Ghostwriting

You might not love writing.

(Not everyone does. Some people find it easier to express themselves via the spoken word.)

Or, you might quite like writing, but just don’t have time to sit down and craft your thoughts and ideas into perfect prose.

All of which to say: you may have tried writing a book before and decided to shelve the idea.

Which is a shame.

For all the talk about video taking over the world, books are still a lasting and powerful way to spread ideas. They’re also a brilliant marketing tool for savvy speakers and give a level of credibility few other mediums offer.

So, how do you get your book written?

All you need is a ghostwriter. (Me.)

You, as the author of the book, supply the ideas, theory, stories, etc.

I, as the ghostwriter, will arrange everything on paper in a marketable form.

The process

  • I first do a developmental edit. This will nail down:
    • The big idea of the book,
    • The target market, and
    • A working title and sub-title.
  • From here, we will work up the book’s outline. (At which point I will perform a structural edit.)
  • I will then identify existing content (blog post, podcasts etc) that contain the building blocks I need to construct the chapters. Where there are gaps in the content, I will either interview you, (via Skype), or send you a series of questions you can record your answers to. (Short story: I figure out the best way to get the content out of you, and do that.)
  • I then turn all that content into cohesive prose that delivers on the promise the book’s title makes, while also ensuring the book is written in your voice.
  • Once the first draft is ready, you will go through it and make any necessary corrections, (facts/voice/phraseology).
  • This will produce a second draft. If you wish to send the book out to beta readers, this is the point to do it.
  • After actioning any feedback from beta readers, the book will go to a line editor.
  • Once back from the line editor, I will do a final readthrough, fix anything I feel needs fixing, and then provide you with the final draft.
  • From here, it’s time to get the book designed, proofread, and then submitted for publication.

Who this service is best suited to?

Ghostwriting is a big investment! There’s no getting around that. You’re most likely to get a return on your investment if:

  • You have a big profile/large following or you’re a marketing ninja and are confident you can generate more than 5000 book sales in the 2-3 months post-launch.
  • You’re an entrepreneur who offers high level coaching, membership, software or consultation services, and will be able to leverage your book to drive sales.
  • You’re a speaker who can leverage the credibility of a book to command higher speaking fees.

Costs

  • from $30,000 AUD for books up to 40,000 words
  • from $45,000 AUD for books 40,000-60,000 words
  • from $60,000 AUD for books 60,000-80,000 words
  • Please note:
    • the final ghostwriting fee is dependent on how much of the content exists already (in the form of podcast transcripts, blog posts and training material). If the majority of raw content exists already, the fee will be those stated above. If the majority of raw content is created via me interviewing you, the fee might be up to twice as much as those outlined above.
    • the items highlighted in red above are not part of the ghostwriting process and would be performed by either your preferred suppliers, or mine.

Current availability

Devastatingly, I lost my husband Anthony in a tragic accident in January 2019. For this reason, I am currently only available for manuscript reads and structural edits. I hope to be available for book coaching, developmental edits and ghostwriting again in 2020.

James SchramkoMy book wouldn’t have happened without Kelly Exeter. Kelly saw me present, and suggested I write the book. She then did all the heavy lifting needed to take things from initial idea to final manuscript; all while providing a huge amount of encouragement and advice. A mountain of transcripts and resources was refined to what you see in this book. Large chunks of the writing and finessing came from her fingertips; her contribution was enormous.

James Schramko, Author of Work Less, Make More