Nine out of ten people dream of writing a book.
Only one in a thousand see that dream come true.
When was the last time you thought about your bucket list, that handful of items you promised yourself you’d accomplish before you die?
On just about everyone’s list is writing a book. Only most people never start. Fewer start but don’t finish. An even smaller number get to the end, then put the manuscript in a drawer where it sits for decades. And finally, a tiny, tiny fraction write and publish their book for the world to read.
The absence of progress isn’t for lack of trying or passion or skill or time or even understanding the mechanics of writing a book. Book stores are crammed with how-tos and advice from authors and guides for dummies.
What makes the book writing process so hard is doing it all by yourself.
It’s lonely. It’s isolating. It’s solitary and miserable and empty.
In a way, the process is so dispiriting most never begin.
“I started to write my book several times. Yet, each time I had a constant feeling of uncertainty and anxiety. I had so much information that I found it difficult to figure out what goes where.”
–Dr. Mike Barnes, Professor, Chief Clinical Officer
Imagine for a moment that you had a ghostwriter working in the background . . .
. . . a writer listening to your stories and insights and then turning those experiences into a compelling manuscript.
Better, imagine that the result emphasizes the turning points of your life, what you’ve learned on your unique path, and emphasizes those lessons for readers to take in.
Your book isn’t just a personal narrative, a dry biography of dates and places, but something far more. Its purpose is to connect the dots of this crazy world and all its challenges so others can learn from your successes. And failures. Readers love failures.
I think of these as “life lessons” books, and in my world they’re the only stories worth telling.
From the time I was young, I sought out these lessons and the wisdom therein. In fact, I’m so obsessed with what others have learned on their life’s journey that I’ve made uncovering these lessons, and writing about them, a career.
So how does all this apply to you?
Say you’re a successful venture capitalist from New York City like one of my recent clients.
You want to share the ups and downs and some steady north star navigation with family and students and founders. We talk via Zoom for several weeks, and I point out a few patterns or fundamental principles I see in your stories and choices. You don’t see the patterns because you’re too close.
And yet within these patterns are guideposts others can apply to their own life and work.
Together we write an engaging 250-page book that tells a personal story and at the same time highlights a handful of takeaways.
The outcome isn’t an advice book so much as a tale that leaves readers wanting more, a page-turner, and the narrator—you—telling the story in the voice of a sage, a wise and knowledgeable guide.
The initial feedback is just what we expected with phrases like “this book is a doozy,” and “worth the read,” and “fascinating,” and “insightful.” Your wife is overjoyed. She loves the all the connections and full-circle feel to the storytelling.
In just a few short months, you have a polished manuscript in your hands ready for publication.
Sure, you could have written the book without my help. But why torture yourself? Working together we complete the manuscript faster, with a focus on conveying real-world insights in an offbeat story structure that keeps readers engaged. The best part, we do it together.
Suddenly, writing a book is less of a chore and far more fun.
We, you and I, find common ground—a shared interest in storytelling and meaning and forward thinking and the impact our lives and our work has on others. Our weekly calls have a touch of alchemy to them. Together we do a bit of mind reading with respect to what your readers truly love and the lessons they definitely seek.
In a matter of months, you’ve checked off one of the most intimidating and meaningful items on your bucket list.
You’ve written your legacy book.
"I wanted to write my book for over 20 years. In that time, I worked with other ghostwriters, but none captured my vision and my voice until I found Laura. To top it off, we finished the manuscript in record time."
–Randy Haveson, M.A., President of the RISE Organization
About Me.
I’m Laura Schaefer, a professional ghostwriter---and the only writer I know who focuses solely on life lessons books.
After college, I attended the University of Wisconsin Writers’ Institute where I learned that our stories and the lessons we take away are inextricably connected. In fact, a story without an accompanying insight is no story at all.
Later, I published my first book, wrote an op-ed for The New York Times, and was interviewed on Good Morning America.
