My Process: How I Ghostwrite Books as a Memoir Ghostwriter
Looking to hire a memoir ghostwriter? Learn more about how I help clients leave their legacy here.
I’ve been a ghostwriter for almost six years, and so far I’ve written and edited books for Olympians, professional athletes, investors, CEO’s, and other accomplished individuals all over the world. I’ve ghostwritten memoirs, nonfiction books, and even helped edit a few fiction books that you may have seen on shelves 🙂
As a memoir ghostwriter, my specialty lies in helping people tell their life stories. Those stories often dovetail with more practical topics: for example, I’ve helped CEO’s share their experience in business by pulling from stories of their own lives. When we view information through the lens of story, it’s more easily digestible. That’s why even in more traditional nonfiction books I recommend starting with story.
Phase One: Start with Story
I begin any book project from a place of story.
If I’m operating as a memoir ghostwriter helping you tell your life story, I want to know:
Why do you want to tell this story?
Who do you want it to reach?
What’s the tone of this story?
What memoirs (or other stories) do you think are written well that you’d like your book to emulate?
Who are the “characters” of your life? What roles did they play? (Hero, villain, mentor, stumbling block, etc.)
What are the biggest questions of your life? What are the biggest pain points or conflicts?
These types of story-based questions help us build a solid foundation for the book’s structure and how I tackle your life story.
I begin every book by hopping on a call with you to discuss your intent for the book and anything you need me to know about your story from a big-picture perspective. This helps as we start to dive into the nitty-gritty of the structure of your book!
Phase Two: Applying Good Story Structure to Your Book
Good story structure starts with an understanding of the mythos of the hero’s journey. Joseph Campbell wasn’t playing around when he analyzed the tenets of a great story, and I draw from his work as well as critically acclaimed story structure books like The Story Grid by Shawn Coyne to help shape your story into an unforgettable read.
Some stories are best told out of order, or with flashbacks and other literary devices to foreshadow what’s coming up next—or to surprise the reader when a storyline doesn’t turn out the way they expected.
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki remains a staple in personal finance books because of the story structure applied at the beginning. The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene is filled with hundreds of stories that ace story structure 101. Any books you pick up by Malcolm Gladwell or Seth Godin take advantage of storytelling to keep the reader turning pages.
Your book deserves great structure, and I can write that for you.
When I’m generating the initial structure of the book, I create a big-picture outline which captures the storylines, events, and characters of your book. Once I’ve presented that to you and gotten your feedback, I’ll dive into a more detailed chapter outline. That way, I can get clear on what will happen in each chapter, and understand what gaps may need to be filled in.
Phase Three: Diving into the Draft
I work asynchronously on book ghostwriting and editing processes. As a memoir ghostwriter and a developmental editor, I’ve seen that this process works best:
I’ll write chapters and share them in a Google Doc as I go.
My clients can leave notes on the chapters, which I’ll edit as I write.
I’ll share questions and prompts for each chapter before I write it, so my clients can send me voice memos, emails, or short Loom videos answering the questions.
I’ll integrate that material into the draft and keep going from there.
This process helps me work at a steady pace without missing a beat, and allows my clients to send me voice memos and anything I should know along the way. I skip Zoom meetings/phone calls as that slows down the process, and I find that my clients often come up with better material if they’re given questions and have time to reflect on them and then record voice memos rather than us syncing up for a call.
This process also allows me to stay embedded in your draft, so that I can maximize my deep work time and ensure I’m spending my best hours each day on my client’s book.
Phase Four: Rewriting, Refining, and Rediscovering
The rewrite phase isn’t just for rewriting. It’s for the 3 R’s: rewriting, refining, and rediscovering.
This phase of your memoir or nonfiction book process will be one of the most extensive. I recommend looping in your friends or family to be your early readers to give feedback on the draft, as that will help you rediscover parts of your story that others may be able to shine light on.
As you read through your book in its entirety, you’ll be reminded of other memories from your past or stories that we can include. This is also when I approach the refinement part of this phase, ensuring that your life story reads like poetry, not just a timeline of events. Your voice should pop on the page. From your sense of humor to the way you tell a story, we’ll continue to tailor your book to your unique life.
The rewriting process for memoirs and nonfiction books is different for everyone. Some books emerge from the rough draft phase pretty close to what the final draft becomes. Others go through a deep evolution during rewrites.
Depending on how the draft is shaping up, I’ll create rewrite plans to help guide the book from good to exceptional. I want your readers to obsess over your book, to place it atop bookshelves and coffeetables, and to share dog-eared copies with friends and confidantes. Perfection takes time, so know that this process of perfecting may take awhile.
Phase Five: Proofread and Polish
This phase is self-evident. 🙂 Every book needs fine-tuning, and the proofread and polish pass comes after all the material of the book has been written and decided upon. While I proofread and polish each chapter as I write, I like to separate out this pass so I can show up with fresh eyes. A good edit can do wonders for your read.
Phase Six: Setting You Up for Success
The publishing process is different for everyone, and the publishing industry itself looks a lot different than it did even 5 years ago.
Some of my clients choose to go the traditional publishing process, where they query book agents and go out to publishers. Others prefer to retain control and ownership over their book and their profits, and opt for the self-publishing or hybrid publishing routes.
Your next steps on your publishing journey depends on your goals and your book.
Hire a Memoir Ghostwriter
In the past seven years, I’ve served as a memoir ghostwriter for some pretty impressive people all over the world. My clients have graced the stages of TED, found themselves on bestseller lists, and have gone on to flourish in their careers and lives. Writing a memoir is an honorable way to share the lessons you learned on your journey in this lifetime, and a great way for you to pass on your memories to future generations.
You can check out my services here and learn more about my process, or you can read any of the below articles I’ve written on the subject of memoir ghostwriting:
Cheers to living a life worth writing about! 🥂
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