3 ways to get
the book out of you.
The only real question is how much of the writing you want to do yourself.
Everything else follows from that. Pick the honest answer and the right door is obvious. If you are not sure, that is what the call is for.
How much of it do you want to write?
None of it, some of it, or all of it. That is the whole decision tree, and anyone who makes it more complicated than that is selling you something.
Ghostwriting
You write none of it. You talk, I disappear for a year, and a finished manuscript in your voice lands on your desk. Your name on the cover, mine nowhere. About 95% of these stay under NDA.
See ghostwritingCo-writing
You write some of it. You draft, I shape, cut and rewrite with you. For the expert who already has pages and wants a professional’s hands on the shape of it. You are in the room for all of it.
See co-writingBook coaching
You write all of it, and I make sure it keeps moving. 1 to 1 on every chapter, or Write On, my group room, at $997 CAD a month. Same method either way, and you come out with a book plus a way of working you will use on the next one.
See coachingStill not obvious? Most people arrive certain about one and leave choosing another. That is what the free call is for, and I have talked people out of hiring me on it more than once.
4 days. 6 writers.Pages you actually have.
Some people do not need a year of anything. They need a room, 5 other writers, and me for 4 days on an island. Createcation retreats run from $3,500 and there are 3 rooms on the 2026 calendar.
The method underneath is the same one.
Validation, then the storytelling framework, then Goldmines, then the writing, then the reveal. 30 years of doing this has made it boringly reliable, which is exactly what you want in a process.
Watch thesebefore you decide.
What is a ghostwriter? The honest version
Avril Henry, on why a 5x bestselling author still hires a book coach
How to vet your bestselling book idea
Books that gotwritten.
The 5% who let me say their names. Ghostwritten, co-written or coached, every one of these belongs entirely to the person on the cover.
Legally ZenKat ReillyTake a look →
WonderliciousPeter MerrettTake a look →
People FirstMorgan LeeTake a look →
Get Rich from the P.I.T.C.H.Nic MurdochTake a look →
Why MeClayton MuehlsteinTake a look →
Pass the TorchManja HornerTake a look →
Show BusinessDiane & Scott StrandTake a look →
Soul Ascension CodeAshley Hoobler & Layne MillsTake a look →The people whosaid yes.
“Crystal is frank in the best possible way. She gave me permission to be raw, real, and authentically myself on the page.”
Lora Cerulli TotiloAuthor, Seen • Heard • Hired
The questions that decide it for most people.
What is the difference between ghostwriting, co-writing and book coaching?
It comes down to how much of the writing you do. In ghostwriting ($60,000 USD) you write none of it and I write the whole book. In co-writing ($30,000 USD) you draft and I shape, cut and rewrite it with you. In book coaching ($7,000 to $10,000 USD) you write every word and I bring structure, honest feedback and accountability. Your name goes on the cover in all 3 and mine goes nowhere in all 3.
Which one is right for me?
Answer one question honestly: how much of this do you actually want to write? None of it points to ghostwriting. Some of it points to co-writing. All of it points to coaching. If your calendar cannot take it for the next year, that is a ghostwriting answer no matter what your instincts say.
How much does it cost to have a book written for you?
Ghostwriting with me starts at $60,000 USD for a full 60,000+ word manuscript, and I take 2 clients a year. Co-writing is $30,000 USD with 4 spots a year. Book coaching runs $7,000 to $10,000 USD for 12 sessions. Payment plans are available across all 3.
Do I own the book and does my name go on the cover?
Yes to both, every time. You own the copyright, the royalties and every other right. I sign an NDA and I take no credit line.
How long does it take?
90 days for ghostwriting and co-writing. Coaching runs in 90-day blocks, and how much you finish inside one depends on how much you write between sessions. One went from idea to print in 8 months.
What if I only have 4 days, not a year?
Then you want a Createcation retreat. 4 days, 6 writers, 1 finished thing, from $3,500. There is also a free 3-hour online session if you want to see how I work before spending anything.
Do you work with clients outside Canada?
Yes. I am based on Vancouver Island and I have worked with 200+ authors across 12+ countries, including the USA, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Everything runs over video.
What kinds of books do you work on?
Memoir and business books, mostly. Founders, executives, speakers, coaches and people whose life or expertise genuinely warrants a book. 4 of the books I have written reached the New York Times bestseller list.
How do I start?
Book a free 30-minute strategy call. You leave knowing whether your book is a book, which of the 3 ways in fits it, and what it would cost. No pitch deck and no obligation.
Every one of them started with one conversation.
30 minutes, free, and you leave knowing where you stand. Your book, your goal, and which of the 3 ways in fits. Even if the honest answer is that you should go and write it yourself.
Read first
Worth knowing before you pick a door.
I wrote these so you can decide properly instead of guessing.
The 3 jobsGhostwriter, editor or coach
3 different jobs. Most people hire the wrong one and then blame the book.
Read it →
The real reasonWhy most books never get finished
It is not time and it is not talent. I have watched this happen for 30 years.
Read it →
The orderWrite before you are ready
Edit when you are. Publish with a plan. In that order, every time.
Read it →
The assetYour book is the best IP you will ever own
What a book keeps earning long after launch week is over.
Read it →
The thresholdAm I far enough along to apply
The honest answer, including the version where you have written nothing yet.
Read it →