Anne specializes in ghostwriting books, editing books and coaching writers to successfully write their own books.

BOOKS

• Disaster Ready People by James W. Satterfield and Harry W. Rhulen – a book about disaster for Firestorm, Inc.
• Illuminate the Negative by David Corbin and Phillip Wexler – a self-help allegory published by Wiley.
• Best Seller Publishing project - 6 interviews with Chiropractors resulting in 1 article ghost written for each (approx 1,500 words) as part of a book.
• What You Think of Me is None of My Business, (ghost writer for author Terry Cole-Whittaker), OakTree Publications.*
• Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, (edited prior to submission to publisher for author John Gray), Harper and Row.
• What You Can Feel You Can Heal, (edited for author John Gray), Heart Publications
• Powerfully Recovered, self-published and selling well. (http://www.powerfullyrecovered.com)
• Secretaries Portfolio of Letters, Prentice-Hall
• Successful Single Parenting, MeadowBrook Press
• Take What Works, Hazelden
• Talk To The World, lead writer, Compute!
• AutoCad Methods and Macros, lead writer, TAB

RECOVERY BOOKLETS

• “The Recovering Traveler,” Hazelden
• “Back to Basics,” Hazelden
• “What Do I Do For Fun Now?” Hazelden
• “Single and Sober,” Hazelden
• “12 Step Basics,” Johnson Institute

ONLINE WRITING – FOR OTHERS

• Former About.com’s Guide to Freelance Writing - weekly features, newsletters, chats, maintain links, etc. 3+ years.
• Former About.com’s Guide to San Diego -  bi-weekly feature and newsletter, take and produce digital photos, host chat and manage forum maintain over 1000 pages. 5+ years.
• Help, FAQs, etc. for First Virtual’s website.
• Indigogo.com – original articles from online research plus direct contact: “Sailing in Fiji“ and “Sailing in Tonga“
• Leisureplanet.com – overview of San Diego for visitors.
• Match.com – part of founding team. Contributions included creation of a twice-monthly newsletter, content, including help and editor of their first ‘Zine.

ONLINE WRITING – FOR SELF

• About Freelance Writing
  (www.aboutfreeleancewriting.com) – resources for freelance writers and editors, including original articles, newsletter, forum, etc.
• When Grandmother Speaks - (http://whengrandmotherspeaks.com)  a blog about change.
• Writing With Vision - (http://writingwithvision.com) – a website for those who want to write a book.
• Powerfully Recovered (http://www.powerfullyrecovered.com) – original articles, reviews, links, etc. for the 12 Step movement, since 1997.

MARKETING/BUSINESS WRITING

• Direct Marketing letters for Sheila Rosen of Sprint
• Direct Marketing copy for Self-it Badges (http://www.bigbadge.com/)
• Multiple assignments from Copywriting.net (http://www.copywriting.net)
• Galilee Harbor Prospectus – author of this 500+ page document used for successful lobbying.
• Electric Classifieds Business Plan – contributor
• Match.Com Magazine Plan – author
• Match.Com Advertising Plan – author
• Writer of weekly Infomercial weekly column in “Fallbrook Enterprise,” 6+ years.
• Infomercial weekly column in “Fallbrook Enterprise,” 3+ years
• Ad copywriter for PlanetTree, a retail store.
• Writer, producer of a wide variety of newsletters, marketing letters, and other materials including:
• telephone sales scripts, internet marketing concepts, back of jacket copy, radio advertising scripts

EBOOKS/REPORTS/BOOKLETS

• A selection of ebooks about writing
• How to Bum Your Way Around the World on a Boat – Intellectual.com’s Dream Jobs to Go Series.
• Powerfully Recovered – both ebook and paperback. (www.powerfullyrecovered.com)
• The 12 Step Series – a group of eBooklets, some of which have been purchased for print.

MAGAZINE EDITING

• The Open Gate, Editor-in-Chief, Maggie Award Winner
• Profiles, Senior Editor, KayPro Inc.
• Winner’s Forum, Editor-in-Chief

NEWSPAPER EDITING & WRITING

• Editor, “Peninsula Beacon”
• Founding Editor, “San Diego Seniors,” a monthly for the 50+ crowd, circulation 40,000 monthly.   Responsible for concept, freelance writers, editing, production etc.
• “Successful Single Parenting,” a Q&A column appearing in 3 papers for several years
• Reporter, Idylwild Town Crier
• Reporter, Brawley News

PRINT ARTICLES

In wide variety of consumer and special interest publications including: InfoWorld, AppleTalk, Profiles, Latitude 38, Ocean Navigator, Winner’s Circle, The Open Gate, Recovery,  and Alcoholism at About.com.

