Book coaching is absolutely worth it for the aspiring writer. Yes, you can learn a lot by just stumbling around, getting feedback from other writers, and taking your time. But none of us know how much time we have or who needs the story we are writing right now.

Sharing your writing with another author can be a quick way to get some skilled feedback. It can also be a gamble that doesn’t pay off.

Why? Because some authors are great at writing a story and horrible at encouraging others to write theirs. Some authors want to change your work to resemble theirs or to mimic what they read. Maybe this is an award-winning author giving you this advice. It’s wrong.

Your story is not meant to be written by another. Your story is yours. Unless you’re a ghost writer writing someone else’s manuscript, you’re writing this story out of your own head and with your own intentions. You have your own reasons and your own themes and morals and ideas that only you can contribute to your story.

Don’t fall into this trap that gets so many new authors bogged down. You need someone who can see what you’re trying to do and encourage you to achieve it. That’s where a book coach comes in handy.