This involves reviewing your work to see if the story and all details are accurate, that is if it fits the purpose. Even good writers can make a lot of mistakes hence the need for copyediting. Here I check for use of grammar, inconsistencies and all polishing before publication. Spelling checks are done here and there is need to check for consistency in content, capitalization and fonts. I also check for incorrect statements and flow of the story.

No more shadows, Bring your story into the light. I write for those who cannot write or just don’t have the time. Does that sound like you?

A ghostwriter (me) is hired to author books, edit manuscripts, screenplays, posts or stories and it is all credited to another person (you). I charge per project or per hour and I prefer to work on a time-line as longer timelines can affect the flow of the story. I prefer to meet clients face to face for the few initial interviews, unless you are far. Thereafter we can communicate electronically. It helps to know the person so your personality fits within the story. It maybe:

• Your personal story (Biography), you want to inspire others by what you have been through.
• Your family History, you want the future generations to understand where you come from.
• A motivational book, it can be based on what you went through or you have the gift of knowledge and would like to share what you know.
• Business kind of story, maybe you want your family or employees and partners to know how you started your company, challenges you faced and where you are now.

Process

As your ghostwriter, I take time to understand what you want to say and I get the message right out of your head. You get to be the Author of your book and it is up to you to give me credit on your cover.

1. We sign a confidentiality agreement where I am compelled not to share your information and all details. We agree on the fee and working details.
2. If you have an outline of your book, such as how many chapters and pages you want, topics, and headings, it will allow the writing process to move much quicker.
3. If you have no idea where to start, we then work together based on all events and details of the story.
4. In order to understand and know you better and everything you want to put in the book, I have to conduct interviews; this can be 6 – 8 hours of interviews. If more hours are needed, we can do so. The interviews can be done in the comfort of your home. I also conduct interviews with other people who can share details to be included in the book.
5. We can share any other details on the phone or through email. I then transform all details into a story; we can work on one chapter at a time and communicate until all chapters are done.
6. If we are using a tape recorder, we can move faster, meaning less time is needed for any more interviews. If you record the whole story, then all I need to do is a bit of research and fit it all together.
7. If you prefer to write down the story in your words, I can rewrite the story, improving the details and English.
8. Your feedback will determine how much editing is needed, and I will work on the story until the first draft is done.

Proofreading is done on the first print of the manuscript; hard copy print. Here I make sure that if any mistakes were missed at the copy-editing phase, they are found and corrected. I will make sure that the final copy of the manuscript is well edited before more prints are done. If it is for your academic work then it is making sure I check thoroughly before submission. Light editing involves (spellings, hyphenations, typos, clumsy grammar, overall flow and readability). Here I check for quality.

I can edit academic, website content, fiction, business documents, and non-fiction to short stories. I tackle all subjects from religion, business, food, travel, and history. For editing, all work can be submitted electronically but a meet to get to know you, is great too. I cannot tell how much editing is needed unless I see 2-3 chapters or a number of pages. Time spent editing can range from a few days, some weeks to a month depending on the quality of work I receive and if rewriting is required. I can edit academic, fiction, non-fiction to short stories. However, I can only edit work in English.

This type of editing requires an in-depth look at the structure of your work and overall sense in writing. The editing here is intense and may require partial rewrites, working with what you are trying to say and how best I can help you say it. I look at your use of English and the flow from one paragraph to the next and page to page. You may need to rewrite where necessary. Sometimes what you mean is not what you write.

Many people convince themselves that this is something that can be bypassed or done in a rush but editing is so important that putting your work out there without it can be a “big mistake!”All work requires a great amount of revision, to sweep through and refine before it can be ready for publishing.

The best advice and lesson learnt is edit, edit, edit and do more editing. Thankfully I have come a long way and I understand just how important it is to produce perfect work. If your work is well written then it just requires copy-editing and proofreading but if you write just as it comes in your head, I will be more than glad to do rewrites (substantive editing).