Writers face a myriad of problems when it comes to getting their book published and selling enough copies to make an impact.
See if you can relate to any of these:
- You don’t know if your writing is good enough
- Lack of direction and confidence
- Don’t know if you should self-publish or pursue a traditional publisher
- Not sure if your book proposal would appeal to publishers
- Traffic to your blog is light
- You wonder if your book idea is marketable
- Email subscribers are few and far between
- Lots of questions and no one to ask
- Fear of rejection from an agent or editor
- Struggling with how to structure your book
- No accountability or interaction with someone who “gets it”
- Not sure you should trust the opinions of your friends
Everything you try leaves you with the same frustrated feeling:
“Will my book ever see the light of day!?”
As former editorial director for a major publishing company and now as a book coach, I’ve helped hundreds of writers navigate these problems and bring their books to life.
Who Am I?
I am a writer, speaker, editor, and writing coach. A 20-year veteran of the publishing industry, I served in acquisitions and directorial roles for Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, before going full-time with my own coaching and consulting business. I’ve collaborated with numerous bestselling authors including Michael Hyatt, Jeff Goins, Caroline Leaf, Ernie Johnson Jr., Chip Ingram, Mary DeMuth, John Burke, Mark Batterson, and Phyllis Tickle.
I wrote DO YOUR ART: A Manifesto on Rejecting Apathy to Bring Your Best to the World. I also created Book Proposal Academy, an online course, and BookCamp, a mentoring and community hub for writers. My passion is helping writers get their books into the world, and one of my specialties is helping writers craft compelling nonfiction book proposals.
I blog regularly at www.chadrallen.com, and my writing has been published on LifeHacker, The Accidental Creative, MichaelHyatt.com, Goinswriter.com, and The Good Men Project. I’ve been featured on several podcasts including Jeff Goins’ The Portfolio Life, Mike Kim’s Brand YOU, and Chase Replogle’s Pastor Writer.
I hold a B.A. in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an M.A. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. My wife, Alyssa, and I live with our two children in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
What Do People Say about Working with Chad?
“Working with Chad was important to the overall success of Living Forward. He gave us ideas and suggested revisions that significantly improved the overall quality of the book, and I’m so grateful to him for that. When a manuscript comes into Chad’s care, he works diligently to make it the best it can be. I would recommend his editorial work to any of my author friends.”
—Michael Hyatt, New York Times bestselling author
“We had some interest in our book project. Then we took Chad’s advice on our book proposal, implemented it, and the publisher tripled their previous advance offer, netting us a nice six-figure deal. Chad’s expertise on book proposals is second to none!”
—Grant Baldwin, author of The Successful Speaker
“I wish I would have come across Chad earlier in my publishing journey. He provided great tips for adding hundreds of email subscribers, tightening up my email copy, and setting big goals for the release of my memoir One Step Closer. The tools and freelancers he recommended were huge assets on my way to publication. On top of all this, he was reliable, encouraging, and fun to work with. I look forward to enlisting Chad’s help again when I’m ready to hunker down on book number two!”
—Ryan Atkins, author of One Step Closer
“Not only is Chad Allen a keen, insightful editor who gently challenges me when I need to be pushed a bit, he’s also a delight to work with – warm, generous, and engaging, a consummate professional and a genuinely terrific person. I appreciate his responsiveness to my questions, his willingness to collaborate and brainstorm, and his obvious dedication to and knowledge of the craft of writing and editing.”
—Michelle DeRusha, author of Katharina and Martin Luther: The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun and a Renegade Monk
“Chad is a fantastic coach. He combines an encourager’s heart with a wise experienced mind. His insights have made me a better writer and set me on the course to a much stronger platform.”
—Gary Neal Hansen, author of Kneeling with Giants
What Does the Coaching Relationship Look Like?
The purpose of my personalized one-on-one program is to help you navigate whatever issues you face and help you get your book into the world.
Here is how it works:
- After registering, you fill out a coaching survey and schedule our first coaching session.
- Two days before each coaching session I send you some questions to reflect on. Your responses set the agenda for our time together.
- We talk face to face via video every month.
- You receive video and audio recordings of the calls so you can watch or listen to them any time you want.
- I send you an accountability email each Monday morning to check on your progress.
- You can email anytime with questions, and I respond within two business days.
- You can send me a reasonable amount of content anytime for my feedback.
- I introduce you to people who can assist you on the writing-to-publication-and-promotion journey. Such people include other writers who are well positioned to help you grow your audience, podcast hosts, technology experts, copy writers, editors, proofreaders, publishing experts, self-publishing experts, and others.
- You start receiving a “Book of the Month” with my comments about why I think the book will be helpful to you. Books I’ve sent in the past include On Writing by Stephen King, This Is Marketing by Seth Godin, and The Courage to Write by Ralph Keyes.
- You get complimentary access to Book Proposal Academy (worth $997), BookCamp (worth $49/month), and the “Finish Your Book!” Course (worth $27).
The cost is $1000/month. First come, first served, and we only take 10 total coaching clients at any given time, so space is limited.
If you want to make progress on your book and build your readership, this is exactly what you need.