Why Having the Right Mentor Will Take You Higher as a New Christian Writerpreneur

Greetings, Beloved, and welcome to another Empowering Blog Post.

If you are new to this platform, allow me to introduce myself.

I am Felecia Killings, the Founder and CEO of The Felecia Killings Foundation. Our mission is to help people like you create a business, ministry, or movement around your authorship using best practices that ensure your success.

Each week, I share a FREE lesson on the site that gives you knowledge about Christian Writerpreneurship. And for today's teaching, I want to focus on the power of working with a skilled mentor or writing coach as you press forward on this journey.

Today's lesson is a special one. I have a featured guest who I want to introduce to you. Valerie McDowell is a fellow writing coach in this industry, and her years in the market have given her keen insight into the publishing world. By the end of this lesson, you will learn more about her work and how she can help you manifest your dream of becoming a published author this year.

​So, without delay, let's jump into this teaching. You will learn what it means to have a mentor or coach and the four benefits that come to Christian Writerpreneurs who employ this best practice.

What Does It Mean to Have a Writing Coach or Mentor?

Let me begin this discussion with a clear definition of a mentor and coach.

• Mentor: A trusted counselor or guide (merriam-webster.com)
• Coach: One who instructs or trains (merriam-webster.com)

The term I want to highlight in this lesson is "guide."

A mentor is not one who uses her knowledge to make herself look good. Her role and function is to help her student or client achieve success.

One of the influencers that I follow, Donald Miller, discusses this concept heavily with his online business, StoryBrand. Miller encourages businesses to step away from telling their own stories to try and gain customers, and to start telling the stories of their customers, who are essentially the heroes in the story.

And the same concept can be applied to mentorship.

When I'm working with my scholars as a coach or mentor, one of the first questions I ask is, "What are your goals for your writing ministry? What is your vision for your writing career?"

These questions help me to better understand my scholars and their needs. It's not my job to tell them how successful I am and how I continue to achieve success.

I'm not the hero in their story.

I'm simply the guide who will lead them to their destination; and once they reach that place, they can help others along their journey.

You will notice that mentorship and coaching involve elements of teaching. And I believe this is why this service comes naturally to me. I've been teaching people for more than 20 years (as of this post, I'm 36-years-old).

Mentoring is not just about encouraging my scholars or inspiring them with thoughtful suggestions; it also entails helping them develop a strategic plan so they reach their goals on time.

When you think of coaching in terms of sports, it's not enough that a coach tells the team it can win. He must also tell his members HOW to win. And the same idea applies when it comes to developing your writing ministry or career. 

Acquiring an expert in the field of Christian publishing is crucial to your development. Unlike with other fields of study, you can't go to a college to earn a degree in Christian authorship...not yet, at least. (I'm developing the plans for the first university for Christian Authors in Atlanta, GA, which will open in 2024.)

But you can work with Christian Authors and writing experts who know how to cultivate your skills.

The 4 Benefits of Hiring the Right Writing Coach 

1. Christian Writerpreneurs who hire a writing coach or mentor see greater success than those who don't have one. 

As with any industry, your expertise is built upon the wisdom and knowledge of those already present. The Christian publishing industry, especially the self-publishing segment, is vastly growing. And as more Americans seek to put their stories in book format, having the knowledge to do it the right way will save a new author in time and money.

Quite often, writing a book is not the hard part; it's putting something together that will help them build a career that becomes the challenge. And Christian Authors who refuse to invest in a coach who can help them overcome this challenge often experience failure in their writing ministry.

​I know this because I've had scholars come may way who tried to enter this venture on their own, and have yet to make any progress.

But those who have received the educational insight and direction, which I pour into LiyahAmore University, have experienced amazing results.

​As I mentioned earlier, the point of mentoring is to be a guide and support. Therefore, as an online writing coach to Christian Authors, I help them see the full potential of their work while assisting them in the development of their authorship plan. ​

2. Christian Writerpreneurs who hire a writing coach experience phenomenal qualitative results. 

There are elements of the coaching process that help authors discover their self-worth and confidence. This is not something that can be quantified, but it certainly adds to the positive effects of coaching. I have witnessed my share of enthused scholars who were elated by the knowledge and education they received from my online training.

One student, Sarah Adams, testified how coaching empowered her as a new author: 

"I have grown in confidence since starting the program; now I am empowered as I have tips, strategies, and steps to get the job done. This program has helped me to understand what is needed to become a Christian Author by giving me the information needed, such as the importance of doing your own marketing, developing a business plan, etc."

Knowledge is empowering, and acquiring it is not easily achieved on one's own. While a new writer may feel  she can discover everything there is to know about being a successful writerpreneur, in truth, she will be limited by her current understanding.

But hiring a writing coach will always bring much more value to the table because such wisdom is based on experience.

3. Christian Writerpreneurs who hire a writing coach are one step ahead of the average Christian Author. 

This statement is similar to what I have already discussed. You have to see yourself as a writer who is hidden among millions of other writers. Like you, someone wants to share their story with the world. 

But very few authors manifest their dreams because they sow very little into their training. For example, we all know the power of the Internet. We can find just about any information we desire with one simple click. But because the Internet is inundated with knowledge, it's hard to ascertain which content is most fitting to our works.

For this reason, hiring the right coach (who has done the work for you) puts you at an advantage. The cost to find the knowledge has already been paid; all you need to do is pay the price required to receive that knowledge from the expert. (Quite often, the cost to you is minimal compared to the work the expert has invested in acquiring that information.)

