About me, the Self-help Ghostwriter

We ghostwriters tend to be a shy bunch. After all, we spend our days at our keyboards, working in the background, helping others tell their stories.

A little about me: I am originally from the Washington, DC area (I grew up in Wheaton, Maryland), and I have also lived in Utah and even lived overseas for two years as an LDS missionary (I went to Japan and spent most of my time on the island of Okinawa).

I have a bachelor's from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and a master's in English literature from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah.

After I graduated, I moved back to the DC area (where there is always work, it seems), and I worked for many years as a business writer and technical writer before relocating back to Utah, where I eventually hung out my shingle as a ghostwriter. (I now reside in South Carolina, but I work with people from all over the US and even overseas.)

I love knowing that the books I help others write might help someone else.

As the Self-help Ghostwriter, I also enjoy reading self-help books. One of my favorites is the classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie.

When you hire me, not only do you work only with me, but you also work with someone who understands self-help books what makes them work.

Curious to see if we're a fit? Click the button below to book a free consult:

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About ghostwriting and ghostwriters

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If you want to learn more about ghostwriting and ghostwriters, I've answered a few basic questions below:

We were all probably told to do our own work in school, so many wonder if ghostwriting is ethical, or even legal.

Ghostwriting is both legal and ethical.

Granted, if you steal content from someone else (also called plagiarism), whether you use that content or give it to your ghostwriter to put down as yours, that is not ethical or legal.

Professional, experienced ghostwriters will make sure that the content and information their clients give them to write is not someone else's. In this way, hiring a ghostwriter can actually help you stay out of trouble!

What is ghostwriting and what is a ghostwriter?

How much does a ghostwriter cost?

Is ghostwriting illegal or unethical?

As you might expect, ghostwriters help others write something, which is usually a book, but it could be an article, a speech, or even song lyrics. Ghostwriters usually help their authors get their stories and information into print; the ghostwriter does not make up what they are writing for their client. Ghostwriters interview their clients and use that as a basis for what they write.

Ghostwriters have a long history of helping write for others. For millennia, prophets, political leaders and others relied on scribes (who performed functions basically identical to ghostwriters) to help them record history, write scripture, or pen official documents. Nowadays, ghostwriters help business leaders, celebs, and anyone with a book to write or a story to tell to get their words into print.

If you want to write a self-help book but the writing part has gotten you worried, hiring a ghostwriter might just be what you need.

It's best to think of hiring a ghostwriter as an investment in your book, yourself, and your future. Since most ghostwriters do their work for hire (meaning they charge for the service they provide), you should expect to pay them for their time and expertise.

In the US today, an experienced, premium ghostwriter like me will charge anywhere between $30,000 and $70,000, or more, to write a nonfiction book. If you want to know what your project might cost, feel free to book a quick consult:

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More testimonials

A few words from those I've helped write a book that helps others . . .

“For most people, the prospect of sitting down to write a book is a daunting one. Working together with Jonathan on my book, however, made that task a bit less daunting. It was great working with someone who is an excellent writer and who could guide me through the entire process. I am very happy with how my book turned out. I highly recommend working with Jonathan if you want to write a book.”

—Paul Quist, Living Your Breakaway Life: The Secret to Achieving Lifelong Success

“I had already written much of what I needed for my book, but with Jonathan’s help and editorial advice, I was able to finish my book and take it to the next level. Jonathan is a master at re-sequencing my book thus creating a flow that made my words come alive for me. He is very easy to work with and is very responsive. I highly recommend his services, whether you are just starting to write a book or have a book that you’re having trouble finishing. I look forward to collaborating with him on my second book.”

—Beverly Kyer, MSW, CSW, ASCW, Surviving Compassion Fatigue: Help for Those Who Help Others

★★★★★

“I’ve been asked a number of times, ‘Why did you choose Jonathan Williams for my book, and are you pleased with his work now that you’ve written it?’ My answer?

Jonathan was the seventh ghostwriter that I interviewed. The reasons I chose him over the previous six are these:

His excellent listening skills. During the interview, he was able to speak back some of the nuances of the message I desired to deliver. It signaled to me that he was able to read between the lines of the feeling of the message, and not just the facts as a reporter would do on news station.

His desire to make sure that it was my voice, my message, my tone that was delivered in the final product.

His plan before we write the first word that included understanding who are audience is / is not, what tone, what writing style would be best for that audience, and the need to build a road map of the overall book.

His heart and transparency. Considering that my book is a brutally honest reflection on life, it was important to me to have someone who was honestly bought into full transparency.

His pricing was not the cheapest (or the most expensive either), but I was able to pay as we went along, and that made me feel good that I was not front-loading payment for work yet undone.

In the end, I am extremely happy. The process was great, and the final outcome is everything I could have hoped for.”—Mark Goodman, Forgiving a Good Man