Write & refine
Ghostwriting services
From ideas and source material to a manuscript.
Ghostwriting support helps develop the book you want to write when you need help turning ideas, experience or existing notes into sustained prose. Start with the intended reader, the subject and the material you already have.
The starting point
Your idea.
Your material.
Your perspective.
These are the foundations of a writing brief.
The writing brief
A manuscript shaped from your material.
Ghostwriting is writing support for developing new text from an author’s ideas, knowledge and source material. It can involve finding a structure, shaping chapters and developing the prose around the book’s purpose.
The starting point may be an outline, scattered notes or a partially written draft. A clear brief helps distinguish writing that needs to be developed from material that needs editorial refinement.
Who it may suit
When writing support may help.
A story to shape
You have memories, experiences or a central theme, but need help finding a coherent way to tell the story.
Knowledge to develop
You want to explain a body of professional knowledge or a clear argument in a book, and need help turning that material into accessible chapters.
A draft to build on
You have notes or part of a manuscript and need to identify which sections call for new writing and which call for editing.
A broad working process
A writing project, considered in stages.
These broad stages help explain how a ghostwriting brief can take shape. The detail depends on the book and the support being considered.
01
Clarify the direction
Identify the subject, intended reader and what the book should help that reader understand or experience.
02
Shape the structure
Explore the central thread, the chapter sequence and the source material that belongs in each part.
03
Develop the draft
Build the text around the outline, drawing on the author’s material and noting where detail or clarification is needed.
04
Review and refine
Read the developing manuscript for meaning, coherence and voice, then identify the writing or editorial work still needed.
The next stages
Writing is one part of the book.
A developed draft may need further editorial work, a visual treatment and a plan for its edition. These are distinct decisions that can be considered around the manuscript.
Editorial refinement
Editing considers the manuscript’s structure, flow and language. Proofreading checks prepared text for remaining spelling, punctuation and typographical errors.
Design & preparation
Cover design and print or ebook formatting shape how the manuscript is presented and how readers move through the edition.
Publication planning
Consider the edition, book files and listing information appropriate to the publication route being explored.
Before you begin
A few useful questions.
Do I need a finished manuscript?
You do not need a finished manuscript to explore the service. An idea or outline can be a useful starting point for a conversation. The consultation page is the route for authors who are still developing an idea.
How is ghostwriting different from editing?
Ghostwriting helps develop new text from ideas and source material. Editing works with an existing manuscript to refine its structure, flow and language. A partially written book may need both kinds of attention.
What should I prepare first?
A short overview of the book, its intended readers and the points you want to explore is useful. Note what material already exists and the questions you want to discuss.
Can writing support connect with other services?
Writing, editorial refinement, design and publication planning are distinct stages. They can be considered together around a manuscript, with the support being considered described in the project brief.
Your next step
Choose the starting point that fits your book.
Manuscript ready
Have a draft to discuss?
Visit the manuscript page if you have a draft ready to share and want to explore the support it may need.
Ideas & questions
Still developing the idea?
Visit the consultation page to explore your book’s direction or clarify which kind of support may fit.
Staging preview. Manuscript uploads and consultation requests remain inactive.