Book Whisperer

SERVICES FOR AUTHORS WITH IMPACT

I help spiritual, vegan, and other authors with coaching, ghostwriting, editing, formatting, indexing, content writing, and media outreach so they can impact people positively with their stories.

Since 2020, I’ve worked with nonfiction authors to publish their books. I can work with fiction authors too.

If you:

  • Have had a profound life experience and thought about writing and publishing a book about it
  • Have a compelling story that can be told in more than 30,000 words
  • Have had a spiritual experience that profoundly changed your life and could be called a miracle
  • Once had a health condition you alleviated through a plant-based diet or non-medical means
  • Are vegan and have a new take on the benefits of the lifestyle
  • Believe that your purpose is to inspire and impact the everyday person with your story
  • Can visualize your book shelved in the Mind-Body-Spirit or Biography sections in a bookstore, or the relevant category for vegan authors
  • Are mastering a craft and want to become known for it
  • Like to see projects to completion, even if you are working on many things at once
  • Are excited to continue telling your story in podcasts and media interviews after publishing your book

…I want to work with you!

Memoirs and other nonfiction books are incredible records of personal history, experience, and/or expertise. Books can increase your personal brand and credibility as a thought leader, positively influence people in a way you can’t do on your own, and open the door to offers with high-end publishers or opportunities to turn your book into a screenplay for film or TV.

See below for who I’ve worked with, my services, and FAQs, and contact me if you’re ready to begin.

 

RECENTLY PUBLISHED AUTHORS

The Powerful Publicity Prescription: Harness the Power of Public Relations to Become a Sought-After Global Industry Expert</p>
<p>A red and grey globe of the world with a grey microphone on top of it</p>
<p>Lilian Sue
Shimmering Around the Edges by Kathrine Snyder book cover

TESTIMONIALS

I found Sandra through a list of vegan editors and I’d recommend her to any first time author and already have done so. I am super pleased with the editing and formatting process Sandra provides! I was worried my editor wouldn’t give me enough feedback, but I was given a great and helpful amount. I appreciate Sandra’s patience and kindness through editing/formatting which made it a great first time publishing experience. I look forward to working with her on my future projects!

Tiffany Petersen

Animal, 2023

I am very grateful for Sandra’s help with crafting my marketing emails. I was looking for someone to help me write emails that were captivating but not manipulative. She went above and beyond my expectations to understand my needs and to write emails that I’m very satisfied with. I look forward to using them to reach out to my email list.

Kathrine Snyder

Shimmering Around the Edges, 2023

Self-publishing a book is no easy task, but Sandra helped me every step of the way! Her editing, formatting, and coaching were tremendously helpful. She is very accessible, and very quick to return emails/phone calls. I could tell she puts a great deal of pride in timeliness and quality. She even met with me a few times on Skype when I was having difficulty with the software related to self-publishing. I would definitely give her 5 stars out of 5 and I plan on working with her again in the future!

Dr. Eli Grey

Is There Comedy in the Afterlife?, 2023

I am so happy I found Sandra. What she has done for me is amazing. Know this, I am not a professional writer. So when I handed my manuscript to Sandra, it was a real mess. I’m not kidding. I cringe when I see what I originally started with. After Sandra did the magic that she does so well, I can proudly hand my book out, secure that all is as it needed to be. Sandra’s devotion continues long after the work is completed, with ongoing introductions to others in my industry and leads I would have missed. Sandra will be my first call on my next project for sure.

Steven Lee August

Vegans Vs. The Verses, 2022

My niece, Sandra Nomoto, is a more polished writer than I am, and I very much appreciate her help in getting this book into something more professional looking than I could have done on my own. If the reader thinks this book is still not very well-written, my response is that it would have been much worse without Sandra’s help.

George B. Martin

Martin Buckner Family History Volumes 1–3, 2020

Great editor and formatter, and helped me tremendously on my travel book. 🙂

Chelsea Zhang

Eight Trips to Take After the Pandemic: Chelsea’s Travel Memoir, 2021

SIGNATURE PACKAGES

GHOSTWRITING

Starts at $3000

In as little as 6 recorded sessions, turn your story into a fully fledged manuscript without typing a single letter. Rate depends on final manuscript length.

