services
shepherding
find your way
Shepherding is a style of coaching that gently and effectively guides you to your way of writing, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced writer.
I won’t boss you around or give you rules to follow. I ask questions. We both listen. Your map takes shape. With help from a shepherd, you find your own way to succeed.
Shepherding can be used for guidance and support about a specific writing project or about writing in general.
Please contact me to get started or if you have any questions.
First Steps – $250
You’ve got ideas about what to write, and you want to get started toward your goal. Or maybe you’re not clear about what your goal is. You’ll begin by filling out a short questionnaire, then we’ll spend 60 minutes on the phone and come up with clarity and a strategy for your next steps. The focus is on feeling good about being yourself and moving forward. For a week after our call, I’ll provide ongoing email support.
Project Progress – $775
You’re ready to get going on a writing project and you want to make the most of your time and energy. Whatever your project (book, e-course, marketing materials, or something else), and whatever stage it’s in, we’ll love it up by looking at what’s working, what isn’t, and how you can bring the energy of joy into play as you create. You’ll begin by filling out a short questionnaire, then we’ll have three 60-minute phone calls over a 30-day period, with email support throughout that time. The focus is on getting specific about your needs around the project and finding creative solutions so that you make real progress.
Hourly Shepherding – $125/hr
You want help with writing or a project, and you want to pay as you go. You can tap into shepherding by the hour for anything from brainstorming ideas for a book to getting a grip on a table of contents to strategizing about writing goals or learning about writing in general. In all cases, the focus is on tuning in to what works for your unique self and situation. Shepherding hours can be in the form of phone calls and/or email exchanges. Let me know what kind of help you’re looking for and we’ll see what we can do to get you what you need.
“I could not be happier with my decision to have hired Grace to shepherd my first book. I had no idea what I was doing and Grace gently guided me through the process. I immediately felt safe in her hands. The very first suggestion she gave me was extremely helpful. It set me on my path to actually finishing my work. If you want to write a book, Grace is your book shepherd. Hire Grace! I couldn’t mean this more. She is so awesome.”
Katie McClain, mentor and guide for moms and boys
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editing
help with honing
Substantive Editing – $75/hr
You’ve got it written, but it’s not finished, and you want help pulling it all together. When you’re mostly there with what you’ve written, but it needs a good shake to get all the pieces to fall into place, substantive editing can help. We start with you telling me about your project by email and me getting a look at it (in part or in whole) so I can recommend a plan and give you a timeline and cost estimate. As I work, I check in with you as I go, to make sure the work I do reflects you.
Copyediting – $55/hr
You’re close to finishing (how exciting!) and you want a professional editor to look over your almost-final draft. Once the overall content is in place in a way that makes sense and feels right, the next step is copyediting, where grammar, punctuation, and formatting are standardized, tweaked, and corrected. We start with you telling me about your project by email and me getting a look at it (in part or whole) so I can recommend a plan and give you a timeline and cost estimate. (My professional expertise does not extend to proofreading, which is often the step just before and/or after design, but I can recommend an excellent proofreader.)
“I have worked with Grace in many different iterations of our work and ALL of it has been and continues to be one of the most successful and fun and efficient and heart-centered relationships I have ever had. And I am a better and better writer from her work. I love her so very much.”
Sophie Chiche, founder of lifebyme.com
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ghostwriting
bring your ideas to life
You have a great idea for a book or other written project and you want someone else to write it for you. A ghostwriter gives your raw material organization and voice – your voice. You’re the author, but you focus on providing ideas and raw material while the ghostwriter does the writing, with your reviews and input. We start with emails and/or a free half-hour phone call, to exchange information and see if we’d like to work with each other. If we would, I’ll work up an estimate and send you a contract. Pricing will depend on the project’s complexity, the state of the raw material, and other variables. I tend to ghostwrite one project at a time.
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To get started or if you have any questions about the services,
send me an email. I look forward to helping you.
more about services
What you get: Help for discovering your voice and your confidence as a writer, so you can rely on those skills for anything you write. Support and guidance so you can finish writing projects and reach your readers better and sooner.
Who I work with: Entrepreneurs, life coaches, and other self-starters who want to get their message out to the world. People who want help with words in general, with writing projects, or with books. Most clients are comfortable with personal growth, have a vision, desire to be of service, and want to write more confidently.
Why I’m different: I’m gentle and great at explaining things. I don’t judge. I assume that you know the most about your creative process, even if you need help discovering what you know. I’m also skilled at breaking big tasks into smaller tasks that motivate, so writing projects get finished and goals become reality.
More options: You might also be interested in other kinds of support available at The Writer’s Shepherd, like the Conscious Blogging e-course, devious daily Creativity Prompts, or Stay Afloat, a healthy boundaries guide.
“I had an amazing session with Grace. Man, can she teach, and does she know her stuff. I was really impressed, which is rare for me.”
Lee-Anne Ragan, Rock. Paper. Scissors.“Let me begin with Grace Kerina, my editor and shepherd, whose kindness, perfectly timed saltiness, and gentle herding techniques helped turn all my wild and bohemian musings into what I daresay is a rawwwther cohesive, cogent, and coherent volume. I feel like I win the lottery every day I get to work with her. There’s nothing more exciting than waking up to an inbox of her notes because she’s been busy in Germany caring for my words and ideas. Most of all, her questions taught me to probe deeper into myself and to love myself on a deeper level.”
Sarah Bamford Seidelmann, MD, life coach; from her book Born to FREAK: A Salty Primer for Irrepressible HumansFor more testimonials, visit the KUDOS page.
