Roly Allen – Ghostwriter

With years of experience of all kinds of non-fiction – including memoir, MBS, food & drink, business, creativity, history, sports and more – I'll help you to write your book, and find a home for it.

How?

I can work on the 'big picture' of your manuscript, and on the detailed nitty-gritty of your writing, helping you to:

+ develop, clarify, and organise your ideas or narrative – giving it a compelling structure
+ write clear, elegant, and powerful prose – in your own voice
+ research the vivid details that bring a story to life
+ coach you through the process, taking the pain out as you build up your manuscript in easy stages and develop your skills
+ adapt an existing manuscript (or blog posts, articles, etc) so that it reads like a real book

[We can do all this by email, by zoom, or over the phone, as you prefer. I can work with your notes or first draft, too.]

We can also create a professional, industry-standard book pitch, so you can find a publisher or an agent. I will:

+ position your book, so it's absolutely clear who the readership is
+ identify why your book is better than the competition
+ review your query letter or create a pitch
+ research the market and find the best potential home for it

Having written six books, published hundreds, and sold even more, I know how to craft a distinctive, commercial proposal that agents and publishers will take seriously.

So if you have a non-fiction idea that needs working into shape, then I can help.

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MY STORY
For more than twenty years, I've created books and sold them. My start was in foreign rights, selling lifestyle books to European publishers: then I took on the US, co-publishing with houses like Harper, Abrams, Chronicle, Random House, St Martins, Thunder Bay and so on. I then became a publisher and created books that sold millions of copies around the world.

Now I write my own books, one of which, HOW TO RAISE A LOAF AND FALL IN LOVE WITH SOURDOUGH, went to #1 in amazon.co.uk's bread baking category on its release. I've also written three books about bicycles and one about marijuana.

My private clients have included people from all walks of life - parents, chefs, diplomats, refugees, teachers, missionaries, drug smugglers, and doctors. The stories I've heard have been amazing – often extremely moving – and it's been a privilege to help my clients get them down on the page. It's also incredibly satisfying to see them go on to win publishing deals.

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MY SKILLS
As a writer, I'm here to help you express yourself:
+ I know how to structure and pace a book
+ I can work in any register - chatty and informal, academic and authoritative, or tense and exciting
+ I listen, and enjoy working collaboratively

As a seasoned book professional, I know what makes a strong pitch:
+ I can turn your non-fiction idea into a compelling business proposal, so stands out in a challenging marketplace.
+ I can work with nearly any non-fiction or lifestyle genre
+ I know the US, UK and European markets, and have placed literally hundreds of titles at concept stage.

As a coach, I can help you write it all yourself:
+ I'll give you structural advice about plot, story, and pace – so your readers will be sucked right in to the page
+ I can help you organise complicated material - often difficult in non-fiction.
+ I'll give you style tips and advice, so that you can develop confidence in your own writing
+ We'll work together to keep the process fun and your motivation high