches are often the same ones who join weekly writing groups to discuss their work.

If you decide to hire a writing coach, remember that you're about to work with someone in an area that is very personal to you (what writer hasn’t referred to their manuscript as their baby'?). Therefore, you need to make sure that you're going to get along with this person. Have a discussion with the coach to find out as much about them as possible. Ask to see their contract, fees, and get them to explain how they work. They won't do your writing for you; that's your job. If you don’t think you can take direction from them, this could be a problem.  

Once you think you’ve found a coach, look over their fees and consider their methods. Most should have a decent resume in the field. If they promise you instant success, move on; these coaches often have an ulterior motive for signing you up. Watch for 'up sales' right out of the gate. While it's common for writing coaches to offer other services, it shouldn’t be a requirement that you buy them. 

The writing coach industry is unregulated, and as such, so are the fees that are charged. Shop around for your best fit. I've seen fees ranging from $100.00/hour to $1,500.00 for three months. It’s rare to find a writing coach who is actually certified. Indeed, the only certification process I found was something called a Creativity Coach Course that takes twelve to eighteen months to complete for $2,900.00. What it provides, I’m still not certain, but I think it was a basic psychology course directed towards understanding writing roadblocks. Don’t bother to search for someone who says they are certified. This doesn’t denote how good of a coach they are.

My impression of this industry is that writing coaches can be of great benefit to writers who need direction with process, organization, and accountability, but you shouldn't look to them to turn you into a better writer. That may be a great side effect of working with them, but if you don’t have the basics of grammar or storytelling, a coach isn’t going to be able to help you as much as you might hope. Spend some time thinking about what you want to get out of the relationship, and what you want the coach's role to be. Do you want someone to call you and get your butt in gear to hit a deadline, someone who can assess your progress on a weekly basis? Start by asking these questions, and then ask a potential writing coach. 

I came across this great link that contains an interesting discussion about writing coaches and mentors on the Urban Muse. It answers a lot of questions: http://www.urbanmusewriter.com/2012/02/should-you-hire-a-writing-coach-or-mentor.html. Ultimately, the purpose of working with anyone in the industry is to find the best way to reach your goals. A writing coach is one route to consider on your way to success. 

Rachel's Bio: Rachel Sentes is a professional writer and full-time publicist/CEO of gal-friday publicity, based in Vancouver, B.C. Her clients include actors, sports figures, publishers, authors, top tier businesses, and dog rescue associations. She specializes in building publicity platforms and garnering media bookings for authors, helping them negotiate their way through the ever-changing maze of the publishing world. Rachel has booked clients on CNN, CTV National, BNN, The Seattle Times, Global, Shaw, City TV, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, NewsTalk 1010, TSN, Bloomberg Radio and The Vancouver Sun, to name a few.

(Thanks, Rachel.) 

Next Post: The ABC's of How NOT to Write Speculative Fiction - 'A' is for Adjectives, Adverbs, and other Descriptive Additives - do we use them, or not?

Stay tuned.

PUBLICISTS, PART THREE: WHAT 'EXACTLY' CAN A PUBLICIST DO FOR ME, AND HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? Guest Post by Rachel Sentes

THE FOLLOWING IS PART THREE of Rachel Sentes's guest posts on publicity and promotion regarding what a publicist can do for all of us writers out there. The post that follows is the most extensive yet. Rachel has very kindly shared specific information about what she does for her clients, as well as provide us with privileged information: what she charges and what her fees are. Take it away, Rachel!

THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF PUBLICISTS that offer a variety of services, but ultimately they all want the same result: booking interviews for their client.  We are the ‘behind the scenes’ people that fill the spaces in newspapers, magazines, online blogs, television shows and news stories, book review sites and radio shows. No one in the public eye is there by accident. From start to finish, it can take hours to secure a five minute interview. I can’t speak for everyone, so I’ll speak for myself and my team about what we do on a daily basis. We:

·            Read through all the top national and international newspapers and sections (lifestyle, entertainment, books, business, sports, etc.) to find tie-ins pertaining to our client’s work 

·            Go through twitter feeds/Facebook sites and look for additional news and websites that can be opportunities for bookings. We connect with media people, writers and publishers online who may know of opportunities.

