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Want to write but not doing it?

Story progress moving too slowly?

Your writing coach has helped authors like you. Overcome inertia, grow confidence, and reach your writing goals.

Get help writing your story and stay on track to finish. Writing feedback from a professional story coach provides encouragement, a sounding board, and honest critical-meets-caring editorial insights.

WHY WORK WITH A NOVEL COACH?

Now Novel co-founder Bridget McNulty explains the benefits of writing your book with a writing coach's help.

Now Novel Co-founder Bridget McNulty explains the benefits of writing your book with the help of a writing coach

NOW NOVEL PRICING:

CHOOSE THE COACHING PACKAGE THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU

Work alone or with a group or choose a 6-week coached course to kickstart your book.

What is Group Coaching?

It’s a structured group author coaching program with community, accountability, educational resources and tools to make strong story progress over six months.

WITH GROUP COACHING, GET:

  • Intake and outgoing calls with writing coaches to get to know you and understand your goals and writing challenges
  • Daily drop-in writing sprints (Monday-Saturday) to stay accountable
  • Weekly workbooks, regular writing webinars, and a structured curriculum to build your writing craft
  • Personal feedback on your story plan and other key submissions during the program
  • Opportunities to connect with other writers working on diverse stories and get insights from published authors and editors
  • Find out more about Group Coaching
What is Coaching+?

It’s having an experienced writing guide and mentor who gives honest, constructive feedback. The right nudge when you need it. Helps you stick to your writing goals.

YOUR NOW NOVEL COACH WILL:

  • Assess your writing constructively, providing honest critical insight to help improve your current writing project and your craft as a whole over time
  • Help you set up a writing routine and start or revise your first three chapters with your free Kickstart your Novel course (valued at $149)
  • Help you stay accountable to writing goals with weekly check-ins
  • Give you feedback on up to 4000 words per month
  • Provide encouragement and a sounding board, sharing insights relevant to your story and writing challenges
  • Be available for feedback on calls and via email
Just want help starting your book for now?

Included with Coaching+, Kickstart your Novel is also available as a once-off, standalone course. It's a six week intensive coached course to create and review your first three chapters. Make a strong start to your story with workbooks, videos and professional writing help with the option to continue with your same book coach when you find the right fit.

COURSE INCLUDES:

  • Weekly workbooks with videos on planning novels and writing your first three chapters
  • A personal writing coach who will help keep you motivated and provide guidance and accountability to get you off to a good start
  • Feedback from an experienced writing coach or fiction editor on your first three chapters and story synopsis
  • Unlimited access to the Now Novel dashboard - tools to outline your story - for the duration of your course
  • Find out more about Kickstart your Novel course

PLUS all the benefits of premium membership

Now Novel icon - a checklist showing the extras you get

All the above packages include the premium benefits of Now Novel's "The Process" membership: unlimited access to The Dashboard story planning tools, weekly professional feedback on work submitted to the critique queue in groups, regular writing webinars and a growing archive, and access to Critique Live sessions.

Find out more about The Process membership.

MEET YOUR COACHES:

FIND THE NOW NOVEL COACH WHO FITS

You’ll be paired with a coach who has experience in helping writers with your specific challenges.

Whether you choose a coaching subscription or once-off coached writing course, we ensure your coach is a match in genre interests and according to your preferred feedback style.

Our experienced coaches are passionate writers and editors and have experience as indie and traditionally published authors, evaluating manuscripts for publishers, as rigorous fiction editors, writing organization founders, feature writers and journalists.

Get practical help on solving your writing challenges backed by diverse book industry experience.

Romy Sommer - Now Novel Writing Coach and Editor
Romy Sommer
  • Author of seven novels published by HarperCollins London, as well as seven self-published titles
  • Founder of ROSA (Romance writers Organisation of South Africa)
  • First South African to be nominated for the prestigious RWA Rita® Award
Hedi Lampert - Now Novel Writing coach and editor
Hedi Lampert
  • Mondi Award-winning writer and editor
  • Experienced features writer
  • Author of fictionalized memoir, The Trouble with My Aunt
  • Special interest in creative memoir and life-writing
Nerine Dorman - Now Novel Writing coach and editor
Nerine Dorman
  • Editor and multi-published author
  • Editor of the Bloody Parchment anthologies
  • Author of award-winning YA novel Sing Down the Stars
  • Special interest in science fiction, fantasy, horror and YA
Arja Salafranca - Now Novel Writing coach and editor
Arja Salafranca
  • Poet, author, essayist, journalist and editor
  • Author of award-winning poetry collections, A Life Stripped of Illusions and Beyond Touch
  • Debut collection of short stories, The Thin Line
  • Editor of three collections of prose and short stories
  • Holds an MA in Creative Writing

Need more editing or extra feedback on your work?

Buy bolt-on editing services from your coach or an experienced Now Novel editor, if you want extra feedback at any point.

