‘When you start to write everybody is wishing you luck, but when you’re going good, they try to kill you.’ – Ernest Hemingway

To a first time writer, and even a seasoned author, the world of fiction can be daunting and overwhelming. What’s my story? What do I want to say with it? What is its purpose? The possibilities are endless.

Our team can pick up from wherever you are in your workflow. A mere idea in your head, or a complete first draft? We want to know about it. We work closely with you to reduce the possibilities to core essentials. We listen to you, your thoughts, your ideas, your hopes, your message, and ensure the final product encapsulates your mind, and your dream in an original way that connects to the reader. We can untangle what may be a bundle of idea threads into a streamlined, cohesive, well layered narrative that is strong.

The Process

1. From the get-go, our job will be to get a grip on the ‘what’ and the ‘where’. This is the: what is this book? and in terms of your publishing goals: where is this going? As we zero in on what the book is and what your publishing goals are we will be able to organise a development process that will accommodate both. The type of ghostwriter who will lead and the style in which they write will be influenced by this what and where.

2. We will need to trial and stress test certain prose forms. When we know what the book is and where it is going we’ll be able to model certain authors and hit the right notes with the project early on.

3. The forward process is not linear. It will combine workshops, a number of documents being circulated, and phone calls. Gradually the basic industry standard artefacts begin to form: proposal, sample chapters, step outline.

4. The project tends to grow, a proposal begins to expand and a first draft is soon in the system. Any issues contained in the project can be teased out by pressing on these documents and consistently developing them. The project itself becomes its own entity that sends us clues with what needs to be added or removed and the entire story of the project developing can take months or years. A 50,000 word slasher horror full of convention is very different to a 150,000 word war novel.

5. As with all the other book types, LGC will begin to pass the proposal around to our contacts within the trade and begin discussions with the goal of securing you a publishing deal. As we set you up as a new author, we’ll be working with you on a variety of documents that will be at different stages at all times – this might be an on-going e-mail thread with a literary agent, a few outlines for future titles or further dialogue between two characters in one of your books. The fiction service is non-linear as we approach the process with our whole system editorials plan of attack! Depending on your budget and our agreement, you will be involved as much or as little as your diary allows. You’re paying us to ghost your book and if you’re happy – you can let us take the reins. Most of the time, though – we work with our clients as anonymous co-writers on fiction titles.