Michelle Schusterman – Ghostwriter

I'm the author of the I HEART BAND! series and THE KAT SINCLAIR FILES series, OLIVE AND THE BACKSTAGE GHOST (Booklist Starred Review), SPELL & SPINDLE (Kirkus Starred Review, Junior Library Guild Selection, SECRETS OF TOPSEA (Junior Library Guild Selection, and THE PROS OF CONS (Publisher's Weekly Starred Review), as well as THE DOG'S MEOW, SOME BUNNY TO LOVE, WADDLE I DO WITHOUT YOU, MY OTTER HALF, and HOW TO SAVE A DOLPHIN. My books have been published by Penguin Random House, Disney Hyperion, and Scholastic.

I spent two years as a developmental editor on the YA team at UK-based powerhouse book packager Working Partners. My job included brainstorming new story ideas, developing outlines, scouting and hiring authors, putting together polished book proposals, and submitting them to major publishers like Penguin Random House, Hachette, Simon and Schuster, and HarperCollins.

I have extensive experience in IP (intellectual property) work and ghostwriting for major publishers. My projects include a collaboration with Olympic Medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani on the Kudo Kids series, published by Penguin Razorbill; three books in the ANIMAL JAM series (Call of the Alphas, The Phantom's Secret, The Lost Treasure) based on National Geographic's popular online game with over 65 million registered users; and the fourth book in the New York Times Bestselling GIRLS WHO CODE series, Spotlight on Coding Club.

As an author with experience both writing my own original fiction and working with publishers on licensed properties and in-house projects, I have a unique perspective on ghostwriting. Working with clients like Girls Who Code and National Geographic on developing books for kids has helped me hone my collaborative skills, as well as my ability to take materials, sketches, and suggestions from a client and craft a story that fits their vision. And as the author of over a dozen original novels of my own, I understand how messy, exciting, and frustrating that early "idea" stage can be. While every client is different, my approach usually begins with a discussion about their vision for the project and a close review of any and all materials already written. Next, I craft a detailed synopsis that hits all the major plot points and send it to the client for review. Once I've received feedback, I begin writing the draft.

The following are real examples of the types of projects I've worked on for Reedsy clients:

~Writing the novelization of a screenplay

~Rewriting an early draft of a novel to improve voice and style

~Taking a one-sentence concept and developing it into a novel

~Developing and drafting a historical novel based on true events

-Rewriting manuscripts for clients who used ChatGPT and want their story to sound more "human"

I'm very flexible and happy to accommodate your needs, whatever stage your story is at!