Business Books | Memoirs
Tom Wallace
Private Legacy Ghostwriter for Physician Founders and Entrepreneurs
Many physician founders eventually realize the story of how they built their practice is worth documenting properly—before the details fade.
I help accomplished professionals turn their experience,
insight, and life stories into books that matter.
Most projects completed in approximately three months.
An average ghostwriter will write you an average book. A great ghostwriter will write you a great book, guide you into a publishing path, and help you understand what comes next in the life of your book. With a knowledgeable, experienced writer and mentor at your side, this can be a fun and rewarding adventure.
From Bare Idea to Beautiful Book: Bringing Your Vision to Life with a Ghostwriter is easier than you think.
I specialize in writing business books and memoirs for entrepreneurs, c-suite executives, and professionals who want to extend their platforms to multiply their coaching/consulting and keynote speaking gigs. For those clients, working with a premier ghostwriter is an investment that can quickly generate an attractive return.
If you see yourself in that description, I’ve got good news. You’re just a few steps away from accomplishing your goal. But how does the ghostwriting process work? Actually, for the client, it’s the simplest thing in the world.
Tom transformed my screenplay into a novel. Two things impressed me deeply about him. First was the enthusiasm and depth of interest with which he embraced my story. Second was the fact that he’s an all around writer—great with character, dialogue, plot and prose. Wonderful to work with. —Anonymous (novel ghostwriting)
The Process
Step One: We start with the development of material by the two creators of the book—the author (that’s you) and the writer (yours truly). You tell me your ideas. This step is usually done in a series of phone or video interviews. You’re also more than welcome to send me handwritten notes, an outline, or voice recordings. You convey what you want to say in the book, and I ask clarifying and amplifying questions.
In fact, in this step, I ask a lot of questions. The ghostwriter is, in one sense, an intermediary between the author and the reader. Which means, I ask the questions (even stupid questions) any reader might have. Don’t worry; my goal is not to dumb you down or alter your life story.
Development usually goes very quickly, and my schedule during this phase is extremely flexible because I know yours may not be.
Tom’s expertise has been invaluable in shaping my novellas and short stories. I have been extremely impressed by the interest he has shown in my work. His enthusiasm and attention to detail are fantastic. —E. G. Hallowell, Director General of the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation and author of No Place Called Freetown (developmental edit)
Step Two: I write an outline of your book. But this isn’t one of those things you did in high school with the big and little roman numerals. In my profession, a book outline is a chapter-by-chapter summary written in paragraph form. It’s an easy-to-read narrative with whole sentences and usually captures the essence of each chapter in a third to a half a page. I submit the outline for your approval. We discuss any changes you may want in the organization and any inaccuracies you might see in the way I’ve represented your chapters.
Step Three: Now I get to do what I do best. I write. Depending on the length and type of book, I’ll deliver your first draft in three to twelve weeks. Yes, I’ll show off. I’ll give you some beautiful prose. I’ll light up your world. However, even Stephen King’s first drafts are imperfect.
I had the pleasure of working with Tom Wallace as my editor. We worked on [my manuscript] for several months. I was impressed with his expertise and how detail-oriented he is. Tom is not only a skilled writer/editor; he also easily took the perspective of a conscious and knowledgeable reader to provide very valuable comments and feedback. He went even further, providing constant encouragement and his honest opinion about all aspects of my writing: exactly what I was looking for. Tom was always very generous with his time and promptly answered all my questions. —Silvia Casabianca, PhD, author of Heartminded: Conscious Evolution from Fear to Solidarity (developmental edit)
Step Four: Now I need your feedback. Did I get anything wrong? Did I make anything sloppy? Did I completely miss the point in the story about the cat who could do long division?
I take all of your immensely valuable feedback. We may disagree on a point or two, and if I feel a particular approach will better serve your readers, I’ll explain my reasoning. Ultimately, you have the final say. I am the right hand—the writing hand. You are the author—the executive of this book-writing enterprise. Your book will be yours.
Step Five: I write the second draft, incorporating all your feedback. And this draft is the real deal. This is everything you want to say in clear, strong, persuasive, artful prose.
I was fortunate to find Tom when I was seeking editorial input for the second edition of my e-book, Seven Circles. The first edition was sadly outdated and hadn’t benefited from the kind of editing that Tom so aptly provided. His skills at the various levels of editing—ranging from semantics, punctuation, formatting, and grammar to the higher elevation of editing to enhance reader comprehension—made this edition a far superior work than I had envisioned. Tom offered highly professional, timely services, and he was responsive to me at every turn. He is a great value, and I highly recommend him for anyone who is seeking a seasoned and sensitive editor. Ernie Hubbard, author of Seven Circles (developmental edit)
Step Six: You’ll look over the second draft. Having been over the first draft together, by the time we get to this step, we’ll already have made the major revisions, but I’ll attend to any additional tweaks you may want. Even left to my own devises, I’ll find a better word to put here, a more eloquent turn of phrase to include there. You’ll review those tweaks, of course, but neither of us will be the last to look at your manuscript before it leaves the nest.
Tom Wallace is a versatile writer who’s able to adapt his tone to any project, from formal to conversational to humorous. He moves through the learning curve quickly and smoothly. I’ve never returned an assignment to him for any reason. —Paul Nutcher, Public Relations Manager, PRB Design Studio, Orlando, FL.
Publishing Your Book
When we’re both satisfied with the book, I’ll help you navigate a publishing path. If you already have that worked out, that’s great. I’ll support you along that path in any way you and your publisher would like.
Most of my clients are starting from scratch when it comes to getting their book out there, and I offer referrals and introductions to topnotch professionals who can publish your book or help you create your own imprint. They’ll make sure your book has great editing, cover design, and page design. If you’d like, they’ll even create a marketing program for your book. And when you put your project in their hands, I’ll still be available to review the edits, give feedback on cover designs, and help you approve the book’s proof copy. All of my participation in the publishing process is included in the price of my service.
Ghostwriting Pricing
1. Business books for entrepreneurs and c-suite executives. Though I can tailor a book’s length to the particular needs of a client, I find the sweet spot for these books is about 150 to 160 pages. The writing takes three months to complete. My base price for business books is $35,000; however, special pricing is available for clients who have a relationship with a publisher or book shepherd I work with.
2. Memoirs for entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals who want to develop a platform or memorialize a legacy. Typically, these books are 250 pages and are written in six months. My price for a memoir is $90,000.
Let’s talk—407-617-1661