Each project is different. So I approach each book individually.
Ghostwriting and Developmental Editing are about collaboration. My role is to bring an in depth knowledge of story structure and writing principles to develop and refine your vision and story into a powerful book.
My role as writing collaborator is often not as defined as these; often, I work with authors in a mixture of these four. It’s a spectrum.
Ghostwriting covers full manuscript development. It’s akin to commissioning the writing of your book. Perhaps you’ve already written an outline, a handful of chapters, or have presentations written as a place to start. Maybe at this point the book is just an idea. Through interviews and discussions, I will develop your ideas into a manuscript ready for publication. More on Working With A Ghostwriter.
Developmental Editing. If you’ve already written the first draft, or want to do more of the actual writing yourself instead of a standard ghostwriting relationship, working through the developmental editing process is your best way forward. This approach coaches you through the process as you write, keeping your book and writing on track, sharing the writing and work to finish your manuscript on your timeline and schedule. This can also take the form of working intensively on the overall structure of the work before you write it. An expert guide through plotting the manuscript, either non-fiction or fiction.
Manuscript Consultation. Gaining an outside perspective on the strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript is essential to refining your book for publication. A manuscript consultation provides you with detailed notes of what works and where some further work is needed. This is done in conjunction with discussions with you to understand exactly where you want to push the book. Without understanding your motivation and aims, the consultation is not helpful; like drawing a map without compass points. Often, after a manuscript consultation, authors find it helpful to work through some trouble chapters or particular issues in a coaching capacity.
Writing Coaching. Some writers want an experienced sounding board on the work. Some writers want to deal with a particular issue in the writing process. Other writers want a guiding professional hand through the whole writing process to deal with issues and keep them accountable. As a writing coach I can help you work through a series of chapters or the entire manuscript, at any point in the writing process.