Getting reviews for your book is a lot like getting testimonials when you first start your coaching practice. You know they matter. What nobody tells you is how hard they are to get.

In this solo episode, Helen shares why book reviews are so important, how to build a review strategy before you even publish, and some practical ways to make it as easy as possible for your readers to leave their thoughts.

In this episode:

• Why reviews are about far more than the warm and fuzzies
• What an ARC is and how to use advanced readers to kickstart your launch
• Where to direct readers, and why Goodreads is becoming increasingly important
• The paid services that connect you with reviewer communities
• The rules of asking well: be specific, give the link, and say thank you

Connect with Helen

• Newsletter: https://coachwrite.co.uk/reflections
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oneillhelen/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coach_write
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17798513.Helen_ONeill
• Website: https://coachwrite.co.uk

Helen speaks to Alice Driscoll and Louise Van Haarst, co-founders of The Powerhouse and co-authors of the bestselling book Smart Conflict: How to Have Hard Conversations at Work.

In This Episode You'll Discover:

• How Alice and Louise moved from a chance meeting at Henley Business School to co-founding The Powerhouse and writing their bestselling book, Smart Conflict.
• Why having a fully developed workshop methodology meant they never faced a blank page, and how writing a detailed book proposal shaped their entire structure before a word was written.
• The practical reality of co-authoring while running a fast-scaling business, including how they divided the writing, managed tight deadlines, and kept a single voice across the manuscript.
• How Smart Conflict has opened unexpected doors since publication, including a place on the Thinkers 50 Radar 30 list, a Business Book Award finalist spot, and organic gifting by readers to their own clients and teams.
• Their honest reflections on using AI in the writing process, the challenges of cover design, and the lessons they would share with any coach considering writing a book.

Connect with Alice and Louise

Website: https://thepowerhouse.company

Smart Conflict: How to Have Hard Conversations at Work: https://amzn.to/4uO5lwk

Connect with Helen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oneillhelen/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coach_write

Sign up for Coach Write Reflections, the free weekly newsletter for coaches who write: https://coachwrite.co.uk/reflections/

Get your free guide to publishing options and episode show notes at coachwrite.co.uk

People and Resources mentioned

The Artists Way by Julia Cameron https://amzn.to/4dBVPq0

Audible royalty model changes: https://www.acx.com/mp/blog/audible-new-royalty-model

Coaching at work magazine https://www.coaching-at-work.com/

Thinkers 50 radar: https://thinkers50.com/radar-2025/

Business book awards: https://www.businessbookawards.co.uk/

Subscribe to the Coach Write podcast wherever you’re listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review. Your words can make a difference a review can too.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why treating your book as a key business resource rather than a sales tool is the strategy that builds long-term thought leadership
• How Kickstarter crowdfunding works as a publishing tool
• The case for selling your books direct through your own platform, and how owning your customer data creates relationships that convert readers into coaching clients
• How painting the edges of books by hand became a unique collector's edition, and what it teaches us about the value of things that deliberately do not scale
• How life reshaped Holger’s creative process, and the unexpected way AI became a tool for rebuilding the ability to write

People and Resources Mentioned

To join this cohort of Coach Write90 go to https://coachwrite.co.uk/coachwrite90

The murder at Kendrick Manor by Jody Derby https://amzn.to/429cXxa

People who Pivot by Helen ONeill https://amzn.to/429RcNI

Authors Guild statement about model AI clause https://authorsguild.org/news/use-of-ai-in-publishing-and-new-model-contract-clause/

Prowriting Aid https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=15255

Shopify https://www.shopify.com/

Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/

Brandon Sanderson https://www.brandonsanderson.com/

Kevin Kelly a Thousand True Fans https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/

Connect with Holger

Website: www.holgernilspohl.com

Newsletter (with goodies attached!) www.holgernilspohl.com/email

Social media: everywhere under holgernilspohl

Connect with Helen

Website: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oneillhelen

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coach_write

This week's episode is a solo show on the question we always ask guests on the show. How do you get your book into the hands of readers?

