After spending most of her career on the speaking circuit, Elizabeth Jeffries had moved to more of a one-on-one coaching role with key leaders. She already had three books on the market, but they predated her burgeoning coaching practice. A friend and colleague asked why she hadn’t written a book on coaching since she and her clients were seeing such positive results. That set Elizabeth’s wheels spinning.
One day, she sat down and started documenting her coaching model and process. And within three weeks, she had a draft manuscript in hand. The result is What Exceptional Executives Need to Know: Your Step-by-Step Coaching Guide to Busting Communication Barriers, Keeping Top Talent & Growing Your Emerging Leaders!
This book is chock full of tips, checklists, resources, and anecdotes to help leaders coach their team members toward greater success and impact within their organizations. In essence, it is a leader’s guide to growing new leaders.
We asked Elizabeth a few questions about the book and her publishing journey.
Elizabeth on Working with SPARK Publications
I found all the people at SPARK Publications to be very knowledgeable and experienced in publishing with all the resources to help bring about a beautiful end product. I love my book! The color, the glossy cover that pops, the detail inside all speak professional and make me proud to give or sell it to clients and prospects.
What is your primary goal for the book?
I wrote this book to position myself more solidly as an expert with executives and leaders in the art and science of coaching team members. My intention was and is to use it as a business card to give to clients and potential clients. It’s great if it sells high volume, but the primary motivation was never to make money with it. However, by having a stronger position as an executive leadership coach, I would be able to increase my coaching fees.
What surprises did you encounter on the road to writing and publishing the book?
The biggest surprise was that the words flowed off my fingers so fast! Probably because I was living what I was writing. My other books never went this fast! It was really fun to write this book.
Publishing was another matter entirely. I didn’t expect it to be so complex – lots of decisions to make. And it takes longer than anyone expects.
What role(s) did SPARK Publications play in publishing your book?
The people at SPARK Publications did a lot of hand-holding with me. Although I knew the content completely and could write it easily, I was not clear about a title, and that set me back in getting the book out. That was the biggest struggle for me. SPARK guided me through edits, design, and all the entanglements of copyrights and ISBN numbers, etc. You just can’t do this alone.
Do you have any advice for other authorpreneurs?
Write what you know about! I’m convinced that’s why this book wrote itself. It’s a lot harder when you have to do a great deal of research or dig for stories and examples. I was living the content. All the stories in the book are from my experience with those clients.
Also get a book coach and accountability partners/cohort to write alongside of you. You will encourage each other and help move the process along.
What’s next for you?
Fewer clients, going deeper in an organization, and raising fees. I just took on a new role with a long-term client. I’m their executive in residence and will be in the organization with their key leaders three days a month for the next year, helping to guide and advise on various projects and people. It’s the best work ever! I love my clients and am humbled to work with people who have the power and influence to shape a culture.