How can I help you?
I currently have two novels for young adults published by Harper Collins—WAIT FOR ME (2017) and IN ANOTHER TIME (2018)—both set in Scotland during World War Two. I also write women’s fiction, with a contemporary manuscript currently out on submission, while working on the drafts of two more. I wrote and edited a glossy photographic book, WELSH NATIONAL OPERA: CELEBRATING THE FIRST SIXTY YEARS. For more information on my books, visit my author website at www.carolineleech.com.
I love writing my own books, but just as much, I love helping other people create their own words and events by offering services such as:
Ghostwriters like me work with clients like you, writing books, novels, speeches, essays, feature articles, blog posts, newsletters, training manuals, etc, for you to publish, deliver or post under your name. And if that sounds a little sneaky, then let me assure you that it happens all the time, and in all sorts of businesses and industries. After all, you pay an experienced accountant to do your accounts, so why wouldn’t you pay an experienced ghostwriter to do your writing?
Perhaps you are too busy to do the writing yourself—does the President ever write his own speeches?—or because, for all your vast and vital knowledge and experience of your own profession, writing a clean and readable piece is just not one of your strengths.
How many actors, astronauts, athletes, and adventurers have the time, focus or talent to pen their own autobiographies? Not many. Chances are, your favorite celebrities worked with a ghostwriter who skillfully pulled together a collection of their spoken memories, handwritten diary entries, and other resources to create a highly readable (i.e. a highly sellable) book. It’s not only celebrities who use ghostwriters, though. If you are in business, in science, or the arts and you want to cement yourself as an authority figure within your industry, then publishing a book, giving speeches, and sending out a regular newsletter to your audience is a great way to do that, all of which I can help with.
And in fiction too, ghostwriting is a common (if less talked about) practice. Some of the most well-known authors give their latest story idea, be it a full outline or a basic premise, to a ghostwriter who creates a first draft which the author can then revise and personalize for publication in their own name. Alternatively, a ghostwriter may take an author’s rough first draft and revise it into a tighter manuscript before handing it back for the author to publish. (By the way, most ghostwriting contracts are covered by a Non-Disclosure Agreement, and ghostwriters are by nature very discreet.)
Companies use freelance ghostwriters all the time, except they are more often called copywriters, and yes, I do that too.
So, what can I do for you? Well, I have the time, the skill, and the experience to write great words for you—that’s my job!—so please get in touch so we can have a chat about your ghostwriting needs.
Do you have a great idea for a story, but are lost with how to turn it into a concrete plot, let alone an actual manuscript?
Do you have a rough first draft of a book but need some help to get it polished up?
Are you so close to submitting your manuscript to agents and editors you can taste their vanilla lattes, but will want the reassurance of that final fresh pair of eyes on it?
Then let me help you. As an avid plotter, I would love to work with you to develop an outline and chapter breakdown for your story by throwing ideas around until a shiny new plotline emerges. Or let me read your story so I can help you work out what is missing or what can be cut, so that you can revise it. Whether you send me your whole manuscript, or only your first ten/twenty pages and a synopsis, I can help you get it as shiny as it needs to be.
COACH & MENTOR - CREATIVE WRITING or PRESENTATIONS/EVENTS
Individual coaching or mentoring
Whatever stage you are at as a writer—thinking about writing, halfway through your first-draft, or an experienced published author—I know there are things I can help you with, either as your coach or your mentor. But which? There are few differences between having a coach and a mentor, but my COACHING OR MENTORING comparison table will help you decide how I could best serve you and your writing. Whether you are looking for me as a coach or as a mentor, however, your individual needs will come first, so let’s get together to talk through the best way I can help to get you writing—and writing well—and, ultimately, get you published.
Group workshops in Creative Writing (Fiction and Non-Fiction), Presentation Skills, and Idea-Creation
I’m an experienced workshop leader, for both adults and children, and I love working with a group or a class of writers to develop their skills and to help them share their writing with other people. Rather than boring lectures, my workshops are always interactive, fun and (I hope) inspiring. If I’m working with an existing group/class/club, I try to help them foster a collaborative and supportive rapport through sharing and positive critiquing that will last after I leave. With a room of individuals, I try to develop a new and cooperative network so everyone leaves not only with new skills but at least one new ‘writing buddy’. So why don’t you and I get together to talk about how I can tailor my workshops—as a standalone or as a series—to help you and your group/class/team develop their skills and have fun at the same time?
Book launches and promotional activity
Are you an author wanting to put on a really great book launch? Do you already have some ideas, or do you have no clue even where to begin? Whether this is your debut or your umpteenth book, I’d love to help you build a plan to make sure your amazing new book gets a launch to remember. We can talk about things like in-person/virtual launch events, blog tours, social media campaigns, giveaways and promotional gifts. Oh, and branded cupcakes…
Workshop planning
Even the most experienced authors can get nervous when they’re invited to lead a writing workshop or give a presentation. Does that idea intimidate you or excite you? Let me help you pull together all the things you’ll need to make sure your audience enjoys themselves while learning, and you’ll take away a list of my useful and inspiring tips. We will discuss the importance of interactive exercises to keep people engaged, how you can augment your words with inspiring (but easy to create) visual presentations, and how to carry yourself so that everyone in the room, yourself included, has confidence in what you are saying.
ANY OTHER HELP YOU NEED? JUST ASK...
What else do you need help with? Whether you want me to help you write something yourself, or you want me to write it for you, if you need some formal coaching over several weeks or only an hour’s planning or devising session, please get in touch using my contact form below and let’s talk about what I can do for you.