Chapter 07 / Field guide
These are plain answers to the questions authors ask most about book coaching services and publishing. Defining Moments Press answers 46 questions here, grouped into seven topics, from what a book coach does and what it costs to self-publishing, speaker certification, and what to do if you get stuck.
Last updated: · Published by Defining Moments Press
Field note
Book a free discovery call. An Acquisition Editor will talk through your idea, your reader, and your goals, and tell you whether your book fits Defining Moments Press services. For general questions, use the topics below.
Topic 01
A book coach guides you from idea to finished manuscript, helping with clarity, structure, accountability, and publishing decisions. At Defining Moments Press, coaching is paired with an 8-week course that walks through writing, publishing, launching, and marketing, so each coaching conversation supports a clear sequence of steps instead of open-ended sessions.
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.
A nonfiction book coach helps experts, professionals, and people with a life lesson turn what they know into a book readers can use. Defining Moments Press focuses on nonfiction and says it helps entrepreneurs, professionals, coaches, healers, and people with powerful stories write, publish, and sell books that grow businesses and boost brands.
No. A book coach usually works with you while the book is being shaped and written, while an editor usually works on a draft that already exists. Some professionals do both. The Defining Moments Press coaching program bundles coaching with formatting and book design. Our coach vs editor guide compares the roles side by side.
Defining Moments Press is a US-based online education company and publisher that teaches people how to write, market, and publish their first book in as little as 8 weeks. It works with authors around the world, mainly on nonfiction books meant to build a business, open speaking opportunities, have an impact, and make a profit.
Melanie Warner founded Defining Moments Press. She is described as a #1 international bestselling author and self-publishing expert who has published magazines, newspapers, and books for over 25 years. She also founded the Defining Moments book series, which shares stories of hope from people who have overcome extreme challenges in life and business.
It is a live, in-person training from Defining Moments Press for authors and experts who want more speaking gigs. The 2026 program is listed in Clovis, California. Related Defining Moments trainings cover crafting a signature speech, outlining a signature book, and building a quick pitch that works whether you have 60 seconds or 60 minutes.
Topic 02
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.
It depends on how much of the work you hire out, since coaching, editing, design, formatting, and marketing each add cost. Defining Moments Press does not publish a single price for its publishing services. It states that there are no hidden fees, that you keep all rights and royalties, and that you can order books at cost.
Partly. The Author Blueprint 8 Week Challenge checkout page lists a single payment of $1,997. Prices for the done-with-you, done-for-you, and coaching programs are not published on the site. They are discussed during a free discovery call, where an Acquisition Editor also tells you whether your book is a good fit for the services.
Yes. Defining Moments Press offers a one-hour course on how to write, publish, market, and monetize a book. The course page lists a retail price of $997 and says it is now free. You complete a short form with your name, email, and phone, then you are sent to a registration page to set up your login.
Defining Moments Press lists third-party financing options for its 7-Figure Mentor System, including personal loans, credit cards, and business loans, several marked as soft pull applications. The terms come from those providers rather than from Defining Moments Press, so ask about the current options and whether they apply to your program on a discovery call.
No. Defining Moments Press states that authors keep all rights and royalties and that the company is paid a fee for its service instead. It also says there are no hidden fees and that authors can order copies of their own books at cost, direct from the provider, which matters if you plan to sell books at events.
It can be, if coaching shortens your timeline and the book serves a clear goal. Bestseller Publishing’s 2026 guide says a book that would take 18 months alone might be compressed to 6 to 9 months with a coach. Defining Moments Press frames the value around what the finished book does for your business and authority.
Read them carefully. Leaders ADAPT notes that the widely cited 788 percent executive coaching ROI comes from a single Fortune 500 case study published in 2001, and that the 7x median return comes from a 2009 survey where only 9 percent of respondents could supply the underlying figures. Treat any ROI number as context, never as a promise.
Topic 03
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.
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.
Defining Moments Press says every applicant receives an email reply within 2 business days. If you have not heard back in that time, check your spam or promotions folder, because replies sometimes land there. The company notes that it only accepts authors it feels it can help succeed, so the reply will also tell you about fit.
Author Training DWY is the done-with-you program. It lists book coaching for 1 year, an 8-week course to write your book, ongoing training and support, formatting, book design, book marketing, a full launch to bestseller, access to the author Facebook group, and a media and podcast list you can use to promote your book.
The Author Blueprint is the do-it-yourself program from Defining Moments Press. It includes an 8-week course with audio and video tutorials, a step-by-step process, templates and tools, a free Facebook group, and unlimited email support. Its checkout page lists one payment of $1,997 for the Author Blueprint 8 Week Challenge.
Yes. Author Premium DFY is the done-for-you option, where Defining Moments Press ghostwriters write your book. The program also lists cover design, book design, formatting, a full launch to bestseller, book media appearances, set up of book marketing accounts, and a one-page book funnel for your launch.
