About Elizabeth...
and BookCoachMagick
Literary Coaching
& Retreats
Passionate About Inspiring Writers
For the last ten years, I have been working with serious writers to improve their craft and complete their manuscripts. Whether it is a book, article, personal essay, or poem, I devote myself to helping writers achieve their goals and make their work the very best it can be. This is work I love to do and I leap into book projects with my whole heart and soul. If you are willing to work hard, we can get your book project done and on a shelf!
Proven Track Record
Take a gander at my client list. I have worked with poets and novelists, short story writers and personal essayists. But my chosen speciality is the memoir genre. Personal stories are my area of best expertise; during the pandemic, 5 writers I have worked with published books.
For inspiration, check out a few recent publications at BookCoachMagick.com (scroll down on home page)!
My Coaching Philosophy
It is my belief that the writer-coach relationship is an act of shared discovery, creativity, and the joy of locating and producing a solid book project. If you are willing to put in the hard work, I will be right there at your side, with advice, editing suggestions and encouragement. I may at times disagree with a direction you are going with your manuscript, but this is ultimately YOUR book and I hold that truth with utmost respect. I am here to guide and assist but not direct or design your manuscript. Good communication will always keep things rolling in the right direction!
My Coaching and Retreat History
​
Second Vieques, Puerto Rico Memoir Retreat, 2016
I began my coaching career as an MFA creative writng mentor at Western Connecticut State University. There, I had ample experience working with graduate students to develop skills in multiple genres, including CNF, poetry, memoir and journalism. As time went on my MFA students told me that my help was invaluable and a few of them encouraged me to think of personal coaching -- as well as writing -- as my career. Since then, with time and additional experience on my own, I have worked with numerous writers one-on-one and in successful writing retreats in such places as Vieques, Puerto Rico; a lakeside lodge in the Adirondacks; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Jalisco, Mexico, and Park City, Utah -- to hone and refine, and yes, finish their manuscripts. My clients have sold articles to such places as the NYT, Washington Post, the LA Times and The Believer, and their books have been picked up by everything from small presses to major publishing concerns. During the pandemic alone, 5 student memoirs were published with much success and acclaim! I am so proud of my writing clients and their stellar accomplshments. To read about a few and see their publications, go to https://www.bookcoachmagick.com/ and scroll down to the "Client Success" section.
What Clients say...
"Elizabeth is supportive, nurturing and has an eagle eye for the heart of the story. Her critiques are spot on...Elizabeth is in the margins of all of my stories." -William Dameron, columnist and author
____________________________________________
"Elizabeth believed in my memoir project, The Peach, from start to finish, as if it were her own child. And her creative energy is endless."- Melissa Cronin, essayist and memoirist
____________________________________________
"Elizabeth was one of my first writing mentors, and recognizing a major weakness in my writing, she focused largely on character development. What she taught me was a major factor in my success, where a few years later, I acquired a literary agent and landed a three-book contract with a New York publishing house." -Brian Thiem, novelist
____________________________________________
"She is a superb book coach and editor. She was a major player in helping me find my voice, believing in my writing and ultimately getting my poetry book published. Cohen knew I had a book to write before I really did." -Chelsey Van Der Munnik , poet
Education
-
Bachelors in Anthropology and English from the University of New Mexico
-
Masters in Visual Anthropology from Temple University
-
MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University
Employment History
-
MFA Creative Writing Instructor, Western Connecticut State University, 5 years +
-
Associate Professor of English, State University of NY at Plattsburgh, 10 years
-
Writing Instructor, Gotham Writer's Workshops, 10 years +
-
Philip and Eleanor Piaker Fellow, teaching Creative Writing and Judaic Studies.
-
Adjunct experience with the University of New Mexico, The New School of Social Research, City University of New York, and Broome Community College