Ghostwriting
Ghostwriting has gotten a bad reputation that it doesn’t deserve! If you’re an expert in one field, why should you be expected to also be an expert in writing books?
After all, there’s a lot more to writing books than just putting sentences together. You need to know how to structure a book properly and make sure each paragraph, section, and chapter flow together in a way that communicates your information beautifully. In my experience, it’s a rare person who can do that the first time they try.
This is why ghostwriters are important. We take your expertise and combine it with ours to make sure your readers get the full benefit of what you have to offer them.
Ghostwriting is a particularly good option if your schedule doesn’t allow you the time to write a book or book proposal. You still need to devote time to the project, but not as much as you would if you wrote it yourself.
Note that I only ghostwrite nonfiction – generally books that teach, memoirs, and book proposals.
“Melanie Votaw’s experience and devotion to the crafts of writing, editing, and publishing bring my heart and voice alive on the page with grace, depth, precision, and radiance. I am grateful to have her by my side for each of my books and wouldn’t want to write one without her.”
~ Nancy Levin, author of Hay House books Jump and Your Life Will Appear, Worthy, and The New Relationship Blueprint
If you’re interested in hiring me as a ghostwriter, please email me at contact at melanievotaw.com or contact me using the online form. Please read my Frequently Asked Questions first, however.
Learn more about Coaching.
Learn more about Editing.
How Does Ghostwriting Work?
In most cases, my clients convey their expert information to me in a combination of phone conversations (which I record and transcribe as the raw material for chapters) and written material. Some people think better when they write down notes, while others prefer to “talk it out.” Some of my clients also have materials they’ve already written that I can use somewhere in the book.
Whatever works best for you is fine with me. I take your information and structure it into cohesive chapters. As I finish each chapter (based on an editorial schedule that we agree upon), I send it to you for review and notes. I then do another edit or two of the chapter before we move on to the next one. (In my experience, it’s best not to focus too much on polishing each chapter before continuing since more changes will inevitably be made after we’ve finished subsequent chapters. The best polishing happens after the entire book has been completed!)
If you’re interested in hiring me as a ghostwriter, please contact me to set up a phone appointment. Please read my Frequently Asked Questions, however, before contacting me.
Ghostwriting Book Proposals
In addition to full book manuscripts, I often ghostwrite book proposals. If you want to write a proposal to send to literary agents in the hopes of winning a traditional book contract, I can help. I have written countless successful proposals that have been sold to publishers like Penguin Random House, Little Brown, and Hay House, among others.
Note that proposals are only used in the industry for nonfiction books. Memoirs are an exception, however. In that case, most agents and publishers want to see the full manuscript rather than a proposal.
Aren’t sure if ghostwriting is for you? Maybe you’d prefer editing? Obviously, ghostwriting is more expensive, but it can also save you a great deal of time. Give me a call, and I can give you the pros and cons of both scenarios. Meanwhile, read my blog post… Which Do You Need – a Ghostwriter or an Editor?
Should you self-publish or look for a traditional publisher? I can also advise you about the pros and cons of each. If you want a traditional publisher, for example, most nonfiction (other than memoir) requires a book proposal before you write your book.
If you’re interested in hiring me as a ghostwriter, please contact me to set up a phone appointment. Please read my Frequently Asked Questions, however, before contacting me.