Course Syllabus for Editorial Toolkit: Book Doctoring and Ghostwriting

Course Goals

This four-lesson class is meant for editors who would like to add book doctoring, coauthoring, and/or ghostwriting to their editorial business. It discusses how developmental editing offers opportunities to pursue all of these possibilities, you’ll practice the skills you’ll need, and it covers how to find clients for these services.

Course Requirements

No textbook is required for this class. You will be able to find all the needed materials in the classroom site.

To get the most from the course, you’ll want to set aside time to read the lessons and do the assignments. You can expect to spend about three to five hours per lesson on coursework.

Course Outline

Lesson 1. Distinctions among book doctoring, coauthoring, ghostwriting, and developmental editing.

Read Lesson 1.

Exercise: Create a book doctor editorial plan for a book ms you’ve recently read.

Lesson 2. How to emulate an author’s voice in book doctoring

Read Lesson 2.

Exercise: Revise a few pages of a ms the way a book doctor might. Answer keys show one writer’s approach.

Lesson 3. Pitching book projects

Read Lesson 3.

Exercise: Try your hand at writing a query letter for a coauthor/ghostwriting project you’re interested in creating.

Lesson 4. Getting started in book doctoring and ghosting

Read Lesson 4.

Exercise: Create a plan for getting your first book doctoring/ghostwriting project.