Together with Oceanside Writing
My grandmother lived an ordinary life, but to us grandkids, listening to her tales by the crackling fire and the mounted moose head, she was extraordinary. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t attended college, that the most exotic place she had traveled to was Hawaii, or that she only ever left Pennsylvania on rare occasions. She had a gift for storytelling that made the most mundane details shine and the characters she described come to life—like when she and her pet dog were lost in the woods for 12 hours, or the time she met Sandy Koufax at the Piggly Wiggly.
“You should write a book, Grandma,” we grandkids urged. “Mom, write your memoir,” her own children said.
“Oh, I will, I will, just as soon as I….”— harvest the tomatoes from the garden; plan that trip to the Catskills; visit my sister in Delaware; fill in the blank. Time just got away from her.
And she never did finish that book. After she died, and we cleaned out a lifetime of knick-knacks and odds and ends from the home she built with my grandfather after WWII, we found a few pages squirreled away in a desk drawer, written in her spidery, elegant hand, like something from a museum exhibit.
We gasped. It was the beginning of her memoir, a beautiful and heartfelt start to a project she had long put off—her life story. But it was achingly short, just a few pages. Her project met the fate of so many books that exist only in the hearts and minds of their creators: the seedling of an idea, which never has the chance to grow.
And now most of her stories are forgotten, lost to the sands of time…
As a professional storyteller myself—a ghostwriter of over 30 books and editor of hundreds more—I like to think I inherited some of that gift from her. Now, it’s my life’s work to help people reach that milestone, which few achieve but almost everyone yearns to do: write and publish a book. My bread and butter are memoirs (autobiographical stories of your life) and business books (I help CEOs, entrepreneurs, and professionals write books that triple their income and put their name on the map.). I help people bring their stories to life.
How to Write a Book That People Want to Read
The promise I make to all my clients is this: “Let’s create something that your friends, family, and colleagues read because they want to—not just because they have to.” In other words, not “Uh oh, we’re seeing Janet next week for Thanksgiving, and I still haven’t read her memoir. Have you, honey?” “No, I was hoping you had.” “She’s going to ask about it. Is there a Cliff’s Notes version?”
Writing is hard, but I’ll let you in on a secret: whether a business book, memoir, novel, or another genre, a page-turner has two elements: a clear conflict and a compelling message. Once we answer those questions, we have the basic ingredients of a great book—or as my grandmother would say, a casserole needs a little meat and a little spice, and the rest is just gravy.
Why You Should Write a Book
- It’s enduring: A book captures your legacy. If you’re reading this publication, you’ve probably been through and achieved a lot. You’ve struggled, suffered, persevered, raised a family, built a career, and you probably did it even though people told you that you couldn’t. The book tells the world what you already know: “I have triumphed despite everything life has thrown at me!”
- It’s fun: fun to have the ghostwriter listen to your ideas, fun to let someone else take those ideas and shape them into something beautiful, and fun, of course, to have that finished product in your hands, a testament to all the great things you’ve done.
- It’s empowering: You get to share your story the way you want to tell it. You’re the boss.
- It’s therapeutic: I often work with authors who write about difficult or traumatic experiences. How much you share with the world is up to you, but many authors find just having someone listen and put their experiences on paper is a great relief. And it can help others heal, too.
- It can make you money: Most books don’t earn a lot through sales, but there’s limitless potential for monetizing it in other ways: by winning new clients (if you’re an entrepreneur or professional), landing lucrative speaking engagements, or elevating your personal brand.
Do I Need a Ghostwriter?
There are two advantages to hiring a ghostwriter:
1) The quality will be better than if you do it yourself. It’s the same reason why I would let a contractor install a new bathroom floor instead of trying to DIY. I know that project would end with me spackled with grout, in a pile of tiles, waving the white flag at a disappointed wife.
2) It saves you time—up to hundreds of hours of emotionally and mentally taxing labor. Many of my clients are business owners—they are busy and need things done fast, done right, and done in a way that earns an ROI.
Marina Perry, author of the memoir Crossroads, says, “As a first-time author, I worked with David to develop my memoir about an ambitious but ill-fated transcontinental romance. From the earliest concept through multiple drafts, David’s guidance was invaluable. He smoothed my rough edges, gave me the straight dope when I needed to be more liberal with my red pen, coached me on how to be a more compelling writer, and provided insights to help shape the story into its best form. His expertise, patience, and empathy made the process both productive and supportive. I am indebted to David, and will use him again for my next project.”
When you work with a ghostwriter, it’s a collaborative process, and the finished book is very much yours. It’s based on your ideas, written in the style you choose, and told in your voice. So you play an active role, but we do all the heavy lifting. That said, we also assist clients who wish to do the writing themselves or already have a draft written and need an editor or writing coach.
Get Started Today
I would love it if there were a book on the shelf, with my grandmother’s photo on the cover, which I could leaf through every time I miss her, or share with my young son, so he knows about the family he never got to meet. My grandmother had so much to share with the world, but she never had the chance to tell her story properly. Instead, all we have of her are fragments, photographs, and scattered memories. Don’t wait any longer to tell your story. You deserve it.
Get started today! Call for a free consultation, call (202) 602-2895, email David Ferris at [email protected], or visit https://www.oceansidewriting.com
