Saturday, 17 September 2022

Life coaching for authors - Jo Franklin

 A while back on the Scattered Authors Facebook page, someone asked about recommendations for something akin to ‘Therapy for Authors’. My immediate thought was ‘I need that’. I’d been recently dropped by my agent. I hadn’t had a new book deal for ages. I was struggling to write anything more than a shopping list. One of the recommendations was for ‘Dream Author’, a life coaching program for authors run by Sophie Hannah, the bestselling crime writer and certified life coach.




Over the years, I’ve read all the writer self-help books, listened to podcasts and read too many blogs. I have been to loads of seminars, workshops, classes, festivals, conferences on all things writing related. In fact, I have been to so many that I have now given up because I’ve heard it all before.

Dream Author is something completely different and it has been totally transformative for me. It is not about how to write, but how to be a writer who is able to thrive in our challenging industry. The initial program runs for fourteen months and is based around weekly podcasts and mini missions linked to the topic of the podcast. Topics vary from setting your dream goal, to defining what sort of writer you want to be, or practicing success daily rather than defining success as an end goal. There are 85 podcasts to tune into. And members can listen to them whenever they want.

In addition, there is a weekly webinar where Sophie answers the questions sent into her by Dream Authors that week. Signing up for the program gives you access to workbooks where you can do a deep dive on Dream Author coaching concepts and there are some bonus videos you can tune into. You get a lot of content for your money.

The other brilliant thing is that Sophie is very generous with her time and will offer feedback on submission packages, agent letters and opening chapters to members.

Sophie Hannah

I’m no longer the rejected, dejected, unconfident writer who struggles to put pen to paper every day. I am transformed! Have I been taken on by an agent? No, not yet. But thanks to following Sophie’s philosophy, I now ooze the sort of positive energy and belief that will get me one.

Check out the Dream Author website here and listen to the free sample podcasts if you'd like to find out more. 



Jo Franklin is the author of the Help I’m an Alien series and other MG titles published across seven countries. In addition, she writes for online educational publishers.




3 comments:

Pippa Goodhart said...

Very good to know, Jo!

Penny Dolan said...

Glad DA has worked so well for you, Jo!

Lynne Benton said...

Entirely agree, Jo! I've been a member since the beginning and I don't know what I'd do without it!