Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jen Graybeal. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jen, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

There are two big risks I’ve taken, one turned out better than I could have imagined and the other is too new to know what will happen (more on that below). The first was starting a business in an industry I knew very little about, the second was blowing up half that business. About ten years ago, I found myself at a decision point. I had spent twelve year in corporate communications in Silicon Valley doing everything from executive ghostwriting, to coaching them about how to talk about market shifts with employees, to managing communications for multi-national acquisitions. I had an excellent reputation as someone that understood the power of words and could craft messaging that resonated with our diverse employees. As that chapter came to an end, however, I knew I wanted something very different.

I was lucky to have a bit of time to really reflect on what I wanted. I journaled and read and asked myself some big questions. For a lot of reasons, I landed on the idea of pursuing a career in publishing. I spent a year researching the self-publishing space, taking a bunch of classes in editing fiction, built a website, and tried to find some clients.

I started editing books and having conversations with authors about where their story was going. It started with helping them with story concepts, figuring out plots for books or series, etc. That quickly grew into deeper discussions about marketing, business decisions, the challenges of growing a business in the margins of life, and what to do when life was overwhelming.

There weren’t many people offering this sort of coaching. Most were focused exclusively on the writing and had a single minded approach to the “proper” way to outline and write. There were also those promising best seller status with zero recognition that every book is unique. The path of a creative professional is non-linear, and any one that has a one size fits all approach is just after your money rather than seeing you succeed. This laid the groundwork for the next big risk I needed to take.

There are a lot of business books and gurus that tell people to separate their business and personal life and I understand the way that works in a corporate environment, but for a creative professional working at home there is no separation. Acknowledging that is an important mindset shift. Eight years into my journey as an editor and coach, I sought out additional education about how to support my authors. I found a certification program for Creativity Coaching and dove in because it acknowledged the individualistic process of creative professionals.

I believe that success can be measured in many other ways and encourage folks to find deeper reasons for choosing writing as their path.

I want my clients to feel empowered by their choices, to know that they are creating joy for their readers, and that they deserved to see themselves as professionals regardless of their sales numbers. That said, I also believe that sales numbers are great and I spend a lot of time helping authors build solid foundations for their businesses, creating processes that streamline the various tasks needed to run their business, and normalize the need for evolution in an industry that must serve customers that want something familiar and unique at the same time.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was one of those kids that read everything. My teachers would send me to the library during reading time because I’d read everything in the classroom. On one of these trips, the school librarian and I chatted about the publishing process and how manuscripts become books on a shelf. She mentioned that editors read lots of books and picked the best ones. I remember being fascinated by the idea that reading books was a JOB and knew that I wanted to do that. But life took me in a different direction, particularly because I didn’t live in the right city for a publishing career. However, in the early 2010s, self-publishing was skyrocketing and I felt like I had a role to play.

I started with editing business books, but knew my heart wasn’t in it. A few searches later, I found out there was a romance writing group meeting near me and since that was my favorite genre, the fangirl in me got very excited. There I found a group of (mostly) women that were following their dreams. They were writing when their kids were asleep, or during a lunch break, or whenever they could find a few minutes. They were sharing strategies and critiquing each other’s work, and helping each other succeed. After more than a decade in the insidiously competitive tech-bro world, I loved the energy and sense of community these women had!

In that group I found my first fiction editing clients and my first coaching clients. I met with nearly everyone in the group for free and learned a lot about the challenges both traditional and independent authors faced. They were the audience for my very first workshop and the cheerleaders that encouraged me to grow my business into something bigger and better than I could have imagined all those years ago. I still count many of them as my best friends.

I say that I work with authors on their books, business, and mindset, but I’m really focused on them as a whole person. I meet authors where they are and help them build a business they love. I had one client say, “Talking to Jen is like therapy, but for my business,” and it meant the world to me.

Coaching sessions are highly individualized so that we can figure out solutions that work for them. I do about twenty speaking engagements each year, both virtual ones from my home and in person sessions all over the country. My workshops combine the science of creativity with well-researched business strategies customized for the unique challenges of the publishing industry.

In 2023, I launched Work It: A Six-Week Coaching Intensive for Authors which combines workshops, group coaching, 1-1 sessions, and networking for authors of all genres and the response was truly overwhelming. Authors learned to think differently about their business, made intentional choices that resulted in sales growth, healthy productivity, and a greater sense of peace.

And I still offer a free coaching session for new clients. For anyone looking for a coach, it’s a very personal process and vitally important that you find someone that feels right for you. Authors can schedule those on my website.

Every author has to find their own way. My goal is to help find the path that works for them.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I want everyone to know that their creative journey doesn’t need to match what others are doing. There are a lot of books that will tell you books have to be written a certain way, that outlines are mandatory, that writing every day is a requirement, or that there’s a correct path to success. None of that is true. Every author has a different approach and experience. They can write anything they want on whatever timeline suits them. These choices come with trade-offs, of course, but there’s power in making choices that fit your own definition of success.

I often say, “Do what makes your brain happy.” It resonated so well with clients that I even made stickers. There are many things about this business that are going to be difficult, but there’s a difference between doing things that are difficult because they are new and doing things that are difficult because they don’t suit the way we operate. We have to honor those differences and be open to finding our own way forward.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

In March 2025, I will celebrate ten years as a business owner. In that time, I’ve edited well over two hundred books that are now published, I’ve done hundreds of workshops, coached thousands of authors, and manifested dreams that were so big, I didn’t dare to say them out loud to anyone. But those whispers became reality and it was wonderful. It means the world to me that authors trust me with their words and seek out my advice when faced with challenges.

As the support system for self-published authors grew and matured into something robust, I grew and expanded my speaking, editing and coaching services. I was reaching close to a thousand authors each year, but I knew something was off. I had all the signs of burnout and decided it was time for a change.

Change is hard and uncomfortable, but so is choosing to stagnate.

After nearly ten years in business, I took a big risk. I decided to stop editing. This was extremely difficult for me because that was where I started. I’m @JenTheEditor on all the social channels! I had grown my client list significantly, edited well over two hundred published books, and had the privilege of working with several authors I considered friends. But there I was in October 2024, booked solid for all of 2025, and knew I had to cancel all those projects. And because I have the best clients in the world, every single one of them replied to say they understood. They said kind things and funny things, and a few things that made me cry. It was more than I could have hoped for.

And now I have some space to think big thoughts and put some focus on a few of the dreams that have been on the list for years. I’m going to double down on the things that make MY brain happy like more coaching and developing new science-backed workshops. I’ll continue to run my game-changing program, Work It: A 6-Week Coaching Intensive for Authors, three times per year. In 2025 I’ll be launching retreats for authors, a podcast, and… well, there’s a few other ideas that in the whisper stages right now.

So here I am, on the cusp of a new year with a new focus and a list of new mountains I want to climb. I’m excited to see what sort of magic the future will bring.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jengraybeal.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jentheeditor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.graybeal
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jengraybeal/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jennifergraybeal205
• Other: Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jentheeditor
  Blue Sky: https://bsky.app/profile/jentheeditor.bsky.social

Image Credits

Personal photo: Anna Stacy, Stacy Photography, Humboldt County, California
Additional photos: mine