Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim O’Hara.
Hi Kim, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I have worked as a writer and with writers for thirty-plus years so it was a natural progression to move from making films to helping authors write their first books as a coach. Coaching was foreign to me when I started, and it was a business coach who opened my eyes up to the idea. I was able to parlay my understanding of the challenges of writing a book as a writer into supporting clients who were in fear and felt held back. I also have had a full life of some emotional and physical challenges, so I can relate to trauma, triumph and forgiveness in people’s narratives and help illuminate them into a best-selling book.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like any business you launch, I was in the unknown a lot about what would work. Some months in the first years I was unsure where I would meet my next client, but I was fortunate to keep on networking and pushing forward to help others who were also building businesses. While I still attend networking events and make sure I am collaborative with other coaches, nothing was harder than those first few years having to give a 30-second pitch at the podium in front of fifty people. I would sweat and feel sick. But after a year or so, I was in the flow of what I had to say about my business and felt comfortable being more spontaneous.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a book coach, I bring decades of experience as a writer, but also as a movie producer who had to be rigorous about schedule and accountability. The clients who find me don’t want to linger for eight years on a book. They have the desire to finally get what they have to say on paper and are looking for a coach who is creative but also holds them to their dream to get a book out of them. Through my one-year program – Navigating Book Writing: From Outline to Publishing Proposal – I walk clients from idea though all the stages of writing a book and clear through the materials they need to sell that book. I advise people to really interview book coaches because there are editors who call themselves coaches (but they are not), and while I also edit as a coach, I have a particular skill set. I am active in coaching organizations and make sure that I am involved in fine-tuning my coaching skills.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Books are like movies. People will always want them. I think that we got flooded with best-seller campaigns on Amazon, and what writers didn’t realize was it takes more than just being top in a category to really sell books. Our goal when we write books should be to reach as many target readers as possible, and the way to do that is marketing. Publishers will continue to be attracted to authors who show they are a brand. I find the areas that people who write books on their own fail is they don’t prepare the marketing and exposure of the book in enough of advance. They also dropped their focus on the book six months after publishing, dissuaded by the lack of interest. Books build in interest and can be an overnight success in three years and I think the books that will stand out are where the author is very clear on their goal and purpose and have a specific message and niche for the times.
Pricing:
- I offer a very affordable VIP Outline Day for $5k
- You can consult with me for one hour for $350 and get clear on your next directions.
- My one-year program is $25k
Contact Info:
- Website: kimohara.com
- Instagram: @kimoharacoach
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intuitivebookcoach/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Astoryinside
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFk4o_hNR5N2lPRCunRnF_A
- SoundCloud: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-should-write-a-book-about-that/id1504568100
- Other: kimoharabooks.com
Image Credits
@debbiewaltonphotography (for the gallery shots of me)
