FAQ
Nonfiction book coach and publishing FAQ
These are plain answers to the 46 questions people ask most before hiring a nonfiction book coach or publishing a life story.
Defining Moments Press answers each question from its own published facts and, where useful, from named market sources. Topics run from what a coach does and what it costs to how to turn your life story into a book, how publishing works, and how to get started.
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What do people ask about book coaching?
Most people want to know what a nonfiction writing coach does, how much a book writing coach costs, and whether their story is enough for a book. Jump to a topic below.
What a nonfiction writing coach does
What does a nonfiction writing coach do?
A nonfiction writing coach helps you decide what your book is about, who it is for, and how to structure it, then keeps you writing until the manuscript is done. At Defining Moments Press, coaching is paired with an 8-week course, templates, and support for formatting, design, publishing, and launch, so the coaching leads to a published book rather than a draft sitting in a folder.
What is the difference between a book coach and an editor?
A book coach works with you before and during the writing, shaping the idea, the reader, and the outline, while an editor mostly works on pages you have already written. A nonfiction book coach helps you get the draft written in the first place. Many authors use both: a coach to finish the manuscript, then editing and formatting before publication.
Do I need a writing coach to write a nonfiction book?
No, you can write a nonfiction book without a coach, but many people stall without structure and deadlines. Defining Moments Press says on its homepage that 80% of people say they want to write a book and only 1% actually do. A coach gives you an outline, a weekly plan, and someone to answer questions.
What is a creative nonfiction writing coach?
A creative nonfiction writing coach helps you tell true stories with the tools of storytelling: scenes, voice, and a clear arc. That is exactly what a life story or personal lesson book needs. Defining Moments Press focuses on nonfiction stories and life lessons that can help others, helping authors find their voice and their audience.
Can a writing coach help if I have never written anything before?
Yes. Defining Moments Press works with current and aspiring authors, and its homepage invites people to write a book even if no one has ever heard of them. The Author Blueprint course is step-by-step, with audio and video tutorials, templates, and tools, so you do not need prior writing experience to start.
Will a nonfiction book coach write the book for me?
A coach guides you while you write; a ghostwriter writes for you. Defining Moments Press offers both paths. Its Author Training program includes book coaching for one year while you write, and its Author Premium service uses ghostwriters to write the book for you, followed by cover design, formatting, and a full launch.
How do I choose a nonfiction book writing coach?
Look for a coach who has published nonfiction, explains the full path to publication, and is clear about price and rights. Ask who owns the finished book and the royalties. With Defining Moments Press, authors keep all royalties and rights, and founder Melanie Warner is a #1 international bestselling author and self-publishing expert.
Turning your life story into a book
How do I turn my life story into a book?
Start by choosing one defining moment or lesson, not your whole life, and decide who the book is for. Then outline chapters around that moment, write in short weekly sessions, edit, and publish. Defining Moments Press teaches this sequence in its 8-week Author Blueprint, which takes about 2 to 5 hours a week.
Should my book cover my whole life or one event?
For most readers, one event or lesson works better than a full life chronicle. A book built around a single turning point has a clear reader, a clear promise, and a natural arc. Melanie Warner built her first book, Defining Moments: Coping With the Loss of a Child, around one life-changing event and the help it could offer others.
What is the difference between a memoir and a life story keepsake book?
A memoir is written for readers beyond your family and is usually published and sold; a keepsake book is a private record for relatives. Keepsake services such as Storyworth email weekly prompts and print a hardcover. Defining Moments Press focuses on published nonfiction that reaches readers and can support a business, speaking, or a mission.
Is my story interesting enough to be a book?
If your experience taught a lesson that can help someone facing the same challenge, it can be a book. Defining Moments Press asks whether you have a story or life lesson that can help others. Its free discovery call with an Acquisition Editor exists to explore your idea and tell you whether it is a good fit.
How long does it take to turn a life story into a book?
With a structured program, a short nonfiction book can be written and published in about 8 weeks. Defining Moments Press builds its programs to help authors write and publish in 8 weeks or less. Your pace matters: the company notes that results are not guaranteed or typical and that a lot of hard work is involved.
