I am a Professional Book Writing Mentor in Melbourne and Sydney
Writing a book is one of the best ways to position yourself in the marketplace, boost your credibility, and attract corporate speaking engagements and media opportunities. Meanwhile reading great books that teach you, inspire you, and help you in life and/or business is one of the most cost-effective ways to learn and grow. I love both reading and writing.
Many people have no idea how to start writing their book, and others get stuck half-way through with no idea how to finish it. Having a book writing mentor guide you through the process of writing your book will save you hundreds of hours and countless headaches, and will produce a far more engaging book.
How Can a Book Writing Consultant Help You Write Your Book?
I work with CEOs and professionals to help them write their books in six months, amidst their busy lives of running businesses / working full time, and their other commitments. I can achieve this thanks to my Book Writing Process.
The Book Writing Process
When people who want to write a book hear of the work I do they often ask some or all of the following:
How do I get started writing my book?
How can I make sure it’s engaging?
Do I start the book with this, or with this?
How do you recommend I create the chapter outline?
How do I write well?
What tone should I use?
Is it best to write for half an hour every morning, or in blocks on the weekend, or?
Writing a book is tough. And amazing. At times it feels really hard, and at other times it flows and feels effortless. Finishing a book is a big achievement that takes months of dedication – and my is it rewarding! (Though I’m biased, of course. I love books.)
Before writing your book you need to ask yourself:
Why am I writing this book?
What goals do I hope to achieve through writing it?
You must also think long and hard about who you’re writing to. Get really clear on this – a book aimed at HR managers, unemployed people looking for jobs, and CEOs struggling to hire well will be a mess. You must choose one group of people and write to them.
Ask yourself:
Who do I want to reach?
Who is interested in what I have to say?
Next, think about the main message you want to share through your book. If someone were to read it and describe it in one sentence to a friend at a BBQ, what do you want them to say?
These are all questions I ask my clients in my Unpacking Your Book session, which is the first step in my six month Book Writing Process. We talk over their answers in detail, discussing them from every angle, to make sure the book will be the best for them and their readers.
From there I teach my clients my version of a Writing Plan, which is very different from a chapter outline. The reason I avoid chapter outlines is because they are not flexible enough for the numerous ideas you will have, while writing, of things you want to add to the book.
From there I take my clients on the six month journey, mentoring them one on one, teaching them writing techniques, helping them improve the quality of their writing and storytelling, and guiding them through every hurdle and bump until they have finished their manuscript. My clients tell me they love not needing to worry about what they should write next, or how to write a tricky section, or whether the word count is okay or if the structure is working. They appreciate having book writing coaching every step of the way so they are never overwhelmed, unsure or lost. Instead they feel energised, excited, and on top of things as they watch their document grow and their book take shape!
One of the things I love most is upskilling my clients as writers. I read and review every sentence they write, commenting to let them know what is working well, what needs to be changed to communicate with readers better, and how to make those changes. Watching them grow as writers is very rewarding.
It’s a wonderful journey!
Do you need to be in Melbourne or Sydney to work with me?
Although I see clients face-to-face in Melbourne and Sydney, I do have clients all around the world: Singapore, Holland, the United States and more. I use Skype to mentor my clients who aren’t located in Melbourne or Sydney.
“Catherine’s been helping me to put together a book which has been both half-started and half-finished for almost a decade. She’s helped me break through the impasse, and it’s now in good shape and headed for completion, with a set timeline. She has a fine eye for both language and structure, and knows how to be directive and encouraging, without being pushy. She’s also good fun to work with. I recommend her.”
– David Week, Executive Director, Assai
The Power of Storytelling in Great Book Writing
I am a big believer in storytelling, it is hands down the best way to engage readers and teach lessons that stick. There is extensive research showing that our brains remember stories much more easily than facts and statistics, and it’s important to utilise the power of storytelling to your advantage in your book. You want your content to jump off the page and pull readers in. You want to be memorable. You want people to talk about your book at barbeques, and to recommend their friends to buy it. I teach my clients how to craft their stories and weave them through their content so the readers are thoroughly engaged throughout.
Interested in Having an Obligation Free Chat about Writing Your Book?
I am based in Melbourne, though I have clients in Europe, America and Singapore, as well as around Australia. If you would like to have a chat about your book idea and find out more about what’s involved in working with me, send me a message through the contact page.
Happy writing!
“Catherine is infectious. She is positive, affirming motivated and knows her stuff. It helps that we are both on a similar purpose driven life. She helped me demystify writing a book in the best possible way, getting me to talk through it. It was half done before I knew it. Thanks Catherine for all of your help on the Being More Human journey!”
– Michelle Crawford, CEO, Being More Human