Quick, actionable help to get your book project moving forward again.
You don't need a whole coaching package.
You just need real help. Real fast.
Join me in a 1-hour mastermind call to solve your most pressing writing needs.
Whatever you need, this is it.
We can work together to...
✨ Brainstorm your next book's chapters, plot, or arc
Whether you’re stuck on a tricky subplot for your novel or you’re trying to figure out what your real message is for a nonfiction, we can tackle it.
🗣 Discuss your options for publishing your book
Traditional? Indie/self-publishing? Both options have their pros and cons, and we can step through this complicated process together so you can make an informed choice.
💻 Organize your thoughts into a cohesive book plan
If the book that’s trying to come out is choosing to come out chaotically, let’s fix it. One of my specialities is helping you organize all your messy thoughts into a cohesive story arc, whether fiction or nonfiction.
🔮 Clarify your book idea & learn how salable it really is
Agents, publishers, and especially readers want to come away with a clear understanding when they finish reading a book. If your nonfiction is feeling murkier than the Mississippi, let’s shine a light on it.
💃 Create an actionable plan to grow your author platform
Especially for nonfiction, but also for fiction, an author platform is critical to book sales and the ultimate success of your book. You want to start early, and we can develop an actionable, achievable plan to get you there.
🔥 Begin working together before committing to a 6-month partnership
Not sure if you need a full 6 months of coaching but know you need support, advice, and a plan? We can work together on an actionable planning session before you commit to a 6-month partnership. If you decide to move forward, the cost of this first call goes towards the 6-month partnership!
Or anything else you need professional publishing or writing guidance on.
You're in the right place.
Real help. Real fast.
1-hour call
- Get help on exactly what you need right now.
- Create actionable next steps to move your author career forward.
- Quick, professional advice and assistance without a long commitment.
About Holly Ostara
I am a certified Project Management Professional which means I’ve got literal years of experience running successful projects, I’m a fellow published indie author, and I’m a big believer in your book.
Yes, even though I haven’t even heard of it, yet!
Because I know the deep, agonizing yearning to tell a story—to tell it the right way. I have suffered the same hair-pulling years of frustration you are suffering now (13 years, in fact!). I’ve had those thoughts of not being good enough because I couldn’t figure out how to fix something in my book. I’ve felt defeated, alone, and hopeless with a WIP, and I don’t want another writer to ever feel that way again.
I’ve been writing poetry since 2000, fiction since 2005, and nonfiction since 2014. I’ve published four books, and won an award for poetry, too. I went to grad school for publishing, and until 2023, I was the program manager of an entire publishing division for educational books. I’ve worked with dozens of authors to help them publish, so they can make their bucket list dreams come true.
What does this mean for you?
It means I know what I’m talking about, I’ve been in the trenches of agony when you just can’t seem to make a story work, just like you, and I’ve figured out how to pull anyone out of those trenches. Oh, and because I’m a project manager, too, I know how to do it efficiently, without the pain, and if you need it, I can be your personal PM and get you back on track one-on-one.
This is what I wish I’d had when I was where you are: a friend who cared and had actually done what I was trying to do. Together, we can help you skip the hopeless parts and get right to the hopeful ones.
I’m the project manager author friend I wish I’d had 15 years ago. And I can be yours, too… without waiting a decade and a half.
Ready to get started?
A Masterclass in the Art of Storytelling
“If you are a story-weaver, this … is your loom. This author-created roadmap to writing your book is the perfect tool for those of us who want to visually organize and track a book’s story arc, character development, and metadata. It also provides a masterclass in the art of storytelling. A brilliant solution for the overwhelmed novelist.”
— Amanda Dzimianski, Editor, Poet + Author, Writing Coach
Highly Recommended!
“I worked with Holly to publish my book, The Long Shadows: The Story of Jake Erlich, and then we worked together on my author platform. I’d highly recommend working with Holly for your author needs.”
— Dr. Andy Erlich, Author of The Long Shadows: The Story of Jake Erlich
Crazy Deep Knowledge
— Amanda Fletcher, Writer
Beyond My Expectation
— John Hulbert, Author of Yeshua and Journey to Love
100x Easier to Keep Track of Everything
— Jennifer Rivers, Author, Educator, and Book Person
Completely unblocked!
“I had hit a writing wall with edits before I used Holly’s blueprint for book outlines on Airtable, and once I started plugging my book into it, the wall dissolved and I was able to tackle my edits with no problem! The blueprint has examples already loaded onto it, like character arcs, plot points, etc, and the software is extremely user friendly and has tons of cool features to help bring your book to life! I will definitely be recommending this blueprint to all my writer friends!”
— Holly Amber Webb, Author
F.A.Q.
Let’s find out. You can book a free discovery call with me at your convenience. Click here to see my calendar and book your discovery call.
I only want to be your coach if I am the right coach for you, so I take our discovery call seriously, and if we’re not a good fit, or if I don’t think I am the right coach for your needs, I’ll tell you. I don’t do sleezy sales because not only is that gross and uncomfortable, I also know if our energy is in alignment and I’m offering what you need, we’ll both know that.
I offer limited email support for a week after our call. In general, I’m happy to answer any follow-up questions you have, just don’t take advantage of me please. 😉
I will reply to you within two business days, during my working hours, Monday through Friday. I take weekends off to be with my family. If you email me at 4pm on a Friday, I may not be able to get back to you until Monday, for example.
This is something I offer as part of my 6-month partnership, The Book Elixir. I cannot offer it during a one-hour call.
No. That’s not my speciality.
I am your book coach, not your developmental editor, your line editor, or your proofreader. You may still choose to hire any one of those prior to publishing your book if you’re planning to self-publish, or even if you’re planning to query.
My role is to guide you through the writing process, helping you to create the best possible first draft. I will give you feedback on your writing, offer suggestions to strengthen it, and point out areas of weakness, but I can’t provide a detailed editorial feedback document.
After we’re done, if you’d like that kind of support, I have several great editors I would be confident referring you to.
No, no one can guarantee that, and if they say they do, run.
Do you remember the 2022 antitrust trial from when merge Penguin Random House with Simon & Schuster, and then-CEO of Penguin Random House, Markus Dohle, said: “Everything is random in publishing. Success is random. Best sellers are random. So that is why we are the Random House!”
Forget what he said. That’s crazy talk. Do you think Proctor and Gamble think the success of Tide Pods was random? No. Books are a product, just as Tide Pods are, and the success of your book is based on a number of factors. There’s some luck involved, but it’s not random. Thousands of successful indie authors can tell you that.
Whether or not your book is published will depend on 4 main factors:
- The quality of your writing.
- The clarity of your idea and how well it’s shown in your book.
- Whether or not your book is “to market”—meaning, it’s written to well-established structures, tropes, universal fantasies, and if the idea is something people care about.
- Your perseverance in getting it into the world.
I can’t control those for you, I can only guide you. What I can guarantee is that I will give you and your book my dedication to making it as good as it can possibly be. But you’ve still got to do the work.
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