Ghost editing isn't as frightening as it sounds. Also referred to as "book doctoring," it blends developmental editing and ghostwriting into one service. It combines creative writing and revising and offers a holistic approach to refining a raw or unfinished manuscript. Ghost editing is like ghostwriting in that the ghost editor is not given formal credit unless it is stated explicitly in the contract. Unlike ghostwriting, an entire book or article is NOT written from scratch but is still presented as the author's work (no how much editing is done).

I am technically a ghostwriting editor, combining both as one service. Developmental and copyediting often involve some level of ghostwriting, as one tends to overlap the other. You can't edit without writing, and you can't write without editing at some point. I work collaboratively with the author or writer through every stage of the ghost editing process until the project is complete.

Quick Facts:

I do not write your book for you. Depending on the author's needs and skills, I perform a variable amount of ghostwriting while editing a project. I work under a contract that specifies that I do not require formal accreditation of the published work—I leave this solely to the author's discretion.

I do not use AI-generated content for small business websites or author manuscripts. I use a grammar editor because I sometimes get a little too generous with the commas—even editors aren't perfect!

Why you should choose Your Bookish Ways as your book editing service:

My innate ability to see beyond the surface is only matched by my passion for helping others express their thoughts and ideas. I am sincere in stating that I want to help authors channel their ideas into captivating words and stories that will inspire and educate their audience.

If you’re a fiction writer with great ideas for story building but only a rough sketch on paper, I can help fill in the gaps and work with you to transform those creative ideas into a cohesive, entertaining story. My specialty is research and historical fiction, but I can write and edit almost any genre.

Nonfiction writers often have a compelling message to share, but they may not always possess the necessary writing skills to communicate their ideas effectively. Creative nonfiction might be an option if you have always wanted to write a book but are worried about privacy.

Whether your penchant is for fiction or nonfiction, I can help get your manuscript or ideas into print!

What is a "mimid" ghost editor or writer?

The secret to being a good editor is creating a seamless transition between the editor's revisions and the author's original writing. The editor's changes must not interfere with the originality of the author's voice or differ significantly from it, as it would be visibly noticeable to readers. An adept ghost editor can "mimic" a writer's style and voice almost perfectly. I refer to this style of editing as a mimid or mockingbird style. Mimid is plural for "Mimidae," a family of birds of which mockingbirds are a part. They can remember and replicate the songs of other birds in their natural environment. Pretty cool, yeah?

Ghost Editing Services

Rewrites or revisions: book manuscripts (chapter by chapter) with a combination of ghostwriting & editing

Developmental editing: editing for context, plot holes, character development, consistency in message, sentence structure, etc.

Book rewrites: reconstruct your already published book (unless there are legal restrictions)

Repurposing content (published or unpublished) into a short e-book

Note: these services do not include proofreading

The most common question I receive about ghost editing is:

“How much do you charge?”

Unfortunately, that question has no quick answer, but let's talk turkey.

The cost of a ghost editing project is based on a straightforward process. The quote is determined by time (hours), words (length of manuscript or writing project), and the experience of the ghost editor. Other cost factors are the time it takes to read the manuscript, any required research and communication time (emails, phone conversations, Zoom calls, etc.) and the actual editing.

The ghost editing process is designed to be flexible, accommodating each writer's unique needs and budget. It typically involves a chapter-by-chapter review of the author's manuscript and a final, complete manuscript edit. Depending on the writer's skill level and preferences, the project can be tailored to lean more toward ghostwriting or editing. I do my best to work within an author's budget.

My process: I begin with a consultation with the author or writer via email or phone. This initial conversation allows me to get to know the author, their manuscript, and their general goals. I then request that they send the first chapter of their manuscript for review; this gives me an idea of the time it will take to edit the manuscript and get a feel for the writer's voice and style. I offer feedback on that chapter and sometimes edit it to gauge if the author and I are a good fit.

Here is an example of a quote from a current client (a historical fiction book)—it is broken down into words and hours based on 50,000 words (approximately ten chapters). The dollar-per-hour rate varies depending on the author's skill level and other factors. The book is short in this case, but editing the dialect is difficult because it reflects the language and speech used by poor Irish immigrants from the 1800s.

Reading and research hours for a 50,000-word book:

6 hours @ $X per hour ($X total)

(includes reading the complete manuscript and background research)

Conference call check-ins/email communications/drawing up a contract:

3 hours @ $X per hour ($X total)

Developmental editing (editing for context, plot holes, character development, consistency in message, sentence structure, etc.):

Per page, $X @ 50,000 words - approximately 250 words per page) ( $X total)

Grand Total: $X

The fee for ghost editing can be paid in increments, depending on the length of the project (payment is expected before beginning the next phase of work).

Here's an example:

Increment payment one: X amount of words or chapters ($X)

Increment payment two: X amount of words or chapters ($X)

Increment payment three: X amount of words or chapters ($X)

In many cases, I combine copyediting and developmental editing for one fee/service because it is difficult to do one without the other.

Note: ghost editing services do not include proofreading (the final spelling, punctuation and grammar review before publishing).

Struggling to come up with creative content for your small business or author website? A researcher specializing in curation could be the answer to your writing needs!

Content curation (aggregation) can be an effective way for you to add much-needed content to your website and blog without creating it from scratch. Incorporating this methodology into your overall marketing strategy will add variety to your content while helping you build relationships with other brands. The caveat is that while curating original content will save you time in the creation process, researching and curating itself can be time-consuming.

Content curation is not as simple as randomly choosing a few posts from another site and sharing them occasionally. Effective curation requires a plan: first, you must identify your target readership and a content type it will find informative and entertaining. Then, you must locate and study content from reliable sources within your industry or topic.

Consistency is important here, so scheduling blog or social media curation is highly advantageous. When "borrowing" content (giving credit where credit is due), it's crucial to credit the original content creator (s) by linking the source to its origin and providing proper attribution. This will both avoid a claim of plagiarism and aid in building solid relationships with other brands, authors and influencers.

With years of research experience, I can help you curate relevant content for your small business or author website.