Yes. Author Launch DFY is built for authors who already have a manuscript and need help launching and publishing it. The program lists formatting, book design, cover design, book marketing, a launch to bestseller, and access to the author Facebook group. Bring your manuscript status to the discovery call so the team can confirm fit.
Topic 04
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.
No. The Defining Moments Press homepage describes a path to a bestselling book even if no one has ever heard of you. Its free course and discovery call start with defining your expertise and knowing your reader, which matter more at the beginning than the size of your current audience or social following.
That is a central use case. Defining Moments Press teaches business owners how to grow their authority and expertise and get more clients with bestselling books and speaking opportunities. Its free one-hour course includes a module on getting more clients and building your authority as an expert author.
Yes. Defining Moments Press is a US-based company that works with authors all over the world. It says books can be published in 87 countries using major publishers. Coaching and courses are delivered online, while the speaker certification program is held in person in California, so check travel plans if you want to attend live.
The Defining Moments Press homepage invites aspiring children’s book authors to get started alongside professionals and nonfiction storytellers. Most of its published program details focus on nonfiction, so describe your children’s book project on the free discovery call to confirm which program fits before you commit.
Yes. Defining Moments Press describes itself as teaching people how to write, market, and publish their first book in as little as 8 weeks. Its case studies also include an author who had written a book before but sold very few copies, then went on to sell over 10,000 books after working with the company.
Topic 05
Defining Moments Press believes self-publishing is the best option for its authors, because it avoids spending about 2 years waiting, giving away creative control, and giving away royalties. Traditional publishing still suits some authors, so compare rights, timelines, and who handles marketing against your own goals before choosing.
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.
They serve different writers. The Novelry describes 1:1 writing coaching with bestselling authors and coaching to finish a novel, with a Rollover Plan of $59 a month after the first year. Defining Moments Press focuses on nonfiction books for professionals, and adds publishing, launch, and speaker training to coaching.
A course teaches the steps; coaching adds a person who helps you apply them. At Defining Moments Press, the Author Blueprint is the course-led option with email support, while Author Training DWY pairs the same 8-week course with a year of book coaching, design, formatting, and a full launch.
If you already have a full draft and mainly need feedback on structure and pacing, a developmental editor may fit. If you are still shaping the idea or need accountability to finish, a book coach usually fits better. Many writers use both at different stages of the same book.
Check who keeps the rights and royalties, whether every fee is disclosed, the timeline, who handles marketing, where the book is distributed, and what author copies cost. Our guide to choosing a publisher walks through each check and shows Defining Moments Press’s own stated answer to every one.
Topic 06
Defining Moments Press says books can be published in 87 countries using major publishers, and the Author Blueprint covers self-publishing in both ebook and print. Exact retail channels depend on your program and format, so confirm distribution details for your book on the discovery call before you sign up.
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.
Yes. Defining Moments Press says you can order books at cost, direct from the provider. That matters for authors who plan to sell or give away books at speaking engagements, workshops, and client meetings, since you are not paying a markup to the publisher on every copy you order.
Defining Moments Press is a US-based company. Its contact page lists an address in Fresno, California, and the 2026 Speaker Certification Program is listed in nearby Clovis, California. Earlier author and speaker trainings were held near Yosemite. Coaching and courses are delivered online to authors around the world.
Yes, in several programs. Author Launch DFY and Author Training DWY list book marketing and a launch to bestseller. Author Training DWY adds a media and podcast list, and Author Premium DFY adds book media appearances, set up of marketing accounts, and a one-page book funnel.
The 7-Figure Book Method is a newer book from Defining Moments Press. Its page describes it as showing how to turn a short book into a 7-figure business, even if you hate marketing, and says the method is backed by a 365-day guarantee. Read the guarantee terms on its own page before buying.
Topic 07
Book a free discovery call with Defining Moments Press. An Acquisition Editor will explore your idea, your reader, and your business goals, then tell you whether the book is a good fit. If you prefer to start on your own, take the free one-hour course first and leave it with an outline.
Start with your expertise and your reader. The Defining Moments Press free course covers who should write a book, the most profitable types of books, and how to know your reader. By the end of the one-hour training, you are meant to have an outline to complete your table of contents.
Defining Moments Press says lack of clarity is the number one reason most people never finish. The company also states that 80 percent of people say they want to write a book but only 1 percent actually do. Its programs start with an outline for that reason, before any chapters are written.
You can hand much of it off. Author Launch DFY, Author Training DWY, and Author Premium DFY all list book marketing and a launch to bestseller. Defining Moments Press also wrote the 7-Figure Book Method for people who want to build a business from a short book even if they hate marketing.
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.
Defining Moments Press says it only accepts authors it feels it can help succeed. If your book is not a fit, you still leave the discovery call with clarity about your project and your next step. You can also use the free course to keep developing your outline on your own.
Want the full picture first? Read the book coaching services guide.
Keep reading
Ask it on a free discovery call. You will get clarity on your book project either way.
Published by Defining Moments Press