Can I write about painful experiences like grief or loss?
Yes, and many meaningful nonfiction books start there. Melanie Warner, founder of Defining Moments Press, is a grieving mother turned bestselling author; losing her son inspired her first book. Her Defining Moments book series shares positive stories of hope from people who have overcome extreme challenges in life and business.
How do I start writing my life story if I feel stuck?
Begin with clarity, not pages. Decide who you are writing for and outline your table of contents first. Defining Moments Press offers a free one-hour course on defining your expertise, knowing your reader, and building an outline, because it says lack of clarity is the number one reason most people never finish.
Pricing and costs
How much does a book writing coach cost?
Published market rates for a nonfiction writing coach typically range from $100 to $300 an hour, according to Scribe Media. Defining Moments Press lists its 8-week Author Blueprint program at one payment of $1,997 on its payment page. Pricing for done-with-you and done-for-you packages is discussed on a free discovery call.
How much does publishing a book cost?
It depends on how much you do yourself. A DIY course costs less than a done-for-you package with ghostwriting, design, and launch. Defining Moments Press says there are no hidden fees, authors keep all royalties and rights, and authors can order printed copies at cost directly from the provider. Quotes for each service come from the discovery call.
Is the discovery call free?
Yes. Defining Moments Press describes its discovery call as complimentary. You speak with an Acquisition Editor who helps you explore your book idea, clarify your ideal reader, discuss your business goals, and make a clear plan. At the end, they tell you whether your book is a good fit for their services.
Do I keep my royalties with Defining Moments Press?
Yes. Defining Moments Press states that authors keep all royalties and rights. The company is paid a fee for its service rather than a share of your book income. You can also order copies of your book at cost direct from the provider, which matters if you plan to sell or give books at talks and events.
Is there a free way to start?
Yes. Defining Moments Press offers a free one-hour course, listed with a retail price of $997, covering who should write a book, knowing your reader, self-publishing myths, monetizing your book, and finishing with an outline for your table of contents. The discovery call is also free.
How much do life story book services cost compared to coaching?
Keepsake services cost less but produce a private family book. Published comparisons list Storyworth from $59 a year (Memoirji), Remento at $99 a year, StoryTerrace from $3,250, and a Reedsy ghostwriter from $18,000 (Yourtale). Coaching and publishing programs sit between these, and the result is a published, marketed book.
How the process works
How does the Defining Moments Press process work?
It starts with a free discovery call or an application. If your book is a fit, you choose a level of help: DIY course, done-with-you coaching, or done-for-you ghostwriting. Then comes the manuscript, followed by formatting, book and cover design, publishing, and a launch. Applicants receive an email reply within 2 business days.
What if I have already written my book?
Defining Moments Press offers Author Launch, a done-for-you service for authors who already wrote a book and need help publishing and launching. It includes formatting, book design, cover design, book marketing, a launch to bestseller, and access to the author Facebook group, so a finished manuscript can move straight to publication.
Can someone write my book for me?
Yes. The Author Premium done-for-you service uses Defining Moments Press ghostwriters to write your book. It also includes cover design, book design, formatting, a full launch to bestseller, book media appearances, setup of book marketing accounts, and a one-page book funnel for the launch.
How many hours a week will I need?
The Author Blueprint is designed for about 2 to 5 hours a week over 8 weeks, according to Defining Moments Press. That pace suits professionals with full schedules. If you cannot commit that time, the done-for-you ghostwriting option shifts most of the writing to the Defining Moments Press team.
What happens on the discovery call?
You speak with an Acquisition Editor about your book idea, your ideal reader, your business goals, and profit opportunities from the book, even before you write a word. You leave with a clear plan and next step. They also tell you whether your book is a good fit for Defining Moments Press services.
Who it is for
Who is Defining Moments Press for?
It works with entrepreneurs, professionals, coaches, healers, and people with powerful stories who want to write, publish, and sell nonfiction books. This site focuses first on professionals with a nonfiction story: people whose personal experience and expertise could help readers and build authority at the same time.
I am a professional. Why write a book about my own story?
