How Does It Work?
If we’re starting from scratch, this is the process we’ll go through. If the book needs a little less work, the process will be modified to fit your needs.
Introduction
First, I’ll send you a questionnaire, asking about why you want to write a book, what it will be about, your goals, your reader—all that good stuff.
Then we’ll video call to talk more about your book and find out if we’re a good fit for each other.
If we decide we want to move forward, I’ll send you a quote and timeline, and then we’ll get a contract going!
Phase 1: Research & Planning
I’ll study some of your other works, if you have any, including blog posts, articles, social media posts, speeches, YouTube videos—anything to help me learn your voice.
Then we’ll do the Big Interviews on video call over a few sessions where we start discussing content of the book. You’ll talk about things you want in the book, stories you want to share, people you want to showcase.
After that, I’ll do some research to learn more about the topic (if needed) and make an outline. We might do some more mini meetings to fill any gaps here.
You’ll revise the outline to make sure it’s to your liking.
Phase 2: Writing & Revising
Once you okay the outline, I get typing!
I’ll send you the book once I’m finished, and you’ll do whatever revisions you want. I’ll implement those changes and keep revising. Then it goes back to you for another round of revisions if you need.
At this point, you can add editing to your package to prepare the book all the way to the design stage, or you can take it and submit it to publishers.
Now you have a finished book!
What are you waiting for?
Let’s get started on your book!
You might be wondering…
Is this legal? Is this ethical?
It’s absolutely legal! We’ll have a contract that maps out exactly what service I will provide and what you’ll get from it. Then you’ll decide how much you tell people about working with a ghostwriter; you don’t have to say anything or you could use my name. Totally up to you and what you decide. I’ll be under a non-disclosure agreement to not share that I worked on your book, but it’s up to you whether you share our agreement with others.
Do I have to tell people I used a ghostwriter?
No! The copyright is yours when the book is published, so you own it completely. I will be under a non-disclosure agreement, so I can’t share anything, and you don’t have to tell anyone either if you don’t want. But if you do want, you totally can. I’m under the NDA, not you.
Can I publish my book under my own name?
Yes! The contract will transfer the copyright over to you, so I won’t own any of it. When we’re done, it will be 100% your book! At that point, you can publish the book under your own name or a pen name or whatever you want.
How long does this take?
About 4–6 months, depending on how long the book is.
For a 40k-word book: From when we have the first interview to a completed draft (one round of revisions done), it will probably be about 5 months. We’ll have another round of revisions after that, which might take another month, depending on how quick you are.
Who owns the copyright?
In the US, the person who wrote the words owns the copyright—that’s me. However, we’ll both sign a contract that transfers the copyright over to you, so I won’t own any of it once the project is complete. It’s all you.
Can I make changes to make it feel like my book?
Please do! I encourage all my clients to make any revisions they want after receiving the draft. You’ll have multiple chances to rewrite whatever you want. I’ll be the writer, and you’ll be the content editor. This is a collaborative process.
Will this really save me time?
Think about how much time you’re spending looking at ghostwriters right now. Imagine spending that much time figuring out how to online, and then how to write a book, and then how to publish, then what editors to use—what even are the types of editors? Do you need a proofreader too?—then finding a designer, and how long is this book supposed to be? And that doesn’t even include all the time actually writing, which could take hundreds of hours.
You’re going to spend several hours with me in interviews, sending me information for the book. And you’ll have a few hours of revising the book each time you get it (around three times). So that adds up to . . . way less than doing it yourself.
Will you get royalties?
Nope. You’ll pay me on milestones as we go through writing. Once we’re done with the project, anything you make from the book is yours.