
SERVICES FOR VEGAN AND SPIRITUAL AUTHORS
I help spiritual and vegan authors with coaching, ghostwriting, editing, formatting, indexing, and content writing so they can impact people positively with their stories.
If you’ve had a profound life experience and thought about writing and publishing a book about it, I want to work with you!
Since 2020, I’ve been using the same storytelling skills from my 13-year career in public relations to assist vegan or spiritual authors in publishing their memoirs and other non-fiction books. I can work with fiction authors too.
If you:
- Have a compelling story that can be told in more than 100 pages
- Have had a spiritual experience that profoundly changed your life and could be called a miracle
- Once had a health condition that you alleviated through a vegan 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 section of a bookstore, or the relevant category for vegan authors; or
- Are excited to continue telling your story after your book is published in podcast and other types of media interviews
…let’s work together!
Memoirs and other non-fiction 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.
Please visit the sections below for more information on my services and process, and contact me if you’re ready to begin.
BOOK COACHING FOR ASPIRING OR EXPERIENCED AUTHORS
An agreement is not required to work with me if you would like a one-time coaching session.
If you want to engage in a more regular coaching schedule, I’ll prepare a brief agreement before we decide on times to meet either by video (preferred) or phone. I can record video sessions on Zoom if you prefer.
This can also include administration help on self-publishing platforms.
Please note if you engage in other services, I may at some point suggest a coaching session if I feel it would be valuable to the publishing of your book.
View a short video on the advantages of working with a book coach below.
GHOSTWRITING PROCESS FOR NON-FICTION AUTHORS
Upon signing of an agreement, we will arrange a consistent schedule of 30 or 60-minute weekly audio or video calls recorded on Zoom.
Using the call recordings, I will begin composing your book. The call schedule will resume until you have finished telling your story. (For an idea of how long it might take, one hour of narration equals 10,000–12,000 words. The minimum length for a book is 30,000 words.)
Once I’ve written the book, I’ll deliver the draft to you in Word (.docx) format, unless there are elements that need to be clarified. In this case, I’ll load the document as a Google Doc and use the comments feature for queries.
I do not make manual marks on hard copies, as it’s wasteful and unnecessary.
Once you’re happy with your manuscript, you can then pitch it to publishers or agents, or move onto the editing stage to self-publish.
View a short video about ghostwriting below.
COPYEDITING AND PROOFREADING PROCESS FOR NON-FICTION AUTHORS
Upon signing of an agreement, you’ll email your unformatted manuscript in Word (.docx) format.
I typically do proofreading and copyediting simultaneously.
Proofreading is reading a text and scrutinizing all of its components to find and correct errors before publication.
Copyediting, also called line editing or manuscript editing, requires attention to every word and mark of punctuation in a manuscript, a thorough knowledge of the style to be followed, and the ability to make quick, logical, and defensible decisions. Copyeditors will ask authors about inconsistencies, facts to check, quoted material, foreign words and phrases, table of contents, and chapter/part titles.
Copyediting is done either by a publishing company when a manuscript is accepted for publication, or by a freelance vegan memoir editor like myself, if you’re self-publishing.
I will load the document as a Google Doc and use the comments and suggestions features. If you need to review and approve each minor change, be aware that doing this will add time to your project.
I do not make manual marks on hard copies, as it’s wasteful and unnecessary.
I may make structural/developmental suggestions, but will not make major revisions to sections, chapters, or parts of your book without your consent.
We will go through two to three rounds of revisions before the manuscript’s finalized. You can then pitch your manuscript to publishers or agents, or self-publish.
View a short video on copyediting below.
BOOK FORMATTING PROCESS FOR SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHORS
Upon signing of an agreement, you’ll email me your unformatted manuscript in Word (.docx) format including your copyright page, and we’ll have a discussion about what you might want the book to look like in terms of size and interior. You’ll also need to deliver any images that need to be included. Images, custom design requests, and footnotes will all add time to the project, but you don’t want to gloss over this stage—it makes the difference between an amateur or professional-looking book.
Print formatting: I will begin formatting your book and send you drafts in PDF format. Prior to or during interior formatting, you’ll want to have your cover designed so the interior is consistent with the cover. We’ll continue to make changes until you’re satisfied with the document and you’ve submitted it to your publishing service without issues.
E-book formatting: I will send your draft via .ePUB format which you’ll be able to open in the Kindle Previewer app, iBooks, or similar readers. Prior to or during interior formatting, you’ll want to have your front cover designed. We’ll continue to make changes until you’re satisfied with the document and you’ve submitted it to your publishing service without issues.
View a short video about book formatting below.
INDEXING PROCESS FOR NON-FICTION AUTHORS
If you’ve written a nonfiction book that doesn’t fall in the memoir category and could use an index, I’m here for you!
Upon signing of an agreement, you’ll email me your formatted manuscript in Word (.docx) format.
I’ll index the book and deliver the first draft in PDF format in 7 days. I’ll continue to make changes until you’re satisfied with the index, then I’ll deliver the final manuscript files back, which you’ll use for publishing.
View a short video about indexing below.
CONTENT WRITING FOR AUTHORS
Before I can write the content for your social media posts, blogs, and emails, it’s important we have a marketing strategy. This will determine how frequently you will share content and what the direction of that content will be. If you are not prepared to develop your marketing strategy and need to hire a strategist to do that work, let me know and I can refer you to someone to create the strategy.
Once the strategy is created, I’ll write the social posts, blog posts, and emails you’ll need at least 30 days in advance of when you expect to post them online.
Please contact me at least two months before your intended launch date. Three or four months would be most ideal so that I can read your book, receive the marketing strategy, and prepare your posts by the one-month mark to your launch.
View a short video below on what to expect when you hire me as your content writer.
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). Published clients and testimonials appear below.
WHAT DO YOU CHARGE?
I charge by the hour. The project rate will depend on:
- The service(s) you’re hiring me for
- Whether or not you need to approve all changes
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.
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 hired by a publisher without delivering a manuscript, they will most likely recommend you hire someone to co-author the book with you.
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.
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.
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.
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. They 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.
DO YOU KNOW ANY VEGAN PUBLISHERS OR PRINT-ON-DEMAND SERVICES?
Traditional vegan publishers I know of are BenBella Vegan (vegan arm of BenBella), Lantern Publishing & Media, Vegan Heritage Press, and Vegan Publishers. If you are a publisher and would like to be added to this list please contact me.
The Vegan Publisher has several programs. Become a part of the Conscious Authors Alliance 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!).
WILL YOU HELP ME PROMOTE MY BOOK?
By nature, I love to talk about my clients on my social media profiles and website, but I do not offer book publicity services. It will be up to you to market your book once it’s published, and I can recommend a local publicist or agency who can help you with that, depending on where you live. Because of my past public relations experience, I can also provide them with newsworthy angles they can use to help promote you and your book. You can also learn how to do publicity and media outreach for your own book through my first book, The Only Public Relations Guide You’ll Ever Need, or course, Be Your Own PR Star in 90 Days.
Learn about my content writing services above or watch a video here.
PUBLISHED CLIENTS
TESTIMONIALS
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!
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.
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.
Great editor and formatter, and helped me tremendously on my travel book. 🙂