Write Your Book!

Small Group Coaching for Book Writers

How it works

We meet every other week for 90 minutes over Zoom. There are 7 sessions so there is a proper last session at the end of the 12 weeks to set intentions for how you will continue.

The programme is designed to provide accountability, connection, and coaching that’s responsive to your needs so you don’t get stuck.

You need to attend regularly and be prepared to speak in each session. Yes, it requires a bit more vulnerability, but you also get to build stronger connections with the other members of the group. That makes a big difference.

Participants are encouraged to connect between sessions on Discord, or via email or other means.

The group is kept small so everyone can speak in every meeting, and you can develop a sense of community and safety.

Each meeting includes reporting on what you’ve done in the past 2 weeks, troubleshooting and helping you figure out next steps, and setting intentions for the next 2 weeks.

“While I only produced 3000 words, my emotional movement with this project has been really massive.

Twelve weeks ago I had a conversation with my editor where they said, “Let’s get real about how long ago you committed to this project. Is this something that’s still life giving for you?”

And I had that moment of re-committing to the project and realising I really want to do it. And if I really want to do it, I really need to make time for it.

So to go from there to getting a 3000 word chapter to my editor and him liking it – that, to me, is a big emotional journey that I feel really solid about building on.”

(Jackie, scholar of Religious Studies, writing a commentary)

Each session is structured around intention setting and accountability.

Each session begins with a report of what you’ve done on your book in the past 2 weeks. What went well? Is there anything you’d like some help with?

Then we troubleshoot the problems and figure out what good next steps would be. You can get suggestions for how to proceed (from me and other members of the group). I can help you with the emotional resistance. I can coach you through that process so you have a reasonable goal.

In each session you set an intention for the work you will do over the next 2 weeks. You share your intention, out loud, with the group before we finish. Speaking it out loud helps. We are not the kind of people who will judge you. We want to help you stick with your intention, in general (to work on the book) and specifically.

Regular meetings make it easier to try things, knowing that if it doesn’t work out as you hoped, there will be support to figure out why and what you might try instead.

“I was positively surprised because, when I went back to look at the goals I set at the beginning, I see that things happened, even when I had a lot of teaching. That was one of the trickier parts.”

(Frida, mid-career, 2nd Language learning)

Reciprocity is built into the group structure.

Solving problems is a fun challenge. We hate having problems, so helping someone else solve a problem is ideal. You are not asking too much of them by sharing your struggles.

Like you, everyone who joins a group I run resonates with the ways I talk about academic careers, scholarly writing, and planning. You are allowed to do things in the way that works for you, even if you don’t quite know what that is yet. You are allowed to want what you want. Joy is possible, despite the myriad things that try to steal it.

“I’m really grateful for this. I have had a really busy time, and I could easily have not thought about the book at all and just kind of barreled on doing admin things for other people. The guilt/admiration has compelled me to do some work. Fantastic.”

(Katherine, Professor Literature, Monograph # 3, UK)

The biggest emotional challenges are around confidence.

Over the years, I’ve discovered that you develop your confidence by doing scary things.

• Writing before you feel ready
• Trusting that you know enough about what everyone else has said (for now)
• Writing things you know some people will not like
• Trusting that you have a contribution to make

You will write. You may not write things you are willing to share with anyone (yet). But you will write.

If you get stuck, it’s probably because there is a decision you need to make. We can help you clarify what that decision is, and figure out what kind of work you need to do so you can solve the problem you’ve identified.

It’s frustrating to do work you aren’t absolutely sure needs to be done, but that’s often the only way to find the answer.

Focusing on 2 weeks at a time can help you be more patient and trust that you will be able to solve this problem.

“I have 36,000 words, which is kind of amazing. Because before I was stuck with trying to have this proposal done. I was turning around the thing. And now I got into a different writing process, and I wrote a lot of words. It looks messier than what I would have liked to have, if the stars aligned, but it’s a lot of words, so I’m happy with that.”

(Adele, Geography, Full time researcher, CNRS – France)

Quite frankly, it feels kind of magic sometimes.

I can’t explain it, but it’s been great to see the progress people make and the growth in their confidence.

Interested? Fill in the form and let me know. You can always change your mind later.

More questions? We have answers!

Will I need to share my work in progress?

What if I get stuck on a content problem?

Will Small Group Coaching help me revive an abandoned book project?

I’m in the revision stages of my book project. Will this group help?

I’m on sabbatical so I have lots of time. How will this help?

Who is group coaching a good fit for?

Read all FAQs

The next cohort begins September 2026

Meeting dates for next cohort: Autumn 2026

I need a minimum of 6 people to run a group. Groups are capped at 8 members.

Price: £420

• You can pay in 3 monthly instalments of £140 if you prefer. Payments are processed through Stripe or PayPal (your choice).
• The first payment must be made before the first session.
• If you need me to invoice your institution, I can do that but there might be some paperwork.
• If you have no access to institutional funds to cover the cost and the price would be a barrier to participation, I can offer a limited number of spaces for £360. The instalment plan (£120 a month for 3 months) is also available at that price.

Join us! Fill out the form below.

Fill out the form below if you’d like to get an email notification when a new group is announced.

“So much has changed. When I joined, I was trying to write a book proposal, and was thinking “Why is it so hard to tie down all these theoretical strings that are in the air? Why don’t I know exactly what’s happening here?”

And the advice was, “Well, maybe you need to do the work.”

While I had ideas of what I might talk about, I still had to do more of the actual research. I’ve now experienced how much it matters to think ideas through and actually see what the research is telling you.

Now I have a new way to talk about the book. Each chapter is shifting a little bit as it gets clearer. There’s still a ton of work to do but I know so much more about the book now. It’s been really great.”

(Rena Bivens, Communication and Media Studies, Canada)