Are you ready to share your stories?
Then you've come to the right place.
Welcome to Writing Your Legacy.
Do you have stories you want to share with family, friends, or maybe even the world? I can help you bridge the gap between your life stories and a finished book you can hold in your hands and pass down for generations to come.Here at Writing Your Legacy, I help you convert your unique stories and experiences into engaging and inspiring pieces of writing that are ready to be published and shared with anyone you choose.
I offer a variety of ways for you to develop, refine, and eventually publish your book.
My services include:
Ghostwriting. This is a process by which I take your stories and write the entire book based on our conversations and interviews. This is best for people who don't have the confidence in their writing skills or the ability to write past a certain point, if at all.
Trauma-Informed Memoir Coaching. In this process, I meet with you regularly and support you as you write your stories. The trauma-informed part here can be important, especially if you're writing about difficult topics and/or events from your past; I have a certification in Adult Mental Health First Aid, so I can help you mitigate triggers while still processing and eventually writing about painful experiences. (That being said, this coaching is not a replacement for talk therapy or psychiatric medication management. I also know when, and am not afraid to, escalate to those with more experience in mental healthcare than myself. If you are in active crisis, please seek appropriate medical help immediately.)
Book Doctoring & Editing. This service is reserved for completed drafts. Book doctoring is like ghostwriting, though in this case, you would provide me with your own writing to polish. Editing involves me going through your manuscript when you're happy with the content; instead of embellishing or rewriting, I go through your manuscript looking for things such as word choice/usage errors, adherence to standard grammar and spelling rules (unless otherwise specified), etc. If you're looking for book doctoring, you can send me a first draft to improve upon; otherwise, for editing clients, I ask that you self-edit to the best of your ability before sending me your manuscript. (The cleaner your manuscript is for editing, the less I will charge, so you want to make sure you get the writing to the best place you can before sending it.) I also offer a free 1,000 word sample edit for prospective editing clients, which I will complete before quoting a price for the full project.
I have different processes for each of the services outlined above, so be sure to read the one(s) that are potentially relevant to you.
Ghostwriting
My ghostwriting process is simple; it starts with me talking with you, often informally, on the phone, via Zoom, or in person if you're local to the southern end of central New Jersey. (I meet at local libraries either in Moorestown, Mount Laurel, or Cherry Hill.)
When we meet, I will:
Introduce myself, my business, and my mission, especially the first time we have a conversation;
Record our discussions on my mobile device or computer;
Draft an initial outline and send it to you after our first meeting for approval and/or suggestions on the direction of the manuscript;
Create a draft (often multiple) for each chapter and send them to you as they're completed for your approval and/or suggestions;
Get to know you and what makes you and your life story unique!
After I finish the initial draft of each chapter, I will give it to you so you can read everything and make suggestions. Never be afraid to share your constructive criticism with me; this is your story, after all, and it should sound exactly how you want it to!When you're happy with how everything sounds, I will put all the chapters together in one document, which I will send as a Word doc and a PDF, so you will have the entire manuscript in one place. Then, at our final meeting, I will turn the manuscript (as well as any and all rights that come with it) over to you and we will say our goodbyes.It really is that simple!
Trauma-Informed Memoir Coaching
My approach to book coaching is rather unique. I don’t have a set curriculum, nor do I have any sort of generic assignments that I give to all of my authors after they reach a certain number of sessions. If you decide to sign up for a book coaching program with me, there will be expectations; however, they will be completely unique and tailored to you and your situation.
I help you get your manuscript written, but in a way that feels good to you and that you can say you were both proud of and comfortable with.I will push you. Make no mistake there.
But I will also be there to support you if you don’t meet a goal that you’ve set, or if you need to reschedule a session because you have to take care of personal business. I’m here to meet you where you are, make you a little uncomfortable, and eventually extract a masterpiece from your mind. The point isn’t to burn you out in the process.If you're interested in receiving coaching, I have an intake form that I request all potential clients fill out before we have our first call. That way, I know what we are both expecting and capable of giving to our potential coaching relationship.
After you've completed the intake form, I will reach out to you based on your answers to the questions and we can discuss the specific details from there.
