From English Teacher to Book Coach

What is the path to becoming a book coach? Author Accelerator Certified book coaches answer 7 questions about their journey. Today, we feature Liisa Kovala

1. What did you do before becoming a book coach? 

Before becoming a book coach, I spent twenty-seven years as an educator. I spent the first eight years of my career as an elementary school teacher teaching everything from Science and Math to Art and Physical Education before moving into a special education classroom for a few years. I taught in New Zealand at the beginning of my career before returning to Canada. As an English major, my desire was always to teach English at the high school level, so when a job became available, I left elementary for the secondary panel and spent the rest of my career teaching English, Creative Writing, and AP research to teenagers. I started focussing on my own writing and published two books while working on others. Although I loved my work and my students, teaching is emotionally exhausting work. After feeling the burnout associated with Covid, I took early retirement. For the past two years, I’ve been an occasional teacher, but am now ready to leave that world behind to focus solely on being an author and book coach.

2. How did your background prepare you for book coaching? What skills/talents/experiences feel most relevant?

When I left teaching in 2022, I knew I would focus on writing, but wasn’t sure how I’d supplement my income. When I found Author Accelerator I realized I could make a living writing and coaching. What a magical combination. Book coaching is a natural extension of teaching for me. Working one-on-one, in small groups, or larger workshops comes easy to me because it’s what I’ve done for years. The main difference is I don’t have to tell my adult clients to put away their cell phones. As an educator, I have always felt strongly that students can’t learn if they don’t feel valued. Personal relationships are more important than curriculum. I always try to create a warm and safe space for my students. I feel the same about my adult clients. They, too, need to feel valued, respected, and comfortable. We all just want to be seen, don’t we?

If you haven’t spent time on the teacher's side of the classroom, it’s impossible to understand the complexities and stresses associated with the work, but I’m a strong advocate for a writing practice for teachers to help them meet the demands of their job. I love working with teachers because they have a vast array of skills and knowledge to bring to their writing and can benefit from a creative pursuit like writing. I understand the grind of teaching, but I also know that teachers who want to write will be rewarded for their efforts. It is possible to do both, and I’m confident I can help them.

3. What is your relationship to reading, writing, and/or creativity? What kinds of books do you read? What other creative work do you do?

I have been a writer for as long as I could read. I wrote my first poem at the tender age of five. My mother encouraged reading in our household and introduced me to Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, Little House on the Prairie, and later other classics like Wuthering Heights,  Emma and Pride and Prejudice. I’ve been an avid reader for my entire life. My preference is for literary and Classic novels, but these days I’m interspersing more genre fiction into the mix. I also love a great memoir.

I’ve also been a rhythmic gymnast since age five. In my teen years, I was part of an Elite Performing Group. We traveled in Canada and Europe. I also became a certified gymnastic’s coach. As an adult, I formed a Ladies’ Performance Group. We performed locally and at International Gymnaestradas in Austria, Switzerland, and Finland. I loved choreographing and performing, and miss the creativity of it. I still take a women’s class once a week, and sometimes teach apparatus like ribbons or rope.

4. What is the last best book you read?

I usually have two books on the go at any given time. I recently finished Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier. I’ve had a set of Du Maurier hardcovers on my bookshelf for years, but had never read them. Now I’m reading them all. Recently, I also read Heidi Reimer’s The Mother Act about the relationship between a mother and daughter. It asks the difficult question of whether one can have a successful creative career and be a mother and what happens when you sacrifice your motherhood to pursue your goals. It was a compelling read. I was honoured to interview Heidi, along with Louise Ells and Kim Fahner for a panel called the Inner World of Women for Wordstock Literary Festival this year.

5.  What is your favorite part about being a book coach?

I love everything about being a book coach, but my favourite thing is working with women who are feeling trepidation about their writing and seeing their confidence grow. Having deep conversations with someone about their work is so empowering. The book coaching relationship goes beyond giving and receiving feedback. It’s a mutual commitment to the project. To me, there is a kind of alchemy in the process that’s not easy to explain, but when the magic happens, you both know. Book coaching gives me joy.

6.  What is your biggest challenge around being a book coach and what are you doing to address it? (This could be a mindset practice, a time management hack, a new piece of software, a business book…)

My biggest challenge as a book coach has probably been marketing. I never had to worry about clients while I was teaching. They just arrived at my classroom every day. Now I’m learning how to be open about what I do and am much more comfortable on social media. I also started a Substack newsletter called Women Writing in which I feature other writers creating space and time to do the writing, as well as exploring the process of how I’m navigating the book writing and publishing process with my next book. 

Marketing my business (and my own writing) is a work in progress, but I feel best when I feel like I’m serving others by promoting their writing, or sharing my experiences to help other writers, or by letting folks know what I’m offering in case it’s something they need. I love the ideas Dan Blank espouses and regularly read his newsletters. When promotion moves away from self-promotion and towards generosity, it feels right to me. I’ll continue to learn about marketing that aligns with my beliefs.

7. Who is your ideal client and what is the first service you offer them? (Provide URL to this service)

My ideal client is a teacher with a demanding job who has a strong desire to write. She’s trying to do all the things for everyone else, but needs to focus on her own creativity in order to serve her students, her family, and her community. I offer one-to-one book coaching for clients who have an idea for a novel or memoir, or are working through the revision process. I also offer Group Book Coaching programs for individuals who want to work on the foundational elements of a story idea in a supportive, relaxed, and encouraging environment. This spring, I’m offering a Group Book Coaching class specifically designed for teachers. Visit liisakovalabookcoach.com for information.

---