The title of this blog post is a quote from A Mentor’s Fingerprint: Leave a mark, make a difference. And it epitomizes the relationship that authors Ann Griffiths and Donna Inglis and coach Barbara Kois developed during the editorial coaching process in preparation for publishing this book.

Many thanks to WinePress for creating this new service that is rewarding for both coaches and authors, or, you might say, mentors and mentees – roles that the three interchanged frequently as they learned from one another and became friends.

“I loved the opportunity to share my passion for writing, words, and, yes, I even care deeply about grammar!” Barbara said. “We talked about things like the prevalent – but still wrong – use of his or her instead of their as a possessive pronoun for a singular noun (as in, incorrectly, Barbara has updated their profile).”

Barbara learned much from the authors, Ann and Donna, about how her daily actions, words, and behavior affect those around her, for good or ill. She was inspired by their wonderful stories of people who had mentored them and whom they had mentored. And she reflected on similar relationships she has had.

As a Certified Professional Coach, Ann has witnessed the value of coaching in many lives. So when she and Donna heard that WinePress offered a coaching service to guide authors through the rewrite stage of their book, signing up was a no-brainer.

After working together, all three are thrilled with the process. Ann says, “Rather than tell us what to do, Barbara guided us and gave us room to be ourselves as we learned along the way. No idea was a bad idea, which made it feel like she was in this with us – working together to make The Mentor’s Fingerprint a God-honoring and successful book.

“In our phone and e-mail conversations we brainstormed ideas, accepted or rejected them, laughed, and shared our love of writing, words, people, and God. We also learned together as we talked about grammar, punctuation, structure, the reader’s viewpoint, and more. What a privilege!”

Bottom line: As these authors say in their book, all of us can “make a difference by what we pass on to others through our words and actions.” Partnering on the creation of a book is one way to do that.