Book coaching, and especially memoir coaching, is a very unique and personal relationship that requires the person being coached to become incredibly vulnerable, and sometimes even to face triggers and fears associated with telling their story. For that reason alone, choosing the right memoir coach is incredibly important; after all, you want to make sure that you’re comfortable with the person who you’ll be working with throughout your sessions, right?
This page will tell you a little more about me and my approach to memoir coaching, the target populations, and types of books I specialize in, and it will also have a TL;DR at the bottom.
But first, a little about me:
My name is Hannah Wolfram (H.M. Wolfram) and I’m actually a historian by training. However, very little of my work experience is in that field; instead, I was always focused on helping people to improve their lives and situations through education and writing.
In fact, it was while working as a coach in higher education that I received a certification in Adult Mental Health First Aid from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, which helped me lay the foundation for my approach to memoir coaching and guiding people through the writing process.
I strongly believe that writing can bring a level of catharsis and healing that is quite hard to match (though it is not a replacement for therapy; I am not here for you to trauma-dump or to treat your mental health, but rather to support you in your journey).
Potential Clients
I will work with anyone who is of sound mind to help them craft their or a loved one’s story. However, I do work with children who want to tell their parents’ stories; this is the best option in cases of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, as well as for anyone in hospice care.
I am open to working with individuals of any gender (including LGBTQIA+ folks) and any ability/neurotype (including disabled and neurodivergent folks) as long as the relationship can be built on mutual trust. We both have to be comfortable with each other and able to trust that we are safe and secure in the other person’s presence or, simply put, the process will not work.
If, for any reason, either of us feels like we are not a good fit for each other, there is no shame in saying so. You don’t even need to provide me with a reason, just as I reserve the right to not provide one to you.
My Process
After you express interest or find this website and decide that you would be interested in working with me, I will share a form that I’d like you to fill out so I can gather some basic details about you, your story, and what you’re looking for in a coaching relationship. (You can find the form here.) I can also do all of this over the phone, Zoom, or in person (at the Moorestown Library if you’re local) based on your preference; I want to make this process as accessible as possible.
I will look at your answers and email you to schedule a Discovery Call if I feel like we might work together. On this Discovery Call, we will spend about 30 minutes getting to know each other and discussing our specific expectations around our coaching relationship. If you feel you would like to proceed from there, you’ll have my email address to reach out at any time. I will also send a follow-up a couple of days later to see how you are feeling about the call. Feel free to not respond to this email if you don’t think we would be a good fit; I don’t mind, and it will only be the one email. There won’t be any spammy sales pitches from me!
Once the Discovery Call is completed and we’ve determined payment options, I will send you a contract that must be signed and returned to me (via email) before we can schedule our first appointment. The contract will detail elements of our working relationship, such as:
- What are the payment terms?
- What are the expectations for the coaching package?
- Who owns the rights to the ideas from our memoir coaching sessions?
- What happens with royalties if you publish?
After the contract is returned and the down payment made, we can schedule our first session!
Sessions can take place over the phone, via Zoom, or in person. My particular flavor of memoir coaching works best when we’re not face to face, especially because I work with clients from around the world; however, if you are only interested in meeting in person, I can arrange that as well.
Please note that you can expect to receive “homework” after every session. There won’t be any pressure to complete everything, especially if you feel you’d benefit from a higher level of support for the particular exercise. The homework, though, is there to help you make progress on your memoir; if you don’t dedicate yourself to the process, there’s only so much I can do as a coach.
If you have an idea for your memoir but can’t seem to write it yourself, I also offer ghostwriting services where I can take your ideas and craft them into a complete manuscript. This is a much more hands-off approach than coaching, and it’s best if you are busy or have a tendency to delete just as much as (if not more than) what remains on the page.
TL;DR
This is not therapy, or a licensed mental health treatment.
I work with everyone as long as we can respect each other.
Vibe checking is totally legitimate and expected.
I don’t work without a contract.
I provide options for phone, Zoom, or in person sessions.
There will be “homework”!
Ghostwriting services are available for busy people and those who need a higher level of support than coaching provides.
Testimonials
“I worked with Hannah to make progress on a book idea I’d been wanting to write for years and could never figure out how to start. In our first session, she helped me get clarity on the approach, the narrative through-lines and an ideal structure and together we crafted an outline for my first draft. Each time we met, her cheerful supportive energy and insightful feedback left me feeling energized to keep my momentum going and not only did I make some great progress with my draft, but our work together made the whole process feel much more manageable and less intimidating. I would recommend Hannah to anyone who knows they have a book idea in them but just needs a little help making it happen. You’ll be glad you did!” – Bridget R.
“I worked with Hannah earlier this year, because I have a book coming out in 2025 and I’m trying to actually get it finished. I wasn’t sure exactly what I needed, to be honest, but I knew I wasn’t doing well on my own and needed some support. I’m neurodivergent (ADHD specifically) and “write a book” was an overwhelming project for my task list.
Hannah worked with me step by step to break down my book into manageable chunks, find systems that worked to organize my thoughts, give me prompts and questions to help me actually put information into those systems, and helped me actually find the space and time to write my book. It’s not done yet, but thanks to Hannah it’s over 20% complete in just a few short months after having the concepts in my head for YEARS – and now I have the tools to finish my book, too.
I highly recommend Hannah if you’re looking for someone who can support you in the way that YOU need it, not just *demanding* that you work in the way they expect you to. She’s a very supportive and flexible coach who will meet you where you are, and help you get where you want to go!” – Cheryl W.