Chapter 00 / Field guide

Book coaching services for professionals with a story to publish

Book coaching services help you plan, write, publish, and launch a book with an expert guiding each step. Defining Moments Press offers book coaching services built for professionals with a nonfiction story: an 8-week writing course, up to a year of book coaching, design, formatting, and a launch to bestseller, with books published in 87 countries and all rights and royalties kept by the author.

Last updated: November 2026 · Published by Defining Moments Press

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Field note

What do book coaching services include at Defining Moments Press?

They include the coaching, the writing plan, and the publishing work. The Author Training DWY program lists book coaching for 1 year, an 8-week course to write your book, ongoing training, formatting, book design, book marketing, a full launch to bestseller, and a media and podcast list. Lighter and fully done-for-you options exist too.

Orientation

The route from idea to stage

Route map / Defining Moments path

1
Idea
A discovery call explores your book idea, reader, and goals.
2
Outline
The free one-hour course ends with a table of contents.
3
Draft
An 8-week course, about 2 to 5 hours a week in the Blueprint.
4
Publish
Ebook and print, in 87 countries. You keep your rights.
5
Launch
Launch to bestseller, plus media and podcast outreach.
6
Stage
Speaker certification turns the book into talks.

Evidence

Book coaching services, explained in four panels

Panel 01

What is book coaching at Defining Moments Press?

Book coaching at Defining Moments Press is guided, deadline-driven support for writing and publishing a nonfiction book. Instead of open-ended sessions, coaching runs alongside an 8-week course that covers writing, publishing, launching, and marketing in order. The company describes itself as an online education company that teaches people to write, market, and publish their first book in as little as 8 weeks, and it works with authors around the world.

One idea shapes the coaching: "It's not about the book. It's about what the book does for you." So the plan starts with your reader and your business goals, not with chapter one. Coaching also covers what happens after the book exists: the launch, media and podcast outreach, and for many clients, speaking. Authors keep all rights and royalties, and Defining Moments Press is paid a fee for its service.

Panel 02

Defining Moments Press by the numbers

Target time to write and publish a book, or less: 8 weeks
Countries where books can be published, using major publishers: 87
Book coaching included in Author Training DWY: 1 year
One payment for the Author Blueprint 8 Week Challenge: $1,997
Weekly time the Author Blueprint describes: 2 to 5 hrs
Business days for every applicant to get an email reply: 2 days

Figures from the Defining Moments Press website, as of November 2026.

Panel 03 / Comparison

Which Defining Moments Press program fits your book?

Defining Moments Press programs compared on the same six criteria. Source: mydefiningmoments.com/services
Program	Who writes the book	Coaching and support	Design and formatting	Launch and marketing	Published price	Fits best if
Author Training DWY	You, with a coach	Book coaching for 1 year, 8-week course, ongoing training and support	Formatting and book design	Book marketing, full launch to bestseller, media and podcast list	Not published	You want to write in your own words with expert guidance
Author Blueprint DIY	You	8-week course with audio and video tutorials, templates and tools, unlimited email support	Not listed as a service	The course covers how to publish, launch, and market	$1,997 one payment	You want a step-by-step plan and will do the work yourself
Author Premium DFY	Defining Moments ghostwriters	Done for you	Cover design, book design, formatting	Full launch to bestseller, book media appearances, marketing accounts, one-page book funnel	Not published	You have the expertise but not the time to write
Author Launch DFY	You, already written	Access to the author Facebook group	Formatting, book design, cover design	Book marketing, launch to bestseller	Not published	Your manuscript is finished
Funnel DWY	Not a writing program	1 on 1 support	Not included	2 funnels of your choice, customization, automation, integrations	Not published	Your book is out and you want it to bring in clients

Full service lists are on the Defining Moments Press services page.

Panel 04 / Procedure

How to start book coaching, step by step

01
Book a free discovery call
An Acquisition Editor explores your book idea, your ideal reader, and your business goals. Book the call here.
02
Hear whether your book is a fit
At the end of the call you learn whether your book suits Defining Moments Press services. Applicants get an email reply within 2 business days.
03
Outline before you write
The free one-hour course is designed to leave you with an outline for your table of contents.
04
Write over 8 weeks
Work through the 8-week course, with coaching if you choose Author Training DWY.
05
Design, format, and publish
Formatting, book design, and cover design lead to ebook and print editions available in 87 countries.
06
Launch, then take it to the stage
Launch to bestseller, then use the book for talks through speaker certification.