·            Read reporter/producer requests from HARO (Help a Reporter Out), Pitch Rate, Pitching Notes, Media Bistro.com, Publishers Lunch, Deadline Hollywood, Quill & Quire, Broadcaster magazine, and other resources for direct pitches

·           Research media contacts for specific industries and compile and add to media lists. We enter data into mail-out systems for press releases

·            Go through e-mails, prioritize to-do lists for immediate and ongoing media bookings

·            Answer e-mails from new prospects and set up phone meetings

·            Delegate research and pitching tasks to subcontractors

·            Write content and design media kits for clients

·            Troubleshoot on author websites and in social media, post new book signings and events online

·            Research and write articles/news releases/psa’s/one-on-one pitches/speaker’s kits/media kits/media invitations and review requests

·            Pitch all written material to media contacts via email. We call or tweet other media contacts

·            Contact publishers for pitches for new books and updates on the status of proposals

·            Draft book proposals, query letters, and outlines with sample chapters for our clients

·            Accompany clients to interviews at news studios

·            Provide media coaching for those who are inexperienced before the camera

·            Write television show proposals which we pitch to development companies

·            Write and edit news releases which are sent to our clients for approval, make the suggested changes, then upload on distribution sites for release

·            Follow up on good leads for news releases. Phone and email to secure bookings.

·            Ghostwrite blogs and upload them online

·            Provide book signing and promotional advice to clients, send ‘What to Wear on Television’ tip sheets

·            Set up blog tours for new books and promote them online

·            Troubleshoot booking issues, reschedule on behalf of the media or the client and find new dates

·            Find and research placement for an op-ed that clients write (This is a great way to add to a campaign.)

·            Make judgment calls about having clients on the air. If the media is nervous about an untried guest, it’s my job to either get the client ready, or have them trained so they might be rebooked on the show. This is a part of the ‘behind the scenes’ work that a lot of people don't know about. I’ve had to turn down key spots for clients because they simply weren’t ready to be on a big show. This ensures that the client's and our business reputation stays intact.

·            Answer and troubleshoot Amazon marketing issues, follow-up on outstanding reviews

·            Read and assess manuscripts/books/client proposals for possible publicity angles

And there you have it. Publicity isn’t just about making calls and booking media. It’s a whole lot more. When someone asks me about their ‘Return on Investment’ and what I’ve been doing all day, I show them this list. Keep in mind that the two minute clip you see of a puppy at the end of a television show might have taken two weeks to set up.

In the business of writing you need to budget for everything. Even if you plan on doing your own publicity, you still have to budget your time in order to implement those plans.  

Before hiring a publicist, be sure you know exactly what you want. If all you need is someone to help you refine your pitch so you can approach the media—say that. If you want your publicist to do all the work—tell them that as well. Every publicist should have a package that will fit your needs, but you need to determine what those are, first.

A publicity business with a broader set of goals has a bigger reach, so while gal-friday publicity specializes in books, we also work with businesses like alpaca farms, sleep consultants, actors, and sports people. If you choose a publicity firm that only caters to one aspect of your industry, you could limit your opportunities.

Fees: Every firm and freelancer has their own fee schedule. Some charge for consultations and some don’t. Consultations can range from free to $150.00 for a half hour or hour session. Research/Google the team names on the company website to see how active they are online. Do you see news releases? Articles? Check and see what comes up. People who give free consultations can be just as good as those who charge. Also, check to see if they charge a reading fee for going through your manuscript. I offer a free assessment because I want to be 100% sure it’s something that’s a good fit for me and my team, but not everyone works this way. Be sure to ask if they have a fee.

When it comes to rates for publicity, some publicists will have levels for monthly retainers or publicity packages, but all will require a deposit of some kind. Per placement publicity firms collect a fee only if they get a placement. This may sound like a great way to go, but if they are doing that, you can be sure that there is absolutely NO strategy involved in their campaign. There is no consistency to who or where they pitch, and they will limit their time on your campaign if they don’t get any bites. It’s a start and stop method, which isn’t what publicity is about.

Most publicists recommend a minimum time commitment. I recommend three months as a minimum investment. I can usually get publicity and a feel for what the industry is looking for in that amount of time. Many of my clients are long-standing, because they keep writing and producing new books and products. Many clients commit to six to twelve months. Look for contracts that you can negotiate if you aren’t sure what you have available for a budget. Be sure you can afford it.

I generally don’t post my fee structure online because I want prospects to talk to me directly, but I would like to educate people on the variety, so my hourly rate starts at $95.00/hour. Wow! I know that sounds like a lot, but it isn’t, really. That money is divided to cover my freelance sub-contractors who work on all of our projects, and it covers overhead expenses, database maintenance and distribution lists. When all is said and done I’m actually only giving myself a salary of $22.00/hour.

You will find that most PR companies charge between $65.00- $150.00/hour. Big time PR agencies will charge higher for large companies (Fortune 500 publicity companies charge between $3,000- 10,000/month)

At the time of this writing I offer several retainer packages. Each one is customized to meet the goals the client requests. Package A is five hours for $495.00: this can include writing and researching news releases, distribution, follow ups for media bookings, targeted media lists with pitches, tweet and phone campaigns, real tie publicity, tie- ins for headlines, and author platform development with publicity on local and national levels. Our retainer packages go up from there in five hour increments, up to 35 hours a month ( large businesses use that level) but I am open to negotiate for smaller projects like news release distribution and/or publishing consultations  (by the hour).

