About Dale
The Word Alchemist & Book-to-Business Strategist The Book That Won't Shut UpThe Book Marketing Strategy Canvas
Some stories refuse to stay quiet
Hi, it’s great to meet you. I’m Dale Darley, the Word Alchemist. I help women (mostly) write transformational nonfiction known as hybrid memoir or memoir as self-help, and then design a strategy for turning the book into a business.
I’ve always believed words have power – not just to communicate, but to transform. I didn’t expect how much my life would prove that theory.
Life, of course, decided to play with me. I’ve had some health challenges, which have taught me that health comes before wealth. If I want cake, I have to make it!!!
Writing saved me. Not polished professional writing, but raw, honest writing that helped me make sense of who I was becoming. Journaling has always been my lifeline. Words are my way home to myself. I have written till I bled on more than one occasion… And cried a lot.
Throughout my life, raw, honest writing has been a lifeline. I began coaching women to write books that blend story with self-help, and I kept hearing the same gap: “I’ve finished… now what?”
Together, we design how your book powers lead magnets, email, content pillars, services, courses and speaking – so it actually does something in the world. You can’t take marketing and strategy out of the writer and coach.
And then there are the furries: three beautiful, fill-my-heart rescue dogs – Marley Moo, Angel, and Tommy, who ensure I walk, breathe, and keep perspective.
As a 3/6 emotional projector and INFJ, I see patterns others miss. I sense when someone is ready for transformation, hiding from the truth, or prepared to claim their voice.
My journey taught me our stories – especially the messy middle parts – are often our greatest gifts.
My Writing & Book Coaching Career
I didn’t set out to be a book coach. I arrived by creating safe spaces for women to learn writing to heal. Clients came to write without the pressure to publish and then asked me to help them publish.
That became my book Writing to Heal, followed by Plan Your Non-Fiction Book In A Weekend and over 13 years of guiding real people with real stories: the 13 Women’s Stories project (2013), The F Factor anthology (2015), and many more.
In 2018, when my spine fractured, I kept working because this work mattered. Through the pandemic, I balanced part-time corporate marketing roles and then published the first Healing Book Project anthology (2022). It was meaningful, and it burned me out – that was a big fat lesson.
I remained in part-time marketing and book coaching until early 2025, when I decided to focus on helping women write their stories, combined with self-help.
Later in 2025, I got the call to write Words From The Wild. This is part memoir and part self-help. While building my marketing strategy, I realised that the missing piece of this business was strategic marketing planning for authors.
Today, I blend book coaching with strategy-first marketing so your nonfiction doesn’t stop at “published” but becomes the foundation of a business ecosystem (lead magnets, email, blogs, services, courses).
Sometimes the heart calls. I listened and added a strategy.
Milestones
- 2013: 13 Women’s Stories project
- 2015: The F Factor anthology
- 2018: Spine fracture; part-time coaching with new boundaries
- 2022: Healing Book Project anthology
- 2025 →: Book-to-Business strategist
Professional Experience
Background
I hold an MBA from The University of Glamorgan, an ILM level 7 Executive Coaching certificate and an NLP practitioner certificate.
Prior to becoming a coach/mentor, I taught Executive Leadership, Assertiveness Skills and Knowledge Management.
I have served in senior marketing management roles in the Health & Safety IT and manufacturing sectors for over 25 years.
Qualifications
- MBA
- ILM (Institute of Leadership Management) Level 7 Executive Coach
- NLP Practitioner
- Reiki 1,2 & Angelic
- Crystal Therapist & Healer
- Nutritional Healing Therapist (Naturopathic)
The Values That Guide My Work
Wisdom – Intuition + evidence + life’s cycles
We work with rhythms, not against them. I blend intuition, reflective writing and practical know-how so you can trust your inner guidance and move with clarity, in your own time.
Empowerment — You lead; I guide
This is your story and your path. My role is to help you recognise your brilliance, claim your voice and take aligned action – whether through writing, reflection or strategic planning.
Integrity & Fair Play – Ethics over hype
Transformation should be nourishing, not exhausting. We honour capacity and boundaries, choose right-sized actions and avoid gimmicks. Clear expectations, clear consent, and a fair process.
Freedom to Be You — The point of all of it
At the heart of this work is freedom: to create, to choose, to build a business that feels expansive and true. There are no templates for your identity. Just you – unapologetically, wonderfully weird.
My Story
The Long And Winding Road
Where do you begin to tell the story of becoming? For me, it’s less of a straight line and more of a spiral – twisting through healing, heartbreak, awakening, and homecoming.
I’m Dale, and I live tucked away in the hills of Spain with my three rescue dogs – my soulful, naughty companions and constant teachers in love, patience, and presence. This wild and quiet place is where I found myself again, stopped performing and started listening, and allowed the pieces of my life to come together in a way that finally made sense.
Like many women, I’ve stood at countless crossroads. Loss, illness, breakups, relocations – moments that felt like endings, only to later reveal themselves as sacred invitations to begin again. Each time, I peeled back another layer, released an old identity, and stepped closer to the truth of who I really am.
My early life held its own complexity – constant moves thanks to my father’s RAF career, the instability of living with alcoholism, and experiences of abuse that left their shadows. But I no longer see these things as the whole story. They were chapters in my transformation, the ashes from which I’ve risen, over and over again.
The most radical thing I’ve ever done? I learned how to love myself. Not in theory but in practice. In the quiet. In the mess. In the mirror.
Writing was my anchor, my medicine, my magic. It helped me understand what I was carrying, what needed to be let go, and what wanted to rise in its place. Through the written word, I reclaimed my voice and my life.
Now, I share this with others. I hold space for women who are fed up, cracked open, or quietly whispering, “there has to be more than this.”
Together, we write new stories – truthful, powerful, heart-led ones.
Today, my life is no longer about chasing anything. I’m doing my thing quietly.
My dogs are curled at my feet, the mountains keep me grounded, and my words are my offering to the world.
The journey continues. I have a deep belief that it’s never too late to become who you were always meant to be.
Testimonials
What Others Say
Dale, you have a beautiful, gentle energy, and I learned so much more about how to get the most out of journaling and different ways to meditate and connect to the heart and heart of Mother Earth. I loved your books and ways of connecting from our soul to our journal. Dale has a beautiful way of making you feel held in loving energy. Fiona Clark
It’s been an awesome journey so far, Dale Darley! And thank you for all your hard work – you’re such a creative soul! Lorraine Biggs
I am truly grateful for the writing course led by the incredible Dale. From the very first session, her nurturing spirit and brilliant guidance created an environment that encouraged me to explore my creativity in ways I never thought possible. Dale’s ability to bring out the best in her students is nothing short of magical. She has a unique talent for awakening ideas and igniting a passion for writing that truly resonates with each individual. Zipa L
I would never have even got halfway through writing my book without Dales help.
Dale…you have truly guided me through the entire process and believed in me when I felt unsure about myself. This project is excellent, and I am sure it will touch many hearts. Thank you for your calming presence and for offering this wonderful project to all of us.
Working with Dale is a pleasure in both a professional and personal sense. I worked with her on my second book, and she made creating it with my team of co-authors an easy and creative process. This process took us all, step by step, to publishing a very special book – The F-Factor. I can highly recommend her special brand of expertise and support.