Authors who invest in their training surpass average writers simply because they are willing to pay the price for premium knowledge and wisdom. This is why I emphasize to you and to my members in my network that you must take your authorship seriously. You must see yourself as a professional Christian Author if you want to thrive in this industry.

And the only way you can cultivate your professionalism is when you make the bold step and invest in your business by acquiring the right writing coach who will help you avoid costly mistakes.

4. Lastly, Christian Writerpreneurs who hire a writing coach demonstrate they truly care about their brand and their audience. 

​When it comes to creating great content for you and my other readers, I don't rely on my own wisdom and knowledge. I pull from the training I received in college and the knowledge I acquired through my observations and research over the years.

Why?

Because I care that you have the best. I don't want to give you watered-down material. I recognize your success is largely dependent on your ability to have access to empowering material that you can't find easily on the Internet.

In like manner, every Christian Writerpreneur who hires a writing coach proves that the business and the audience are important to him/her. He recognizes that for a small investment, the coach can help him yield an unlimited supply of future readers, clients, and customers. 

As I shared in another lesson, the law of compensation will work in your favor when you learn to sow into your own writing ministry.

Here's Your Take-Away

You cannot do without a writing coach or mentor, a good one at that!

You absolutely need one, and you need to add this element to your author's annual budget. As I share with my scholars inside LiyahAmore University, your initial author's budget should be around $1500-$3000. And with that budget, you must allocate funds that go towards your education and development.

I want to mention one thing here: not every writing coach is the same. You will find some Christian Writing Mentors who claim to know how to do something, when in truth they have not been in the game long enough to qualify as an expert.

I have seen this time and again: One person writes a book in one week, and then all of sudden she is an expert on teaching others how to write a book in 7 days.

Don't invest in that. You want experience and you want quality. You want that coach to prove to you that once you hire her, you can expect to receive clear results that will last a lifetime.

As I mentioned before, each coach is different. I know of writing coaches who work predominantly with Christian Coaches; I know of others who work with general writers. 

I highly recommend you find a coach who specializes in your genre so you experience optimal success.

So, when thinking about adding coaching to your authorship, consider what you want to achieve with your authorship, and then find the right expert who will guide you along the way.

What are your thoughts about today's topic? Are you ready to take your writerpreneurship higher?

​I know how overwhelming it can be to start this journey as a writerpreneur. You don't exactly know where to go or how to reach your goals, but you know you want to see them realized.

I want to encourage you today to know that the answers are right before you. Let me help you on this path. Here's how to get started.

​Trying to build a thriving writing ministry as a new and aspiring Christian Author is incredibly challenging. But the best support comes from those who are willing to share their knowledge with you.

Take the next step and enroll in the only online school for writers like you, LiyahAmore University. This training program has helped numerous authors transform from average writers into dynamic writerpreneurs.

I launched this school in October 2016, and have since worked with Christian Authors from around the world, helping them to build a business or ministry around their authorship. The lessons inside the school are based on best online business practices that have enabled online entrepreneurs to thrive. 

Today, as a result of applying the lessons to my own platform, my content reaches millions each month. I've built a loyal following and have established a solid brand in the market. Each year, LiyahAmore University receives new lessons that take our scholars higher on their journey. And best of all, once you are a student, you remain one for life at no additional cost!

The majority of new and aspiring Christian Authors assume that because God gave them the vision to write a book, then it's up to God to put everything together. They fail to realize that the success of their ministry is based on their training.

There are five pillars that Christian Authors generally lack:
​

1. Vision
2. Faith
3. Clarity
4. Focus
5. A Plan

And without them, these writers are destined to fail. While you can work towards finding the answers and solutions yourself, it will take you years to cultivate your business and brand, just as it did with me and with other experts who paved the way for Christian Authors like you.

But you can avoid this stress when you enroll in LiyahAmore University.

With just 90 days of pure dedication (or you can work at your own pace), you can experience the benefits that my school has to offer you. You will learn how to:

• become a successful published author;
• develop an established brand;
• generate wealth using your craft;
• and lay the foundation to fulfill your God-given mission.

Best of all, you will be among a small percentage of independent Christian Authors whose writing ministry will not fail.

Let's Take Your Training Even Higher!

While LiyahAmore University delivers hundreds of lessons that empower you for success, nothing compares to working directly with a coach who can walk you through the steps. That's why I am so pleased to partner with Valerie McDowell, Founder of Power 2 Excel.

She is a writer, editor, and book-publishing coach who can accelerate the process of getting your book written, printed, and published. She understands that many people don't know how to start or what to write about; and through her strategy calls and coaching sessions, she will listen to your story while helping you bring clarity to your ideas. She will teach you how to frame the book that must be written. 

If you are like many writers who simply want the services done for them, Valerie's "Done for You" services will get the job done in a spirit of excellence. Such services include editing, book layout, cover design, manuscript upload, and more. In addition, she has partnered with marketing experts and PR specialists to help get your book before the right audience. Her unique brand stems from her extensive creative background and her knowledge of faith-based publishing.

You will not be disappointed, Beloved, with the services she delivers.

I hired Valerie and am so thankful I went with my intuition! She has made the process of writing the book, manageable and not seem overwhelming. We have already discussed creative ideas and strategy for the book launch and much, much more.


Rachel B-Foy,
​Author of iQuit, Speaker / Elevated Possibilities Coach & Life Strategist
​

And that's what I have to share with you, Beloved. If you're looking to make this year the year you become a successful Christian Writerpreneur, then acquire the training you need to thrive.

Until next time, be blessed.

And as always, let's grow together!

​- Felecia