Ghostwriting

It’s time you finally wrote that book...

Memoirs and stories of survival

If you have a difficult story to tell, you’re in the right place. I specialize in helping authors express the meaning behind their experiences and putting what’s in their heads and hearts on the page.

Veterans and witnesses to history

If people have always said you should write a book, I’d love to hear more about your story. I like working with veterans and people who’ve witnessed extraordinary times. These stories need to be told, and working with a ghostwriter is a great way to do that.

Business handbooks and thought leadership

Before I shifted my focus to ghostwriting and editing, I worked with major B2B SAAS companies as a copywriter and content strategist. This work included a lot of long-form content and even a couple of books.

I can help your brand stand out from the rabble with a book.

The Ghostwriting Process

Step 1: Outline, Roadmap,
and Positioning

Before we start writing, we need a roadmap for the project and an outline for the book.
We’ll also talk about audience, positioning, and your goals as an author.

You can use this information to start looking for publishers.

If you’re going the traditional publishing route, I’ll help you put together a book proposal.

Step 2: Interviews and First Draft

This is the fun part! Once we have our chapter outline, it’s time to sit down and record the interviews that will become the content of your book.

Then, I brew some coffee and start crafting your first draft!

Using our interviews, I develop a writing style that captures your authentic voice.

When the first 25 pages are ready, I’ll send them to you to make sure we’re on the same page (pun intended). You can use these pages as part of your book proposal.

After a few dozen more coffees, your first draft is ready.

Step 3: Drafts 2 & 3

Hemingway said, “The first draft of anything is sh*t.” Believe it or not, that’s the whole point of a first draft, to just get everything on the page and forget about perfection.

In drafts 2 & 3, we use the raw material from draft 1 to craft your book with the magic of editing.
Then it’s time to prepare for publication!

  • Make Peace or Die: a Life of Service, Leadership, and Nightmares by Charles U. Daly

  • “This is the kind of book I love—a true-life memoir of a man who lived (and is still living) a multi-dimensional life of war, love, family, and service … and who writes about it like a bandit. When I finished the book, I couldn’t help asking myself on behalf of our country, ‘Where are the men like Charles Daly NOW?’ I love books like Mr. Daly’s because they give us a model to aspire to. And they’re tremendous fun to read. His story and the fluent, hold-nothing-back style he uses to tell it, stand with the best of the best. Semper Fi!”

    —Steven Pressfield,
    Bestselling Author of Gates of Fire and The War of Art

  • Getting an Old Marine to Talk about the War


    Korean war veterans are notorious for not talking about what they saw and did over there.

    As my father (who had me late in life) was entering his 90s, he faced a stark choice: either find the courage to talk about his life or accept that his stories would soon die with him.

    He asked me to take a look at some of his notes and help turn them into a book. What followed was a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration. I supplemented his notes with hours of interviews and research and helped him navigate publication and marketing to become a first-time author at 93.

    Through the book and a few podcast appearances, including Joko Podcast, my dad has connected with younger generations of veterans and civilians and received “thank you” notes from readers all over the world who were moved by his story.

#1 in “War & Peace”

Helping a 93-year-old first-time author top a bestseller list, ahead of Ronan Farrow and Noam Chomsky, was a highlight of this project.

  • The Ecommerce Marketing Handbook
    by Privy

  • "How to grow your business from $0 to $1 million in sales even if you’re not a marketing expert."


    Privy wanted to set themselves apart in the crowded field of Shopify plugins by writing the definitive marketing handbook for growing ecommerce businesses.

    I sat down with dozens of ecommerce founders and online store owners and put their pro tips on the page. We came up with action items and how-tos for each chapter, to give readers a marketing masterclass.

  • "Charles has been amazing to work with. He did everything we asked and when the project went beyond our original scope, he came through with no complaints. I fully endorse him and recommend him for writing, editing, ghostwriting, and content marketing. He will be a huge asset to you!"

