Authors In The Media With A.L. Jensen 

A.L. Jensen who also goes by the name of Liisa Kovala, has returned for this Authors In The Media Q&A as we go in more depth about her career as a book coach as well as hosting the newsletter & podcast Women Writing Podcast! 

Q: Welcome back to Book Notions Liisa! Would you explain to the readers of the blog what you do as a book coach and why you love it so much?

A: Thank you so much for having me back to Book Notions! Book coaching marries my love of teaching and writing. I have the honour of working with writers who have an idea for a manuscript, or are working on revisions, to create a novel or memoir they can be proud of. As a certified Author Accelerator Book Coach, I’ve had extensive training in guiding writers through the development of their projects. A book coach fills many roles, including teacher, mentor, sounding board, cheerleader, editor, writing partner, and sometimes a shoulder to cry on. I love working with authors both 1:1 and in small group book coaching sessions as writers develop their skills and their manuscripts.

Q: You became a book coach after you quit teaching in 2022. Did you need to take courses on how to become a book coach or did you apply for a job somewhere to do it? I’m curious as to how it all works! 

A: Yes, I took early retirement after over a quarter of a century of teaching, much of it spent teaching English and Creative Writing. When I left, I knew I wanted to focus on my writing, but I wasn’t ready to retire just yet. I wanted to do valuable and interesting work connected to my passion for books. Thankfully, I happened upon a webinar with Jennie Nash, founder and CEO of Author Accelerator and was surprised to learn about book coaching. Why hadn’t I heard about it before? It sounded like my dream job. Within no time, I’d registered as a student and delved into the content, which included three practicums in which I worked with real clients on their projects. At the end of the program, I submitted all my practicum work for evaluation by the team and was thrilled to become certified. It was an intense experience, but I learned so much about writing and coaching writers. From there, I started my own book coaching business.

Q: What skills do you feel is most important for anyone wanting to become a book coach? 

A: A book coach needs to have a deep compassion for writers and a love of the written word. It’s not necessary to be a writer yourself, although many book coaches like me are published authors. High school teachers also seem to gravitate towards book coaching, probably because we already have the skills needed to work with students, or in this case, clients. Many coaches also have niches in their book coaching businesses based on genres like romance or thriller, or on specific topics, like environmental issues or mental health, so folks with a strong love of a genre or topic might find their knowledge works well for them when coaching clients in those areas. I work with women writers at all stages from beginners to seasoned, often on memoirs, historical and literary fiction, but also on plays, science fiction, women’s fiction, and mysteries. I encourage my writers to develop sisu—strength, courage, and determination—to complete their manuscripts.

Q: If an author wanted you as their book coach, would they need to send you their manuscript & you give constructive feedback on how to make it better like an editor? 

A: It depends on what the client is looking for when it comes to their writing journey. If a client has an idea for a project but not written yet, my “Plan Your Story” package guides them through developing the foundational elements of their story, allowing them to explore possibilities, and working towards a roadmap for writing. Other clients come to me for the “Write Your Story” package and are ready to write or continue writing. They benefit from deadlines for writing manuscript pages, regular written feedback, and Zoom calls to discuss their work. Still others have a completed or partially completed draft and need support in finishing or revising their manuscripts. For those writers who have completed their drafts and need a manuscript evaluation or a developmental edit, I can provide feedback on their pages along with an editorial letter to help them with the next iteration of their manuscript. I also offer small group book coaching sessions for 6- and 8-week periods, providing weekly Zoom calls for writers to gather and learn about craft, along with weekly submissions of work for feedback. Something that I’ve found valuable for my paid Substack subscribers is a weekly 90-minute Zoom call to get words on the page. Writers who meet to write together are more focused and get more done than when they do it alone.

Q: Would you ever write a memoir about how you became a book coach? I know I would read it along with your Hygge Homicide books! 

A: Great question! Perhaps I’ll write a memoir someday, but probably not for a few more decades. I still have a lot of writing and coaching to do!

Q: You mentioned your clients are authors Katie Curtin and Holly Gutwillinger (who I also interviewed!)! Are there anymore authors you’ve coached that you’re excited about their books being published this year and beyond? 

A: I’m so excited for Holly’s new release North of Broken. She had a fantastic launch in February, and her book has been well received. The tenth anniversary edition of Katie’s book The Happy, Well-Fed Artist: How To Get Your Creative Project Off the Ground and Into the World will likely be available next year. Currently, most of my authors are deep into their projects, either working through first drafts or revising later drafts, but I’m confident that a few will be ready to publish in the next year or two. It’s a lengthy process, but well worth it.

Q: I know in our Q&A you mentioned hosting a podcast called Women Write Podcast! Do you mentor women on writing their stories or do you interview women writers? What made you want to start this podcast and what is your advice for anyone wanting to start a podcast? 

A: The Women Writing Podcast features authors and publishing industry professionals. We have conversations about a wide range of topics from writing to publishing, marketing, and mindset. I learn something new every time! I started the podcast after featuring writers for over a year in Substack articles and thought it would be fun to have conversations with these incredible women. I’ve been fortunate to connect with publishers, publicists, marketing experts, mindset gurus, authors of every genre, and fellow book coaches.

If anyone is interested in starting a podcast, just do it. You don’t have to make it complicated to have fun, engaging, and educational conversations to inspire others. Pro tip: Get yourself a good mic.

Q: Would you please provide links to your book coaching website, podcast and your social media so readers, future authors and anyone can follow you? 

A: Folks can find me on my website at liisakovalabookcoach.com. The Women Writing Podcast is available on all your favourite streaming platforms and on YouTube, and you can read features, listen to the podcast, and get my newsletter at liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com.