About the Book Doctor
Welcome to Bay Area Book Doctor! I’m Michelle Richmond–author, educator, and writing coach. During my 20-year writing career, I’ve faced my share of setbacks. Through countless rejections and endless revisions, I persisted and built the writing career I wanted. I feel grateful for the opportunity to live my writing dream, and I started Bay Area Book Doctor to help others live their dreams too. I’m just as passionate about helping other writers as I am about writing.
Have a look around the site, and please use the contact form to tell me what challenges you’re facing, what you’re working on, and how I can help you find your writing rhythm. If you work best one-on-one and need intensive guidance on your novel, memoir, or other writing project, check out my writing coach page. If you are self-motivated, enjoy working at your own pace, and want to learn how to write a novel, then my online writing classes are a great fit.
How do you know you’re in good hands? I’ve published five novels with a major New York publisher, including The Marriage Pact and the New York Times bestseller The Year of Fog, and two award-winning story collections with university presses. My books have been sold in 28 languages, and my latest novel has been optioned to 20th Century Fox. My articles on writing have appeared in Writer’s Digest, The Writers Chronicle, Glimmer Train, and elsewhere. I share my thoughts on writing and the writing life through my newsletter, The Caffeinated Writer.
Teaching: I have taught in the MFA programs in creative writing at the University of San Francisco and California College of the Arts. I’ve also served as Distinguished Visiting Writer at St. Mary’s College of Moraga, Bowling Green State University, and Notre Dame de Namur University, and have taught novel writing for Stanford Continuing Studies. I received an MFA from the University of Miami, where I was a James Michener Fellow.
Welcome to the Elite Coaching Program
The Elite Coaching Program is a six-month, personalized service for writers that includes video coaching sessions, frequent written feedback, personalized goal-setting and assignments, weekly email check-ins, and more.
Who will benefit:
- Are you a professional seeking to tell your story in a book or blog that will help your personal brand stand out?
- Are you someone who has an amazing story to tell in the form of a memoir?
- Are you a novelist who needs help finishing a project?
- Are you committed to investing the time and energy it takes to succeed?
- Are you ready to invest in your future?
Then my Elite Coaching Program is for you.
What will I get out of it?
With Elite Coaching, you receive the following services and benefits:
- 24 half-hour video coaching sessions (or telephone sessions if you prefer)
- 24 personalized assignments; one new assignment provided at the beginning of each week
- 48 personalized coaching emails (two per week)
- Feedback on your writing twice per month: 12 written critiques of up to 25 manuscript pages each (50 pages per month)
- Accountability to help you stay on track
- Personalized progress tracking worksheets
- Personalized goal planner
FAQs
I have no formal training as a writer. Can I still benefit from the program?
Absolutely! The highly personalized nature of the program means that I will meet you wherever you are in your writing journey. I’ll help you identify the skills you already possess and develop the ones you need in order to tell your story effectively, passionately, and clearly.
I want to write a book to support my personal brand, but I don’t know where to start. Can you help?
Definitely! I’ll help you identify your book’s core message and how to communicate it most effectively. Together, we’ll come up with a plan and format for your book. We’ll begin by creating an outline, and I’ll give you weekly assignments to help you stick with it.
I am working on a novel, and I’m lost. Can you help?
Yes. I am passionate about helping novelists at every stage in their careers! I will help you do the deep character work every novel needs in order to succeed, craft a compelling plot, understand the best point of view for your novel, ground the story in place and time using significant detail, and make the most of theme so that your novel resonates with readers. If finishing the novel is your albatross, I’m here to help you see your story to completion. Once you have a complete draft, I’ll help you navigate your publishing options.
I want to write a memoir, but I don’t know where to begin. Can you help?
Yes. I’ll help you craft true events into a compelling narrative. We’ll focus on the challenging work of winnowing your story to its heart, staying true to actual events while being respectful of the real-life characters. We’ll do scene work and story charting with the same attention we would pay to a novel. Once you have a complete draft, I’ll help you navigate your publishing options.
I am a professional who wants to write a blog to support my business. How can you help me?
I’ll help you brainstorm specific blog topics to reach your unique audience, and we’ll devise a blogging schedule that works for you. I’ll provide feedback on your blog posts to make sure you’re telling the story you want to tell, with the authority you need in order to present yourself as a leader in your field.
How much does it cost?
The Elite Coaching Program is $2,000 per month for six months, paid monthly.
The Elite Coaching Program is a significant investment. Do you offer discounts?
Yes, you’ll save $1,500 when you pay for the program up front (for a total of $10,500)
How can I sign up for the Elite Coaching Program?
Use the contact form to tell me about your project and your needs. We will set up a free video or phone consultation to determine if we are a good fit for each other. If we are, we will decide on a schedule to begin our work together.
What if you decide we aren’t a good fit?
I want you to be happy and successful! If, after our free consultation, I don’t think we are right for each other, I willl recommend someone who better suits your needs.
What if I change my mind?
You can cancel your monthly payments at any time to end the coaching program. If you purchase the package up front and decide at any time that coaching isn’t right for you, you can cancel and receive a prorated refund, based on how long we have been working together.