From Fitness Coach 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 Caroline Topperman

Caroline Topperman

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

What didn’t I do? I danced; I owned a Pilates studio frequented by athletes and celebrities; I taught rock climbing; I worked in the beauty and fashion industry; I sold aftermarket car products; I sold sports insurance; and I worked with a real estate developer. I also ran a successful blog, and, of course, I wrote. I wrote a lot.

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

A well-known theatre director once told me that a director needs to know a little bit about everything. I took this comment to heart. My experience working in a variety of fields, speaking English, Polish, and French, and living in different Canadian cities and in Europe gives me many ways to connect with a client. This, coupled with my writing and editing background, means that I can show up where a client needs me most.

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 love reading; I always have. While doing research for my book, I found a letter my mother had written, lamenting that I spent more time reading than doing schoolwork. I don’t have a favorite book, but Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami had a big impact on my writing when I was studying screenwriting in film school. Vivian Gornick’s Odd Woman in the City is another book that I frequently revisit. Other than reading, you can always find me at the theatre or watching a dance performance. My mother was an artist—a painter—and art was a huge part of my childhood.

4. What is the last best book you read?

Jenny Erpenbeck's, Not a Novel: A Memoir in Pieces is a compilation of essays, lectures, and musings, translated from German. She masterfully combines writing about history, languages, culture, life, and death—and more. Each piece is different, yet her book is a seamless read. I highly recommend it.

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

Helping people unravel and organize their stories so they can write their books is very exciting. My favourite part is brainstorming, playing with structure, and giving book recommendations. I want my writers to do a deep dive into their projects so that we can transform their ideas into a work of art. My goal is to get them excited so that they start to live and breathe the story they are working on. I also want them to dream about how their book will go out into the world.

One of the first questions my mentor asked me was how I wanted to publish my book. I thought it was a strange question at first, but now I see how logical it was. I wrote my hybrid memoir with the goal of having it traditionally published, and that made all the difference in my approach and mindset.

6. What is your biggest challenge around being a book coach and what are you doing to address it? 

I run my business a little differently than many book coaches because I am also a co-owner at MountainAsh.press. We are a full-service hybrid press that focuses on books that might not find a home with more traditional presses, books that bend genres and break conventions, books that are artful, challenging, and fresh. 

I believe that the biggest challenge is potential clients approaching us before they are ready. At this point in my book coaching journey, I have had to have that difficult conversation with several people. I find that many people are excited about the prospect of writing a book but don’t necessarily understand the amount of work involved. I am implementing a more rigorous intake process to show clients that, while very rewarding, writing a book requires significant work. At the same time, I have to realize that not everyone is up to the challenge, and I can’t necessarily change that.

7. Who is your ideal client and what is the first service you offer them? 

I do like working with a variety of people in different stages of their book development but for the sake of narrowing it down, my ideal writer is someone who knows they have a story to tell, they’ve been working on it for a while, and they have the drive to push through to get it written. I’ve found that the potential clients who find me usually already have some pages written, as such I will generally offer them a manuscript evaluation. This way I can suggest a full book coaching package or perhaps if they are ready, a developmental edit. 

You can find Caroline at CarolineTopperman.com and the manuscript evaluation service HERE

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