How to Choose a Self-Publishing Coach

Before you pay a self-publishing coach, check four things: they have published books you can look up, the price is in writing, you know how to cancel, and there is a refund guarantee. Walk away if they promise sales or ask for your KDP login. Here is what to ask, which red flags to watch for, what a coach does that a course does not, and when you do not need one. The same care applies to YouTube teachers; see my take on Self Publishing with Dale on checking what you hear.

What should a coach show you before you pay?

Four things, all before any money moves.

1. Their own published books. A coach who teaches publishing should still publish. You should be able to find the books on Amazon, read the descriptions, and see how long the author has been at it. A coach who has stopped publishing is teaching you what worked years ago. I have published 230 books since 2015, so you can look me up and check them, and I would want you to do the same with anyone you hire.
2. A price in writing. You should know the full monthly or one-time price, and what you get for it, on the sales page or in an email. The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) says on its Watchdog Desk page that the same service can cost $500 from one provider and $15,000 from another, so a price on its own tells you little. What matters is what is included.
3. How to cancel. Find out whether you pay monthly or in one go, and how you stop. If the answer is vague, ask again.
4. A refund guarantee. A coach who is sure of the help should be willing to put a refund window in writing.

What are the red flags?

• Promised sales or rankings. Nobody can promise that your book will sell or reach a certain rank. The FTC says that promises that you will be able to quit your job, work from home and live lavishly are often false, and it lists false claims about the earnings you can expect among the things sellers must not do. A coach can show you the steps. They cannot promise the result.
• Asking for your KDP login or your rights. KDP does not recommend multiple users using the same login credentials and says it may be a security risk. A coach should never need to sign in as you, and should never ask you to sign the book’s rights over. I wrote more in should I pay someone to publish my book.
• Pressure to decide now. The same FTC alert says to steer clear of companies that say you must act immediately or that discourage you from studying the offer. A good coach is happy to let you take a few days.
• Big claims with no proof. In one 2018 case, the FTC said a business coaching company sold expensive training that was often “basic information available for free online”. Ask what you will get that you cannot find for free, and if you cannot get a clear answer, be careful.

What does a coach do that a course does not?

A course teaches the same lessons to everyone, in the order the teacher chose. It suits you if you want a method and can apply it alone.

A coach works on your book. You get a plan that fits where you are, someone to answer when you get stuck, and someone who checks that you did the thing you said you would. In my own case, accountability helped me go from 5 minutes a day to an hour, which I describe in how to get motivated as a self-publisher.

Here is what mine looks like, so you can compare it with anyone else’s. Group coaching is $47/month. You get my answer to every question, usually the same day or the next, in a private Slack group. There are no live calls. The 1-on-1 program is from $147/month, and adds private messages to me on Slack and email, and 1, 2 or 3 55-minute Zoom calls a month. Both are monthly, you can cancel any time, and both have a 7-day money-back guarantee. Details are on my coaching page.

When is a course or the free checklist enough?

If you are still deciding whether to publish, you do not need a coach yet. Start with the free 12-step checklist or a free course, such as the ones I compare in 5 best self-publishing courses for beginners. Do the first steps on your own and see where you get stuck.

Hire a coach when the same problem keeps costing you weeks, such as a cover that does not sell, a description that does not convert, or ads that burn money. That is the point where one person looking at your book saves you more than it costs.

What I would do next

If you are deciding between a coach, a course or doing it alone, book a free 25-minute call. Tell me where your book is, and I will say honestly what I would do next, even if that is not working with me.

Free 25-minute self-publishing call with Chris Baird

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