A story-led book lets readers trust your expertise because they see how you earned it. Defining Moments Press works with professionals who want to be respected as authorities in their field. Its stated philosophy is that it is not about the book, it is about what the book does for you, such as speaking and client opportunities.
Can a book help my business or speaking career?
It can. Defining Moments Press helps authors write books that build a business, open doors to paid speaking, and make an impact. One client case study it publishes reports more than 10,000 books sold, a TED Talk, and paid corporate speaking. The company also states that results are not guaranteed or typical.
Do you work with authors outside the United States?
Yes. Defining Moments Press, Inc. is a US-based company that works with authors all over the world, and it says books can be published in 87 countries using major publishers. The free course and coaching are delivered online, with a support email at support@mydefiningmoments.com.
Do you help with children’s books?
The Defining Moments Press homepage also invites aspiring children’s book authors to get started. This site focuses on professionals and people turning a nonfiction story or lesson into a book. For children’s book questions, book a free discovery call through the main Defining Moments Press website and ask about your project.
Compared to alternatives
Is a book coach better than Storyworth?
They solve different problems. Storyworth emails weekly prompts to the storyteller, who types the answers, and prints a keepsake hardcover, starting at $59 for a year according to Memoirji. A nonfiction book coach helps you shape a story for public readers and publish it. Choose Storyworth for a family gift; choose coaching to publish.
Book coach or ghostwriter: which should I choose?
Choose a coach if you want the book in your own words and can give a few hours a week. Choose a ghostwriter if time is the main barrier. Published comparisons from Yourtale list a Reedsy ghostwriter from $18,000. Defining Moments Press offers both coaching through Author Training and ghostwriting through Author Premium.
Is self-publishing better than a traditional publisher?
Defining Moments Press believes self-publishing is the best option. It argues that traditional publishing can mean waiting about 2 years, giving up creative control and royalties, and receiving little marketing. A traditional deal can still suit authors who want an advance and a publisher behind them; compare rights and timelines on each offer.
How is story coaching different from fiction coaching?
Fiction coaching works on invented plots and characters; story coaching for nonfiction authors works on real events, structuring true experience so it teaches or inspires. Defining Moments Press works on nonfiction books, helping authors find their voice and their audience for a true story or life lesson.
Can I use a free AI tool instead of a coach?
You can draft with any tool, but a book still needs a clear reader, an honest voice, and a path to publishing. In a 2026 analysis asking whether AI has hurt how-to nonfiction, Tim Ferriss reported self-help units down 26.3% year over year. Your own lived experience is the part no generic tool can supply.
Publishing and getting started
How do I publish my book?
Finish and edit the manuscript, format it for ebook and print, design a cover, publish through a distribution platform, then launch. Defining Moments Press covers each step, from formatting and design to launch, and says books can be published in 87 countries using major publishers. Book a free call to see which service level fits.
What self-publishing services does Defining Moments Press offer?
Services include formatting, book design, cover design, book marketing, a launch to bestseller, setup of book marketing accounts, book funnels, and a media and podcast list. They come bundled in the Author Launch, Author Training, and Author Premium packages, plus a Funnel service with two funnels, customization, automation, and one-on-one support.
Can I order copies of my own book?
Yes. Defining Moments Press states that you can order books at cost direct from the provider. That is useful for professionals who sell books at speaking events, give them to clients, or hand them out as a business card that people keep on their shelf.
How do I get started?
Book a free discovery call at mydefiningmoments.com/book-a-call. You will talk through your idea, your reader, and your goals with an Acquisition Editor and leave with a clear next step. If you prefer to learn first, start with the free one-hour course that ends with an outline for your table of contents.
How do I contact Defining Moments Press?
You can book a call online, phone (559) 577-4171, or email support@mydefiningmoments.com. Defining Moments Press lists its address as 2443 East Fox Glen Avenue, Fresno, CA 93730. The fastest route to a plan for your book is the free discovery call with an Acquisition Editor.
What if my book does not sell?
No publisher can promise sales, and Defining Moments Press states that results are not guaranteed or typical. What its programs add is a launch plan: marketing, a launch to bestseller, media and podcast lists, and book funnels in higher tiers. Ask on the discovery call which of these your package includes.