Book coaching, the animist way

The skills of a truly gifted editor far exceed the ability to fine-tune grammar and punctuation. Empathy, a sense of humor, a willingness to listen and to probe, to ask deep questions... These are a few of the less obvious but hugely important qualities that transform a manuscript into a finished book. Ellie Robins has them all. She reads between the lines. Her work as an editor is a revelation. 
—Brenda Cullerton, Little, Brown–published author

So a story has sidled up alongside you. Congratulations. It’s not nothing, to be chosen by a story.

Maybe you’re still sizing it up, scoping out who it is and why it chose you. Maybe you’ve already set pen to paper. Maybe you’ve even written an entire book. At some point, you’re probably going to ask yourself: now what?

That’s where I can help.

No doubt the ultimate goal is publication, in some form or other. But what might that look like? What are your options? How do you get there? And more importantly: how do you step into the joy of this process? Writing shouldn’t feel like going to the coalface. There’s already enough misery in the world, and anyway, the truest writing comes from ease and openness, not grind. So let’s get you there.

How I work

I operate from the core belief that stories are alive, and that to write means to approach a story with curiosity and respect. To learn how to dance with it. Working this way means I only work with stories that really need to be told—that are demanding to be birthed right now, at this moment of the world’s unfolding.

In concrete terms, I work primarily with writers of fiction, though I’ve also had success with nonfiction writers. I offer three ways of working, depending on where you’re at in the writing process and whether you need ongoing support or a one-off read. Full details below.

What I offer

Beginning: Book conception 
Ongoing support, via regular Zoom meetings and feedback on your work

As an acquiring editor and book coach, I’ve read a heartbreaking quantity of beautifully written manuscripts that have no story, no arc. The sentences are stunning, but they don’t hang together as books. Ask most agents and they’ll tell you this is the top problem they encounter with debut fiction writers. 

I want to save you the terrible pain of having to put years of blood, sweat and tears in a drawer, by helping you find the true story behind your idea at the outset.

Together, we will:

  • Find the story. Great writing often starts with an idea or question or theory—but that’s only the start. If it’s going to succeed as a book, your idea or question has to become a story. My work is designed to make sure that you have a story before you start writing.

  • Make sure you stay engaged with what really matters to you about this story

  • Get to know your characters

  • Find the natural course of the story and structure of the book

  • Structure your writing life to get the book underway 

  • Map your writing process, setting goals and targets for the next year

  • Put rituals in place to make sure that the book stays alive to you

  • Draft your first scene and your climax

Ellie's inspired approach to manuscript assessment and her unique blend of psychological and professional insight are at a master-class level. Her understanding of craft is unparalleled.
She gave me practical and effective solutions to improve my manuscript while still showing me how to connect to my most authentic voice. She is highly professional, warm, motivated and really fun to work with.
— Aditi Khorana, Penguin-published author

Middle: Book gestation
Ongoing support, via regular Zoom meetings and feedback on your work

Sure, it’s all pink clouds at the start, when your story first chooses you. But it’s like any relationship: at some point, things get harder. You stumble into problems, things that just don’t make sense. The novelty wears off. You find you’re not showing up in the way you want to. Your attention starts to wander. Other stories catch your eye. You might convince yourself that there’s something fundamentally wrong with your story; that it’s a mismatch; that you could do better. You might let it slide lower and lower on your priorities until it simply dies off. Or you might grit your teeth and commit, never mind that it’s become a grind—and that your misery will no doubt show up on the page.

Please, don’t work this way! It’s not necessary, and you’ll hurt yourself and your story. My book gestation option is designed to help you find a sense of ease and joy as your book grows.

Together, we will:

  • Hook back into what’s vital to you about this story

  • Work with your schedule to find a writing routine that works for you

  • Explore new, embodied ways of writing that can help keep the process alive

  • Help you find your most authentic voice

  • Work through any difficulties you’re experiencing with the story or with the writing process itself

  • Set strategic and motivating goals

End: Book birthing package (aka a developmental edit)
One-off service

You did it! You wrote a book! Well done, you glorious, beautiful bastard. 

Now what? 

Maybe you’re hoping for someone to read your manuscript and give you an honest appraisal of where it’s at: what’s working and what needs work. Maybe you want constructive notes to help you address any problem areas. Maybe you want guidance on the best next steps: agents? Self-publishing? Maybe you’d like a long conversation about your book with someone who’s been shepherding manuscripts for years.

The book birthing package includes:

  • A half-hour introductory phone call, during which I will ask you a lot of questions. You are the first authority on your book; my job is to find out what you hope to achieve in your work and help you get there.

  • Detailed notes on the text. I will return your manuscript to you fully marked up with notes on every page (often many notes on every page) helping you to see, in granular detail, how you might more effectively achieve your own vision.

  • A written report, typically 8–10 pages in length. My notes will be tailored to your book, wherever you are with it, but I’ll likely mention most of the building blocks of writing: story, structure, plot, setting, character, tone, language, and more.

  • An hour-long phone call after you’ve digested my notes and report, when you can ask me any outstanding questions, and we can brainstorm practical ways for you to implement my notes.

About me

I bring fifteen years’ experience as an editor in London and New York, in-house at indie presses including Melville House and freelance for indies and big publishers including Penguin Random House. 

As a writer myself, I’ve found my way to a joyful, unforced way to write, after many years of grinding it out in production mode. I’m so grateful and happy to find myself here that I want to share what I’ve learned with as many people as I can.

And as the former advice columnist for the Los Angeles Review of Books, I’m skilled at helping people navigate their lives using myth and folk tales, bringing deep emotional attunement to story and storytelling. I also work as a literary critic for publications including the Guardian, the Times Literary Supplement, the Washington Post, and the LA Times.

I work with writers telling stories because it’s the only way they know how to live, and I work with stories that want to be known far and wide.

Ellie Robins took my chaotic mess of pages and helped me shape it into compelling, professional storytelling. I cannot recommend her strongly enough. Do it.
— Dominic Orlando, TV writer

Fees

I adapt each package to the individual writer’s needs, so drop me a line and we’ll figure out what you need. ellie@ellierobins.com