Episode 24

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Published on:

8th Jul 2025

Can a Ghostwriter Edit Your Book?

Hello, fellow writers and aspiring authors! Let’s dive into a topic that often piques the curiosity of self-publishing authors: Can your ghostwriter also be your editor? The answer is a resounding yes, but not all ghostwriters provide this dual service. As someone who offers both, I believe in a one-stop-shop approach for writers looking to polish their work to perfection.

Join me to explore the essential editing services needed to transform your manuscript into a polished, professionally published book. Whether it's developmental editing, line editing, copy editing, or proofreading, each stage plays a crucial role in elevating your draft. I'll share practical insights on how to tailor these services to your unique writing needs and why using tools like Grammarly is a smart move before seeking professional help.

For those wondering where to start, let me guide you through the self-publishing process. Having walked alongside many professionals, I know the challenges of converting your hard-earned wisdom into a book that builds a legacy and reflects your personal and professional brand. Each week, this podcast offers you practical wisdom and proven strategies to help you avoid common pitfalls and successfully self-publish your book.


I talk about valuable information regarding the different types of editing, from developmental editing for structure and plot to line editing for clarity and flow, copy editing for grammar and consistency, and finally, proofreading for typos and formatting. I'll also discuss how I combine line, copy, and proofreading into one service to save my clients time and money.


Remember, your expertise becomes truly valuable when it's transformed into a professionally published book that represents your unique brand. If you find this episode helpful, subscribe to our podcast to catch more insights every week!


(00:19) - Using AI for Book Marketing

(13:35) - Ensuring Authenticity in AI Marketing

(24:50) - Navigating AI for Book Writing

Transcript

Ready to elevate your career with a professionally published book? Are you simply not sure where to start? Have you been searching down the internet rabbit hole for a self-publishing resource worth your time? Your search ends here, my friend. Let's walk the publishing path together and bring your book to life. With the Publishing for Professionals podcast, I'm here to coach thought leaders, executives and speakers on how to successfully self-publish your book while avoiding common pitfalls. I'm Linda Liquidy-Smargis, chief ghostwriter, editor and founder of Unicorn Publishing Company, and have stood by the sides of many professionals just like you to walk them through the publishing process and successfully launching their book. Every industry pioneer faces the same daunting challenges how to convert your hard-earned wisdom into a book that builds legacy, with a voice that reflects your personal and professional brand. Join me each week to acquire practical wisdom and proven strategies and find out what the traditional publishing companies simply don't want you to know. Let's work together to tell your story with a book. This is more than just a podcast. It's your roadmap to becoming a published author. Get ready to write your blueprint for book publishing success with the Publishing for Professionals podcast.

01:02

Today, we're going to be talking about can a ghostwriter edit your book and the different types of editing. So let's jump right in today. But before we jump right in, I wanted to ask you if you could write and review. Please make sure, if you're watching the video underneath, to like and follow like the video and follow me on YouTube. Now let's jump in. So the question today is is can a ghostwriter edit your book? And the different types of editing. The short answer is yes. Any ghostwriter can edit your book, but not all ghostwriters offer that service. So I do offer that as a service for right for you.

01:35

I do ghostwriting and book editing and some hires me for ghostwriting. I also include book editing in that pricing. Or if somebody has a book and they would like it edited, I do that as well. So it depends on the ghostwriter, the types of editing that changes, so that's a little bit different. So there are many different types of editing. If you didn't know that, it's not kind of like a one-stop shop for all, although when I do editing that's pretty much what I do I do kind of like the one-stop shop.

02:00

At the bottom there is developmental editing, and so this type of editing is like editing for structure and plot, character development and pacing, and so a lot of that goes with fiction writing, and I don't write fiction right now. In the future I will be, but right now I only do ghostwriting for nonfiction. So if you have a fiction book and you need an editor, then that's a really great way to start. So you can do developmental editing. You can pay somebody to do that, so that's either structure and plot editing, character development or pacing. Then there is line editing, which I do for nonfiction clients. So line editing is clarity, flow and polish. So how well does your one flow into another? All of that good stuff and polish. So how well does your one flow into another? All of that good stuff. So then the next type of editing is copy editing, so that's grammar, usage, spelling, consistency and fact checking. So that's another type of editing. You can pay somebody to do copy editing and then the top proofreading, which is typos and formatting. So that's very simplistic. That one should cost you the least amount of money because it's not as involved as copy editing, line editing or developmental editing. So let me show you on a graph what that looks like. Let me pull this out and add it into the feed here.

03:16

Four different types of editing, just to review. There is the developmental editing for structure and plot, character development and pacing, which usually goes along with fiction books. There is line editing for clarity, flow and polish. There's copy editing for grammar, usage, spelling, consistency and fact checking and the last but not least is proofreading. So typos and formatting.

03:37

One of the things I would definitely recommend, as a writer, before you hand your book off to an editor, is to at least throw it through Grammarly. Grammarly is amazing. I would highly recommend getting the paid version, especially if you're writing, authoring a book, because one of the things you don't want to do is you don't want to submit a book with tons of grammatical errors, or any, if you can. I mean, usually they have a couple, because no one gets every grammatical error. But putting through Grammarly before you send it is always a great idea. And definitely, definitely, definitely pay somebody else to edit your book, because another set of eyes on your book just in and of itself is a great way to find out what you need to change in your book, because you're in your book, you're inside your head, but the other person isn't.

04:18

All right, my friends. So this is a super short episode today. I hope you've enjoyed it. I hope this has answered your question about can a ghostwriter edit your book and the different types of book editing. Of course, all of these different types of editing cost different amounts. For me, what I do is I do the line, copy and proofreading all at the same time. It saves my clients lots of money and time, and so if that's something you're interested in, you can definitely get ahold of me at wwwwriteforyoume. Hit me up on my contact form and I can help you out with that.

