The Power and the Pain of Firing a Not-Ideal Book Coaching Client

I coach writers in order to be of service and to contribute to the creation of something I am excited about and will be proud to have been a part of. If I can't do that, the client is not a good fit.

Photo by Ben Wicks on Unsplash

I am shaking.

I have just fired a client.

I have been a book coach for 15 years and I have ended relationships dozens of times – but it never gets easier.

I’m walking away from money.

I’m walking away from a relationship.

I’m walking away from potential achievement – in this case, I felt certain the book was going to have a big impact. It’s the reason I took on the project in the first place. It’s the only reason I take on any project at this point in my career. Because I run a book coach training and certification company, I limit myself to one coaching client at a time. I pride myself on picking well. 

So I’m walking away from the confidence I have in picking the right people and the right projects. 

It feels akin to a break-up.

It doesn’t feel good.

And yet it also feels powerful.

I know exactly how I can add value to a book project – and this project took a turn that meant I was not going to be able to do what I do best.

I’m not saying anything specific on purpose – and I am sorry about that because it would make a better post – but the thing to know is that writers don’t write in a vacuum. They have partners and team members and friends and colleagues weighing in on what they are doing, and sometimes those people have a lot of sway.

Writers are often hesitant to work with book coaches because they are not sure of the ROI (return on investment). They want to know they are getting their money’s worth.

But we have to think of the ROI on our end, too. We are making money – sure – but we are investing time, energy, and effort. We are bringing our years of experience to bear on the work. We are attaching ourselves to a project. We don’t just do it for the cash. Money is nice. I love making money. But I coach writers in order to be of service and to contribute to the creation of something I am excited about and will be proud to have been a part of. 

If those things are not there, the work becomes transactional.*

And that kind of work is not for me. I could – all at once, for reasons I can’t say –  feel it in my gut. I could feel it in my heart. I am talking about literal physical sensations here. 

I walked away and it feels right.

I know what I am good at.

I know what I will tolerate and what I will not tolerate.

This makes me a better book coach – and I would argue that it makes me a better person, too.

I’m almost 60 years old and still learning to know myself and to stand up for myself.

That’s where the power lies.

If You Are a New Book Coach

If you are a new book coach and you are reading this and thinking, “I can’t wait until I have the confidence/guts/power/bank account to be able to walk away from a job that doesn’t feel good,” I have this to say to you:

You don’t arrive at a place where you can be in charge of your own business. 

You take charge of your own business in order to arrive at the place. 

Start now. Understand the deep value you bring to what you do. Define exactly how you help. Get clear on your ideal client – the topic or genre, the phase of writing they are in, the goals they have, the type of person they are, and the exact help they need.

And then remember that you are choosing too.

The client is choosing and you hope they choose you, but only if they are a right-fit client. Your job is to determine if they are one.

And maybe at first, not every client is ideal. Maybe you compromise on some. Maybe you take some jobs purely to make money (*which is what transactional means.) That is so fine! Do it. Make the money! But be aware of what you are doing and why. Be aware of what is not exactly right with the project and the client.

And continue to seek out clients who are a better fit.

The tables will turn.

You will (I hope) get to a place like me where you get to choose every single time.

Obviously, you will not always get it right as recent events have shown me. But you will get it right more often than not – and in addition to making good money, that is what makes a book coaching business sustainable.

---

I thought today was Friday, which is normally when I send out this email — Tuesdays and Fridays. Today is not Friday. Ooops!