Professionals first
A nonfiction book coach for professionals
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A nonfiction book coach helps professionals turn what they know, or what they lived through, into a published book that builds authority and opens doors to clients and speaking work.
Why should a professional write a nonfiction book?
A nonfiction book positions you as the authority in your field. Defining Moments Press invites professionals to demand the respect they deserve, which it says will increase their income, and builds books that grow a business, open the door to paid speaking, and attract clients.
Its guiding idea is simple: it is not about the book, it is about what the book does for you. The book is a tool for your work, not a trophy for the shelf.
Two kinds of professional books we help with
Expertise book
The professional expert
You have years of knowledge clients pay for. A book captures your method in a form people can read before they hire you. Defining Moments Press focuses on this author: someone who wants to be respected as the authority in their field.
The book becomes your calling card for speaking invitations, media, and new clients. It can also be the foundation for an offer or program built around your method.
Story book
The professional with a life lesson
Some professionals carry a story that shaped their work: a loss, a turnaround, a hard lesson. Defining Moments Press helps people with a story or life lesson find their voice and their audience.
Founder Melanie Warner is one of them. After losing her son, she wrote Defining Moments: Coping With the Loss of a Child, the first book in the Defining Moments series of stories of hope from people who overcame extreme challenges.
What do professionals want a book to do?
On the discovery call, an acquisition editor asks what you want the book to do for you. These are the outcomes Defining Moments Press names, matched to the service features that support them.
| Goal | What helps | Where it is included |
|---|---|---|
| Build authority | A finished, well-designed book in your name | All services |
| Get more clients | Planning the book around your ideal reader and offer | Discovery call, Author Blueprint |
| Open speaking doors | Book plus speaker training | Speaker Certification program |
| Get media attention | Media and podcast list, media appearances | Author Training, Author Premium |
| Make a profit | Keeping all rights and royalties, ordering books at cost | All publishing services |
Who leads the coaching?
Melanie Warner, founder of Defining Moments Press
Melanie Warner is described by Defining Moments Press as a #1 international bestselling author, a 7x bestselling author and book mentor, and a self-publishing expert. She has published magazines, newspapers, and books for over 25 years.
She is a motivational speaker who has spoken at hundreds of events and says she has personally reached over 3 million people live. She teaches business owners how to grow their authority and get more clients with bestselling books and speaking.
Case study
One client's result
A client whose industry shut down in the pandemic used a book to sell over 10,000 copies, give a TED Talk, and build 7 streams of income. Results are not guaranteed or typical. Read the case studies.
New to the idea? Start with the nonfiction book coaching overview or see what the Author Blueprint includes.
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask before they start. Read all 42 answers on the nonfiction book coaching FAQ.
Is nonfiction book coaching right for professionals?
Yes. Professionals are the first audience Defining Moments Press serves. Its homepage invites experts who want to be respected as the authority in their field, and its publishing model is built around books that grow a business, open the door to paid speaking opportunities, and attract clients.
Do I need a big audience before I write a book?
No. Defining Moments Press promotes writing your bestselling book in 8 weeks or less even if no one has ever heard of you. Its approach treats the book as the tool that builds your authority and audience, rather than something you earn only after you already have a following.
Can I write a memoir or life lesson book?
Yes. Defining Moments Press works with people who have a story or life lesson that can help others, and says it helps them find their voice and their audience. Founder Melanie Warner wrote her first book, Defining Moments: Coping With the Loss of a Child, after losing her son.
Is it a fit for coaches and speakers?
Yes. Defining Moments Press helps entrepreneurs, professionals, coaches, healers, and people with powerful stories write, publish, and sell nonfiction books. It also runs a Speaker Certification program, because a book and a speaking platform often support each other when you build a business around your expertise.
I am too busy to write a book. Is that realistic?
The Author Blueprint is planned at about 2 to 5 hours a week over 8 weeks, which many working professionals can fit in. If you have less time than that, the Author Premium service uses Defining Moments Press ghostwriters to write your book for you, then handles design, formatting, and launch.
Can a book actually grow my business?
It can when the book connects to a clear business offer. Defining Moments Press shares a client case study in which a book led to over 10,000 books sold, a TED Talk, paid corporate speaking, 7 streams of income, and an 8-figure business. The company stresses that such results are not typical.
Turn your expertise into a book
Book a free discovery call with a Defining Moments Press acquisition editor. You will explore your book idea, your ideal reader, and your business goals, and leave with a clear next step.