Book Development & Essay Coaching

As a memoir/essay instructor and book coach for the past 15+ years, I’ve helped many clients create and refine their career-changing stories. Along with decades of experience and education in the craft of writing, I bring to the table an intuitive grasp for what writers are trying to do on the page, along with an insider’s knowledge of the changing face of publishing today.

What I Offer

A unique approach to coaching my clients. And publishing expertise.

My coaching is bespoke—I cater to your individual aims, needs, strengths, and challenges.

As a writer myself, I bring a breadth of experience in the craft of nonfiction writing; I’ve studied with leading memoir and creative nonfiction practitioners across many settings since the late 1980s.

As a publishing expert, I bring a background and expertise in NY publishing, working as both a freelance writer and as editor and writer with a book from from a Big 5 publisher.

And as a coach, I bring to bear my own background in creativity coaching, as well as years of experience with 12-step recovery, trauma recovery, Internal Family Systems, EMDR & more.

In short, I’m not afraid to ask the hard questions, but my approach is always highly supportive and nurturing.

Who I Work With

I offer high-touch, client-first coaching. I want to work with clients with whom I can make a real, tangible difference.

My clients leave with transformative results: a book draft they love, a clarity session that truly clarifies, an essay draft that zings, or a book proposal that generates excitement.

Because of my limited time, I screen for those people with a record of accomplishments who can show real follow-up and who feel driven to complete (or publish) their projects.

If you’re ready to do the work that will make a difference to you and your readers – please contact me!


Here are some ways we can work together…

Instant Clarity Session

“Paul has a wonderful ability to see into a writer’s dilemma and offer just the right advice for moving through it. Most important, he offers it in the right way, clearly but with a light touch. I’ve gone back to my writing career with increased confidence.”

—Susan Piver, author of NYT-bestselling The Hard Questions series.

Feeling stuck or want another perspective on a specific project - literary or personal essay, article, Op-Ed, or other?

Want clarity about any part of the publishing process, book proposal, book development, agent pitching, or other?

Looking for advice or support about how to move forward with your writing career?

I invite you to join me for a highly-focused, supportive, and transformative one-time session to get clear on what’s happening, and to create solutions that help you move past blocks, gain clarity, and leave with immediate actionable steps that will move you forward.

How it works

 Book Proposal & Agent Pitch Packages

“Of exceptional value to me was Paul’s guidance in writing the query letter. As both a creative and an academic, I typically work in either lyrical registers or technical ones—I have less experience with the formal-informal, casual-professional expectations of industry culture. Paul’s coaching tuned my ear, and his editorial insights helped me code switch in an honest voice. Paul is a master translator of evolving industry norms.”

 --Corinna Cook, PhD, author of the essay collection Leavetakings (University of Alaska Press, 2020). Winner of a Fulbright Fellowship, Alaska Literary Award, and Rasmuson Foundation Project Award.

Literary agents report they receive 100+ pitches in their inboxes daily.

Therefore, few agents have time to develop “diamonds in the rough,” especially proposals that are missing focus and clarity across the entire project.

Being a good writer isn’t enough. Your book proposal needs to have a fully-developed “hook,” and it needs to showcase a platform that can prove to editors your book can sell. These days, too, nonfiction books need to speak to the current cultural, social, or political moment.

Agents are looking for proposals that have all of these elements.

That’s why you want to work with a book coach who with current publishing expertise who also understands the writer’s perspective.

Together, we’ll go through a process that helps you refine your book idea, gain clarity about your platform, uncovering winning “comps” (comparative titles), and more.

Interested in working with me on your book proposal? Or do you have a complete proposal but need help identifying agents and writing your query?

Please contact me directly to discuss working together on a nonfiction book proposal or agent pitch package. 

Six Months to a ‘Wow! Draft’

“Paul Zakrzewski saved my book….Paul taught me to write for the reader, and to organize to preserve the flow and tension of a good story. It was on-the-job training….I am researching another book on a complex subject. Paul will be with me when writing starts.”
--John Howard Steel, Author of Caged Lion: Joseph Pilates & His Legacy, A #1 new release on Amazon (600+ reviews)

If you’ve decided that now is the time to write your book, you’ve come to the right place. I love nothing better than to help smart, focused people to get their stories and ideas down on the page.

Maybe you’ve already started your book – only to discover the writing process isn’t proving to be as easy as you anticipated. You feel stuck. Or you’ve hit up against one or more of the many common challenges that face many authors (especially first-time book writers):   

  • Pages that go nowhere

  • A narrative voice that lacks unity, drive, or shifts tone awkwardly between chapters

  • Arguments that lack focus or repeat themselves endlessly

  • Personal stories that don’t land for the reader

Or you haven’t started yet. You want to get this book done, you’ve got the time to do it now…but you’re just not sure where to even begin!

Here’s where I can help the most.

As your book coach, I will be that experienced, trusted partner who will help you to understand why the world needs your book and why you are the right person for the job.

I will help you to come up a structure and plan for your book before you start—a method that will save you a lot of time and stress down the line.

And I will help you with a series of time-bound writing goals that will keep you focused and on track.

Most of all, I’ll be with you every step of the way, making sure you get from zero to a “Wow! Draft.”

Find out more about my six-month+ coaching program here.

Interested? I invite you to fill out a coaching application.

“Paul is a master at writing truly ‘in my voice.’ I appreciate his professionalism, clear communication, and his sense of humor! I have also recommended him to multiple clients for various writing projects and have heard nothing but positive feedback from all. If you’re looking for a ghostwriter or writing support, he’s your guy!”

—Sara Caputo, Santa Barbara, CA, Productivity expert and coach