Book Doctoring
The easiest way to explain book doctoring is by mashing two things together: ghostwriting and editing. Like in editing, I start with a manuscript that you have written; however, like in ghostwriting, I add to it and make it flow rather than having it read like a chronological list of experiences with no way to tie them together.Book doctoring is a good choice for you if you have a first draft written but don't know where to go from there. That's when I would come in and work with your words to transform them into something truly compelling that you could be proud to put your name on and share, whether it's just with your family or with the world.
Editing
Developmental editing involves a thorough examination and critique of your manuscript in which I will pose questions, document reactions, and make suggestions for ways in which your project could potentially be improved. I will give feedback on elements such as pacing, content strength, consistency, voice, and tone; I will also discuss your particular goals for the edit, and place additional emphasis on areas in which you are less confident, or in which you feel your piece needs extra attention.
After reading the manuscript a minimum of two times, I’ll take time to develop my thoughts on the piece in an editorial letter that you will receive in an email.Copyediting assesses the manuscript’s spelling, grammar, punctuation, word choice/usage, and other similar problem areas. I then correct any issues while working to maintain your specific and unique voice throughout.If you have any questions about my edits, this service also includes one round of follow-up questions via email, where you can tell me anything and everything that comes to mind, and ask for some additional advice.
I also offer phone or video calls for those who would prefer to receive feedback in that manner; however, my calls for editing follow-ups are strictly limited to 30 minutes. Anything beyond that will incur an additional charge of $1/minute.
My Pricing
While my pricing varies per project (I base my quotes on many factors, including the time/work involved, the project's word count and deadline, the timeliness of the story, and my client's realistic ability to pay), I have given some estimates below. Your project will probably not be more expensive than my per word pricing, though the cost may exceed the average on the table below if your word count is higher or lower than the projected number (most memoirs and autobiographies sit at a minimum of 15,000 to 20,000 words, so I provided the maximum cost for a manuscript of that length).
| Service | Average Cost (based on 20,000 words) | Average Cost per Word |
|---|---|---|
| Ghostwriting | $4,000 USD | $0.20 USD |
| Book Doctoring | $3,000 USD | $0.15 USD |
| Developmental Editing | $2,000 USD | $0.10 USD |
| Copyediting | $1,500 USD | $0.075 USD |
I accept payment plans, and am happy to create ones that suit each of my individual client's needs and budgets. However, it is important to note that you will not receive the completed manuscript until your last payment has been made, regardless of when I finished the work.I will never accept a final payment before I can deliver a completed manuscript.
Additionally, I never work without a contract in place. At the beginning of our working relationship, I will email you with two PDF documents: a contract and a Nondisclosure Agreement. Both must be signed (digitally or in ink and then scanned) and emailed back to me before our work can begin.
This keeps us both more protected and outlines specific details that we might not have thought to talk about otherwise.If you are unwilling to sign these documents for any reason, either before or after reading them in their entirety, we will probably not be the best fit for each other.
My name is Hannah, and I'm the woman behind the screen.
I've always had a passion for stories, but it's only grown stronger now that I've reached my twenties.When I was 15, I was involved in a severe car accident that left me with a traumatic brain injury and absolutely no memories of my life before the accident. I have lost access to so many things - days spent with people who are gone from my life, whether they be friends or loved ones, and whether they have passed or chosen a different path - how those people looked, how they acted, how they loved me.Now in my twenties, I've dedicated myself to making sure that the people I work with never have to fade from memory.I want to hear the stories that my friends and neighbors have to share.
I want to learn about love, happiness, hope, and sacrifice; I want to get to know life on a more intimate basis than I ever have before.That was the inspiration behind Writing Your Legacy.
I want to read; I want to write; and I want to live.Sharing in your stories is an honor.
I just want to thank you for choosing me to help you bring them into the world. It means more to me than you could imagine.
Let's get started!
It would be my pleasure to take your stories and transform them into words for your family and friends, and maybe even the world, to treasure.Feel free to reach out to me either via email or via phone (I currently accept both calls and texts, though I have a strict spam filter that will require you to say your name and reason for calling before connecting you). I will respond to you in a timely manner and send or verbally give you the details of my intake process.I look forward to hearing from and getting to know each and every one of you!