Work With Me

Let's talk about your book

The one that’s been lodged in your soul like a sliver for a decade, and is starting to feel more urgent…

The one your friends and colleagues have been encouraging you to write for years…

The one your customers and audience have been asking for…

The one your agent or editor or is starting to bug you about…

The one that—for whatever reason—isn’t getting written

 

Five to ten years...

How long does it take to write a book? It depends! Some established writers can crank a new book out in 3-6 months—or less. 

It tends to take me around 6 for my fiction, a bit shorter for my nonfiction. But my first book took almost five years to complete because I was learning the skills. I was learning the form. Even with the help of a university degree, I felt like I was teaching myself from scratch.

And, honestly, that’s really common.

Most writers I know spend between 5-10 years working on their first book. (And most don’t publish that “starter” book—it was just their learning effort!) But here’s the secret.

A lot of that time is just spent trying to figure out what they’re doing.

What book they’re even writing.

What if there was a way to write a better book, faster?

Get clarity from an expert.

When I started getting inquiries about ghostwriting and book coaching, I was honestly surprised at who they came from.

I thought people hired ghostwriters because they had powerful ideas and stories, but didn’t feel confident in their writing skills.

Turns out it’s rarely that.

Most of my clients are talented writers.

Many have written books before.

They came to me because there was something else getting in the way.

 
* They didn’t have the time
* The book kept getting pushed down the priority list
* Spending long hours writing alone just didn’t spark joy
 
There’s a better way.

A collaborative process

My clients tend to be comfortable in front of an audience — put them on a podcast or a live panel in front of a thousand people, and they can talk all day.
 
(Sound familiar?)
 
That’s the case for a lot of coaches, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. They thrive on collaboration — but sit them in front of a blank page, and the words stop flowing so easily.
 
I have over a decade of experience interviewing experts for articles and case studies. I’ve interviewed everyone from brewers to SaaS engineers and instructional designers, and the interview is my favorite part of my job. Why?
 
I love seeing people light up when they talk about their work and share their stories. As a ghostwriter, I love asking the questions that spark new ideas and connections for my clients.
 
That’s why my ghostwriting process is based around the interview. It’s a collaborative process that’s more engaging and fun than wracking your brain in front of the blank page.
 

Typically, once we nail down the book’s outline (you may have that already), we then schedule one or two 90-minute interviews a week.

(A typical book project lasts around 6 months from kickoff call to edited draft, with the interview phase lasting 6-8 weeks.)

For each call, I look over the outline and review any materials you might have on the topic (podcast interviews, blog posts, speeches, random notes). Then, I come up with a loose list of questions to guide our conversation.

And after? You get on with your life while I hunker down in my quiet hermit cave and make your words and ideas sing on the page.
 
Basically, you get to lean into your strengths — while I lean into mine.
 
And we both get to do what makes us happy. 🙂
“I had an idea of what I wanted, but no idea where to begin. Jessie guided me literally chapter by chapter, refining my thoughts into well-written and a clearly expressed narrative.”
Bob Simril
author of Fix Your Broken Sales
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Mark Wolf
Web Designer
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Mark Wolf
Web Designer

More about my background

Curiosity is my secret weapon as a writer — along with the ability to present what I learn in a way that connects with the audience.
 
Whether I’m learning about forklifts or cybersecurity SaaS, interviewing incoming college freshmen or CEOs, I use my curiosity to dig deep and find the story — no matter the subject.
 
I’ve written for a wide variety of industries, both as a ghostwriter and as a blogger/copywriter. In particular, I’ve ended up writing quite a bit about:
  • Entrepreneurship, Startups, Founder Mentality, Small Business Ownership, Leadership
  • Higher Education, Learning & Development, Corporate Training
  • Psychology, Self-Improvement, Productivity
  • Marketing, Sales, Growing a Business
  • SaaS (particularly Cybersecurity, Edtech, Marketing Automation, and Business Intelligence)
My writing (bylined and ghosted) has appeared in Venture Beat, Psychology Today, The New Brewer, Independent Restaurateur, and other sites. My business clients have included Microsoft, Amazon, Intel, Ekata (formerly Whitepages Pro), SAP Concur, Outrigger Resorts, Learning.com, Onefinestay, NetX, Southern New Hampshire University, MBS Accounting, BMO Wealth Management, GoDaddy, Insider, IvyCat, and more.

Ready to talk?

Email me at jessie [at] jessiekwak.com and let’s chat.