Why Nonfiction Writers Should be Coaching Now!

by Nina Amir

I began getting paid as a writer when I graduated from college
with a degree in magazine journalism.

Prior to that, I wrote for local newspapers simply for the byline but with no pay. In fact, I began getting bylines while in high school.

But with a degree in hand, I started working for a regional magazine in Westchester County, which had 15 different editions. I would write articles and edit these editions as well.

You Can Always Freelance While Working Other Jobs

At the same time, I began freelancing for regional magazines. Plus, I was asked to write descriptions of floats for the Rose Bowl parade.

I went on to work for a different regional magazine with two editions, until I went to work for a Equitable Life Assurance in NYC as an associate editor of corporate communications. Even then, I freelanced.

It was quite a number of years later that I edited my first nonfiction book and got paid for that work.

As I Child I Wanted to be a Novelist, but My Career Led Me to Nonfiction

My niche is nonfiction. I am considered an expert in nonfiction writing and publishing. I am also an expert in blogging and blogging books–mostly nonfiction.

I am not an expert in memoir, however. It needs to read like a novel. While I have a fiction manuscript, I am no expert in writing fiction!

Interestingly, when I was in high school, I informed my mother that I wanted to become a novelist. That was my chosen career. She steered me away from this career path by saying that only “really good writers” could make a living as novelists. I assumed she meant I was not a good enough writer. However, I was committed to becoming a professional writer.

I took a journalism course the next year, and decided to apply to magazine journalism programs. I never looked back.

I’ve always adored writing for publications, and the education I received taught me to write and edit all types of nonfiction.

Book Royalties Don’t Usually Pay the Bills, but Coaching Can

I learned early on that nonfiction writers could monetize their books with courses and coaching. It made sense to build a business around each of my books.

Early on, I began to be approached by other nonfiction writers who wanted help. At first, it was mostly for book editing. Later it was for what I now call Author Coaching.

Given that I had more knowledge about how to write, edit and publish nonfiction–and I’d written two books related to these topics–I thought it a good idea to offer coaching.

Coaching remains one of my biggest sources of income today. Book royalties don’t usually pay the bills, but coaching can.

Membership Sites Give Me My Greatest Income

However, it’s recurring income from membership sites, like my Nonfiction Writers’ University, that allow me to have the most impact and reliable income.

In this way I offer group coaching on a virtual basis and get paid monthly.

Of course, all of this requires a website, payment portals, email lists, and recorded or live content. Many writers don’t want to fuss with all of this. They just want to write.

I agree, it’s time consuming, but if you can work as a coach, that can create an income that allows you to just write the rest of the time.

My Biggest Mistake: Not Setting Up a Coaching Program Before My Book Was Released

If I were to go back and do it again, I’d set up a coaching program long before my book was released.

With How to Blog a Book, I didn’t monetize it with coaching or courses for more than a year…and then I’d missed the opportunity. Even with the second edition, I didn’t gain as many clients as I might have if I had moved on this earlier.

Also, I’d be sure to keep a long-term view of where I was going as an author. I would have then started a coaching program that I’d be excited to offer for many years into the future.

To Attract Clients, I Blog, Then Blog Some More

To attract clients, mostly, I blog…and then blog some more…and share those blog posts on social media. Of course, I also use social media sites consistently, using live features whenever possible.

I also continually work to gain new email subscribers and to send them consistent content–blog posts, content digests, and weekly emails.

My new readers and clients come from all of these efforts. Plus, all that content–in particular, the blog posts–make my site(s) easily discoverable. That means new clients find me.

In 2019, I started offering free 15-minute strategy sessions. Anyone who finds my nonfiction site sees the offer. A conversation with a prospective client works better than any other method I’ve tried.

And when business is slow, I make an offer—via my email list or my social media accounts. In other words, I promote…coaching, courses or programs.

