When people think of writing a book, they often imagine sitting down at a desk in a deserted garret and tapping away until they are done. Then a fairy god-editor will wave a magic pencil over the manuscript until all the typos are gone. The truth is that a book concept can take any number of paths to completion. When I was acquiring books for publication, my first question was always, “Is there a manuscript?” followed by, “Is the author the writer?” And next, “How the heck are we gonna get this thing finished?” Whatever the answer, no harm, no foul. Maybe you have written the book, and maybe you haven’t. Either way, you will need a team to get to the finish line. But who should be on your team? The ghostwriters, book coaches, and editors at KAA each offer something a little different to help you get to (cue trumpets!) A Finished Manuscript. Let’s break it down.
Hiring a Ghostwriter is Usually Your Shortest Path to a Better Book
“Somebody has to write this book. Does it have to be me?”
If you don’t have a manuscript and don’t intend to write one, you are in great company. Plenty of authors whose names you know and books you like rely on ghostwriters. If you have a book concept to develop—a powerful personal story, a unique business model, a gaming universe crying out to be the setting for a thriller—and you do not have the time, interest, or aptitude to write it yourself, a ghostwriter is your best option.
The ghostwriter will work directly with you to capture your voice and bring it to the page. They help you to create a structure for the book and to develop your concept into a full-length manuscript. Ideally, your manuscript will then find itself in the care of an editor who refines and positions it for publication. At KAA, your Book Development Team provides that editorial support.
Consider hiring a ghostwriter if:
- You have a great idea for a book but no time to write it
- You want a polished result, relatively fast
- You’re writing for authority, business growth, visibility, or IP development
- You’re comfortable with close collaboration
- You have the budget for the highest level of editorial service
Book Coaching Provides Accountability and Support for People Writing Their Own Books
“Hands off my words! Just as soon as I write them.”
Even those who love to write can have trouble creating a manuscript. If you know you have it in you to write a book but could use a bit of support to reach the finish line, you likely need a coach more than a ghostwriter. A book coach can be helpful if your book is still in the idea stage with no more than an outline to go on. With book coaching, you do the writing yourself. The coach is there to help you get to completion by holding you accountable to a writing schedule. They review your work, provide feedback to keep you on track, and help you refine your writing as you go.
A word of caution: If you just want to get your great ideas into print and don’t have an interest in the writing process, working with a coach to develop your manuscript might end up feeling like homework. Same goes for those who can’t commit to writing on a regular schedule. In that case, you’re better off with a ghostwriter.
Like ghostwriters, book coaches are not acting as editors for your book (although they may very well be editors). As with ghostwriting, each KAA Book Coaching client has a book development team to provide editorial review and support throughout the process.
Consider hiring a book coach if:
- You want the book to be in your own words
- You feel stuck or overwhelmed
- You need deadlines to stay on track
- You want guidance on your writing process
- You’re teachable and open to feedback
Having a Manuscript Doesn’t Automatically Mean You’re Ready for Line or Copy Editing
“I already wrote my book. Bring on the editor! (Right?)”
Sometimes book coaching or ghostwriting is the right next step even when you have already written a manuscript. Think of a busy physician who has written up all of their data and case studies, but isn’t able to tie it all together and make it a compelling read. This book needs a ghostwriter. Or perhaps a technical writer hopes to break into speculative fiction with a full-length manuscript that is all world-building, no plot. This person needs a book coach.
At KAA, we know better than anyone that every book is its own unique project with its own path to publication. If you have completed a manuscript and are not sure what it needs next, read on.
A Critical Review and Analysis Helps You Predict and Change How a Publisher Will View Your Book
“No, really. BRING ON THE EDITOR!”
Congratulations, you wrote a manuscript! Maybe it’s lurking in the cloud, or the proverbial desk drawer. Maybe you workshopped it last summer at a literary festival. Maybe it is cobbled together from ten years’ worth of journal entries. As former acquisitions editors and literary agents, the team at KAA has seen manuscripts in every state of polish or disrepair, I promise.
When I acquired a manuscript for publication, I would first read it from start to finish and make a lot of margin comments, suggesting editorial changes and weighing in on voice, readability, organizational structure, marketing considerations, and the content itself. I would then send it back to the author to implement those suggestions. This is a “developmental edit” or “Critical Review and Analysis,” not to be confused with book doctoring. (Book doctoring is a level of rewriting that is tantamount to ghostwriting and is considered the heaviest level of editing.) A KAA Critical Review and Analysis (CRA) is just like what acquisitions editors at publishers do to determine the next steps for a manuscript.
With a CRA, the editor makes no changes to the manuscript itself. Rather, the editor makes extensive comments and provides an editorial letter summarizing their recommendations. These can include suggestions for edits, reorganization of the content, and additional writing. Beyond editorial considerations, a KAA editor reviewing your manuscript might offer input on the marketing position, main takeaways, and key selling points of your book. A CRA sheds light on all of these elements and gives you clear next steps for your manuscript.
Consider a Critical Review and Analysis if your manuscript:
- is complete, but you know it needs more work
- is book-length, but you don’t know what it needs to be “finished”
A Well-Edited Manuscript Boosts Your Odds of Getting Published
“Just edit me, please.”
Your manuscript may already be well on its way to publication, be it traditional, hybrid, or self-publishing, and you just want another set of eyes on it before you take it to press. In that case, a line editor’s close read and careful changes to refine your content and ensure readability may serve. Or a copy edit might be sufficient to check for consistency and to correct any grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors as a final step in your editing process before proofreading. KAA provides these services as well.
“Isn’t my publisher supposed to edit my book?”
Publishers look at estimated editorial costs when acquiring projects, and those numbers could determine whether your book is accepted or rejected. Acquisitions editors, like agents, are champions for their authors and their books. They are advocates responsible for making sure each project meets its potential—and they have a lot of projects underway, all the time. You make their job easier when you bring forward your most polished materials, and you help your chances when your query letter, book proposal, and sample materials are in tip-top shape when you submit them.
If traditional publication is not your goal, great! You have just acquired your own book. The acquisitions editor’s questions are now yours to ask: Is there a manuscript? Who is writing it? What does it need to get to completion?
Fortunately, you do not have to answer these questions all on your own. At KAA, we are here to talk about your book project at any stage of development and figure out exactly what level of service will serve you best. Our ghostwriters and book coaches are backed up by a team of New York Times-bestselling editors dedicated to giving you the support you need to get your ideas on the page and into the world. We know there is no one way to write a book, but there is only one way to write your book: your way.
Written by Jennifer Yvette Brown, Senior Editor at KAA
Jennifer Yvette Brown is a NYT-bestselling editor with over 20 years of experience developing non-fiction publications that shape the cultural conversation. In her former role as Director of Acquisitions at multimedia publisher Sounds True (now an imprint of St. Martin’s Essentials), she worked with some of the most revered names in self-help, spirituality, health, and psychology, including Wim “The Iceman” Hof, Ram Dass, Dr. Judith Orloff, Dr. Lissa Rankin, Richard C. Schwartz, Marianne Williamson, Damien Echols and Lorri Davis, Michael Singer, Brené Brown, Rick Hanson, Sharon Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, and HH Dalai Lama.
With an early background in the arts and education, Jennifer holds degrees in Music, Religious Studies, and Tibetan language. In her time as an editor and content curator, she has seen what was once on the fringe come to center and what was once considered proven debunked. She views every potential project, therefore, with both a beginner’s mind and a skeptic’s, as both a reader and a businessperson. This is how she helps authors find their most essential message and frame it for their widest audience.
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