REFERENCES – Excellent references on request.

Visioning is a meditative way of bringing the Universal Mind/Sprit/God at your center as you create your project, or even your whole life into the perfection it deserves.

This process begins by getting centered and quiet, then moving into the silence, surrounded in love and creativity.

The intention is to open to the in-flow of Spirit as information.

Visioning is different than visualization because you’re allowing Spirit to inform you, rather than telling God what you want.

The process is done with a series of questions that run along these lines:

• What is Spirit’s Highest Vision/Ideal (for this project, event or situation)?
• What idea, thought, behavior, do I need to release in order to empower this vision (for this project, event or situation)?
• What gets embraced and accept in order  to empower the vision (for this project, event or situation)?
• What is my specific role in the unfolding of this vision?
• In what way/s do I grow, deepen or expand, as this vision reveals itself?
• What, exactly,  am I willing to commit to and give right now  in order for this vision to manifest?
• >What other information wants to be revealed or understood in this moment (for this project, event or situation)?

Obviously, you can ask these questions of yourself. However, it often works best if someone is guiding you and holding space while you Vision.

Visioning also works for groups; in fact, real magic can take place when a group Visions together.

Contact Anne about Visioning for your project.

Visioning is not original with me. I found out about it through what are now known as the Universal Centers for Spiritual Living.

There’s sometimes a sense that money is hard to talk about, but it doesn’t have to be.

Ghostwriting Books – the most costly service I offer

Ghostwriting is a particular, and some say peculiar, skill. Not every writer can do it, and I can’t ghostwrite every book. That said, in general, a book, which runs from 200-300 pages, or between 35,000 and 100,000 words, will cost you something in the neighborhood of $40,000 – $75,000. That’s U.S. dollars, and to put that in perspective, ghostwriters who work with major publishers and major stars earn double that or more. In fact, half a million dollars is not all that unusual for the ghost of a super star. My rate doesn’t seem so bad does it?

Obviously you can pay less – way less. To do it super cheaply you’ll probably work with someone from outside the country that submitted a low bid. If you decide to go this route, please get a sample before you sign the final contract. Once and awhile it can work well, but not often.

Although some ghostwriters charge by the hour, or the word or the page, I like to work out a flat fee. That way we we both know what we’re getting into money wise. Of course, that fee is paid in a variety of ways, including monthly, or in thirds or quarters. I also charge a 10% premium if you decide in the middle of the contract that you don’t want to continue the project. My goal with this premium is to help you be as sure as you can you not only want a book but are willing to spend the time to get it done within the framework of our contract.

My contract also acknowledges that if I stop writing you stop paying. It is, after all, a two-way street.

I’m often asked:

Will you take a percentage of the profits in lieu of payment?

No, not unless you already have a contract with a publisher and can pay me a good portion of the advance. I might consider it under those circumstances.

Do you have contacts with agents and/or publishers?

No, well, almost no. I’ll give you a good book and I’ll give you the best information I have about how you might sell it.

Which do you prefer, trade publishing or self-publishing?

It depends. Self-publishing has become legitimate, but to earn serious money requires serious work. Read my review of Peter Bowerman’s Well-Fed Self-Publisher and buy the book. It’s got the best overview of both trade and self-publishing I know.

Is it really okay to call or email you about my book?

Yes! In fact contacting me only makes sense. I don’t bite, promise. Let’s see if it seems we might work well together. If we do we can take the next step; if we don’t I’ll see if I can recommend someone else.

What About Your Other Writing Services?

I do write things other than books – blogs, articles, booklets, advertising copy, press releases – you name it. Give me a call or email me; tell me what you need and I’ll give you a price.

A ghostwriter writes your book or blog, but you get all the credit. Sounds pretty good, does’t it? Of course, you’ll pay for the service, which is why it can be a good deal for the ghostwriter too.

Your  ghostwriter takes your creative ideas and turns them into the book (or other product) you would have written if you’d had the time, the inclination or the skill. You’ve got the idea, the story, the dream you recognize should be turned into a book.

Working closely with you I turn that idea into great writing – writing that fulfills and even exceeds your reader’s need to be informed, moved, entertained and excited.

