We Want to Make YOU an Author
You have a voice and a message to share and now is the time to be heard.
If you want to develop, write, and publish a book, an online course, or a series of workshops, we can help you do that. Maybe you aren't ready for a book, but you want to start a blog or an intentional daily writing practice that will eventually lead to you becoming an author. We can help you do that too. In fact, in the last 25 years, Heather Doyle Fraser has helped hundreds of people do just that. First as an executive development editor in corporate publishing and then as a high-level book and writing coach in self-publishing, she has helped people to create just what they want to put out into the world, time after time.
“Your voice is important.
I want to hear you declare yourself in every corner of your life.
I want to help you create purpose and meaning with your life and your work —
I want to walk with you as you navigate your path.
To walk on this path, you have to be clear on what you stand for and what you want and sometimes that’s difficult. With clarity, though, comes commitment and the willingness to take the small steps required to move you to your big vision.”
What’s Different about Us?
There are lots of traditional publishers and there are many ways that you can self-publish on your own. So how are we different? At the core of our work is compassion. What does that mean for you? That means that in every discussion, every interaction, we look at things from your perspective and act accordingly. In every publishing package and program we offer, we embed coaching. Let’s face it, fears, blocks, and resistance commonly comes up when you are working on something big like a book, an online course, or content for a website. These emotions and this resistance requires a certain expertise that most publishing professionals don’t have or haven’t cultivated, and it makes a difference.
What else makes a difference? We are a true collaborative team: we are not isolated members who don’t communicate or interact. And that means we communicate and brainstorm with each other, but we also communicate and brainstorm with you. You will know what is happening at every step and every part of the publishing experience. It’s a predictable cycle and you will know what is happening when, how long it typically takes, and how we will interact with you during each phase. For instance, if you know you want to not only write and publish a book, but then also create a website for the book, and want to incorporate some PR to increase your visibility in the media, Heather will introduce you to your book designer, copyeditor, proofer, website designer, and PR specialist. We will have a launch meeting near the beginning of the process so that you will know who all of the players are, and if you have questions, you can ask them at any time.
The Basic Process IS a Deep and simple One
Step 1: Looking at your PASSION, PURPOSE, and your WHY.
What is the ultimate or main message you want to convey with your book?
In order to be successful you need to be very clear on your motivation. This is the deep down motivation that will carry you through the difficult times that may arise ahead.
Step 2: Identifying WHO you need to be to write this book.
Sometimes you need to step in the next version of yourself in order to successfully write the book within you. What are the characteristics and strengths of that person? It’s all there within you, we just need to identify and declare the intention.
Step 3: Examining and exploring your ideal reader.
Your ideal reader can be similar to your general demographic whom you serve, but sometimes we need to be ever more specific. We will write to this person day after day, so we need to know who they really are. We even need to know where they are likely to read your book, and why they want to read it.
Step 4: Creating a daily writing practice, incrementally.
We will create a plan for and begin to build your daily and weekly writing practice if you do not already have a consistent practice in place. If you do have a writing practice in place and are having difficulty, we strategize solutions on how to create a practice that works for you and not against you.
Step 5: Developing an in-depth book map.
This very detailed outline is the structure that will give you the flexibility to write with ease.
We look at the “story” you want to tell (even non-fiction books have a “story”), how you want to tell it, and then we map it out in detail so that you have a very concrete and specific outline in which you will write.
Step 6: Coaching — Writing — Feedback — Loop
Once we have created your book map we start co-writing the book together in real time. Or we may create a system where we talk through what you will write before your write. Or it may work best for you to step away and write a bit and then for us to come back together. We will employ the strategies that work best with your strengths as a writer. In addition, we will address any writer's blocks, inner critic issues, limiting beliefs or anything else that may be holding you back as they arise.
the writing exercises
At the beginning of our work together I will ask you to complete multiple writing exercises. Why?These writing exercises serve multiple purposes:
The writing exercises enable you to begin a consistent writing practice (daily or almost daily) in an easy, low-stakes environment — i.e., it’s not writing for your book. As you begin to settle into the habit and pattern of writing daily you will also ease into the vulnerability of writing. This is a compassionate start to your writing practice that will serve you throughout the writing journey.
The writing exercises intentionally ask you to focus on the purpose of writing your book — your big WHY. If you do not have a passion for what you are writing, your momentum will eventually fizzle. These writing exercises will allow you to capture your excitement and passion for a future day when you might be struggling. It’s a gift you can compassionately give to your future self.
The writing exercises also specifically ask you to focus on who your reader is and why they need this book in particular. You need to know your demographic in general as well as the specific person to whom you are writing. If you can picture your reader it is easier to write for that person (or those people).
The writing exercises help us to set the stage for the actual writing of the book on both a personal and professional level. They allow you to begin thinking of this project as an actual book and build the excitement and momentum you will need as you enter the next phase of the book writing process.
““Working with Heather has been life-changing — and not just because she ushered me through the process of creating, writing, and birthing my first book. I’ve learned that writing a book requires healthy doses of self-awareness, willingness to be powerfully changed, and a magnificent release of ego. It has been Heather who has held me in this process and the re-architecting of myself.
She pairs know-how and intellect with intuitive deftness. She brings real-world experience to the writer’s heart and dreams. She creates supportive structure around what is deeply personal, and sometimes fraught, for the author. She pushes back with kindness and humor; she urges and cheerleads with steadiness and assurance. She listens, honors, responds, and guides. The process of book-writing is sacred and Heather knows this. She is supremely suited for what she does: standing sentry on behalf of the writer, her voice, her book, and herself.””