Free PDF: How to build your dream coaching business that frees you from the 9-5

How to Become a Certified & Profitable Writing Coach

On this page

On this page

Need help figuring out how to become a writing coach?

You’ve come to the right place. By the end of this article, you’ll know:

  • Exactly how to set up your writing coaching business the right way
  • What the top writing coach certification programs are 
  • The five key steps to becoming a successful writing coach

With my proven strategies, you can achieve results like these…

3 new clients

Ready? Let’s dive in.

Get the Ultimate Guide

for building a
6-Figure Coaching Business so you can achieve more freedom!

view pixel

Key takeaways:

  • Becoming a writing coach requires finding a niche, creating and pricing a coaching package, finding paying clients, and working with them
  • Book coaching is a specialized writing coach niche focusing on a specific book project
  • The best academic coach certification programs come from the Editorial Freelancers Association, Author Accelerator, and Master Book Coach
  • You can get a writing coach certification, but the transformative results you deliver to your clients are what really matter

What is a writing coach?

Writing coaching is about helping others find their voice and making the writing process more fulfilling. Because there are so many different writing formats, there are also many types of writing coaching you can do:

  • Academic writing coach
  • Literary writing coach
  • Corporate communication writing coaches
  • Writing coach for grants
  • Online content writing coach
  • Writing career coach 

And writing coaching is in demand. Over 80% of Americans want to write a book. At the same time, plenty of people struggle with ever getting started – and if they do, they often suffer from writer’s block and procrastination.

In other words, there is a market for writing coaches. 

Take Jeremiah Hendren, for instance, who offers writing coaching to scientists, professionals, and executives.

Hendren Writing’s writing coach business

Or Ann Kroeker, who has built a successful business through one-on-one writing coaching and courses.

Ann Kroeker’s writing coach business

I’ll explain how to pick your own profitable niche in a bit. But let’s quickly clear up what you WON’T be doing as a writing coach.

You won’t:

  • Write your clients’ work for them
  • Simply edit
  • Act as an agent or publisher

Before we dive into what you will be doing as a writing coach, though, let’s first explore the difference between a writing coach and a book coach.

What is the difference between a book coach and a writing coach?

Book coaching is a specialized writing coach niche.

Whereas a writing coach helps with all kinds of writing (creative writing, business writing, and so on), a book coach focuses on a specific book project.

They help… 

  • Brainstorm 
  • Get past writer’s block
  • Structure the story
  • And guide through publishing
A table comparing a writing coach with a book coach

Now, let’s look at how you’ll help your clients as a writing coach.

What does a writing coach do?

As a writing coach, you transform your clients’ approach to writing by:

  • Improving how clear and engaging their writing is
  • Helping them find and use their writing voice
  • Creating a regular writing schedule
  • Guiding them past writer’s block
  • And boosting their confidence in their writing skills

In other words, you do so much more than just edit your clients’ words. You hold them accountable and offer the support they need to turn their writing into something they’re proud of.

Sound like a good fit for you?

Then, let’s dive into how YOU can become a writing coach!

How do you become a profitable writing coach?

You can break down how to become a writing coach into five important steps.

Let’s go over each one together.

The Five Steps to Become a Writing Coach

1. Find a niche

Step one is picking your writing coach niche.

Niching down lets you zero in on what your clients need and how best to help them.

For example, I help busy entrepreneurs build successful businesses to leave their 9-5.

Thanks to my experience and targeted approach, I know exactly how to overcome the typical challenges my audience faces.

And that’s how I get my clients amazing results like these:

Testimonial from one of Luisa Zhou’s happy clients

To figure out your niche, think about:

  • What you’re good at (your skills and writing genre or genres)
  • Who you want to help (your target audience)
  • The problems you’ll solve (your solution)

By combining these elements, you could carve out a niche as a:

  • Science writing coach who helps researchers make their scientific findings accessible and engaging
  • Business writing coach guiding executives to accurately express their ideas despite their busy schedules
  • Memoir writing coach helping former athletes turn their life stories into captivating narratives

Of course, these are just three examples.

Need some more help with picking a niche? Then you’ll love this video:

Next, it’s time to decide if you want to get certified.

2. Get certified

Do you need a writing coach certification to get started?

You can get one if you want, but you don’t NEED to.

Here’s the thing:

Coaching isn’t a regulated industry. Many of my clients run successful six-figure businesses without a coaching certification.

What sets them apart? Their ability to deliver amazing results. They know that’s what clients really care about — so they build their businesses around that.

Quote by Luisa Zhou

Right now, there are no writing coach certifications that are accredited by established coaching organizations like the International Coaching Federation (ICF), but there are other useful options.

We’ll cover them in a bit. But first, let’s learn how to structure your coaching services to deliver real results.

Get the Ultimate Guide

for building a
6-Figure Coaching Business so you can achieve more freedom!

view pixel

3. Create and price a coaching package

Working with coaching packages is a great way to help your clients get transformative results.

The key is to make them all about the big changes your clients will experience. After all, that’s what they’re really paying for — not your time (nor your certifications).

I recommend starting with a three-month program priced at $1,500.

This is enough time for clients to experience real progress. As you hone your coaching skills and get more testimonials, you can raise your rates.

For instance, most of my experienced students charge $5,000+ for their coaching programs.

For a step-by-step guide on creating your first coaching package, watch this video:

Up next, let’s figure out how to find clients for your coaching services.

