The Art of Capturing Your Story:

“”Here are some of the details of my memoir ghostwriting process.

• The more I get to know you, the easier it is for me to write your story as though you are telling it yourself. Your uniqueness begins to surface through your personality, your perspective, your words and your message.
• Through the process of in-depth interviews with you, I get to know you and I get to know your voice. It is a critical aspect to the research I need to do to gather rich and detailed material about you.
• The writing style I choose is matched to your voice. That way I help to ensure your memoir feels genuine.
• When sensitive matters arise, they are dealt with in the strictest of confidence in an environment of empathy and respect.

“I recently turned my manuscript over to Donna for her editorial input before I dare to complete more of the publishing process. Donna is an astute editor. She notices small errors and developmental incongruencies that other readers/editors miss. She asks probing questions to clarify who your message is for, and sees a vision for your career past the publication of your book. Besides book content, she evaluates the book title not only for its representation of the book, but also for its ability to hook a potential reader. I highly recommend Donna as an editor and as a guide for your publishing process, if you work with her as a book shepherd. She is dedicated, thorough, responsive and unfailingly polite.” ~ Elena Hiatt Houlihan ~ Writer| Artist| Photographer 

Are you ready to hear your life story come alive on the page?

Let’s discuss how I can help you find your authentic voice.

The Memoir Writing Process From Concept to Completion:

• We begin your book by developing a working title based on your purpose for writing about a significant piece of your life story. The interviews that follow are scheduled according to your availability. It is recommended that interviews be conducted on a regular schedule to give the project continued attention and momentum. For instance, twelve interviews may be spaced one week apart over a period of three months. Allow up to one year to receive your first draft of your manuscript.
• It is your name that appears on the cover of the book as the author. The name of the ghostwriter may or may not appear in the book. If you choose to note it in the book, you may do so on the copyright page or in your acknowledgments.
• It’s my job to create a structure for your memoir and develop a compelling narrative with engaging chapters. I begin by writing the first draft step by step as we continue through this initial set of interviews.
• Once you have completed the payment for the project and receive the first draft, you are brought into the draft picture to participate in rewriting and revising the manuscript. Your feedback on this step brings us closer to the final document. At this point certain documents that add to the story may be considered for inclusion in the book. These documents might include photos and items to attach as appendices. Approval may need to be sought for some potential inclusions in the appendix.
• Up to two major revisions after the original submission are included in the contract. A single major revision is a re-write of one chapter. Additional revisions are possible but at an additional charge. While minor revisions are not unlimited, it is expected that the author will be respectful of the writer’s desire to get it right as well as the writer’s
• Once you approve the manuscript, your manuscript is put through a final edit before delivering the final file to you.
• Once the manuscript is finalized, it is ready to be formatted. In other words, the interior of the book needs to be designed and this task is often turned over to someone who does this work. Also, the title of the book needs to be finalized so that you can proceed with having the cover of the book designed by a cover designer. These tasks come with fees from their providers.
• The last step is deciding if you want to self-publish or not. Printing and publishing are not the same thing. Some authors choose only to print their book for their own private audience such as family members without officially publishing it.
• We are going to need your relevant bio matter to include inside the book and/or on the back cover.. Highlight your experience, qualifications, and any relevant awards or recognition in point form or in a paragraph or two.

Donna’s ability to review my struggle and target an aspect that I had not previously considered as possible was very liberating. I would recommend Donna for anyone who is struggling with who they want to become at this stage in their lives. She has the ability to empower you to look to the bigger picture of who you can become. She can show you how to access your personal power without hype but with tuning in. She is someone who believes in you, so when you have strong invitations from outside influences to doubt yourself, you can hear her voice knowing and expressing your true integrity, and then you can take that authentic reflection for you to connect your true essence and your ability to get your well-being from inside yourself, so you can regain your personal bubble and solidify your choice point of who you allow to speak into your space. ~ Patricia A Cove ~ Integrative Wellness Consultant at LifeStyle Medicine: Regeneration, Stem Cell Activation

Curious about the journey of creating your memoir?