Ghostwriting & Memoir Writing
Every life contains a book. Most never get written — not because the story isn't there, but because the right words are hard to find alone. I find them. Then I disappear, and the story becomes entirely yours.
"You don't have to be famous for your story to matter. You just have to have lived it."
The most extraordinary stories I've ever worked on didn't belong to celebrities or politicians. They belonged to a nurse who worked through a pandemic and came out the other side changed. A grandfather who survived things his grandchildren couldn't imagine. An entrepreneur who built something from nothing and lost it all — twice — before it finally worked.
These are the stories that should exist in the world. The ones that families will read decades from now. The ones that might quietly change someone's life. My job is to listen until I understand yours — and then write it in a way that does it justice.
This is the most intimate professional relationship I have with any client. It requires trust, patience, and time. I don't take every project. But when I do, I bring everything I have.
What Ghostwriting Actually Is
"You talk. I write. The book is yours — your name on the cover, your voice on every page, your copyright to keep forever. My involvement stays completely private."
How Long It Takes
"Honestly — anywhere from 3 months to a full year, depending on your availability, the depth of the story, and how much existing material we're working with. We set a realistic timeline together at the start and I hold to it."
What Makes This Different
"34 years of professional writing. I've interviewed hundreds of people and written in dozens of voices. I know how to find the story inside the story — and how to make it read like you wrote every word yourself."
What I Write
From full-length published memoirs to intimate family legacy books — each format serves a different purpose and a different reader.
A full-length book — typically 60,000 to 90,000 words — that tells the story of your life or a defining chapter of it. Written for publication, for legacy, or simply because this story needs to exist.
We work through interviews, existing materials, photographs, documents, and memory to reconstruct your story with the depth and honesty it deserves. This is a collaborative process from first conversation to final manuscript.
From $15,000 · Timeline: 6–12 monthsA business book, leadership manifesto, or professional memoir that positions you as the defining voice in your field. Written for publication, speaking platforms, and client development.
These books open doors that no amount of marketing can. A well-written book under your name changes how your industry sees you — and how you see yourself.
From $12,000 · Timeline: 4–9 monthsA privately printed family history or personal legacy book — the story of a life, a family, or a generation, written to be passed down. Not for bookstores. For the people who matter most.
These are often the most meaningful projects I take on. The story of a grandparent's life. A family's immigration story. A business built over generations. Something that will exist long after we're gone.
From $8,000 · Timeline: 3–8 monthsNot ready for a full book? A long-form narrative essay, personal essay collection, or extended life story piece captures the heart of your experience in a shorter, powerful form.
These can live on your website, in a publication, as a centerpiece of a memorial, or simply as a gift to your family. Sometimes 5,000 words says everything a full book would.
From $2,500 · Timeline: 4–8 weeksWho This Is For
The most common thing people say when they first reach out is "I don't know if my story is interesting enough." It always is.
Illness, loss, recovery, survival, reinvention — lives shaped by experiences that most people never face. These are the stories that quietly change readers and deserve to be written down with the care they earned.
Adult children who want to capture a parent's story before it's gone. Families with extraordinary histories — immigration, service, sacrifice, building something from nothing — that deserve to be documented.
Business builders whose story of building — the failures, the pivots, the moments that almost ended everything — is more useful and more inspiring than any business book on the shelf.
Physicians, nurses, first responders, and caregivers who have witnessed the full spectrum of human experience and carry stories that the world needs to hear — about service, about loss, about what it means to show up.
Leaders who want a book that opens speaking opportunities, strengthens their professional legacy, and puts their philosophy into a form that clients and colleagues can carry with them.
You don't need a dramatic life. You need a life honestly examined. Some of the most profound books ever written are about ordinary lives lived with extraordinary attention and heart.
The Process
This is not a transaction. It's a collaboration. Here's what working together actually looks like — from first conversation to finished manuscript.
"Most clients are surprised by how natural the interview process feels. You're not performing. You're just talking to someone who knows how to listen."
A free 30-minute call where we talk about your story, your goals for the book, your timeline, and whether we're the right fit for each other. No pressure, no commitment. This book only works if we both believe in it.
Week 1We meet regularly — by phone, video, or in person — for structured interviews that go deep into your story. I ask the questions you haven't thought to answer. We gather everything the book needs before a single page is written.
Weeks 2–6I build a detailed chapter-by-chapter outline that you review and approve. This is where the shape of the book takes form — what goes in, what stays out, and what order makes the story most powerful. You have full input.
Weeks 6–8I write. You live your life. I deliver chapters in batches as they're completed so you can read, react, and redirect before we go further. Your feedback at this stage shapes everything that follows.
Months 2–8 depending on scopeWe go through the complete manuscript together — adjusting voice, adding detail, removing what doesn't serve the story. This stage can take weeks. It's where a good book becomes a great one.
4–8 weeksYou receive a complete, polished manuscript in your preferred format — ready for a publisher, a literary agent, a self-publishing platform, or a private printer. The book is entirely yours. I step back completely.
Final monthInvestment
Ghostwriting is one of the most significant writing investments a person can make. It reflects the time, depth, and skill required to do it properly — and the permanence of what gets created.
All projects are priced individually after our first conversation. The figures above are starting points — final pricing depends on scope, timeline, your availability, and the complexity of the story. A 50% deposit is required to begin. Payment plans are available. Every project includes a formal agreement outlining deliverables, timeline, confidentiality, and ownership — which is always 100% yours.
Confidentiality & Trust
Ghostwriting only works when there is complete trust. Here is exactly how I protect yours.
Full NDA on every project. A formal non-disclosure agreement is standard — not optional — on every ghostwriting engagement. Your project, your privacy, your call on what gets shared with whom.
Your name. Your copyright. The manuscript belongs to you completely. I transfer all rights upon final payment. I make no claim to authorship, credit, or royalties — ever.
No portfolio use without permission. I will never reference your project in my marketing materials without your explicit written consent.
Secure file sharing only. All drafts and materials are shared through encrypted, password-protected channels. Nothing sensitive goes through standard email.
You control the narrative. Nothing gets published, shared, or distributed without your sign-off at every stage. You have final approval on every word.
"The people who come to me with their stories are trusting me with something irreplaceable. That is not lost on me for a single day of the project. I treat every manuscript as if it were my own family's story — because to the person on the other end of the call, it is."
— On working with clients
On the Record
[ Replace with a testimonial from a ghostwriting or memoir client — speaks to the intimacy of the process, how well their voice was captured, the experience of seeing their story told properly, and the trust that made it possible. ]
Client Name · Book Type · Published or Private
The first conversation is free, completely confidential, and comes with no obligation. We just talk — about your story, your goals, and whether this is the right time.
Let's Talk — Free 15 Min