If you are seriously thinking about hiring a publicist there are a couple of things you should be wary of:

Don’t ask for the moon. Be realistic. We’ll ask you for a wish list but that doesn’t mean we can get everything you want. If you published with Createspace or on your own, chances are you won’t be on the cover of Time anytime soon. If a publicist promises you that, be wary. As for me, I have booking contacts with large U.S shows. (I can pitch to Ellen, but that doesn’t mean she’ll choose your story).

In this industry you need to have the flexibility to be available for interviews. Publicity isn’t easy to get.  Are you able to drop everything to talk to a major outlet? Not everyone can. If you say you’re available, you need to mean it. Reputations are on the line. Rescheduling and canceling interviews cost time and money is better spent elsewhere. Don’t hire a publicist if you aren’t available!

Research is key to finding the right publicist for your project. You’ve invested time and effort in your book. Make sure you’re getting the best marketing/advertising/publicity strategy in place. And finally, remember, when you hire a publicist you can spend more time doing what you do best—writing that next book. Leave her to worry about bookings. 

(Thanks, Rachel, for a very informative and interesting post! And if those of you out there are interested in getting a tailor-made quote from Rachel regarding her services and learning what she can specifically do for you, contact her at gal-friday publicity.) 

Rachel's Bio: Rachel Sentes is a professional writer and full-time publicist/CEO of gal-friday publicity, based in Vancouver, B.C. Her clients include actors, sports figures, publishers, authors, top tier businesses and dog rescue associations. She specializes in building publicity platforms and garnering media bookings for authors,helping them negotiate their way through the ever-changing maze of the publishing world. Rachel has booked clients on CNN, CTV National, BNN, The Seattle Times, Global, Shaw, City TV, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, NewsTalk 1010, TSN, Bloomberg Radio and The Vancouver Sun, to name a few. 

Next Post: Guest Interview with Adria Laycraft and Janice Blaine, co-editors or The Urban Green Man anthology.

Stay tuned!

PUBLICISTS, PART TWO: CAN A WRITER WORK WITH TWO PUBLICISTS AT THE SAME TIME? Guest Post by Rachel Sentes

THIS GUEST POST IS PART TWO of Rachel Sentes's posts on publicity and what publicists can do for an author. Can a writer work with two publicists at the same time? I can see how this might be an issue if a publisher dedicates one or more of their staff to help the writer publicize their book, or if the writer is working with a publisher and an outside agent, or if the writer is utilizing two different publicists to share the promotional workload. This is what Rachel has to say about it:

Can you work with two publicists at a time? For the most part, yes. But each publicist must be very clear in defining their role and the client's role in the booking process. I’ve worked alongside all kinds of publicists, and working in tandem can be very beneficial. We aren’t in competition, we collaborate to get our client results. And I must admit, working with another can spur you on to see how fast you can garner media for your client. Both publicists will share their lists so that all bases are covered. If you plan to do this, get your publicists together as soon as possible so they can establish ground rules as to who is doing what. 

The best way to choose a publicist is to do your research to see what kinds of books they represent, then to contact them to see if they will answer whatever questions you might have. Ask for referrals and spend some time determining if they are a good fit. 

What’s in it for me? This will be one of the first questions a member of the media will ask you or your publicist(s) when determining if they want to give you air time for an interview. Never forget: their job is to garner ratings for their station and increase readership for their newspaper - not to help you. They'll want to know if what you're offering will inspire, entertain, or help their audience. They aren’t interested in how long it took you to write your book, or why you wrote it. Instead, they'll want to know how your book connects to current trends, headlines, or newsworthy topics. No one (except for breaking news items) is interviewed on television by accident. Interviewees are there as a result of someone behind the scenes making countless phone calls and e-mail pitches to convince producers and editors that their client is the best fit for what they need. That’s what good publicists do.

The media is important because they provide a direct line to an audience who will purchase your book and value the message you are offering. A publicist will take apart your book to see what trends (however soft they may seem) can be turned into opportunities to garner interviews and reviews. She will look for strengths in themes and plot, but more importantly, she'll look for that common denominator with which the public can identify. Having a publicist is beneficial because she won't have the same personal connection with your book as you do. She can distance herself from the material. This is similar to self-editing. Anyone can edit their book, but the really well-written ones benefit from a professional editor who isn't close to the material. 