EDITING

Starts at $1500

Get your manuscript copyedited, fact-checked, and referenced properly. Rate depends on manuscript length.

FORMATTING

Starts at $750 per format

Get your manuscript copyedited and formatted so all you have to do is hit publish! Rate depends on manuscript length.

SERVICES

Ghostwriting

Copyediting

Print & Ebook Formatting (Layout/Interior Design/Typesetting)

Coaching

Publishing Platform Administration

Indexing

Content Marketing Strategy

Launch Content Writing

To those who successfully refer me clients, I give 5% of all projects (or first month’s revenue for ongoing clients) to YOUR charity of choice or an animal sanctuary near me.

Watch the video below to learn the 3 types of publishing, followed by FAQs.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHY SHOULD I HIRE YOU?

I live and breathe writing and editing. I learned to read and write at three years old and have written and published poetry, short stories, blogs, and articles from elementary school through to university and beyond. Most of my professional career was in the communications industry.

I compiled and co-wrote an heirloom biography of my grandfather in 2014, and self-published two business books in 2019 and 2022.

Self-publishing authors (myself included) commonly make errors in spelling and grammar (especially if English is not your first language), and/or formatting. These errors can be resolved by hiring an editor or someone with experience in formatting for books. My goal is to be THE person spiritual or vegan memoir authors go to if they’re looking for a (vegan) book coach, ghostwriter, editor, formatter, indexer, or content writer!

I can also write a webpage for your book. You can check out my business client portfolio here.

In 2020, I completed courses on Book Editing (IAP College), Proofreading and Copyediting with The Chicago Manual of Style (Editorial Freelancers Association), and two online courses on professional formatting for books and e-books (Udemy). In 2021 I completed an Indexing course from the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE). See published clients and testimonials above.

WHAT DO YOU CHARGE?

The project rate will depend on:

  • The service(s) you’re hiring me for
  • Whether you need to change style during/after ghostwriting
  • Whether you need to approve all changes during editing

If you provide your manuscript’s word count and/or a sample chapter, I’ll have an idea of how much time it will take to complete the work.

When we sign an agreement, clients typically pay half the estimate of the project at the start, and the remaining fee upon delivery of the work.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO COMPLETE THE WORK?

If you have a manuscript, this depends on how long your document is, the quality of your writing, and how long it takes for you to approve the revisions. When it comes to a service like formatting, additional elements like images or footnotes will add time to the project.

If I can take you on as a client, I will commit a minimum of six hours per week. If you want the project completed faster, please let me know prior to signing the agreement; additional fees may apply.

WHY SHOULD I WORK WITH A COACH WHEN I SELF-PUBLISH MY BOOK?

When I self-published my first book, I had two people help me and I did everything else myself. Even when I had a team of 6+ people helping me with my second book, there were still things I did not know when it came to distributing my book in different formats. If you’re new to self-publishing, there are many things you may miss and learn only when looking back. Several of my editing and formatting clients have treated me as a coach and I’m happy to now use my experience to help others.

If, at our first session, we are not a fit to work together, I can refer you to other coaches or companies who can coach you. Or you can search for book publishing agencies or coaches in your area who can advise you through the process.

Click here to watch a short video about book coaching.

WHY SHOULD I HIRE A GHOSTWRITER?

If writing isn’t your strong suit or you simply can’t find time to sit down at your computer to type out your story, hiring a ghostwriter (also called a scribe) is a great option. Many people are better speakers than writers, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a story within them. Bestselling author Gary Vaynerchuk’s a great example.

We’ll structure the work in a series of weekly audio or video calls, so you can “tell” your story and turn it into a manuscript. I have plenty of experience turning spoken words into written content with corporate clients.

If you’re an influencer and are hired by a publisher without delivering a manuscript, they will most likely recommend you hire someone to co-author the book with you.

Click here for a short video about ghostwriting.

WHY SHOULD I HIRE A COPYEDITOR OR PROOFREADER?

If spelling or grammar isn’t your strong suit, English is not your first language, and/or no one but you has read your manuscript, you will want to hire someone like me to spot (and fix) any glaring errors that might prevent you from getting selected by a literary agent or publisher.

For self-publishing authors, this is even more helpful as you don’t want these types of errors spotted by readers and included in their online review of your book.

