Frequently Answered Questions (FAQ)

Partner Publishing provides a process where you, the author and owner of your intellectual property, is able to partner with professionals who understand the nuances and requirements of the publishing world, and have the skills to transform your project into a professionally published product. The Partner Publisher provides the services, ISBN number, and professional branding while you retain all the rights to your material and receive all the profits from it.

Companies who offer Self-Publishing services (also known as Vanity Publishers) will accept any project if the money is right. They operate from templates and print your project exactly as you submit it, which often ends up looking unprofessional. Partner Publishers select the projects they feel best represent their brand, and are able to give personal attention to each author with whom they work. 

This is where the partnering really happens! You have absolute control over the type of layout you prefer, the design look of the cover, and the material you include. We use our editorial guidelines to ensure consistency throughout, and offer our professional recommendations related to the professional result of your project. The final decisions are made as we work together throughout the entire process.

There are a huge variety of publishers who call themselves Hybrid Publishers, Partner Publishers, Agent-Assisted Publishers, and several other terms that create confusion among authors who are seeking the best choice publication of their writing projects. We pride ourselves on our integrity and ability to create strong working relationships with our authors. We intentionally choose a small number of projects at a time, in order to guarantee the attention each author deserves. We offer the flexibility and relationship that larger firms cannot provide. In addition, our authors maintain control of their final product, and receive all the profits.

The duration of the publishing process will vary, depending on the complexity of the project and the author's ability to complete milestone approvals throughout. Prior to beginning a project, we work with you to create a Publishing Timeline, which highlights each phase of the process, including expectations, deliverables, and due dates. 

We are delighted to take all the stress of those details off your plate! When you use our services, you have the option of being published under one of our imprints: Liberty Publishing Group and Prosperity Publishing House. If you choose to do this, we provide the ISBN number, Library of Congress number, and registration in Bowker's Books in Print. 

Absolutely! We are thrilled to partner with you to ensure you have the perfect format of your cover and book to present to a printer ... and we can even help you with the printing details. However, you will need to provide your own ISBN, Library of Congress number, and registration with Bowker Books in Print, since our block of numbers and accounts are associated with our Publishing Company. Our Literary Coaching process might be a good option, if you want to do it yourself and are just seeking some mentoring and guidance.

Prior to beginning the project, you will receive a detailed Plan of Action which outlines the costs involved. The last thing any of us wants is a financial surprise, so we give you a total project fee right from the start. Typically we request 35% of the total project fee up front, 50% upon completion and approval of the final review, prior to printing; and the remaining 15% upon receipt of your final product (i.e., printed books).

We are happy to say we have had the privilege of working with more than 20 different authors just for book publishing, and countless others for smaller projects (eBooks, White Papers, business card design, etc.) -- not to mention the 60+ books we've authored and published ourselves!

Technology makes it quite easy for us to work together! Most of our communication will be via email, texting, phone, Zoom, and when feasible, face-to-face. We’ve worked with great people all over the globe.

Absolutely! Ghostwriters simply help you say what you want to say in a clear, engaging way. The ideas are 100% yours. All we as  ghostwriters do is help you get it succinctly on the page. Ghostwriting has been incredibly common for a long time. Many famous celebrities, businesspeople, actors, athletes, politicians, novelists, etc., hire ghostwriters to write books for them. So, your contracting me would not be unusual at all!

Absolutely not! That’s why it’s called ghostwriting! No one will know you had a friendly ghost help you with the writing process unless you choose to tell him or her. You don’t have to publicly acknowledge you hired a ghostwriter! Also, I don’t retain any rights of ownership for your book whatsoever – and I put that promise in writing! Even if your book becomes a bestseller, you’ll never owe me any extra compensation (unless you choose to do so).

You can have as much or as little interaction with me as you’d like. My process is tailored to suit your schedule and your needs. Generally, clients opt to have regularly scheduled sessions via phone or Zoom, as well as ongoing communication by email. In certain instances, it’s also possible to arrange for face-to-face meetings with me. The entire process can be adapted to best support you!