HERE'S WHAT WRITERS LOVED ABOUT WORKING WITH A NOW NOVEL COACH:

COMPANIONABLE

I have been surprised and delighted by my experience with Now Novel. The platform tools have provided a highly effective way to map out the structure of my novel while my experienced, inspiring coach Hedi has provided feedback and strategies that have reminded me that writing is fun and that my stories are worth telling.

— Maggi

ACCOUNTABLE

I am so glad I signed up for the Now Novel Group Coaching program. The group offers accountability, support from other writers, informative webinars, and knowledgeable coaches. I would highly recommend Now Novel to any writer.

— Lorraine

VALUABLE

I've been reading the Now Novel blogs for several years, and I find them to be well-written and extremely helpful. More recently, as part of a Group Coaching Program, I've been attending their writing webinars and writing sprints. I love Romy! She is a wonderful writing coach. I decided to become a lifetime member because I value the wealth of knowledge they share.

— Allorianna

PRACTICAL

I got exactly what I wanted from Now Novel's Coaching+ program, which was a mentorship with a traditionally published romance author. Romy Sommer was both critical and supportive. She made excellent suggestions to my outline, and also helped me realize -why- I'd made some of my choices, which has helped me execute them more intentionally. She was exactly the resource I needed, and I can't recommend her highly enough.

— Travis
Read more reviews on: Trustspot Logo

WATCH INTERVIEWS WITH OUR COACHES

Who is Now Novel? In this series, meet the writing coaches and team at the heart of Now Novel, a writing community where authors meet, connect, and finish writing, together.

Romance author Romy Sommer

Romy shares what makes helping other writers fulfilling, how she came to found ROSA (the Romance Writers Organisation of South Africa), top challenges for new writers and more.

Interview with Romance author Romy Sommer

Author and journalist Hedi Lampert

Hedi shares what makes helping other writers rewarding and fun, the unique challenges of writing stories based on true events, and tips for writers starting out.

Interview with Author and journalist Hedi Lampert

Frequently asked questions


FAQ speech bubbles
How do you choose my writing coach

» We send you a brief questionnaire to understand your genre interests, writing background and experience, personal interests and hobbies and other relevant information. We also request a writing sample to further help us find a good fit. From here, we choose a coach who aligns best in terms of writing feedback style and their areas of writing and coaching experience.

How long does it take to be paired with a coach

» You'll be introduced to your coach to whom you'll submit assignments as soon as possible. The process usually takes from five to seven working days (Mon-Fri). But don't worry - we add time onto the end of your subscription to make up for any time lost while we work out your match.

What if it’s not a fit with my coach

» As with any one-on-one mentorship, we understand a good fit is not always guaranteed. If you find within the first thirty days of coaching that it isn’t working, get in touch with support to find try another coach. You are also protected by our 30-day refund guarantee.

Why does book coaching seem expensive (can I get coaching for free)

» In a word, time. Writing coaches give detailed feedback, answer questions via email, and the volume of feedback each coached member receives is good value for the price (feedback on 4000 words alone has a $96 value alone at average editing rates).

In addition to feedback from a coach, premium perks include weekly feedback from a Now Novel editor, writing webinars, your story outlining tools, and running costs associated with maintaining an advertising-free community for writers. Now Novel is entirely member-supported - we do not host third-party adverts, affiliate content, or sell your data.

What about confidentiality, can my book coach sign an NDA

» At Now Novel you retain all copyright of any work shared, either with a writing coach or in our private critique community (read further details in our terms of service). We take confidentiality seriously, and each coach agrees to coaching guidelines that include handling mentees’ work with confidentiality and respect.

if you have any concerns at any time please do not hesitate to contact support.

What happens if I need more feedback in a month

» If you need feedback on more than is allowed for in your subscription (4,000 words per month), then you can purchase extra editing with your coach or another editor at any stage. Please fill in an editing quote request (or talk to your coach).

An online novel writing course that's tailor-made to get you to actually write that book you've been thinking about.

Oprah Magazine

Oprah Magazine logo for Now Novel review in O Magazine

Get more information about coaching on our blog:

A fiction writing coach has one purpose: Helping you fulfil your writing goals. Collaborating with a novel writing coach creates accountability; motivation. Writing coaches check in, ask probing questions, offer informed writing advice. When you work with a writing coach online, you don't have to ask, 'Is there a writing coach near me?' A professional author/editor who'll help you write your best book is there to help, wherever you are.

READ INTERVIEWS WITH COACHES AND MENTORED AUTHORS

and learn more about the benefits of having a book coach

 
Writing coach Nerine Dorman on YA, sci-fi and fantasy:

read more

(over 1 year ago)
 
Story coach Arja Salafranca on writing and editing:

read more

(over 1 year ago)
 
Book coach interview:

Zee Monodee on feel-good romance

(about 2 years ago)
 
8 benefits of writing mentors for authors:

read more

(over 2 years ago)
 
7 values driving good author coaching programs:

read more

(over 2 years ago)
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