    — Daniel J. Murphy,

    Director of Marketing at Privy

  • “Texas Tower Number 4 vs. the North Atlantic”
    With Joshua Maloney for We Are the Mighty

  • A Hometown Maritime Disaster


    “There’s no evidence of panic, even though there was nothing to do but panic…”

    My buddy Josh had been working on a scientific paper about an obscure Cold War maritime disaster that happened right off the coast of our home towns on Cape Cod.

    Josh and I shared a byline on a feature article based on his paper. My main contribution, as co-author, was to weave a human story around the science and chain of events described in his paper.

FAQs

  • In the old days, scribes would write down the wisdom of the age and document events. Nowadays, that ancient craft is called ghostwriting.

    A ghostwriter turns their client’s thoughts and experiences into a book written in the client’s voice. This is the best way for someone who isn’t a professional writer to write a book.

    Subject matter experts and business leaders can use ghostwriting to position themselves as an authority in their field.

    Most of the books you’ve read that were written by someone who isn’t a professional writer or journalist (i.e. rockstars, business leaders, politicians, war heroes) were written by ghostwriters.

  • It all depends on your schedule and my availability. Once we get started, I like to move fast and get you a first draft within a month from the time we finish the outlining and interview process.

    Typically, you’re looking at three to six months. But it is possible to do a rush project in four to six weeks.

  • No! Your royalties are for you.
    You retain copyright and all future royalties.

  • No. I just write and edit.

    But I can help you navigate the publication process and decide which type of publisher is right for you.

    I work with a couple of hybrid publishers I can put you in touch with, and I have a network of freelancers who can help you with every aspect of self-publishing, from proofreading and cover design to marketing and promotion.

  • Absolutely. I’ll be with you all the way to publication day. And I’ll give you a detailed marketing plan to help you promote your book and have a successful launch.

  • The short answer: As long as it needs to be and no longer.

    The longer answer: Each genre has its own sweet spot for length. Books that are too long or too short are unappealing to publishers and readers, so it’s best to aim for that sweet spot. Writers and editors go by word count. A page of a paperback book is about 250 words. So, 50,000 words is a 200-page book.

    These are your “sweet spots” for target length:

    • Memoir/ General nonfiction - 50-60,000 words

    • Business handbook - 25,000 words + graphics and illustrations.

    • Business eBook - 10,000 words.

    It’s always easier to make cuts than to add material, so you should overwrite your first draft. If your target is 50,000 words, write 60,000 in your first draft.

  • No. YOUR name goes on the cover. It’s your book, I just work behind the scenes on the writing… like a ghost.

    There are different ways to approach the question of anonymity. Most authors I work with are fine with me including their ghostwritten book in my portfolio.
    Some authors insist on an NDA to conceal the involvement of a ghostwriter, but this is rare.

    Another option is co-authorship. If the book is collaborative, or there’s an upside for you in acknowledging my involvement, I can work as your co-author or you can use the term “as told to” on the cover.

    Totally up to you.

  • Probably… Ghostwriting is all about trying on different voices and stepping into other worlds. Most of my work has been with veterans, founders, and business leaders, but I’m comfortable writing in a range of genres.

    One of my favorite things about being a ghost is having a chance to work with people from all sorts of backgrounds.

  • While I try to be open to a range of work, I don’t touch political books, manifestos, hit pieces, or catalogs of grievance.

  • Yes. You write the book. I edit it. I offer a range of editing services and outlining sessions.

    Editing is roughly one-quarter to one-third the cost of ghostwriting.

    If you’re planning to go the traditional publishing route, I can write a book proposal to help you find an agent and secure a book deal.

  • Yeah… good luck with that.
    AI can do some amazing things for authors. It’s pretty good at outlining, and it’s way better than a human at brainstorming long lists of potential titles.

    But writing a book is about so much more than stringing words together. It takes heart and subtlety and a unique voice, and those aren’t traits you can easily mimic with AI.