YOU DON'T WANT TO WRITE ONE BOOK
You want to build a writing career that grows, book after book
Six month mentorship program with four-time published, award nominated author Katherine Collette
30-minute call • Free • No pressure
Most writing programs focus on craft
But that's not where writers get stuck
They get stuck when:
- They lose confidence in their own judgement and ability
- Their draft isn't working and they don't know why
- They're putting the hours in but it doesn't seem like they're making progress
- It feels like they're writing into the abyss, i.e. no one cares and nothing is happening
So they spend their time second guessing what they're doing and re-writing the same old sections of the same old manuscript. They're doing a lot but simultaneously, feeling like they're behind and running out of time...
They also like writing and they don't want to stop
After publishing four books, interviewing more than 150 writers on The First Time, and working closely with writers at every stage…
I started to notice a pattern
It's not that some writers are talented and other's aren't.
(Plenty are talented)
The difference is in how you handle the part where the work gets messy and unclear
The writers who keep going aren’t necessarily better, they just know how to:
- Stay steady when doubt creeps in
- Make decisions without perfect certainty
- Keep moving the work forward
Over time, that’s what allows them to keep writing, and keep improving, book after book
That's how you play the long game
Maybe this is you:
You've got a draft that *still* doesn’t feel quite right, even after multiple passes.
Maybe you've had feedback that feels confusing or contradictory.
You’re doing a lot of work but not seeing much movement. Maybe some days you feel energised and certain you’re close. Other days you’re not sure anything works at all.
Or maybe you’ve already published and this next book feels harder, not easier. There’s pressure now, and expectations. You have the feeling you should know how to do this, even though every book asks something different of you.
You also see your peers doing great things and kicking goals, and while you're happy for them... You want all of that too.
Writing can feel like a solitary pursuit, but no writer builds a career entirely alone.
I’m Katherine Collette, a four-time published, award-nominated author and former co-host of The First Time podcast.
After years of writing and speaking with 100+ debut, established and award-winning authors about writing and being a writer, one thing became clear.
Through my own writing career, and hundreds of conversations with authors on The First Time podcast, I’ve seen firsthand what helps writers stay in the game.
It isn’t just craft. It’s learning how to strengthen the work and the way you approach writing. That insight became the foundation of The Long Game Coaching Program.
The Long Game is a six month, one-to-one mentorship program
It's designed for serious writers who want to strengthen their work and build a writing career that lasts.
Together we focus on three things.
1: Your manuscript
Strengthening structure, emotional impact, pushing harder in certain creative directions, whatever your work needs to get it as close as possible to your vision.
2: Your writing career
Understanding how publishing works, making smart decisions about submissions and launches, and learning how to share your work, build visibility and grow an audience in a way that feels natural and sustainable.
3: Your resilience as a writer
Building habits and perspective that help you stay steady through doubt, rejection and creative dips, so you can keep writing and keep improving over the long term.
What's inside The Long Game
1:1 Coaching Calls
Focused conversations about your manuscript, your writing process and the decisions you’re navigating as you build your writing career.
Manuscript Feedback
Clear, honest insight into what’s working, what’s not and where the manuscript can grow (optional).
Pitch and Submission Strategies
Guidance on query letters, synopses and submission plans so you understand how to approach agents and publishers thoughtfully.
Author Visibility and Communication
Learn how to talk about your work in interviews, events and online spaces in a way that feels natural and sustainable.
Publishing Industry Navigation
Understand how publishing actually works — what’s normal, what isn’t, and how to think through the choices available at different stages of your career.
Career Perspective
Conversations about the bigger picture of your writing life: what you’re building, where your energy is best directed and how each project fits into the long game.
Resilience and Creative Steadiness
Develop habits and perspective that help you stay steady through rejection, comparison and the inevitable ups and downs of writing.
Email Support Between Sessions
Reach out between calls if you need perspective, feedback or a sounding board as questions arise.
The Long Game Framework
The work we do together is grounded in a simple idea:
Building a writing career involves more than improving a single manuscript. It’s about learning how to move through the work (again and again) without getting stuck.
Over time, the writers who keep going develop four key skills:
Craft
Strengthen structure, pacing and emotional depth so each book is stronger than the last.
Finish
Develop a process that helps you move from 'almost done' to done without getting stuck in endless rewrites.
Resilience
Learn how to stay steady through rejection, comparison and the inevitable dips that come with creative work.
Longievity
Think beyond one book and build a writing life that keeps evolving over time.
The next step: Book a Long Game Strategy Session
This is a free 30-minute conversation where we’ll:
• look at where you are in your writing career
• talk through the challenges you’re currently navigating
• explore what your best next step might be
If it feels like a good fit, we can talk about working together through The Long Game mentorship.
If not, you’ll still leave with a clearer sense of what to focus on next practically, creatively or logistically.
©2025 Katherine Collette
What writers say about The Long Game
"Working with Katherine was
game-changing"
"Six months ago, I was very sceptical of book coaching. I had already spent years attending workshops, studying writing, and rewriting my manuscript. I didn’t think I needed more help — I thought I needed to just get on with it. But working with Katherine was game-changing. She helped me rework the structure of my book in a way that finally made sense. I left every session feeling energised and excited to go back to the drawing board. I’m now querying agents with a manuscript I’m genuinely proud of. Honestly, I wish I’d done it sooner."
Belinda, author
"Sometimes you don’t quite know what you’re looking for until you find it. That was this coaching."
"Every session left me clearer, calmer, and more connected to my writing."
Grateful debut author (anon.)