Frequently Asked Questions

Coaching: You write the book. We help you write it.

Ghostwriting: You provide the ideas, experiences, expertise, and direction. We write the book for you.

There is also plenty of middle ground. Some clients want to write certain portions themselves while having us develop other sections. Others want to be heavily involved in the writing but need help turning their ideas into polished, publishable content.

Our approach is flexible because every author and every project is different.

Absolutely. Our coaching services are designed for authors who want to maintain control of the writing but would benefit from professional guidance, accountability, feedback, and support.

We can meet as often, or as infrequently, as your project requires. Whether you're stuck on one chapter or need someone beside you throughout the entire process, we can meet you where you are.

Yes. Our ghostwriting services are designed for people who have a story, message, or body of knowledge they want to turn into a book but don't have the time, experience, or desire to write the manuscript themselves.

We start by getting to know you, your subject, your audience, and your goals. We then use interviews, research, source material, and your feedback to develop your ideas into a manuscript that reflects your vision and voice.

This is actually a very common arrangement. You may want to write certain chapters yourself while having us develop others. You may have extensive notes or recordings that need to be transformed into a manuscript. Or you may want to participate heavily in the writing while relying on us for structure, editing, and development.

We can build the relationship around what you need rather than forcing your project into a predefined package.

Our process begins with understanding you, not just your book. We start with an in-depth conversation about your concept, your experiences or expertise, your intended audience, and what you want the book to accomplish.

From there, we typically move through several stages:

1. 1. Discovery — We learn about you, your idea, and your goals.
2. 2. Development — We organize your ideas and develop the structure and outline of the book.
3. 3. Interviews & Research — We draw the information, stories, experiences, and expertise out of you and supplement it with research when appropriate.
4. 4. Writing — We turn that material into a cohesive manuscript.
5. 5. Feedback & Revision — You review the work and provide feedback so we can refine the manuscript.
6. 6. Editing & Polish — We make sure the finished manuscript is clear, compelling, consistent, and ready for its intended audience.
7. 7. Publishing Preparation — When appropriate, we can also help with formatting, design, and preparing the manuscript for publication.

This is one of the most important parts of professional ghostwriting. We don't want the finished book to sound like it was written by a generic writer. We want it to sound like you.

That's why our process relies heavily on conversation and interviewing. You are the subject matter expert. Our job is to ask the questions that uncover your knowledge, experiences, opinions, stories, and personality—and then translate those conversations into compelling written content.

We also use your existing writing, presentations, recordings, notes, and other materials when appropriate.

The goal isn't simply to write a good book. It's to write your book.

That depends on how involved you want to be. Some clients want to participate extensively in every stage of the process. Others prefer to sit down for interviews, answer questions, review drafts, and let us handle the heavy lifting.

We'll establish expectations at the beginning of the project so you know what will be required from you.

There isn't a single answer because every project is different. The timeline depends on the book's length and complexity, the amount of research required, how quickly information and feedback are provided, and how involved you want to be in the process.

During your consultation, we'll discuss your goals and develop a realistic timeline for your particular project.

That's part of the process. Ghostwriting is collaborative. We expect feedback and revisions.

Our goal is not to produce something we like. Our goal is to produce something that reflects your vision and accomplishes what you set out to accomplish with the book. That's why we establish a shared vision before beginning the project and maintain communication throughout the writing process.

It should. Capturing your voice is one of the most important responsibilities of a ghostwriter. Through interviews, conversations, existing materials, and an iterative feedback process, we work to understand not only what you want to say, but how you naturally communicate.

The finished manuscript should feel authentic to you, not like something you hired a stranger to write.

Yes. Ghostwriting is specifically designed to allow you to publish your work under your name. The specific crediting and contractual arrangements for a project will be discussed before work begins.

Ownership and intellectual-property rights are addressed in the agreement for each project.

Because every project is different, we'll clearly establish the applicable rights and responsibilities before beginning the work. But in almost all scenarios, you own the rights to the finished work.

We understand that our clients often share personal experiences, business information, proprietary knowledge, and other sensitive material with us.

Confidentiality is an important part of the professional relationship. The specific confidentiality provisions applicable to your project will be addressed in your agreement, and we have no problem signing an NDA when needed.

We work across a wide range of projects, including:

• Business and leadership books
• Thought-leadership books
• Memoirs and autobiographies
• Inspirational books
• Self-help and personal development
• Fiction
• Short stories
• Industry-specific books
• Screenplays
• Book-to-screenplay adaptations

The most important question isn't whether your idea fits neatly into a category. It's whether we believe we can help you bring it to life.