While publicists might identify with the ideas and experiences and qualities of a book, (and it’s important for them to like your book and your writing), overall, they are only thinking about why the content matters to others. And this may end up becoming a very different angle or focus than what the author thinks it is. It’s this objectivity that makes hiring publicists so valuable. For example, I recently started working on a book of fiction that features a young twenty-two year old protagonist in the oil and gas industry who talks about that lifestyle and its pitfalls, plus what solutions might address those issues.The most obvious angle was one that appealed to young men (and others) in the oil and gas industry. This was a good angle. But the actual hook that interested the media was the appeal the book would have for parents with offspring in the industry who aren't aware of its darker side when looking for a decent job. This was a market that didn’t occur to the author, but it was the one that garnered interest. The book is currently being targeted to parents. Fear and desire are the two top emotions that garner interviews.

To wrap this post, if you're doing your own publicity, or hiring others to help you, always think of what’s in it for the media and their target audience. If you do, you’ll get better results.

Rachel's Bio: Rachel Sentes is a professional writer and full-time publicist/CEO of gal-friday publicity, based in Vancouver, B.C. Her clients include actors, sports figures, publishers, authors, top tier businesses and dog rescue associations. She specializes in building publicity platforms and garnering media bookings for authors,helping them negotiate their way through the ever-changing maze of the publishing world. Rachel has booked clients on CNN, CTV National, BNN, The Seattle Times, Global, Shaw, City TV, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, NewsTalk 1010, TSN, Bloomberg Radio and The Vancouver Sun, to name a few. 

(Thanks again, Rachel!)

Next Post: Publicists, Part Three:What 'Exactly' Can a Publicist Do For Me, and How Much Will It Cost?

Stay tuned.

DO I NEED A PUBLICIST, AND IF SO, WHAT KIND?

THE FOLLOWING IS A GUEST POST (the first of three parts) by Rachel Sentes, publicist with gal-friday publicity. I've always wondered what a publicist might do for me, so I asked her to give us an idea of the types of publicists out there. Here' s what she has to say:

There are lots of publicists out there and several kinds that can help you. They are: 

1. Freelance
2. In-house
3. Agencies or Firms, or
4. Guaranteed Placements

A Freelance Publicist is usually an individual who works with a few other freelance writers or sub-contractors to contact media for self-published and traditionally published books and e-books.  

An In-house Publicist is a publicist that works inside a traditional publishing firm or a self-publishing company and is hired by the publisher to work on the book. In the case of a self-publishing house, they are usually part of a pre-paid package. If you are paying for a publicist as part of your publishing contract, then you are not with a traditional publishing house (and that’s a whole other post!) 

A freelance publicist is different than an in-house publicist in that a freelancer can choose what books they want to work on, and for how long. And that works well since publicity is an organic and evolving process. Many In-house publicists are given very little choice as to which books they want to work on, and they are usually done in three months, sometimes shorter depending on what other books are being pushed.  Which is too bad because some books take a little longer to have the media warm up to them, and so just when things start to go for them, they lose their support.

An Agency or Firm will have twenty or more publicists working on your book and often you will have two or three different people doing the bookings for you. These are the companies that so many marketing/publicity books (and writers) talk about when they say that you’ll be shelling out thousands of dollars for a publicist. And that might well be, as they tend to charge more than freelancers because they may have a few more resources on hand to help you. In my research and experience, freelancers can often land the same type of media that agencies can. A downside to agencies for some people is that they rarely read the books before signing you up, which can certainly affect the type of publicity you receive. However, since they have so many people working for them, their database can be substantially bigger than freelancers. 

The final kind, is mix of Publicist/Advertiser. Now I haven’t had a lot of direct interactions with many of them, but a few of my clients have, and while they did get placements, many of them weren’t a great fit for their book. And that’s generally because they have cultivated specific relationships with set types of media, that they know will do an article or interview with them. It’s almost like direct marketing with built in success. Now that might just be what you are looking for, so it’s worthwhile to research them. But be aware that your socially conscious environmental book might not fit the right wing business show that they end up booking you on. They do say that any publicity is good publicity, but if it’s not going to reach your audience it’s probably not a good fit. 

Rachel's Bio: Rachel Sentes is a professional writer and full-time publicist/CEO of gal-friday publicity, based in Vancouver, B.C. Her clients include actors, sports figures, publishers, authors, top tier businesses and dog rescue associations. She specializes in building publicity platforms and garnering media bookings for authors, helping them negotiate their way through the ever-changing maze of the publishing world. Rachel has booked clients on CNN, CTV National, BNN, The Seattle Times, Global, Shaw, City TV, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, NewsTalk 1010, TSN, Bloomberg Radio and The Vancouver Sun, to name a few. 

(Thanks, Rachel!)

Next Post: Publicists, Part Two: Can You Work With Two Publicists at a Time? by Rachel Sentes.

Stay tuned.