It’s a scary prospect, sending over those pages. You know, the ones that kept you up at night and which gave you little else to think about during the day. 
You’ve sat with your story for months – years, even. It’s a part of you. You care about your book as much as your offspring; in many ways, it’s as cherished as another child would be.
So, it’s nerve-wracking indeed to show it to someone else. Not just your other half, who will support you no matter what. Not your mum, who thinks you can do little wrong; or your writing group, who, though they may mean well, are rarely best placed to give you advice (some may have an agenda attached to their comments; all are nurturing their own ‘baby’ and negotiating the author road too). Offering your precious work up to someone with true objectivity can feel like sticking pins in your eyes.
The writing coach/literary consultant is free to be as critical of your work as they like. They’ll be able to tell if your book is indeed ‘any good’, and whether it is truly saleable via a bookshop or digital shelf. They’ll be able to spot your story’s flaws as well as its moments of brilliance. They may hate it. They may love it. Either way, until you’ve received this level of feedback, you’re just feeling your way through.
No one likes to feel judged, but that’s not what I do. I don’t place any opinion on the author. All I concentrate on is the book in its raw state, the areas that need work, and where it fits in the proverbial field of commercial or literary work. I may measure it against similar titles – just as your readers will do when looking for a book like yours to read. I may suggest rewrites of parts that confuse the reader, if only so, by the time they get it in their hands, they’re left with a seamless, flowing tale that draws them in.
I’m honest and fair, but above all, constructive. I’ll help you shave away blind spots in your manuscript, enrich your characters so that they’re as lifelike as can be, and add the right amount of pace to keep readers turning page after page. Together, we’ll erase stilted dialogue, extraneous exposition and description, and the mountain of unnecessary words.
Tackling self-publishing alone is not just unnerving, but bordering on foolhardy too. You can’t see your book through your readers’ eyes, you really can’t. Invest in your book. Invest in your writing skills. Ask for help.
Developmental editor and publishing consultant Diane Hall is the author of three books; she has also ghost-written books for others and created a plethora of content, on more subjects than you could care to imagine, for numerous clients since the beginning of her career. She is proud to have fundamentally shaped series of books and more than a hundred individual titles over the last decade.
Among her editing qualifications, she holds a linguistics diploma, which involves the study of language and speech. Diane employs this knowledge in the forensic linguistic work she sometimes undertakes.
Diane has seen the introduction and subsequent rise of self-publishing, and passionately keeps abreast of its disruption of the publishing industry. She is a thought leader when it comes to the future of book marketing, fuelled by the poor results authors see when employing traditional techniques.
Thanks to Serge Bertasius Photography at freedigitalphotos.net for use of the main image.
The Writing Hall Literary Consultancy 