Nonfiction book doula for coaches
I’m MJ Halberstadt (he/him/whatever), a collaborative writer based in Portland, Oregon. The center of my niche target is pretty darn specific: I help life / business coaches to craft nonfiction self-help books with big voices. Hey, I’m a youngest child with a background in theatre; unforgettable characters are kinda my thing.
Up next:
I'm looking forward to sharing some of my insights about how coaches like you can use book-writing to make a bold statement, illustrate your value and values, and develop your voice — especially if you think that publishing is beyond your reach.
If you've ever been curious about partnering with a ghost, come hear how six very different process-oriented ghostwriters approach help people like you bring your dream to life!
You might know what sets you apart from every other coach…
…but the journey of personal expression can get exhausting and confusing if you’re trying to keep pace on the content-creation-hamster-wheel while you’re still developing your voice. Don’t start with a complex social media strategy full of fast, shallow, and hollow.
Start with something deep, real, and worth focusing on; write a book about one thing.
Laurie McGinley
“After we identified burnout as a helpful central theme, it became the center of gravity for the book, and helped me become much more focused. It allowed me to be creative instead of like, oh, but the structure, oh, but the little red squiggly line in Google Docs means I'm bad at spelling. I could let go of all of that.”
Here’s how I help:
Repeatable 6-week sprints
Life is chaos. Commit to your book at a reasonable pace and only pay for what you need.
3 tiers of service
How much of the writing do you need to do? I’ll meet you where you’re at.
Tier 1: Book coaching
You do all the writing as I provide structure for your writing process and provide supportive + actionable feedback.
Tier 2: Developmental editing
We both work on the material, passing it back and forth and taking on different components. We develop a concept together. I’m full of suggestions, and will ask you to let me try things.
Tier 3: Ghostwriting
I do all the writing, using material I gather from interviewing you. A “test chapter” sprint is a popular option before committing to a full book.
Yeah, yeah, yeah…
…we’ll meet ambitious output goals – but more importantly you’re gonna develop confidence and clarity about how you express yourself.
And we’re gonna do something outrageous for 2026: we’re gonna do it independent of generative AI.
My focused attention
I see fewer than 6 clients/week, because that’s how I can provide my best attention. When I commit to you, I commit to keeping you top-of-mind.
Transparent pricing, thank goodness
Tier 1
$1500
Book coaching
/ 6 weeks
Popular
Tier 2
$2250
Developmental editing
/ 6 weeks
Tier 3
$3500+
Ghostwriting
/ 6 weeks
(price depends on speed)
If you’re in a position to pay more, help another author find their voice by paying the solidarity rate (+15%), which allows me to offer the community rate (-15%) to an author who could use the discount.
Ready to connect?
Every project worth doing has unique needs
The best place to begin is a quick dialogue. During our vibe check call, tell me about your goals and challenges, and I’ll suggest a few ways forward.