Hi! I’m Louise and I’m an Author Accelerator certified Book Coach who helps romance and erotica writers who are feeling unsure or stuck to find their Happily Ever After (or Happy For Now) by providing focussed story and content feedback in a non-judgemental and supportive space.
I love reading books which reflect the diversity of human identity, emotion and experience, and would like to support writers from all walks of life who have a story to tell which will shine a light on underrepresented groups and perspectives.
I love romance books because of the way they engage your heart and your head, taking you on emotional journeys which make you think, feel, and, for me personally, heal. I think reading romance is a like giving yourself a gift.
An Author Accelerator certified Book Coach is a professional who supports writers at different stages of the writing process, from developing an idea to polishing a first draft to help with pitching to literary agents. They offer guidance and support, helping you to become a better writer and gain confidence in your craft.
A Book Coach is part editor, part project manager, part industry guide, and part accountability partner. They don’t tell you what to do but will help you to develop the skills you need to do your best work. At times they will challenge you to go beyond what you think you’re capable of, offering encouragement, support and the occasional dose of tough love. A Book Coach pays attention to you and your needs, not just your story.
What does a book coach do?
What can you expect from me?
As well as everything above, I’ll be a companion in your writing – I’ll work with you to set realistic goals, and we’ll review these regularly. I will provide accountability, and hopefully motivation, to help you keep making progress with your work, whatever progress looks like for you. I will use the knowledge and skills I have gained through the Author Accelerator programme to give you expert guidance on the stage of writing you’re at, for as long as you need.
Finally, and most importantly, I will listen to you and be a cheerleader for you and your work. I will respect your individual voice and the story you want to tell. I don’t use AI in my work, and I don’t wish to work with writers who use AI to write their books or for any part of the design process – writing and coaching are human endeavours.
So what brought me to Book Coaching?
I have always loved reading – the places it takes me, all the emotions it makes me feel and how much it teaches me about the world and the people around me. There’s not much more I enjoy than getting lost in a book for hours and waking up on the sofa with my tablet or a book flat on my chest.
Since 2024, I’ve been an ARC reader, providing feedback and reviews for indie authors. I’ve enjoyed building relationships with some of them, and they have really appreciated my eye for detail in picking up grammar and formatting blips and story inconsistencies.
Most recently, I’ve found that romance books have helped me to heal and lead a happier life so I took the decision to become certified as a Book Coach so I can immerse myself in the world of romance full time!
Through study and work I have gained a lot of the skills which a Book Coach needs. I trained to be a barrister (the people who wear wigs in court, not the people who make coffee with amazing latte art) and have worked as an investigator so I absolutely love digging into the details of a story to find holes and inconsistencies and fix them.
I’ve worked in the public sector my whole career and I love helping people whether it’s listening to their complaints about services, speaking to victims of crime, or working out the fastest route to their local book shop! Supporting and helping people brings me joy and I think doing that within the creative sphere of writing fiction is bliss.
My recent jobs have involved project management including the juggling of different timelines and projects at different stages so I am honed in the skill of keeping numerous details at my fingertips, switching focus smoothly and being flexible when things go wrong. So, I feel like I’m the complete package.
When I’m not working, I love losing myself in books, films and TV shows – there’s not time for much else with a tween to entertain! My favourite holidays involve theme parks or beautiful cities like Barcelona. I live in the North West of England with my hubby and the aforementioned tween. I can’t wait to get to know you too 😊
Book Coaching services available
Blueprint for a Book (Getting to know your book)
Do you have an idea for a book bubbling in your brain but aren’t sure where to start with getting it on the page? We’ll work together to build the foundations of your story so that once you start writing, you can clearly see where you’re going, who your story is for and why it matters to them. This package also benefits writers who have started their first draft and feel a little lost and in need of a more solid roadmap.
