From Small Press Director 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 Heather Garbo.

May 30, 2025

Author Accelerator Certified Book Coach Heather Garbo

What did you do before becoming a book coach?

I was the director of a regional small press in Denver, Colorado. We published regional voices across multiple genres, and I managed acquisitions, editing, and production. When I first heard of Author Accelerator and book coaching on the #AmWriting podcast, I realized I already did a lot of book coaching with our authors, but I wanted to learn a more systemized way to approach it. I figured it would make me a better editor.

I’d always loved working directly with writers during the editorial phase, but that was only a small part of my job. Once I dove into the Author Accelerator program, it reinforced that I wanted that to be the main focus of my work because working with authors to help them shape their stories was my favorite part.

Then last summer, my family and I took a big life leap to move from Denver to a small North Carolina town for a slower-paced lifestyle. We knew no one and had no jobs lined up, but I had just completed my Author Accelerator certification, so it seemed the perfect time to launch my book coaching business.

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

I knew I wanted to be an editor back in undergrad, so I got a BA in English lit and then attended the University of Denver Publishing Institute in 1999. I began working in publishing in both editorial and marketing for small presses as well as at a boutique book marketing agency. But at some point, I had to decide if I wanted to stay in publishing or I wanted to stay in Denver, and I didn’t want to move so I pivoted into communications. I also discovered a passion for community development, so I got a master’s in sociology and then worked in nonprofit for many years. But I never lost my love for books and would occasionally freelance edit. Then in 2020, I was asked to launch and run a small press. I was so thrilled to be working full-time in publishing again, but the industry had changed a lot since I left, so I had to do a deep dive to get back up to speed. Author Accelerator was one of the things that really helped me with that!

At first glance, my career may seem a bit meandering, but I’ve found I draw on all of my experiences regularly. I use my background in sociology to analyze stories and publishing data nearly as much as I draw on my industry experience or education in literary analysis.

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’m a voracious and lifelong reader, and I’ve always been a writer. My first professional job was at a regional magazine, and later I had a Denver-based lifestyle blog that did well, and I did some writing for Huffington Post, TinyBeans and other publications. My personal writing was mostly nonfiction until the last couple of years when I’ve begun taking my own fiction writing more seriously.

My bookshelves definitely reflect my varied interests…I read a lot of literary, women’s fiction, and dystopian but also narrative nonfiction, social science, urban studies, psychology, personal development, design, and so many books on nurturing creativity and the craft of writing.

I’m a real nerd for creativity in particular. I find it endlessly fascinating. I’ve followed Julia Cameron’s work on creativity and Jen Louden’s work on retreats since I was in my twenties, and I’m a big believer in feeding your creative spirit through retreat work. Maybe for that reason, I’ve always thought it wise to balance my main creative pursuit with something that’s just for fun. The last couple years that has been watercolor painting. It’s a great de-stresser.

What is the last best book you read?

Ooh, so hard. I’d have to pick two…Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt and Go As a River by Shelley Read. Admittedly, I read Go As A River a while ago, but I loved it so much that I still recommend it to others. It takes place on Colorado’s Western Slope, but it’s not a typical historical fiction about the southwest. I also have a short list of “comfort reads” that I love and return to sometimes, and I just reread Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny.

What is your favorite part about being a book coach?

My absolute favorite part of book coaching is working directly with the writers, especially when I can help them discover a breakthrough. I love the synergy in the moments when we’re brainstorming or I offer feedback that gives them instant clarity, and they say, “That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to articulate!” It’s always an honor to be part of their journey, and I’ve found I’m good at finding the throughline in a messy manuscript…I think it’s the sociology part of me that’s always looking for the patterns.

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

I love the coaching. I love the editing work. I love working directly with the writers. I hate the back-end systems and necessary contracts and admin stuff. Based on book coach Dani Abernathy’s recommendation, I started using 17Hats and that’s been extremely helpful with those things that I find mind-numbing, but I’m a far cry from using it to its full potential. I’ve learned to identify when it’s smart to hire someone, which I’ve done to help get some of my systems in place. I need to do so again soon to uplevel those systems.

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

My ideal client is an aspiring women’s fiction writer (or upmarket or book club fiction—often seen as interchangeable these days) who is rediscovering her writing voice in midlife or later. Maybe she dabbled earlier in life, but now she’s finally getting serious by claiming the time or the value of her own stories. Usually, she needs help getting started, understanding the rhythms of storytelling, and perhaps overcoming her own imposter syndrome too, and she definitely needs help navigating the mysteries of the publishing world.

My most successful and satisfying client relationships have been when the writer starts working with me with that initial story spark and we begin with the foundational story planning work, then we move into monthly coaching so they can find their story rhythm, and then they may write on their own for a while before coming back for a manuscript assessment or developmental edit. It becomes a very high-touch relationship because I’m so invested in their story and their successes. For writers who aren’t ready to commit to a full service, I also provide mini packages for story planning and manuscript assessment so they can test out book coaching to understand how I can help them get their novel-writing dreams out of their head and onto a page.

Peoplle can find me at https://www.garbobookcoaching.com/services

8.) Bonus Question!

Heather wrote a fantastically helpful post on Women’s Fiction Debut Deals and another on the language around this genre. I asked her to share them here.

10 Insights I Learned from Analyzing the 2024 Women’s Fiction Debut Deals
Should You Stop Pitching Your Manuscript as Women’s Fiction?
📚 Become a Certified Book Coach
Are you interested in learning more about Author Accelerator’s Book Coach Certification Program? In June, we are enrolling a cohort of 12 students in fiction, memoir, or nonfiction. I’ll be doing a live webinar to walk you through the three keys to running a successful book coaching business on June 4, 2025, at 5pm PST. It’s a great chance to learn all about being a book coach and ask me anything about our year-long, fully-supported program. You can sign up to join me for that training HERE.