As an editor, I do not rely on AI.

If you are self-publishing and use AI to write your entire book, you’ll 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.

Services range from $25 to $100 per thousand words. 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.

Additional charges depend on:

• Whether you need to change style during/after ghostwriting
• Whether you need to approve all changes during editing
• The amount of fact checking required (for nonfiction books)
• The presence of images and footnotes/references
• Requests for changes after receiving your print proof

It depends on how long your document is, the quality of your writing, and how long it takes for you to approve revisions. With 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.

As the amount of text on a page can vary according to the size of the text, font used, and other design elements, look at word count instead of page count. The minimum for a book that will have a proper spine is 30,000 words, which will equate to roughly 120 pages.

If writing isn’t your strong suit or you simply can’t find time to sit down at your computer to type out your book, hiring a ghostwriter or 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 without writing experience, publishers may recommend you hire someone to co-author a book with you.

Click here for a short video about ghostwriting.

If you’re pitching to publishers and spelling or grammar isn’t your strong suit, English is not your first language, 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, editing is even more helpful. 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.

If you’re not a Microsoft Word nerd, don’t know code (html), or don’t care to learn new software, consider hiring 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 print 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 are complete. If you aren’t sure what your specs are, you should at least know the publishing service you’re going to use; it will provide the options for you. 

I do not do cover design, but can give 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’s cover designer.

Click here for a short video about book formatting.

Click here for a short video about the difference between the three types of publishing.

Check out Writer’s Beware’s list of publishing, marketing, and fake literary agency scams if you’re considering working with a service provider or agency as an alternative.

Other blog posts that may be helpful to you:

• Pros and cons of traditional book publishing
• Book publishing vs. distribution
• How to choose a hybrid publisher
• 11 elements of a book proposal
• What a year-long self-publishing journey looks like
• What you can pay for to promote your book
• The marketing strategy of a bestselling author
• How to publish a vegan book

There are two ways to sign a deal with a traditional publisher. First, you can pitch them yourself. You will need to prepare a book proposal (or version of one). Publishers expect fiction authors to already have written their book, while they expect nonfiction authors not to have written their book.

Click here for a book on publishers that accept submissions directly from authors or you can sign up to Authors Publish’s email newsletter to receive issues on publishers and small presses open to direct submissions without an agent.

Second, you can land a literary agent who will help find and negotiate a deal with a traditional publisher. The process of landing an agent is similar to landing a publisher. The top 5 publishers only take proposals from literary agents. See the question below for resources on landing an agent.

Note that traditional publishers may or may not pay an advance. Advances reflect the amount of book copies publishers expect your book to sell. Top publishers expect authors to sell 20-25,000 copies at the time of launch, so I usually suggest authors not expect a deal with a top publisher unless they have between 10-100,000 social media followers, email subscribers, or a similar audience. Publishers also hold the rights to your book for as long as your contract is in effect.

Hybrid publishers do not pay advances and are typically paid by authors to complete all services required to produce a book. You still need to prepare a proposal to pitch hybrid publishers with your book idea. Authors maintain the rights to their book, but some hybrid publishers take a percentage of sales.

Most publishers expect authors to do most of the marketing for their book, even if it’s expected to sell many copies.

No, but the top 5 publishers will only take inquiries from literary agents. Lit agents pitch your manuscript to potential publishers, who provide the entire suite of services to authors.

Literary agents are common for authors expected to sell a minimum of 25,000 books.

The process of landing an agent is similar to landing a publisher. Here are some resources for:

• Literary agents
• Literary agents in Canada
• How to find a literary agent

If we work together, I’m happy to send you a list of literary agents.

Amounts will vary depending on where you live or who you choose to hire, but I suggest self-publishing authors invest US/C$10,000 to $15,000 for the following services:

• Editor(s)
• Formatter(s)
• Cover designer
• Narrator & sound engineer (for audiobook production)
• Marketing & publicity
• Inventory

Even if you can save money by doing a service yourself or having a friend do it for you for free or at a lower cost, I still suggest taking the amount you saved and investing it into marketing. It’s the most important facet of reaching readers.

I only help vegan authors with book promotion, but by nature, I love to talk about my clients on my social media profiles and website.

If you’re a vegan author, 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). If you need me to write and potentially publish the content, I can do that too.

I offer book publicity services to vegan authors 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 where you live. Because of my past public relations experience, I can provide your publicist or PR agency with newsworthy angles they can use to promote you and your book.

Click here for a short video on the 6 elements of a book marketing strategy.

Other blog posts that may be helpful to you:

• What you can pay for to promote your book
• The marketing strategy of a bestselling author

And click here for additional author resources, including my list of book marketing sites.

Traditional vegan publishers include:

• Ashland Creek Press
• BenBella Vegan (vegan arm of BenBella)
• Lantern Publishing & Media
• Vegan Heritage Press
• Vegan Publishers
• Next Level (German)

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 (which I did!) to help you publish your non-fiction book.

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

IngramSpark does not use vegan ink, but is the largest global distributor of self-published books (and I know The Vegan Publisher is working on getting them to go vegan ASAP!).