04:45

All right, my friends, I hope you're having a great day and I hope this was super helpful. Again, come meet me at wwwwriteforyoume to find out more about editing your book. Hey, my friend, thanks for joining me on the Publishing for Professionals podcast. I hope this episode has equipped you with actionable strategies for your publishing journey. Remember, your expertise becomes truly valuable when it's transformed into a professionally published book that represents your unique brand. The insights we've covered today will hopefully give you another piece of your publishing blueprint. If you found today's discussion valuable, make sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you get the next episode dropped right into your podcast player. Each week, we tackle another essential aspect designed specifically for busy professionals like you. Remember to start the dream of writing your book today, because your strategies could be the missing piece in someone else's success puzzle tomorrow.

05:37

The information in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. The content shared by the host, guest and any affiliates is not intended to substitute any professional or financial advice specific to your situation. Always seek the advice of a qualified professional with any questions you may have. The opinions expressed on the show by the host or guest are of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views of Unicorn Publishing Company. Unicorn Publishing Company, the host, guest and affiliates are not responsible or liable for any decisions made by listeners or action taken here to based on the information discussed in this podcast. By listing this podcast, by listening this podcast, you acknowledge and agree to release unicorn publishing company that hosts, affiliates and guests for any liability.

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About the Podcast

Publishing for Professionals
Editing, Writing and Self-Publishing for Speakers, Executives, Leaders who are writing a book to self-publish
Turn your big ideas into a published book - without the traditional publishing headaches or the costly mistakes that plague first-time authors.

Join multi-published author and ghostwriter Lynn "Elikqitie" Smargis of Unicorn Publishing Company as she pulls back the curtain on the world of modern publishing, showing professional speakers, executives, and thought leaders how to transform their expertise into compelling books that build their brand and legacy.

Have you been struggling with impostor syndrome, wondering if your story is worth telling? Overwhelmed by the sheer number of publishing options? Worried about investing thousands in a book that might never find its audience? Or are you concerned about maintaining your professional reputation while sharing personal stories? Tune in each week as Lynn tackles these fears head-on, providing practical solutions and proven strategies.

In a world where traditional publishers are increasingly selective, and self-publishing can feel like navigating a maze blindfolded, Publishing for Professionals offers a refreshing roadmap for busy professionals who know they have a book in them but don't know where to start. Lynn serves up straight talk and insider secrets each week, addressing the real challenges that keep those brilliant ideas trapped in notebooks or laptop folders.

Are you an?
*Executive or CEO with methodologies to share?
*Professional speaker ready to expand their reach?
*Consultant looking to scale their impact?
*Industry leader with valuable insights?
*Entrepreneur with an inspiring journey?
*Thought leader ready to cement their legacy?

Your story matters. Your experience has value. And with the proper guidance, your book can change lives - starting with yours. Tune into Publishing for Professionals and find out:

*Whether a ghostwriter is right for you (and how to find one who truly gets your voice)
*The truth about hybrid publishing
*How to create effective time-management strategies for executives who need to write
*The secret to structuring your book to resonate with your target audience
*Marketing techniques that work for thought leaders and executives
*The real costs of publishing - from editing to design to distribution
*Ways to leverage your book for speaking engagements, consulting opportunities, and brand-building

Whether you're a CEO sitting on a methodology that could revolutionize your industry, a speaker whose message needs to reach beyond the stage, or a leader ready to share your hard-won wisdom, each episode delivers actionable advice wrapped in engaging stories and a healthy dose of humor. Lynn "Elikqitie" Smargis also dives into the failures and missteps of publishing, so you don't have to learn the hard way.

This isn't just another "how to write" podcast. It's a comprehensive guide to navigating the entire publishing journey, from the first draft to the final marketing plan. Lynn will be your guide to walk you through self-publishing, the benefits of ghostwriting, what you need to know about editing your book, and how to configure and launch a book marketing plan so your book gets seen in front of the right audience.

No more wondering if your book will ever see the light of day. No more confusion about the next step in the process. No more worry about damaging your professional reputation with a sub-par publication. Publishing for Professionals gives you the blueprint for becoming a published author on your own terms, with your credibility intact and enhanced.

Subscribe now and join a community of ambitious professionals turning their expertise into powerful published works. Your readers are waiting, and your impact is needed.

Let's make your book happen!

About your host

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Lynn Smargis

Lynn is a ghostwriter, author, writer, podcast producer, artist, all around creative and ideator and is the founder of Unicorn 🦄 Publishing Company.

On a typical day of content creation, she can produce 2,000 to 8,000 words. She started her creative journey at the age of five, creating and performing dance routines at Ms. Ruth’s dance studio in her home town of Philadelphia. She discovered the world of recording audio in middle school creating mixtapes in the 80s and videos in the 90s. As an adult, podcasting is her new creative medium that is second only to writing and publishing.

As a professional, Lynn works closely with leaders, executives, and consultants to elevate their platforms through ghostwriting their non-fiction books. In addition to publishing client books (and her own books) Lynn works on collaborative book projects with podcast industry leaders. She is also the author and co-author of several books, including The Guide To Traveling Gluten Free, Senior Solutions, and How to Repurpose Your Podcast into a Book. In addition to writing books for herself and her clients, Lynn hosts and produces the podcasts Caring for Your Aging Parents, and Travel Gluten Free, which are available on all major podcast players.

Lynn enjoys spending time on her olive farm in McMinnville, Oregon. When she isn't writing or farming, Lynn enjoys gardening, studying astronomy, playing with her two dogs, Minnow and Lily, snuggling her two cats, Hemingway and Jack, traveling, painting, reading tarot, studying Buddhism, and experiencing the outdoors.