"Ask the Expert," Writing Coach Suzanne Lieurance

Welcome, Readers!
Today I have the pleasure of continuing our "Ask the Expert" series with some interesting findings from Writing Coach, Suzanne Lieurance. Learn more about creative coaching here, and the one thing you can do to fast-track your writing for 2017. Please make her feel welcome with your questions and comments.

Coach Suzanne Lieurance

 Can you tell my readers a little about your background?
For years I was a classroom teacher but I was also always a writer. As the school year was ending one spring, I learned that my school would be closing, which meant I would be reassigned to another school in the fall, most probably after school had already started. I felt this was the perfect time to make the leap from full time teaching to full time writing, so I made it my goal to replace my fulltime teaching income with freelance writing income by fall, and I did. Actually, I was making about double my teaching salary each month from freelance writing by the time school started again in September, so I never went back to the classroom. But I later taught children’s writing for the Institute of Children’s Literature for over 8 years while I continued freelance writing.I have written over 30 published books and I am also a writing/life coach. I specialize in helping people turn their passion for writing into a lucrative career. 

What does a creative coach do?
As a writing coach, I help people set writing and career goals for themselves and then stay on track so they reach those goals. I also teach clients how to write – fiction and nonfiction – so it is more marketable. I help them understand the creative process of writing so they are able to get more writing done and enjoy the writing life.

What's the most common reason writers seek your assistance?
Most people come to me to get clear about their goals and then to learn how to create a workable plan for reaching those goals. They also want someone with writing and publishing experience to provide feedback about their writing and help them become better writers so they can find an agent or publisher for their work or learn how to professionally self-publish.

Is there any particular training required for this line of work?
There is no special training required (or even offered, as far as I know) for being a writing coach, but I am a certified life coach and I think that is helpful. And I can’t imagine being a writing coach if you weren’t also a published writer with at least a few books to your credit. Plus, my background as a teacher helped me know how to appeal to various learning styles and know how to create instructional materials to help my clients learn to write more marketable fiction and/or nonfiction.

 What does a typical session cost?
I prefer to work with clients through specific programs instead of single coaching sessions. My most popular programs range from $97.00 to $997.00.

　

 Do you think that all writers should blog? Why/Why not?
I usually encourage my coaching clients to blog because it helps them become better writers as they are developing their writing careers. Plus, blogging is a great way for writers to build their credibility and visibility online. It can also be a good way to generate income from writing. But I don’t think every writer should blog if they are happily successful without doing so and their time is very limited. For example, I know many writers who have plenty of business clients without blogging. And I know authors who don’t have time to blog because they are always working on a new novel for their agent to sell. Ideally, blogging could help sell their books, of course. But when their time is so limited, it’s better for them to write more books than to try to blog, too.

 What would it surprise others to know about you?
It usually surprises people when they learn that I have sent out a short email called  The Morning Nudge to writers on my mailing list every weekday morning since 2006. I have also hosted Book Bites for Kids on Internet Radio since 2007 and I have recorded over 700 live episodes of this show.

　
 What's the one piece of advice you'd give writers to fast-track their careers in 2017?
Spend some time figuring out who you really want to become as a writer. What are you most passionate about writing? Also, take time to learn how you work best. Every writer is different, with different goals and different learning and working styles. If you take the time to figure out what you really want to achieve as a writer (and not just what you think you should achieve) and you understand what you need in order to be your most productive, you will be able to reach your goals faster and enjoy your life in the process.

　
For more information about my coaching, visit   www.workingwriterscoach.com.