Click here for a short video about copyediting.

WHY SHOULD I HIRE SOMEONE TO DO INTERIOR FORMATTING FOR ME IF I’M SELF-PUBLISHING?

If you’re not a Microsoft Word nerd, don’t know code (html), or don’t care for learning new software, please consider a professional to format your eBook (Kindle), printed book, or both.

Working with someone who knows how to make your book look professional in both book and digital form can increase your credibility as an author, even if your writing’s already stellar.

For print, you should know the book specifications (measurements) you want once proofreading and editing’s complete. If you aren’t sure what your specs are, you should at least need to know the publishing service you’re going to use; they will likely provide options for you. Some services have templates I can try to work with if you want to use them, but it’s not necessary.

If you’re working with another book coach or agency, they will also know your ideal book specs.

I do not do cover design, but can give a lot of pro book tips to your designer, recommend the right look and feel, and ensure consistency with the rest of your manuscript. I can also refer you to my book cover designer.

Click here for a short video about book formatting.

WHY SHOULD I HIRE SOMEONE DO AN INDEX?

If you don’t know or want to learn the theory behind how an index is formatted but you want to include one in your book, hire an indexer to complete it. An improper or inaccurate index can frustrate instead of help your readers.

Click here for a short video about indexing.

DO I NEED A LITERARY AGENT?

No. A literary agent helps you to pitch your manuscript to top publishing companies, which provide the entire suite of services to authors.

Literary agents are common for authors expected to sell a lot of books.

If we work together, I’m happy to send you a list of literary agents who may select your manuscript.

WHAT IF I WANT TO PITCH MY MANUSCRIPT TO A PUBLISHER?

You’re welcome to pitch your manuscript to publishers regardless of whether you have worked with an editor or have an agent.

Hiring a proofreader and copyeditor can prepare your manuscript for pitching to a publisher. A publisher will provide the full suite of publishing services to you, if selected.

If we work together, I’m happy to send you a list of publishers who may select your manuscript.

WILL YOU HELP ME PROMOTE MY BOOK?

Yes! By nature, I love to talk about my clients on my social media profiles and website. I can develop a content marketing strategy for you to use for the 3 months surrounding your book launch date (1 month before launch, 2 months post-launch), and if you need me to write and potentially publish the content, I can do that too.

I offer book publicity services only to clients in Vancouver, BC or who want to target global vegan media. If this does not apply to you, you must pitch your book to the media once it’s published. You can learn how to do publicity and media outreach through my first book, The Only Public Relations Guide You’ll Ever Need, or course, Be Your Own Public Relations Star in 90 Days. Vegan author clients may have access to my FREE list of 400+ vegan/plant-based media, podcasts, and content creators.

I can also recommend a local publicist or agency who can help you with publicity, depending on where you live. Because of my past public relations experience, I can provide your publicist/PR agency with newsworthy angles they can use to help promote you and your book.

Click here for a short video about developing a marketing strategy and content writing.

DO YOU USE AI WITH YOUR CLIENTS? IS IT OKAY TO USE AI TO WRITE MY BOOK?

As an editor, I do not rely on AI.

If you are self-publishing and use AI to write your entire book, you may need to disclose that on your publishing platform.

As a ghostwriter, I use Otter.ai to convert audio sessions to text. Usually, this is the extent to which I use AI. If an author requires a major rewrite in style or changing to 1st/2nd/3rd person from the original manuscript, I may use AI to assist in that, but will discuss that with the author prior to starting the project.

DO YOU KNOW ANY VEGAN PUBLISHERS OR PRINT-ON-DEMAND SERVICES?

Traditional vegan publishers include:

If you are a publisher and would like to be added to this list, please contact me.

The Vegan Publisher has several publishing programs. Become a part of the Conscious Authors Academy to help you publish your non-fiction book (which I did!).

Print-on-demand services for self-publishing authors that use vegan ink include Amazon KDP, Blurb, and Lulu.

IngramSpark does not use vegan ink, but has relationships with physical bookstores (and I know The Vegan Publisher is working on getting them to go vegan ASAP!).

Download Chapter 1 of Vegan Marketing Success Stories to learn the 6 basics ALL vegan businesses need to implement before they start marketing!

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