I spent the next fifteen years in the traditional publishing world, authoring three books published by Simon & Schuster. Today, I live in Florida and ghostwrite books for wealthy clients looking for more than a tell-all, a biography or a memoir, but a personal narrative imbued with the lessons of a lifetime.
Writing is my profession, but deep down, I get a kick out of working with people like you, successful people with a story to tell, people I admire, and learn from.
Why me? Why now?
Writing a book is a lonely art. But there's another reason most people never write a book.
What if you do and the book or story or writing is lousy? What if it lacks that ineffable quality of excellence you were hoping to achieve? What if readers feel the writing is self-aggrandizing or shallow or just boring? What if, rather than sharing your brand of savvy genious with the world, readers pan the book or worse, give it a bad review?
“Don't try to do it yourself, you'll just get frustrated and wind up writing something you’ll never use, or worse, publish something you shouldn’t have.”
—Ken Moskowitz, author of Jab Till It Hurts
Choose me as your ghostwriter and bad reviews are off the table.
Why? Because I’ve got your back. With a professional ghostwriter in your corner, quietly prodding you to dig deeper, we will produce a genuine work of art. And we’ll do it together.
How can I make such a pledge? Because I’ve done it before. Many times. In fact, I have a passion for taking individual stories of triumph and struggle and misadventures and turning them into universal lessons with an unexpected or quirky hook that readers remember for years.
This isn’t just me talking. Readers agree.
“This book is a concise and practical guide to improving your soft skills and work-life balance by awakening to what’s within! A must-read for anyone seeking the right path for self-transformation.”
—Mary G., Los Angeles, California
“I was ‘shook’ as the kids say. I felt like the author was speaking directly to me about my situation. Somehow, reading about someone else who has accomplished what he has under circumstances worse than mine makes success seem WAY more attainable, you know?”
—Robert H., Pensacola, Florida
I get it. A book is a big deal. Why start if the outcome isn’t a lock? Why type the first letter of the first word of the first paragraph if there’s a chance the whole endeavor will be anything less than exceptional?
I’ll tell you why.
Because this is a risk worth taking.
Because writing a book, your book of hard-won lessons, will be one of the most gratifying experiences of your life. Because sharing your thoughts with generations to come is an venture worth pursuing.
Because, with my help, with a professional ghostwriter whispering in your ear, advising you on voice and sentence structure and theme and reflective pacing, and maybe most important, nudging you—us—to remove all the boring bits, with all this help, we’ll deliver a book you are proud of, a story of lasting significance in the same way author Jen Sincero reminded us to love ourselves in You Are a Badass, the way Randy Pausch bid his family and the world farewell in The Last Lecture, the way Robert Fulghum reminded us of the fundamentals in All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, and Robert Pirsig alerted his readers to the importance of quality in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
These are some of the bestselling life lessons books on the market. Why shouldn’t your book be on the list?
Clients.
Some recent book projects include a story about making quantum leaps rather than incremental improvements, a new take on building wealth, work-life integration, and unlocking the secret forces that affect our lives.
These books cover a lot of ground because each author has walked a singular path, often taking a rambling route to success and fortune and in the process gleaned a pocketful of lessons—about understanding and judgement and enlightenment and let’s not forget money and economics and work—others can integrate into their own lives.
“Without Laura’s guidance, I would have procrastinated for years. I would have made numerous unnecessary mistakes, and likely never finished the book on my own. The words and thoughts are mine, but much better presented thanks to her guidance. Can’t recommend her enough.”
—Scott Brown, Financial Advisor
“Laura Schaefer is a true model of what it looks like to work in one's zone of genius.”
—Emily Golden, MCC
“Laura makes the intangible tangible. She works silly fast and has a mid-western work ethic I admire. If you’re considering partnering with a ghostwriter, I highly recommend her.”
—Michael S. Seaver, Leadership Coach, Speaker, Author
“Her experience and unbridled optimism make Laura Schaefer a unique partner. She challenged me to convey every ounce of my passion. I look forward to our next book project together.”
