Your Story - Your Book!
You have a story. Where you are in the writing process determines what kind of support you need. I offer three ways to work with you, depending on where you are and what your book needs next.
As your book coach, I help you find the emotional thread of your story and shape it into a book that connects with readers. Whether you’re writing a memoir, nonfiction, or adapting a screenplay into a novel, I help you move beyond what happened to reveal why it matters, inviting readers to recognize something true in their own lives.
What does your manuscript need?
Assessment
Whether you’re writing a coming-of-age memoir, crafting a novel, or transforming a screenplay into a book, I help you shape your story while staying true to its emotional core.
What is the structure of your book?
Blueprint
Writers need an engaged ally who asks the right questions, listens deeply, and helps uncover the thread that connects every scene, memory, and turning point. The Blueprint gets to the heart of your story and reveals its emotional undercurrent.
How do you keep revising?
With sustained support
With me at your side, you’ll have ongoing support as you write and revise your book. You’ll receive feedback on your pages to make sure that the narrative flow through time and space provides a smooth ride for the reader. You’ll keep writing, working through revisions, and moving forward toward completion. I’ll keep you accountable throughout the process of writing your book.
Your voice is important!
I want to hear from you.
Every book project is unique and writers come with different needs. That’s why coaching your project is always based on an individual plan. Choose the kind of support that fits where you are with your book. Check out what’s behind packages A , B and C.
A for Assessment
$1490
Manuscript Assessment
Detailed editorial letter covering the larger elements of your book.
In-line editing on your first twenty pages
One-hour coaching call
You’ll know what your manuscript needs next.
B for Blueprint
$2990
Lay the foundation for your book.
Step-by-step guidance to build the structure of your book
Three coaching calls as the book project develops.
In-depth editorial feedback.
Build a structure you can write from.
C for Comfort
$6600
Six months of coaching.
Bi-weekly deadlines to keep your book moving.
In-line edits.
Written editorial feedback..
Six one-hour coaching calls.
Keep writing with ongoing support.
Interested in working with me?
The first step is to tell me about your story. Get started by filling out the form below. After you submit the questionnaire, I’ll invite you to schedule a free discovery call with me.
Michaela von Schweinitz is a member of New York Women in Film and Television, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and a founding member of Greenlight Women and Memoir Nation.
As an Author Accelerator licensed book coach, I am qualified to coach writers using Author Accelerator’s strategy, methods, and materials, but I operate independently of Author Accelerator and am not affiliated with them.
Author Accelerator is a dedicated community of certified book coaches. They give “editorial feedback, as well as motivate and inspire and give you, the writer, the support you need to stop making excuses and get the work done.” Jennie Nash
Interested in becoming a book coach yourself?
Check out what Author Accelerator has to offer and sign up for a course that speaks to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of books do you coach?
I work with memoir, fiction, and nonfiction, including writers who are adapting a screenplay into a novel.
For nonfiction writers who are preparing to approach agents and publishers, I also offer specialized Book Proposal Coaching focused on developing and presenting the book for the publishing marketplace.
How do I get started?
The first step is telling me about your book and where you are in the writing process through the initial questionnaire. After you submit it, I’ll invite you to a free discovery call, where we’ll talk about your book, answer your questions about the process, and figure out together whether — and which package — makes sense as your next step.
Will a coach try to change my voice or story?
My role is to help your book become the strongest version of itself — through honest feedback, structural guidance, and questions that help you find what your story is really about — not to impose my own voice onto your pages. Expect to be challenged and asked to look at your material in new ways, but the story and the voice stay yours.
A good coach’s job is to help your story become the strongest version of itself — not to impose their own voice or vision onto your work. Expect feedback aimed at clarity, structure, and reader connection, with the goal of sharpening what makes your writing distinctly yours, not replacing it.
What are your qualifications as a book coach?
I’m an Author Accelerator certified book coach in fiction, memoir, and nonfiction, and I operate independently of Author Accelerator. I’m also a member of New York Women in Film and Television and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, and a founding member of Greenlight Women and Memoir Nation.
What's the difference between editing and coaching?
Editing typically focuses on the manuscript itself — line-level prose, structure, clarity, and correctness. Coaching is broader and more collaborative: it can include craft guidance, accountability, encouragement, and help navigating the emotional and practical challenges of writing a book, often across the whole process rather than a single pass on the page.
What happens after I get feedback — do I have support during revisions?
This depends on what you’ve arranged with your coach. Some engagements are a single round of feedback (like a manuscript assessment); others include ongoing support through the revision process itself. If staying connected through revisions matters to you, it’s worth confirming that upfront so you know what kind of support is included.
Do I need a finished draft before working with a coach?
No — coaches can help at any stage, from a blank page and a rough idea to a completed manuscript ready for submission. Early-stage coaching often focuses on concept, structure, and momentum; later-stage work shifts toward refining what’s already on the page.
How long should my manuscript be?
It depends on your genre. Memoir and literary fiction typically run 70,000–90,000 words; commercial fiction and thrillers often run similar or slightly longer; YA is usually shorter (50,000–80,000). Being significantly over or under your genre’s norm can work against you when querying agents or publishers, so it’s worth checking early before starting to polish your manuscript.
Something about my book feels "off" but I can't name it — can you help?
Yes — this is one of the most common things writers bring to a coach. A sluggish middle, a slow opening, or an ending that doesn’t quite land are often craft issues (pacing, structure, point-of-view, or balance between scene and reflection) a trained read can usually identify the pattern quickly, even when it’s been invisible to you.
How do I know if my manuscript is actually good enough?
This is one of the hardest things to judge on your own — after months or years with the same pages, it’s nearly impossible to see your work with fresh eyes. A manuscript assessment gives you an honest, structural read from someone who isn’t emotionally attached to every sentence: what’s working, what’s not, and what’s genuinely worth revising versus starting over. You don’t need certainty before you reach out — that’s exactly what this process is for.