This package includes:
an initial one-hour call to talk through your intake form and plan our work together
an electronic copy of Jennie Nash’s Blueprint for a Book for you to work through and build your blueprint from
regular deadlines for you to work on different aspects of the blueprint
summary letters from me with feedback on the blueprint following each deadline
one-hour calls to discuss the feedback and the next steps
ongoing support between deadlines via email and text
Investment: £600 for four deadlines, £100 for additional deadlines
First 50 pages (Making a connection)
Have you started writing your book but you’re not sure if it will grab your readers’ attention and get them emotionally invested? I’ll read and assess your first 50 pages (up to 12,500 words) to get them to a place where readers are saying “Just one more chapter…”
This package includes:
an intake form and one-page “mini-blueprint” summary for you to complete
in-line comments from me on the first 20 pages, focused on character and story foundation and development
a summary letter from me covering the 50 pages, setting out what’s working, what could be stronger, and whether your opening lays a firm foundation for the story ahead, with suggestions for the next steps
Investment: £200
Monthly Coaching (Going steady)
Are you ready to start writing the first draft of your book, or do you have a work in progress, and feel like you need support to make progress? We’ll work together and build a strong, collaborative relationship, with one or two deadlines per month when you’ll submit pages to me as you write them and receive feedback and support on each submission.
This package includes:
an intake form for you to complete
an initial one-hour call to talk through your intake form and plan our work together
one or two deadlines set for you every month to submit 20 to 25 pages of your work in progress
in-line comments and summary letters from me with feedback on the pages following each deadline
one-hour calls to discuss the feedback and the next steps
ongoing support between deadlines via email and text
Investment: £400 per month for one deadline, or £700 for two deadlines
Manuscript Evaluation (Giving your whole heart)
Have you completed a draft of your book and now feel ready to have someone else look at it? I’ll read your full manuscript to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses, highlighting any aspects which need attention as a priority, as well as providing an in-depth edit and analysis of the first 20 pages.
This package includes:
an intake form and one-page “mini-blueprint” summary for you to complete
an initial one-hour call to talk about your book and publishing goals
in-line comments on the first 20 pages, focused on character and story foundation and development
an extensive summary letter from me with feedback on the manuscript detailing strengths, weaknesses and prioritised next steps
a one-hour call to answer your questions, discuss the feedback, and develop a plan for revisions
support via email and text
Investment: £800 for up to 80k words, £100 for every additional 10k words
Pitching to agents (Going public)
Have you reached your goal of saving your final draft, having completed all your revisions and edits, ready to pitch the agents? That’s amazing! However, despite having a manuscript you love, are you feeling unsure about how to approach the materials needed to query agents and how to identify the right agents? I’ll read your manuscript and provide feedback on this and your draft query letter and synopsis, and a list of potential agents to query.
This package includes:
an intake form and one-page “mini-blueprint” summary for you to complete
a pitch guide and a guide for considering which agents to pitch to
an initial one-hour call to talk about your book and publishing goals
in-line feedback from me on your query letter and synopsis, plus a detailed editorial letter outlining pitch strategy
a list of 30 to 50 agents from me, ranked in order of how well they fit with your manuscript based on genre, their current clients and their wish lists.
a one-hour coaching call to answer your questions, discuss the feedback and your next steps
up to three rounds of additional written feedback on the query letter and synopsis as you revise
support via email and text
Investment: £700
I cannot guarantee that you will get an agent, get published, or make money from your book, and you should be wary of anyone who claims they can guarantee these things.
What do my clients say about working with me?
Miranda K.
Author, educator and Book Coach
“Louise provided me with a manuscript evaluation for my upmarket women's fiction novel. Her feedback reaffirmed what was working in my manuscript and what needed attention: namely, the word count. She offered insightful feedback on how to cut my novel without losing its integrity, making my revision work clear and actionable. She also asked effective questions to help me consider my character and plot decisions, rather than simply telling me what to do. Louise was kind and compassionate throughout the entire process and feels like a champion for my work. I highly recommend her as a book coach!”
Chandi W.
Author and historian
“I used Louise's book coaching services after completing my manuscript for her help with my submission package. To that end, she read my entire manuscript and provided expert guidance on my query letter, synopsis, and one-sentence hook. She also researched agents who would be a strong fit for my project and created a prioritized list of prospects.
Louise was generous with her time, dedicated, responsive, and understanding of the challenges that writers experience when trying to nail a query letter and a hook. Her feedback helped me refine my query materials into submission-ready shape, and her belief in my story gave me the confidence I need to face the query trenches.”