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Meet Dave*. Dave had a book idea rattling around in his head for years. He wanted to use it to help leverage his leadership coaching business. So it was quite important to him, but always seemed to take second place.
He was getting frustrated…
He even had a few notes scribbled on napkins and the backs of bills. But every time he sat down to write, life happened—emails, meetings, the sudden need to clean the fridge. That’s when he called us.
Step 1: Scoping–“So… What’s This Book About, Then?”
Before Dave could get anywhere, we needed a plan. We hopped on a call, dug into his ideas, researched his target readers, and figured out where his book fit in the grand scheme of things. We gave him a clear timeline, a quote, and—most importantly—a little reality check: “Dave, if you don’t actually write this book, it won’t exist.”
He grumbled, but we were off to a good start.
Step 2: Book Outline–“No, Dave, You Can’t Change Your Whole Book Halfway Through”
This was where we nailed down the structure—chapter by chapter—with lots of to-and-fro’ing with Dave to get it “just right”. Once Dave gave his final thumbs-up, we told him, “No major changes after this, mate.” He sighed dramatically but agreed.
We knew he’d try to change things later. They always do.
Step 3: First Draft–“Google Docs Is Your New Best Friend”
We set up a shared document so Dave could write while we gently (read: firmly) nudged him along. With 2,000 words a day as the goal, we kept him accountable. Every time he tried to procrastinate, we sent encouraging yet slightly threatening emails: “Dave, remember that Netflix exists only after you hit your word count.”
Yes, this sounds harsh, but Dave wanted to do it all himself.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
In Sarah’s* case she didn’t have that much time, so we took what she had and finished it up for her. That’s the ghostwriting option. It was still her idea and her book, we just did the writing slogwork while she followed along and left us comments on a live doc.
Some people think this might be “cheating” but it’s about as cheaty as hiring an architect to design your dream house.
You have the vision—you know what you want it to look like, how it should feel, and what purpose it should serve—but you might not have the time, skills, or patience to turn that vision into a solid, well-structured reality.
A ghostwriter takes your ideas, voice, and expertise and builds something that stands strong, flows beautifully, and is professionally crafted—without you having to figure out every brick and beam yourself.
At the end of the day, it’s still your house (or book), just expertly constructed by someone who knows how to bring your vision to life.
Anyway, back to Dave.
Step 4: Editing & Review–“Yes, Dave, We Have to Fix Your Spelling”
Once the draft was in, our editors gave it a once-over. Dave thought his writing was “pretty solid.” We smiled politely and got to work fixing typos, smoothing out clunky sentences, and stopping him from using the phrase “very unique” (because, Dave, uniqueness doesn’t come in degrees). We let him make a few minor tweaks to avoid an existential crisis.
Step 5: Interior Formatting & Proofreading–“Making It Look Like a Real Book”
By this stage, Dave’s book had evolved from a messy document into something resembling an actual book. We formatted it for print and digital, fixing those last-minute “wait, I swear I wrote that differently” moments. Dave was both thrilled and mildly terrified.
Step 6: Cover Design–“No, Dave, We’re Not Using Comic Sans”
Dave had thoughts about his book cover. Some were… questionable. We gently guided him away from a bright neon design with flames and instead gave him two solid, professional options. After two rounds of feedback, he finally admitted, “Alright, yeah, this looks legit.”
Step 7: Marketing & Cover Elements–“Yes, Dave, You Need an Author Bio”
We helped Dave fill out all the extra bits—his author bio, book blurb, and metadata. He tried to write “Dave is a legend,” but we suggested something a bit more, well, useful. We also finalised his marketing plan so his book wouldn’t sit in the Amazon void, unnoticed.
Step 8: Book Launch–“It’s Happening, Dave, No Turning Back”
Time to hit “publish.” We uploaded everything, set up sales platforms, and scheduled the book’s release. Dave panicked slightly but was too far in to back out now. eBooks went live within days, and pre-orders for the print version opened.
Step 9: Marketing–“Because Books Don’t Sell Themselves”
Dave thought he could just hit “publish” and magically become a bestseller. We explained, patiently, that no one just stumbles onto a book. We helped him with ongoing marketing—social media, blogs, podcasts, and reviews—so his book had a fighting chance in the wild world of publishing.
The End Result? Dave, The Published Author
After all the sweat, tears, and deleted sentences, Dave finally held his book in his hands. He sent us a photo, looking proud (and a little sleep-deprived). “I actually did it,” he said. “You did,” we replied. “And now, Dave, it’s time to start thinking about your next book…”
Want to be like Dave (minus the procrastination)? We’ll help you every step of the way. Let’s get your book done.
Contact us at info@harvardink.com to start the conversation.
See some of our grand book projects (including Dave’s*) here.
*Dave and Sarah are both pseudonyms. After all, no one wants to admit they almost chose Comic Sans for their book cover.
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, 2018, Pexels.