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why getting your metadata right is the unglamorous but essential foundation of book discoverability, including categories, keywords and your blurb
• How to use social media and your existing community to build momentum, whether your book is freshly launched or already out in the world
• The power of promotion stacking and the book promotion sites that can give your launch sales a real boost
• How paid advertising on Amazon and Facebook works, and why Amazon is the best place to start if you're new to it
• Why podcasts, in-person events and PR are still some of the most effective ways to raise your profile as an author and get your book noticed

Resources and people mentioned

Join the next cohort of Coach Write 90: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk/coachwrite90

Publisher Rocket: https://publisherrocket.com/

Draft to Digital: https://draft2digital.com/

Barnes and Nobel: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/

David Gaughran: https://davidgaughran.com/best-promo-sites-books/

People Who Pivot by Helen ONeill: https://amzn.to/42qrkwT

Connect with Helen

Website: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oneillhelen

Helen speaks to Iain McCormick, founder of the Executive Coaching Centre, coach supervisor, and trainer, and author of five books, the most recent being Frustration Inoculation: Eight Practical Steps from Struggle to Strength.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What frustration inoculation actually means, how it differs from conventional stress management, and why a proactive approach of anticipating and preparing for difficult situations is something any coach can bring to their clients.
• What it's really like to publish across every route — traditional multinational, small press, academic, hybrid, and independent — and the honest trade-offs of each, from prestige and reach to creative freedom and royalty percentages.
• Why Iain's most lucrative book per month is a self-published PDF, and how independent publishing opens up possibilities.
• Iain's writing philosophy: never sit down in front of a blank page, always compose in your mind first, and follow the energy of what genuinely excites you — because that spirit comes through on every page.

Connect with Iain

Website: https://iainmccormick.net

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iainmccormick

Book: Frustration Inoculation: Eight Practical Steps from Struggle to Strength by Iain McCormick

Connect with Helen

Free masterclass 1st May at midday: From coaching practitioner, to published author: https://coachwrite.co.uk/chapter

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oneillhelen/

Coach Write Reflections (free weekly newsletter): https://coachwrite.co.uk/reflections

People Who Pivot: https://amzn.to/4dfSqh0

People and Resources Mentioned

ProWritingAid https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=15255

Schema Coaching by Iain McCormick https://amzn.to/3QwUnw0

Donald Meichenbaum / Stress Inoculation Therapy https://www.donaldmeichenbaum.com/

Jeffrey Young / Schema Therapy

Coaching Plain and Simple by Peter Szabo https://amzn.to/41YhgLq

Cortex Journal https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=14945&tip=sid

On the Road by Jack Kerouac https://amzn.to/4t4BtLJ

Fiverr https://www.fiverr.com/

Wispr (dictation tool) https://wisprflow.ai/

Coral Hart (AI author) https://coralhart.com/

The Bookseller https://www.thebookseller.com/

Cambridge University Press https://www.cambridge.org/

Society of Authors human authored certification https://humanauthored.co.uk/

Hachette https://www.hachette.co.uk/

Helen speaks to Sue Finch, EMCC accredited coach, poet, and host of the podcast Singing as the Darkness Lifts, and author of two poetry collections: Magnifying Glass and Welcome to the Museum of a Life.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How a 30-year career in education led Sue to pursue an MA in Creative Writing and why building a structured commitment around her studies was the key to making time for her writing.
• The rejection that sent Sue back to the drawing board, and how a single poem called Museum of a Life unlocked an entirely new way of thinking about what a poetry collection could be.
• What the curation process for a poetry collection actually looks like, from organising poems into themed galleries, to working with an editor in a Zoom room reading poems aloud, to the moment a handmade blue apple became a book cover.
• How Sue weaves poetry into her coaching practice, and why she believes that hearing your own thoughts out loud is at the heart of both disciplines.
• Sue's advice for coaches and aspiring poets who want to start writing: splurge first, find your tribe, and choose wise people to help you edit. (Brilliant!)

Connect with Sue:

Website: https://suefinch.co.uk/

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/suefinchcoachpoet

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@poetsuefinch

Blue Sky: @suefinch.bsky.social

X: @soopoftheday

Podcast: https://suefinch.co.uk/singing-as-the-darkness-lifts-podcast/

Book: Welcome to the Museum of a Life: https://amzn.eu/d/03gMpUqT

Connect with Helen:

Free newsletter: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk/reflections

Coach Write 90: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk/coachwrite90

People Who Pivot: https://amzn.to/4dfSqh0

People and Resources mentioned:

Anna Saunders Cheltenham Poetry Festival https://cheltenhampoetryfestival.co.uk/meet-the-team/

Arvon: https://www.arvon.org/

Queer writers for a brave new world https://www.queerlit.co.uk/products/queer-writing-for-a-brave-new-world

Black Eyes Publishing https://www.blackeyespublishinguk.co.uk/

Jason Conway cover designer https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonleeconway/

Josephine Lay – editor at Black Eyes Publishing

In Good Company – Jo Hawkins and Zoe Hawkins https://www.igcompany.com/

The Table by Edip Cansever https://www.sharonsinger.ca/poem-of-the-week/table-by-edip-cansever