—Theo Prodromitis, Marketing Strategist
Choose me as your literary wing-man.
If you got the impression all this talk of working together sounds complicated or cumbersome, you’re wrong.
Working with me is a walk in the park precisely because I’ve simplified the book writing process into a handful of steps.
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First, we talk on the phone about the broad strokes of the book project—length, theme, personal stories, and types of life lessons you want to share. We’ll use this initial conversation as an informal outline.
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Next, we talk weekly via telephone or Zoom. This is the fun part. During these sessions, you speak your book into existence.
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And finally, I write and deliver one chapter at a time. I prefer to work using a shared Google doc, a word processing tool we can both access online to make corrections and changes at any point in the process. Before you know it, you’ll reach the last page and the words The End.
Really, it’s that simple.
The entire ghostwriting process takes exactly six months.
"Laura’s process is sharp and professional, and her work product excellent. I highly recommend her and look forward to working with her again."
—Elizabeth Parsons, Founder & Principal, Zelinka Parsons
"I could not have written my book without Laura’s help. She is easy to work with and made the writing process feel effortless. She is responsive and far exceeded my expectations. If you're looking for a particular kind of ghostwriter, an insightful writer with a focus on the lessons learned, then you found her."
—Beth Hendler-Grunt, Founder & President of Next Great Step LLC
What it costs.
They say the best investment you can make is in yourself.
Only they're wrong.
The best investment you can make is in others—an investment in humanity. Isn’t that what your book is? A book of lessons for others to read and apply to their own lives, a sort of guidebook for a better life.
You are one of the few with the time and means and intellect to produce a book that benefits others, your family and community, and with a little luck, everyone on the planet.
Some would ask why do such a thing? Why spend the next six months putting your ideas to paper if the real beneficiaries are an audiance of readers you've never met? Silly question, really. Besides, you and I already know the answer.
Because you think big.
You’ve led a successful life, earned a bunch of money, travelled enough, and built relationships with some influential people, people who have lent you a hand along the way. You've experienced the world in a way others haven't, learned a thing or two or three, and now you’re ready to pay it forward.
And what better use of your precious resources than sharing your wisdom with the world?
You look forward to spending some of your time and money producing a high-quality life lessons book, a book you wish you'd read twenty or thirty years ago, and the exact book the world needs today.
Here's my one bit of advice:
Choose the right ghostwriter. That writer is me.
My fee to ghostwrite a 250-page print-ready manuscript is $120,000.
(By the way, you retain all rights and royalties.)
Given the time and effort and awareness it takes to write such a book, my fee is a bargain. Besides, the fee isn't important. Not really. What's important is that you find an experienced writer to shepherd you through book writing process, a writer who believes in you, and who genuinely believes, well who knows, that a life lessons book is the highest form of storytelling.
Anyone can crank out 250 pages and call it a book. Only a handful of writers have the capacity and temperament to collaborate in the process, to work side by side for months to help you accomplish a goal of a lifetime.
You’ve thought about this book for years, decades maybe. You’ve been searching for the top ghostwriter in her field. Well, you found her. Tell me I'm wrong.
Look, if you’ve read this far, you’re in. I know it. You know it. You’ve landed on my website for a reason. You and I are meant to write this book together. Right here. Right now.
Contact Me.
So, what's next? You send me an email at laura@lauraschaeferwriter.com.
Go ahead a grab your phone. Do it. Reach out to me now and let’s get started on what I believe will be an experience of a lifetime. I can’t send the email for you. Only you can do that. The next move is up to you.
I’m waiting.
Laura
Laura Schaefer
Laura Schaefer LLC
13506 Summerport Village Pkwy Suite 136
Windermere, FL 34786
608-886-3703
lauraschaeferwriter.com
PS: If your dream is to write a book and to partner with a ghostwriting pro, then there’s no better time than now. I mean it. I’m looking for a single client to fill up my schedule for the rest of the year. Once that slot is filled, I’m booked for the next six months. Email me now, and together let’s scratch one item—writing a book—off your bucket list.