Here’s what one satisfied customer of mine said:

Over a five week period of time I would meet with Anne once a week. Each week she would give us her writing based on the conversation we had the previous week. Each week I marveled at her result. The only thing I could think of saying was, ”did you write that or did I? That was exactly what I wanted to say”; and she said it better than I could have said it. THANK YOU!!!”

Phil Wexler
The Knowledge University

Ghostwriting FAQs

What kind of relationship is ghostwriting?

Ghostwriting is an oddly intimate relationship. Your ghost has to be able to get in your head enough so the final words sound as if you’d written them. A good ghostwriter leaves their own personality behind and steps, in a way, into yours.

How can I trust a ghostwriter?

Good ghostwriters are good at keeping secrets, including the fact that they wrote your book, blog, article, etc. They should offer, or at least be willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Here’s a sample of the one I use, which can be amended to suit you.

How do I get the information from my head to the ghostwriter’s?

There are all sorts of ways for you to get the information needed to the ghost, including:

• If you’ve given a class, the class notes can be a good place to start. If there’s a recording that can be transcribed into text.
• The ghost interviews you either by phone (the most efficient) or face-to-face to get the information.
• You write (or maybe already have written) rough drafts of all or most of the information that the ghost takes and works with.
• You’re written the whole manuscript, but it needs fixing. This is often called book doctoring and isn’t quite ghostwriting.

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Or some combination of these and other methods.

What do I need to have in place before I hire a ghostwriter?

It really helps if you have a clear Vision for your book. That is, you know what you want to write about, who you want to write it for and why you want to write it. If you need help getting clear on these elements before deciding you want to proceed I offer Get Clear About Your Book Coaching.

What can I expect from a ghostwriter?

There are several things you can expect from your ghostwriter, inculding:

• Guidance through the book writing process.
• Help in making the trade publisher / self-publish decision.
• Of course, the writing.

What will I have to actually do?

Although you are hiring someone to do the writing for you, you need to participate if the project is to be completed successfully. Such participation probably includes:

• Regular attendance at meetings with your ghost – on the phone (the most efficient), or face-to-face or a combination.
• Timely return of manuscript drafts with edits and comments. This is probably the most time consuming from your point of view. But it is up to you to correct errors of fact and of tone and to make sure the whole book reflects what you want it to reflect.
• The ability to pay the ghostwriter. Unless you’ve already got a publisher lined up for your story it’s unfair to expect a ghostwriter to work on only the hope that the book will make money. There may be rare exceptions to this ‘rule,’ but they are indeed rare.

You may also be asked to pay someone to transcribe tape recordings, pay for final proofreading or copy editing (both you and your ghost will be too close to the project to do a truly excellent job of proofreading,) and if you’re self-publishing, to provide cover design and even interior book design if you want something fancy.

I’ve Got Questions

As well you should. Hiring a ghostwriter can seem daunting, but I’m pretty easy to talk with, either by phone or email. Contact me and we’ll find out if I’m the right person; if I’m not I’ll try to point you in the right direction.

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According to a family story, Anne began her freelance writing career in 6th grade. It’s told that she wrote a news article on class elections. She doesn’t remember it quite that way. Whatever is the truth of how she got started freelancing, her expertise has grown to include:

Ghostwriting, including writing and editing work for two best selling authors.

Coaching/Mentoring other freelance writing to success.

Ebooks for herself and others.

Other writing, including blogging, copywriting, article writing – check out Anne’s credits and feel free to ask.

Anne is, believe it or not, a native Californian. She lives in San Diego.

She has a reputation for:

Meeting deadlines – both delivering work on time and on budget. Her experience as an editor for both print and web publications demonstrates her ability to meet a schedule.

Self-starting – as a successful freelance writer Anne has a well deserved reputation as a self-starter, needing little direction. She is also a team player.

Honesty – Whether it’s honesty about her own abilities, the state of a project or an assessment of other’s work, Anne knows that a gentle telling of the truth often works unexpected miracles.

Creativity - Her wide experience, coupled with an active, but practical imagination guarantees creative solutions. Sometimes they come from writing for hours; sometimes they come in the shower. The result is a resourcefulness that brings solutions.

Being easy to talk with – Anne knows how to listen deeply and is delighted to share her experience with you. Even if you don’t hire her, she wants you to consider her a resource.

Anne’s Writing Credits will give you a clear idea of what she’s done and what she can do for you. Contact her today to find out how she can help meet your writing needs and answer your questions.