52 Write a Poem a Week. Start Now. Keep Going by Jo Bell https://amzn.to/4bEqanb

Gloucester Poetry Society https://www.thegloucestershirepoetrysociety.co.uk/

The Air Year by Caroline Bird https://amzn.eu/d/027OCLkj

Simplifying Coaching by Claire Pedrick https://amzn.to/48cHJIy

The Human Behind the Coach by Claire Pedrick https://amzn.to/4uWmVPj

The Coaches Inn Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/3LLZFrIkNrtUDLdukZe8iX

Dream More by Dolly Parton https://amzn.to/4vf2sFV

Nebula Awards https://nebulas.sfwa.org/about-the-nebulas/how-to-participate-rules/

Helen speaks to Claire Turner, EFT practitioner, founder of Abundance Alchemy, and author of Tap Into Your Happy and Tapping Scripts for Entrepreneurs.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• How Claire went from stressed corporate employee to EFT practitioner and why tapping was the turning point that changed everything
• What EFT (or tapping) actually is, how it works physiologically, and why it’s so effective at removing the internal blocks that stop coaches and entrepreneurs from taking action
• How Claire simplified the writing and publishing process to get her words into the world quickly and affordably
• How she uses her books strategically as lead magnets and as part of a “shock and awe” welcome package for new clients
• Why overcomplicating your publishing journey is often a protection mechanism in disguise — and the simple question to ask yourself to cut through it

Connect with Helen

Website: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oneillhelen

Join the next cohort of Coach Write 90 starting 20th May 2026: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk/coachwrite90

Books: https://amzn.to/3MPS2Lq

Connect with Claire

Website: https://claireturnereft.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claireturnereftuk/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@claireturner-eft886

Email: info@claire-turner.com

Books:

How to Tap Into Your Happy: https://amzn.to/3P2FDEJ

Tapping Scripts for Entrepreneurs: https://amzn.to/3P2FDEJ

People and resources mentioned

Coach Write 90: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk/coachwrite90

Prowriting Aid: https://prowritingaid.com/?afid=15255

Brad Yates: https://www.youtube.com/@tapwithbrad

Louise Hay: https://www.louisehay.com/

Fivvr: https://www.fiverr.com/

KDP: https://kdp.amazon.com/

Molecules of Emotion by Candace B. Pert, Ph.D. https://amzn.to/4blN2WV

Terry Pratchett: https://amzn.to/3P3B9O8

In this episode, Helen speaks to Katharine St John-Brooks, leadership coach and author of Internal Coaching: The Inside Story, released as a second edition in November 2025.

In this episode you'll discover:

• Why a second edition is never just a few tweaks, and how Katharine and co-author Julia Duncan turned a 10-year-old book into something that feels completely new
• The co-authoring ground rules that made the collaboration work: who holds the final say, how to preserve a consistent voice, and why mutual accountability is one of the most powerful writing tools available
• What the traditional publishing proposal process really involves, and why coaches with research or academic work behind them still have significant work to do to reach publication
• Why evaluating organisations internal coaching programme isn't optional, and why ROI is such an important metric.
• The value of having a dedicated writing space, wherever that might be (although trendy parts of London are recommended!)

Connect with Helen:

Website: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oneillhelen

Join the no commitment wait list for the next cohort of Coach Write 90: https://www.coachwrite.co.uk/coachwrite90

Books: https://amzn.to/3MPS2Lq

Connect with Katharine:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharine-st-john-brooks-1a07b/

Book: https://amzn.to/4tZtbpb

People and Resources mentioned:

https://vivalacoaching.com/ai-in-coaching-glossary/

Global Code of Ethics https://globalcodeofethics.org/

Carol Hart https://coralhart.com/coral-method/

coachwrite.co.uk/blog

Insead training https://www.insead.edu/

Miles Downey https://mylesdowney.com/

CIPD https://www.cipd.org/uk/

Oxford School of Coaching and Mentoring (OCM) https://www.theocm.co.uk/educate/coaching-supervision/supervision-coaching-and-mentoring-certificate

EMCC https://emccuk.org/

David Lane Personal Development Foundation https://www.pdf.network/

Julia Duncan https://the-dp.co.uk/our-team/julia-duncan/

Royal Overseas club https://rosl.org.uk/

Paul Herdman

A Room of One’s Own Virginia Woolf https://amzn.to/400mcyw

Cheshire Novel Prize https://cheshirenovelprize.com/