Absolutely. In fact, this is one of the areas where we can provide tremendous value.

You may have spent 20 or 30 years developing expertise in your profession, but that doesn't automatically mean you know how to turn that expertise into a book.

We help you identify the knowledge, experiences, stories, and lessons that will be most valuable to your reader—and then organize them into a compelling narrative.

Yes. Writing about your own life can be surprisingly difficult. You already know the story, which can make it difficult to determine what matters to an outside reader.

Our interview-based approach helps uncover the stories, experiences, relationships, challenges, and turning points that can transform a collection of memories into a compelling book.

It can. A well-positioned book demonstrates expertise, establishes credibility, creates new conversations, and gives potential clients a deeper understanding of what you know and how you think.

For business owners, executives, consultants, speakers, coaches, and other professionals, the book itself may be only part of the opportunity. The broader goal can be to use the book as a platform to build relationships and create new business opportunities.

Yes. We believe a book should have a purpose beyond simply being published. During the development process, we can help you think about your ideal reader, your message, your positioning, and what you want the book to accomplish.

For many thought leaders, the objective isn't simply to sell copies. It's to have the right people read the book and think: "This is someone I want to know."

No, and we wouldn't want to promise something we can't control. Bestseller lists depend on numerous factors, including sales volume, timing, category, competition, pricing, promotion, and market conditions.

What we can do is help you create a high-quality book and develop a strategy to give it the best possible chance of reaching the right audience.

Several Pen for Hire clients have achieved bestseller status in multiple categories, but those results are not guaranteed for every project and depend heavily on the author's marketing efforts.

Potentially, yes. For many of our business and thought-leadership clients, the ultimate objective isn't selling thousands of books. It's using the book as a credibility and relationship-building tool.

A single book reader who becomes a high-value client can be worth far more than hundreds of book sales. We can help you think strategically about how your book fits into your larger business and marketing goals.

Absolutely. You don't need to hire us to write your manuscript in order to work with us.

If you've already completed a manuscript but aren't sure what comes next, we can help with editing, proofreading, formatting, design, and preparing your book for publication.

Yes. Our services can extend beyond writing into the preparation and production stages of your book. Depending on your project, we can help with editing, proofreading, formatting, and design for paperback, hardcover, and Kindle formats.

We'll discuss what you need during the consultation and determine which services make sense for your project.

Yes. Book design can be part of the publishing preparation process. A good cover needs to do more than look attractive. It needs to communicate what the book is about and help position it for its intended audience.

We can help guide you through the process of preparing your book for publication and discuss the options available for your particular project.

Publishing platforms, requirements, and strategies vary, so we'll determine the appropriate approach based on your goals.

There is no single price because no two projects are the same. The investment depends on factors such as:

• Length of the book
• Complexity of the subject
• Amount of research required
• Number and depth of interviews
• Amount of material you already have
• Level of collaboration
• Editing and publishing requirements
• Project timeline

Rather than putting every project into the same package, we develop an approach around your specific needs. The best way to determine the cost of your project is to schedule a consultation.

Generally, coaching requires a greater time commitment because you do much of the writing yourself.

However, the right choice isn't necessarily the least expensive option. It's the option that best matches your available time, writing ability, goals, and desired level of involvement.

During your consultation, we'll help you determine which approach makes the most sense.

Depending on the project, you'll work with members of our writing and creative team.

We assign appropriate resources based on the project's needs and maintain communication throughout the process.

For larger projects, a dedicated project manager can help keep the work organized, on schedule, and within the agreed-upon scope.

We're not simply providing a person to type your words. Our approach combines writing, interviewing, coaching, editing, publishing knowledge, and project management.

Most importantly, we believe the best book begins with understanding the person behind it. You know your story or subject better than anyone. Our job is to ask the right questions, uncover what matters, and help turn that knowledge into something your audience can actually use.

Absolutely. The majority of our clients are first-time authors.

You don't need to understand publishing, outlining, manuscript development, editing, or formatting before contacting us. That's part of what we're here to help with.

Nothing elaborate. If you have an outline, notes, recordings, an existing manuscript, research, or even a collection of ideas, bring whatever you have.

If all you have is an idea in your head, that's enough to start the conversation.

That's exactly what the initial consultation is for. We'll talk about your idea, your goals, where you are in the process, and what you're hoping to accomplish.

If we're a good fit, we'll explain how we can help.

If we're not, we'll tell you that, too.

Your story shouldn't stay trapped in your head simply because you don't know how to get it onto paper.