I’M A WRITING COACH
Need a Good Editor? Get in Touch
Is There Anything Wrong with Creating a Medium Post That’s Just an Ad for My Services as a Writing Coach?
As anyone who has been on this platform for any amount of time knows, you can create a Medium post about anything from dogecoin to dirigibles.
So why not create a post which is just an excuse for me to tell potential clients — that’s you — about my services as a Writing Coach?
Sure — it’s self-serving. But it wouldn’t be the first self-serving post you’ve read on Medium, would it? And it could be useful, if you’re thinking about hiring a Writing Coach. Or are merely curious about what a Writing Coach does.
What’s a Writing Coach?
I am a writer, but I’m also an editor-for-hire.
For decades, I’ve worked with writers to improve and publish their prose. (I’ve also edited over a dozen collections and anthologies, for a number of different publishers.)
I’ve worked with beginning writers and accomplished writers, and every kind of writer in between, on projects ranging from 500-word humor pieces to 500 page novels.
How Does It Work?
You send me a draft.
I take a look, then we schedule a phone call during which we work on it. During the call, you’ll have the piece open on your computer so you can make (or reject)the changes I suggest. You might also choose to record the call.
Then you redraft the piece and send me the updated draft and we go over it again.
We repeat this process until the piece is PERFECT (or as good as you want it to be).
I won’t give you a marked-up manuscript. Just a back and forth on the phone, for as long as that takes.
Why? The jokey answer is that nobody — including me — can read my handwriting. The true answer is that I’ve found that talking with a writer about why I’ve made a change is just as important as making that change.
If I cross out a line, you don’t necessarily know why. If I cross out a line and tell you why, you’ve learned something, not only about that line but about writing in general. And? If you don’t agree with me, we can discuss it and come up with a line that works for us both — and will probably work for the reader as well.
If your work is ready for a line edit when you first send it to me, that’s what you’ll get. If it isn’t? I’ll show you how to upgrade it so that it is.
What Does It Cost?
I charge $75/hour and am worth every penny.
You’ll be charged for (1) the time I spend working on the manuscript myself before our call, and (2) the time I spend going over it with you on the phone.
In other words, I will charge you for every minute I spend on your work. What I’ve found is that knowing that they’re always on the clock inspires clients not to waste my time and their money. Except for my really wealthy clients, who are happy to pay me to listen to them go off on non-project related tangents.
You may know that $75/hour is well below the going rate. I charge below the going rate because I want to remain affordable. I don’t want all of my writing clients to be wealthy people. And it works! My clients come from all over the planet and from all walks of life.
Is there anything I won’t work on?
I’m happy to help you with everything except poetry and porn.
Can you buy an hour of my time to just brainstorm about your writing or about publication or about Medium or other markets?
Sure.
Will I talk with you ad nauseum for free about whether or not you should hire me?
Nope. But if you try that I might write about you.
Am I fun to work with?
Yes!
Do my clients ever write about working with me?
Yup. All the time. Here are a few examples:
Is There a Success Story I’d Like to Brag About?
A writer I’ve been working with for several years just sold his first novel to Penguin Books. As part of a two-book contract. For six figures.
Does Every Writer I Work With Get a Lucrative Book Contract with a major publisher?
Nope. But every single one of them becomes a better writer.
How Can You Get In Touch with me?
You email me. [email protected] (That’s Ros with an S, not a z.)You can also get in touch by leaving a comment on this Medium post.)
How Do I Complain About the Fact that Medium is no place for posts that are transparent ads for your Writing Coach business?
Post a response in the comments section. I look forward to hearing from you.
Writing Coach and editor-for-hire Roz Warren, who writes for everyone from the Funny Times to the New York Times, can help you improve and publish your work. Drop her a line at [email protected]. (That’s Ros with an “s,” not a “z.”)