4. Find paying clients

Here are three straightforward ways to find your first clients:

  • Ask around in your network: Maybe someone you know could benefit from writing coaching, or they can refer you to someone else.
  • Figure out which social media platform your target audience uses and join them there. The key here is to build genuine connections and trust by offering helpful advice and joining relevant discussions.
  • Pitch yourself to writing podcasts like The Writing Coach and Freelance Writing Coach. It’s a great way to build credibility and introduce yourself to a new audience. 

For more, check out this video where I show you how to land your first clients quickly:

Got your first client? Then, it’s time to offer them a transformative experience.

5. Work with your clients

Your main focus should be helping your clients get real results.

Here’s how to make that happen:

  1. First, set a clear overall goal with your client
  2. Break that big goal down into smaller, manageable milestones
  3. Divide those milestones into relevant subgoals

These subgoals will guide your coaching sessions.

At the start of each meeting, clarify the session’s goal, and end with a recap of action steps and deadlines. This structure keeps your sessions focused and productive.

Detailed structure of a coaching call

📘 I’ll walk you through holding effective coaching calls in this article.

Now that you have a better idea of how to become a writing coach, let’s go over how to choose a writing certification if you decide you want one.

How to choose a certification

Decided you want to get certified but don’t know which writing coach certification to pick?

I recommend basing your decision on these six factors:

  • Accreditation: Check if the program is recognized by a respected organization, like the ICF
  • Reputation: Look for programs with good reviews and positive feedback
  • Cost: Make sure the program fits your budget and offers good value for the money
  • Length: Determine how much time you can dedicate to the program
  • Curriculum: A great program teaches both coaching techniques and how to run your coaching business
  • Flexibility: Choose a program that fits your lifestyle – some offer self-paced classes, while others have set times
What to look out for when choosing a writing coaching certification program

📘I go into more detail about choosing the right certification in this guide.

Next, let’s look at the top writing coach certifications.

Top writing coaching certifications

Picking a certification can be hard. So, to make your choice a little easier, I’ve collected the top three writing coach certifications.

Besides the options below, you could also get a life coach certification. In that case, you’ll learn more general coaching skills.

Coaching Academic Writers

Editorial Freelancers Association’s writing coach certification program

This writing coach certification from the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) is perfect if you want to coach academic writers.

You’ll learn to:

You won’t get any instructor feedback, but you’ll have at least one live Q&A session held via Zoom.

Program details:

  • Price: $190
  • Length: Self-paced
  • Format: Online

Book Coach Certification Program

Author Accelerator’s writing coach certification program

Want to become a book coach? Then, Author Accelator’s program is for you.

Depending on your niche, you pick between these three tracks:

  • Fiction
  • Nonfiction
  • Memoir

Each program teaches a combination of editorial and mindset skills. Plus, you’ll also learn about project management and get industry insights.

Program details:

  • Price: From $3,600
  • Length: 6 to 12 months (self-paced)
  • Format: Online

Book Coach Certification

Master Book Coach’s writing coach certification program

Master Book Coach is another popular book coach certification program.

You’ll…

  • Learn how to build a book coaching business
  • Sharpen your editorial skills
  • Learn about the publishing industry
  • Get access to a community of book coaches

Program details:

  • Price: Available on request
  • Length: 12 weeks (self-paced)
  • Format: Online

These are the top three writing coach certifications. But how much money can you make as a certified writing coach?

Let’s tackle that next.

How much does a writing coach make?

Your earnings as a writing coach are based on a few factors:

  • Experience
  • Niche
  • Location
  • Certification

According to Glassdoor, the average US writing coach earns $50,671 a year.

But here’s the thing: that’s just an average writing coach salary.

When you run your own coaching business, you set your rates.

Being certified can help you charge more, but what drives your income is the value you bring to your clients.

With the right approach, you can turn your coaching into a six-figure business, giving you the freedom to live life on your own terms.

And I say…

👋 High five to that! 👋

Get the Ultimate Guide

for building a
6-Figure Coaching Business so you can achieve more freedom!

view pixel

Next steps

And there you have it, your roadmap to become a writing coach!

A writing coach certification can boost your credibility.

But what your ideal clients really care about are the transformative results you help them achieve. And real-life experience is key to delivering those results.

To help you get started, I’ve put together a free guide offering a proven pathway to success.

It shows you step-by-step how to grow a successful online coaching business that can reach six figures and beyond.

Get it now!

Read more:

How to Start an Online Coaching Business

How to Grow Your Coaching Business with Blogging

How to Attract Soulmate Clients

About Luisa Zhou

Luisa Zhou has helped thousands of students build and scale their own profitable online Freedom Business. Fun Fact: She used to work as an engineer for the Space Station and holds a B.S.E. from Princeton. Click here to learn more about Luisa.

Hope you enjoy this blog post.

Want to know how to build a profitable, meaningful business to replace your 9-5?

The proven blueprint for building your dream coaching business - that frees you from the 9-to-5

view pixel

When you sign up, you’ll also receive regular updates on building a successful online business.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Enter your name and email to get instant access to the PDF

view pixel
When you sign up, you’ll also receive regular updates on building a successful online business

Enter your name and email to get instant access to the PDF

view pixel
When you sign up, you’ll also receive regular updates on building a successful online business

— FREE PDF —

How to build a 6-figure online business that frees you from the 9-to-5

view pixel
When you sign up, you’ll also receive regular updates on building a successful online business
176 views

This website uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies

Agree