Coaching for authors
Our one-to-one coaching gives you the rare opportunity to have your writing read by a leading publishing professional and to work with them in detail and face-to-face with the aim of maximising your potential as a writer, and in many cases, achieving representation and publication.
We work with prospective, new and published authors and provide personal editorial feedback, encouragement and support, enabling you to focus on your writing in a positive and constructive environment.
“Kathy Gale encouraged me, taught me how to believe in myself, gave me faith in my ability to write, stimulated me and put up with me, with undying patience, when I was totally out of order! She enabled me to get my first book accepted by a top publisher at the first try.”
You can work step-by-step with your coach for as long or as short a period as you like so that you can achieve a finished manuscript to a very high standard.
Your coach will also support you through the challenges of being a writer, such as problems with confidence, writer's block, and finding the time and space to write. They provide detailed information about literary agents, the literary establishment and the publishing world.
If you work with us to the end of the process and we feel you have significant potential, we will present your work to literary agents or give you all the information you need to present your writing yourself.
If you are a published writer thinking of changing creative direction, facing change or challenge at your publisher or wanting to develop your work, Gale & Co can help. We support authors to reach and stay at the top of their game and maintain a highly successful career.
Coaching for prospective authors
Coaching for prospective authors begins with a free initial session of up to one hour. In this session, we will look at your plans and hopes as a writer, where you are now and what you would hope to gain from working with us. You and your coach will begin to get to know each other and to talk about how you would work together to support you to achieve your goals.
If you decide to proceed, your coach will usually ask you to leave a sample of your work with us – a maximum of 15,000 words - and an outline. They will then read and think about your work, and prepare feedback for you in advance of your next session.
In the second session, your coach will give our feedback on your writing and look in depth together at your work. You may want to consider changes or developments in your writing, either broadly or in terms of more detailed editorial work, and you would explore this with them. You would discuss the next step, which could be to rework the piece of writing and then show it to us again, or to start working on a new piece or another section of your work. If you have a complete manuscript, you may ask us to read this in its entirety.
Subsequent sessions are tailor made to support your writing. You can arrange further meetings or telephone consultations when it suits you. Typically, in later sessions, your coach will give feedback on revised work or on new sections of your writing, usually working towards a final manuscript to submit to agents.
Prospective authors who have not yet begun to write
If you have not yet begun to write, we can provide encouragement, strategies for starting out and support. If you are finding it difficult to begin, your coach can talk with you about the difficulties you are experiencing and explore ways to overcome them with you. In these circumstances, we offer an initial session to talk over your situation and ongoing sessions as and when you need them.
Coaching for published authors
We offer consultations for published authors if, for example, you want to change creative direction; would like to develop your writing; are facing change at your publisher; or need information or support to deal with other personal, professional or creative challenges.
There are sometimes danger points for published writers, which may not become apparent until it is too late. If your editor moves or sales are modest, your publisher may not continue with you and it can then be hard to find another home. We can help you navigate these situations and help you to ensure that your writing career flourishes in the long term.
Melissa Harrison came to see Kathy not sure what she wanted to write and feeling low in confidence. She has now published three acclaimed novels with Bloomsbury.
Joanna Parkin worked with us to fine tune an outline and sample chapters when an agent had expressed interest in her book. Yogi Mama was snapped up by the Feldstein Agency right away.
“Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen”
How to proceed
If you would like to proceed, please call Kathy on 07944 137248 or use our contact page to arrange an initial conversation and, if you decide to go forward, your first session.
We offer telephone, email, Skype and Facetime consultations instead of face-to-face meetings, although one of the great benefits of this coaching is to be able to sit down with an experienced publishing professional and discuss your work face to face. It can be particularly beneficial to have at least the initial meeting in person. If you are ill or disabled and in the London or Reading areas, it may be possible for Kathy, Janine, Faiza, Diane or Tom to travel to your home. If you would like to discuss remote or home consultations, please let us know during your initial conversation.
It is important to say that our coaches’ opinions are their own personal, professional views. We cannot guarantee publication as a result of working with us.
Also, the publishing advances authors receive are sometimes low and in those cases you might not recoup the costs of coaching. We will talk this through with you in your initial session.
Fees
After the initial free session, our coaches charge between £75 and £100 an hour to work with individual writers and you can discuss this with your coach. This includes all further reading, editing and consultations.
Coaching in groups
Gale & Co Writers' Studio groups provide coaching for four to six writers who would like to develop and flourish alongside other authors. more…
Train to be a writers' coach
Writing coaches support authors to flourish and grow, helping to create a whole new generation of creative writers. This can be an extraordinarily rewarding and successful career.
Kathy is now offering training and supervision to others who would like to become writing coaches and associates of Gale & Co. more…
About Gale & Co
Gale & Co was formed to provide authors with a uniquely helpful way to develop their writing. Find out more about us and our history here…
Testimonials
We are very proud of the work we have done to support writers and writing. Take a look at some of the great things people have said about us here…