Who this is for

Who are these book coaching services for?

Panel A

Professionals and experts with a nonfiction story

Our first focus. If you want to be respected as the authority in your field, a book can carry your expertise further than a talk or a post. See the nonfiction book coach chapter.

Panel B

People with a story or life lesson

If you have a story that can help others, Defining Moments Press helps you find your voice and your audience. Its own book series began with a story of loss and recovery.

Panel C

Aspiring children's book authors

The Defining Moments homepage invites children's book authors to get started too. Most program detail is written for nonfiction, so raise your project on the discovery call.

Field report

What has a book done for a Defining Moments client?

Before

Her industry shut down during the pandemic, and she needed an urgent way to earn. She had written a book before but sold very few copies.

After

Sold over 10,000 books
International #1 bestselling author
Gave a TED talk and is paid for corporate speaking
Booked on a TV show
Built 7 streams of income from her book and an 8-figure business

Client case study as reported by Defining Moments Press. Results are not guaranteed or typical.

Your guide

Who leads Defining Moments Press?

Melanie Warner founded Defining Moments Press. She is described as a #1 international bestselling author, self-publishing expert, and 7x bestselling author and book mentor, and she has published magazines, newspapers, and books for over 25 years.

She founded the Defining Moments book series of hope and inspiration after losing her son, which led to her first book in the series, Defining Moments: Coping With the Loss of a Child. As a speaker, she has spoken at hundreds of events, most recently to a crowd of 700,000 people in India. Read more on the about page.

Method

How we chose

This page was written by Defining Moments Press, which publishes this site and sells the programs it describes. Every entry was judged on the same criteria, using the same kinds of facts:

Who writes the book
What coaching and support is included
Which design and formatting work is included
What launch and marketing work is included
Whether a price is published
Which author situation each program fits

Facts about Defining Moments Press come from its own website. Market figures are quoted exactly as published, with their source named. Read the full methodology.

Quick answers

Book coaching services: common questions

What are book coaching services?

Book coaching services are paid programs where a coach helps an author plan, write, and finish a book. Defining Moments Press offers them inside structured programs. Its Author Training DWY program lists book coaching for 1 year alongside an 8-week writing course, formatting, book design, book marketing, and a full launch to bestseller.

More in the FAQ

How much does a book writing coach cost?

Prices vary widely by format and length. A 2026 guide from Bestseller Publishing uses an example of $6,000 for a 6-month retainer at $1,000 a month. At Defining Moments Press, the Author Blueprint 8 Week Challenge checkout lists one payment of $1,997, and prices for coaching programs are discussed on a free discovery call.

More in the FAQ

Can I really write a book in 8 weeks?

Defining Moments Press builds its programs around writing and publishing a book in 8 weeks or less. The Author Blueprint describes about 2 to 5 hours a week for editing, self-publishing in ebook and print, and launching. Your pace depends on your effort, and the company’s own disclaimers say results are not guaranteed or typical.

More in the FAQ

What happens on the free discovery call?

An Acquisition Editor helps you explore your book idea, get clear on your ideal reader, discuss your business goals, create a clear plan, and uncover profit opportunities from your book. At the end of the call, they tell you whether your book is a good fit for Defining Moments Press. Either way, you leave knowing your next step.

More in the FAQ

Who is book coaching at Defining Moments Press for?

It is built first for professionals and experts with a nonfiction story or lesson who want a book that builds authority and income. Defining Moments Press also welcomes people with a personal story that can help others, and its homepage invites aspiring children’s book authors to get started too.

More in the FAQ

Do I keep the rights to my book?

Yes. Defining Moments Press states that authors keep all rights and royalties to their books. The company describes this as part of its reason for existing: it wants to show authors a way to publish without giving away creative liberties or book royalties to a traditional publisher.

More in the FAQ

Book coach or ghostwriter: which should I choose?

Choose a book coach if you want to write the book in your own words with guidance, and a ghostwriter if you need the book written for you. Defining Moments Press offers both paths: coaching through Author Training DWY and ghostwriting through Author Premium DFY, with design and launch included in each.

More in the FAQ

Are bestseller results guaranteed?

No. Defining Moments Press states in its own disclaimers that results are not guaranteed or typical and that a lot of hard work is involved. The case studies on this site show what some clients achieved; they are not a forecast of what any single author will sell or earn.

More in the FAQ

Read all 46 answers in the book coaching FAQ

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