See also Services.

Basically, he or she helps to turn a mass of written, video or audio material into a publishable book. A good ghost writer can provide several levels of service. These range from general editing (by this we mean correction of spelling and grammar, removal of repetitious or irrelevant material, tightening and refining of narrative) of a typescript that is almost ready to go out to a publisher or agent, to the actual writing of a book using primary sources such as letters, diaries, notes provided by the client, audio tapes or even material on video.

Once a project is accepted and the terms agreed with the client, the ghost writer gets down to writing the book.

All clients and their requirements are unique, so before we offered to work with any client, we would discuss the proposed project in detail. There is no charge for discussing or provisionally costing a project.

StorytrackS charges an hourly rate for its services, from £10 upwards depending on the complexity of the work. We much prefer to bill clients as the work progresses, because the client can then see what is actually being done and how much it is costing. StorytrackS believes its fees are competitive and that it offers excellent value for money.

Most ghost written books tend to be non-fiction, and are prepared from notes provided by the client. The books are often autobiographical or are biographies of family members. But if you have unearthed material that has nothing to do with your own family, but which you feel would make an interesting book, we would be happy to work with you.

Many books of this kind tend to be self-published, because they have a limited appeal and are therefore not likely to interest a commercial publisher. But if StorytrackS were to be asked to help in the production of a book which we felt had a wider potential readership, we would of course offer it to a suitable literary agent or publisher for consideration.

It is comparatively rare for a ghost writer to be asked to write fiction. There have certainly been instances of celebrities commissioning authors to write novels or children's books on their behalf, but these deals are usually set up by publishers and the books are written in-house. If a StorytrackS client wanted help with a novel, we would need to discuss the project in some detail before offering to do the work, and unless a publisher had already offered the client a contract, we would not be able to give any assurances about publication.

In days gone by, ghost writers often worked from a mass of hand-written notes and original documents, and while we are happy to do this, we are equally happy to receive and return material by email. This is perhaps safer than sending and returning precious family papers through the post. Margaret James has recently completed a project via email, in the course of which the client sent scanned material such as photographs and hand-written letters via the Internet, so there was no danger of any important or irreplaceable material being lost.

If a client does send original documents to us, we recommend using the post office's Special Delivery service, and of course we will return the documents using this service. The responsibility of insuring any documents lies with the client, and while StorytrackS will take every reasonable care of clients' material, we do not accept any responsibility for loss by a third party.

In all cases, it is the client's responsibility to seek permission to quote any third parties and to discuss any possible invasion of privacy. The copyright of the book remains with the client, unless otherwise agreed with StorytrackS. If StorytrackS were to arrange for a client to be offered a contract for agency representation or commercial publication, we would expect to be involved in any financial negotiations for the book.

Many wonderful stories remain untold, dying with the people who lived through fascinating times or challenging circumstances. It is a fact that almost everyone has an interesting story to tell. But not everyone is a natural author, or has the time to acquire the necessary skills. Many people have led lives full of adventure and achievement, and would love to share their experiences with a wider audience, but are afraid they could never find the time or learn the skills needed to write a book. As professional authors, we already have the skills you need and are prepared to offer our expertise to you.

Marina Oliver is an experienced editor who has written several published works of non-fiction, including best-selling self-help books on the art of writing and an official history of a famous school. Margaret James has extensive experience of ghost-writing and editing, and the StorytrackS team can work from a rough draft, letters, notes or any other source in order to produce a publishable book.

E-mail us explaining what kind of project you have in mind. We will get right back to you.