- We would begin by signing a confidentiality agreement which will include estimated timelines and costs. You would more than likely be sharing information with me that would go beyond the boundaries of the book so please be assured that the information shared would remain confidential.
- The next step is to create an outline of your life story. Preparing a timeline of events or points that you would like to include in your book allows the process of writing your story to move along far quicker. The more prepared you are, the faster the process will be. I would suggest that your starting point is around 50 events that have happened in your life. The more events/dates/points that you share with me, the better. To view an example, click here.
- To create the content for your book, I would need to“interview” you. This will be based on the outline of your life story. You will share your story with me, I will ask questions, and I will audio record your words. Depending on the length of your life story and how much detail you choose to go into, the interviewing process could take anything from two full days to a week, and possibly more. Initially, I will set aside two full days to begin the process. This can be done in the comfort of your home if practical. I do work internationally across all continents, and here the interview process will be done remotely using WhatsApp voice notes, via phone calls, or via the Zoom platform (or any other platform you prefer). Depending on your time availability, you can choose to provide me with most of the content upfront or send it to me in short audio clips as your time allows.
- The audio transcriptions will be the backbone of your book and transcribing the recordings to text takes the longest amount of time. It generally takes three to four hours to transcribe one hour of audio recording.
- I will take all of your content and weave the story together, writing it in a format that can be enjoyed by the reader and very importantly ensuring that your authentic voice is maintained throughout the book.
- My personal preference would be to include an average of one to two photos per chapter as I believe this brings the story alive. I will request specific photographs and we can work around which ones you have on hand or can obtain. These photos need to be scanned and emailed to me. Should your preference be a book with no photos or significantly more than one or two per chapter I can certainly accommodate this.
- If any further research is needed I will do this either independently or with your assistance and add this to the book.
- The book will be edited to produce an initial draft which I will return to you to read and provide feedback on. I will continue to edit your life story until you are satisfied with the final product. Alternatively, if you prefer, I will give you a few chapters at a time, and we can follow the same process. The entire process, from start to finish, can take in the region of 60 – 120 hours for a 50 – 150 page book. Please refer to my rates for more information on the costs involved.
- When you are satisfied, I will prepare the final manuscript which you would be able to use to submit to publishing houses, or to self-publish online as an eBook or offline as a printed book, or both. Depending on where you are based, I can also assist in having the book printed with associated costs for your account.
- This is a time consuming process…. employing the services of a ghostwriter and writing your life story is an investment in the legacy you leave to future generations. Once we have a written agreement and deposit in place, you will be assured of my undivided professional attention from start to finish.