To Make Money Writing: Try Magazines, Books, and Coaching

Writing for publications can be lucrative–50 cents to $1 per word. You have to know the magazine well and write a really compelling query letter that shows you know the publication’s style and audience.

But writing books can be lucrative, too—if you get a hefty advance or produce a super marketable book, which means it sells. Plus, books lead to coaching clients and the sale of more products and services.

Favorite App: Buffer

Buffer is a great app that helps me share my posts or promotions across all networks. Since I publish three posts per week, it saves me a lot of time.

Plus, I can use it to create Instagram posts or to schedule sharing to social networks.

Advice for a Young Writer: Don’t Rely Solely on Books to Make a Living

I’d tell this young writer not to rely solely on book sales to make a living, but to monetize his content in as many ways as possible.

And I’d tell this writer to focus on his passions. If he decides to become an author, he’ll never stop promoting his books–at least not if he wants them to sell. Therefore, it’s best to be passionate about the subjects so he can continue writing and talking about them for years to come.

If this writer wants to write for publications, my advice would be the same–follow your passions and interests. Additionally, I’d suggest he have an area of expertise; this will allow her to become known as an expert in a subject area.

But any writer can become an expert on just about any topic if he or she has life experience and writes about that. Or a writer can obtain information, just like a journalist, and share it, thus becoming an expert. A blog is a great way to showcase knowledge and become an authority.

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Nina Amir, the Inspiration to Creation Coach, is a 19-times Amazon bestselling author of How to Blog a Book, The Author Training Manual, Creative Visualization for Writers, and a host of ebooks. As an Author Coach and one of 700 elite Certified High Performance Coaches world-wide—the only one working with writers—she helps her clients Achieve More Inspired Results.

Nina founded the Nonfiction Writers’ University and the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge. She helps her clients get from the lightbulb moment to the realization of their dreams without letting anything get in the way. Additionally, she passionately pursues opportunities to support writers and bloggers in their efforts to make a positive and meaningful difference with their words.

For more information on Nina and her work, see her website, Write Nonfiction Now site, or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

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How to Blog a Book Write, Publish, and Promote Your Work One Post at a Time: Transform your blog into a book! The world of blogging changes rapidly, but it remains one of the most efficient ways to share your work with an eager audience. In fact, you can purposefully hone your blog content into a uniquely positioned book–one that agents and publishers will want to acquire or that you can self-publish successfully.

“How to Blog a Book Revised and Expanded Edition” is a completely updated guide to writing and publishing a saleable book based on a blog. Expert author and blogger Nina Amir guides you through the process of developing targeted blog content that increases your chances of attracting a publisher and maximizing your visibility and authority as an author.

In this revised edition you’ll find:

The latest information on how to set up, maintain, and optimize a blog
Steps for writing a book easily using blog posts
Advice for crafting effective, compelling blog posts
Tips on gaining visibility and promoting your work both online and off
Current tools for driving traffic to your blog
Strategies for monetizing your existing blog content as a book or other products
Profiles of bloggers who received blog-to-book deals and four new “blogged-book” success stories

Whether you’re a seasoned blogger or have never blogged before, “How to Blog a Book Revised and Expanded Edition” offers a fun, effective way to write, publish, and promote your book, one post at a time.

Available at Amazon.

The Author Training Manual: A Comprehensive Guide to Writing Books That Sell: If you want to write a book that’s going to sell to both publishers and readers, you need to know how to produce a marketable work and help it become successful. It starts the moment you have an idea. That’s when you begin thinking about the first elements of the business plan that will make your project the best it can be.

The reality is that you don’t want to spend time and energy writing a book that will never get read. The way to avoid that is to create a business plan for your book, and evaluate it (and yourself) through the same lens that an agent or acquisitions editor would. The Author Training Manual will show you how to get more creative and start looking at your work with those high standards in mind.

Whether you’re writing fiction or non-fiction, or intend to publish traditionally or self-publish, author Nina Amir will teach you how to conduct an effective competitive analysis for your work.

Available at Amazon.