19 DAYS AGOΒ β€’Β 6 MIN READ

Book idea? Half-finished manuscript? Move it forward πŸ“š

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Moriah Bacus, CAPM, Fractional Chief of Staff

Weekly insights for coaches and consultants who are done being Chief of Everything... Every week, I share what I'm seeing in my Fractional Chief of Staff work - the patterns, the breakthroughs, the real strategies that help established founders stop being bottlenecks in their own businesses. You'll get frameworks, client stories, and practical approaches to clarity, capacity, and continuity. No fluff, just what actually moves the needle when you're scaling with a team.

Estimated Read Time: 5.5 minutes

Hi Reader,

If you've ever said, "I need to write a book," or you're somewhere in the middle of writing one right now, this email is for you.

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Here’s the pattern I keep seeing with coaches, consultants, and thought leaders: the book idea is rarely the problem. The plan, the process, and the staying power are where things get complicated.

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Maybe you recognize yourself in one of these:

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You sit down to write, and suddenly everything else on your to-do list feels more urgent. You've rewritten the first chapter four times because it's still not quite right. You know you need to be building your audience before the book comes out, but you're not sure where to start. You've Googled "self-publishing vs. traditional publishing" and ended up more confused than when you started. Or you have a clear vision, but you just don't have the bandwidth to execute on it consistently.

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None of this means you're not ready. It means you're human. And it means you probably need a better system - and the right people in your corner.


Behind the scenes of a book business

Last year, I had the privilege of working closely with Story Consultant, Brand Strategist, and Thought Leadership Coach, Catalina (Cat) Margulis. Cat works with purpose-driven leaders and trailblazing experts to turn their stories into signature books, magnetic brands, and powerful platforms for lasting impact. She empowers them to write, publish, and market their books in a way that not only grows their visibility but also expands their voice, authority, and reach.

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My role? Building the operational backbone that her growing business needed.

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Cat's client roster had scaled beautifully - but her systems hadn't kept pace. She needed a way for her authors and her team to see exactly where each book was in the production process at any given time, without everything flowing through her. I came in, got up to speed on her full workflow, and built out a comprehensive project management system in Asana - covering every phase from Writing and Coaching through Editing, Copyediting, Design, Proofreading, Publishing Setup, and Launch.

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Here's what Cat had to say:

"Moriah helped me build a framework to create greater transparency between my authors and I, so they could follow the entire process from book editing to bookshelf. She quickly intuited what I needed and got me set up in Asana, building out the project management system so my team and clients could see where the book is at any point during production β€” and participate as needed. My team was able to seamlessly launch 3 books at the same time last spring thanks to our system. Everyone was on the same page and knew exactly what needed to happen and when." β€” Catalina Margulis, Story Consultant, Brand Strategist, and Thought Leadership Coach

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Working inside Cat's operation added another layer to what I'd been building since 2021 - hands-on experience across self-publishing, developmental support, and distribution. I know this process from multiple angles.


Real authors. Real results.​
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I'm drowning in the big picture and can't break it down.

That was essentially where coach and author Robb Gilbear was when we started working together. Robb had a bold vision: to self-publish a bestselling book - but needed someone to help him cut through the overwhelm and stay the course. I supported Robb through the full journey: project management, accountability, research, and advertising strategy. And when he needed a book coach and editor? I connected him with Cat. The result? His book Die Before They Do became a bestseller.

"Moriah is a master at fleshing out your wild ideas into tangible pieces so you can bring them to life. Having Moriah on your side is like having a second brain - one that allows you to achieve the big things you're after without the overwhelm." β€” Robb Gilbear, Business Coach

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I have a publisher β€” but I need a thought partner.

Massimo Backus came to the table with a book deal with a publisher and a manuscript in progress. What he needed was a first reader - someone to think alongside him, identify where the work needed more clarity or structure, and help him repurpose the ideas from his book into thought leadership content. I served as his developmental support throughout the process, and Human First, Leader Second went on to be published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

"Moriah is a trusted advisor and brilliant thought partner. She holds me accountable and challenges me to think big and push my comfort zone. I am so grateful to have Moriah as my right-hand woman." β€” Massimo Backus, Leadership Coach

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I have a book β€” I need to get it into the right hands.

Kelly Sayre, founder of The Diamond Arrow Group, came to me with a specific mission: get her book Sharp Women into the hands of over 30 carefully selected VIP readers. I created and led the full campaign - strategy development, scripting, research, outreach, and tracking.

"Moriah was professional – thorough, detail-oriented, organized, and had great communication skills. It put my mind at ease knowing my project was in good hands." β€” Kelly Sayre, Consultant

πŸ“š AUTHOR AUDITS β€” PICK YOUR PATH:


✏️ Path 1: You haven't started yet

Your Book Vision Clarity Check

Take a few minutes and answer these four questions honestly:

  1. Who is this book for, specifically? Not "everyone" - who is the one person you're writing it for?
  2. What do you want them to feel, know, or do differently after reading it?
  3. What's the one thing only you can say on this topic, from your lived experience?
  4. Why does this book need to exist now, and what's the cost of it staying unwritten?

If you can answer all four clearly, you're more ready than you think. If you're stuck on one or more - that's your starting point.


πŸ” Path 2: You're already in process

The Author Bottleneck Audit

Take an honest look at where things stand across the three stages where authors most commonly stall:

  • Writing: Are you stuck in perfectionism, inconsistency, or avoidance? What's the real reason you haven't written this week?
  • Publishing: Do you have a clear path to publication - or are you making it up as you go?
  • Visibility: Have you started building an engaged audience before the manuscript is ready - or are you planning to figure that out closer to launch? Publishing a book won't build your audience for you. Your audience is what makes a book launch work.

Final reflection: Which of these is your biggest bottleneck right now - and do you have the right support in place to move through it?


If something came up in your audit, let's talk about it.

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Here's how I can support authors right now, depending on where you are in the process:

  • Standalone Book Project: Need focused support for a specific phase? I can step in for project management, writing accountability, research, launch planning, or any combination - scoped to exactly what you need right now.
  • Strategic Clarity Intensive: If you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unclear on your path to publication, we can use a focused session to map your timeline, identify your bottlenecks, and build a clear plan of action you can actually execute on.
  • Ongoing Strategic Partnership: For authors who want consistent support from manuscript to launch and beyond - project management, thought partnership, marketing strategy, and accountability all under one roof.
  • Press Trail Strategy (Beta Pricing for 2026 publications): We find a successful book in your space, reverse-engineer its press coverage, and use it to build your outreach list for articles, reviews, and media attention.
  • Podcast Appearance Strategy (Beta Pricing for 2026 publications): A done-for-you system to research, pitch, and book podcast appearances - especially powerful if you're also a speaker building your platform.

If you're publishing in 2026, now is the right time to be thinking about this. Reply to this email and let's figure out where you need the most support.

Talk soon,

Moriah

P.S. Cat Margulis helps purpose-driven leaders turn their stories into signature books and powerful platforms. Sign up for her newsletter for updates on programs, workshops, and more: catmargulis.com​
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P.P.S. Ready to talk through your book project with me? Hit reply - I'd love to hear where you are in the process.


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Moriah Bacus, CAPM, Fractional Chief of Staff

Weekly insights for coaches and consultants who are done being Chief of Everything... Every week, I share what I'm seeing in my Fractional Chief of Staff work - the patterns, the breakthroughs, the real strategies that help established founders stop being bottlenecks in their own businesses. You'll get frameworks, client stories, and practical approaches to clarity, capacity, and continuity. No fluff, just what actually moves the needle when you're scaling with a team.