Yes, of course! My services are 100% confidential. I’ll never use any of the information you provide for any other purpose, nor will I use the writing developed for your book for anyone else. I freely offer a non-disclosure agreement.

The duration of the ghostwriting process is partly up to you. Depending on your schedule and desired level of involvement, you’ll receive written material for your  approval on a regular basis. While every book is unique, on average, a 175-225 page manuscript will take between three and nine months to complete. A 300-plus page manuscript usually takes between four and ten months. I’m amicable for rushing these services for you if you need to meet a specific publishing date.

Yes! I’ll gladly edit and incorporate any written content you provide. Depending on the literary strength and applicability of the content you provide, it could very well save you money! Your content will also help me sync with your writing style to capture your voice.

Yes, my ghosting services can include research. Whether your book requires basic Internet searches or in-depth research, I can synthesize it into your book. 

Absolutely—depending on the topic, of course! As I’ve indicated previously, I have expertise in certain content areas and am totally confident in those and related areas. I’m naturally curious, creative, and genuinely interested in learning in general. And, because ghosting is a collaborative effort, you’ll have the opportunity to review and fact-check every page we write. If your topic is outside my area of expertise or ability, I will be the first one to say so, and recommend you look for a more qualified ghost to help you.

That’s one of the things I do extremely well. I’ll work closely with you to ensure that the words on the page capture your voice. I generally get a flavor for your voice by looking at any of your previously-written material, watch any of your videos that you think are relevant, and of course, interview you to get a sense for any of your favorite words and expressions. You’ll get a sense of how well I’ve captured your voice when you see my early written submissions that use your feedback to see how closely I’m capturing the style, tone, and content of your writing.

A lot of people get a little nervous about sharing highly personal information with strangers. Memoirs are big projects that require plenty of collaboration, so it’s important that we get to know one another, and that you feel comfortable with me. I have a great track record when it comes to my writing, including memoirs. By the end of most book projects, my clients feel like my wife and I are members of their extended family.

Technology makes it quite easy for us to work together! Most of our communication will be via email, texting, phone, Zoom, and possibly face-to-face. I’ve worked with wonderful people all over the globe—from California to Florida to England and Canada.

As of 2019, the Writers Market says this about the industry standard ghostwriting rates (without royalty or credit): The going rates are $75-$100 an hour, with a per project low of $5,000-$7,500 (eBook, short story series, blog article series, etc.), high of $100,000 (generally for celebrities and top management business people), and an average range of $8,500-$16,000 for books depending on the amount of supporting written material, audio files, client and ghost interaction, word and page count, and research requirements, etc. The per word cost average is $1.85.

I share those rates with you, because it’s important for you to know the projected costs associated with the fascinating world of ghostwriting. However, my ‘industry standard’ is getting you in print at a reasonable price! I take many factors into consideration when I quote my ghosting services, which are reasonably mid-range and not padded with hidden charges. You’ll know what your financial investment is when we sign our agreement, which will outline exactly what we agree on for your project. There are no surprises!

As most ghosting professionals, full-time writers, and editors will tell you, ghosting business models aren’t designed to take projects on spec. However, after the initial down payment, we can make arrangements for a series of payments that will coincide with project completion.

Yes, we’re pleased to say! In addition to the books we've had published by large houses (John Wiley; Random House; Presidio), we’ve published 57 books through our own publishing houses, co-written 5 books with another author, and ghosted 11 books as of this post. As corporate consultants and retired Unity ministers, we’ve done very well with our published books in terms of back-of-the-room sales and book signings over the past 35 years. Our business book, The Manager’s Short Course to a Long Career, which was published in four languages, received the prestigious Executive Book Summaries Award as one of the top business books of 1992-1993. Cher’s book Living At the Speed of Life received the Nonfiction Book Writer’s award in 2001 and Bil received the Global MetaSpiritual Book Award for his book The Book of Revelation: A Manual Describing the  Unfoldment of Our Christ Nature in 2015. In case you’re wondering, we’ve started ghosting to limit our business travel because, well, airline travel isn’t what it used to be and we’d rather work out of our home these days – helping you get into print!