01
Conversation
An hour on a call, unpaid. We work out what the book actually is and whether I am the right person to write it.
Commissions
What I take on
Four kinds of job, priced by project rather than by hour. Every commission starts with a paid outline so both of us can see the shape of the thing before the writing begins.
01
Book manuscripts
Full-length fiction and non-fiction, delivered in monthly instalments.
02Ghostwritten memoir
Your voice, your name alone on the jacket.
03Brand and website copy
Homepages and about pages for companies that would rather sound like people.
04Manuscript assessment
A twelve-page structural report on a finished draft.
05Editorial columns
Monthly essays and features for magazines and supplements.
06Speeches and scripts
Talks, keynotes and wedding speeches that sound like you.
Working method
Four stages, no surprises
Dates are agreed at the start and I send a short progress note every Friday, whether or not there is good news in it.
02
Outline
A paid outline of eight to fifteen pages covering structure, voice, chapter order and the material still missing.
03
Drafting
Chapters arrive monthly. You read as they land and comment in the margins rather than waiting for a finished book.
04
Handover
Two revision rounds, a clean manuscript, a style sheet, and the files in whatever format your publisher asks for.
What lands on the desk
Long-form fiction
Novels and novellas, written from a settled outline and delivered chapter by chapter.
Ghostwriting
Memoir and business books written in your voice, with your name alone on the jacket.
Editorial columns
Monthly essays and features for magazines, newsletters and Sunday supplements.
Before you write in
Questions I get asked most
Usually four to six months for a full manuscript and six to eight weeks for shorter copy work. Assessment reports can often start within a fortnight. If the date matters, say so in your first message.
No. Ghostwriting is a flat project fee paid in three instalments, and the copyright is assigned to you on final payment. It keeps the working relationship simple and it means I have no say in how the book is sold.
Yes, unless you ask otherwise. Ghostwritten work is covered by a mutual confidentiality agreement and I do not list those projects publicly, including on this site.
That is the usual arrangement for memoir. We record twelve to twenty conversations, I have them transcribed, and the transcripts become the raw material. You never have to write a word yourself.
Two revision rounds are included in every quote. If the direction is wrong after the first delivered chapter, either of us can stop the project there and you pay only for the work delivered.
Start a conversation
Tell me about the book
Two or three paragraphs is plenty: what it is, who it is for, and when you would like it finished. I reply to everything within two working days, including the ones I have to turn down.
Email
contact@example.com
Telephone
+1 (000) 555-555
Studio
123 Maplewood Lane Apartment 4B
Springfield, IL 62704 USA
Every commission
The full list
Brand and website copy
Homepages and about pages for companies that would rather sound like people.
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