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Hey Reader,

“Oh, YOU’RE Laura’s book coach!” she said.

I beamed. “I am! Isn’t Laura brilliant? Isn’t her book so good?”

“Yes and yes. She’s told me so much about you. I want to talk to you about running a programme at Solihull College.”

Me: gulp.

Also me: absolutely hell yes!

This conversation happened last summer at my client’s book launch party. It was quite a trek for me to get there (everywhere is quite a trek for me to get to) but I am SO glad I went. Not just because I got to see Laura celebrate writing and publishing her book with dozens of friends, family, and colleagues, but because every time I make an effort to go to a thing, something exciting happens.

This time, it was running a 10-week Write Your Book Bootcamp for Solihull College, on their Blossomfield campus.

I spent a lot of time deciding how best to do it — it’s in person, so I have loads of face-to-face time in a classroom — and it’s been really fun.

It’s a full day on campus on Tuesdays and 2 hours on a Thursday evening online and I am loving it. I feel so proud that a college saw my work and asked me to teach for them.

But this is what writing a book can do for you. It brought me amazing clients like Laura, it showcased who I am and what I can do, and it leads to the most exciting and fun opportunities. Did I mention I’m speaking at another client’s event on Thursday evening? Also thanks to my books.

The group at college are so interesting. Their book ideas are amazing — musical soundscapes in a big British city, an accessible Black history, a memoir about ableism by a young autistic man, a book about identity by a British Asian woman, personal stories, a book for young people about to embark on careers, and the story of a Black jeweller who found a different way into his profession because the traditional routes were closed to him.

And what I love most about doing this is showing these authors how what they’re writing about is so much bigger and wider than the topic might first seem. How their stories can fit into the wider landscape and our cultural history. How their voice can make a difference.

Then I see them stand a little taller and get a little more excited as they realise their ideas are bigger than they dared to think.

So when I got this message after the first online session last week, I had a little snuffle:

Well, I’m very grateful that people trust me with their ideas and their books. It’s a real privilege and I never take it lightly.

I’ve got all sorts of plans for the coming year and I’m determined to be organised about it. And now I’m back from my travels and had time to look at my schedule, I’m really chuffed that I’ve got a space to work with another private client in February and March.

If you want that person to be you, drop me a DM and let’s talk.

TTFN,

Vicky 🫡

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