Susan Joy Paul

A book guide can provide many services. At Every Adventure Book Guide, I provide five packages or "camps" starting with Base Camp, where we map your book, and progressing through Camp 1, Camp 2, Pitch Camp, and Summit Camp. Before we get to the camp details, let's answer some questions.

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Can I start my book journey at any camp?

 

Your book journey always starts at Base Camp with the development of a Book Map. Whenever authors bring me books that are "ready for copyediting" or "ready to publish," I find major problems that would have been avoided or identified and corrected with a Book Map. Authors who have already written their book can use the Book Map they develop in Base Camp to identify and correct those flaws. For this reason, to write the best book possible, we start at Base Camp.

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Do I have to stop at every camp to write and publish my book?

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Not necessarily. After we complete your Book Map, I will suggest the best approach to the next camp that makes the most sense for your book journey. This is not the same for every book because the best camps and approaches are determined by the type of book you're writing and your publishing goals. For example, if you want to get a contract with a traditional publisher, you will need to stop at Pitch Camp. If you're going the indie or hybrid publishing route, you can skip Pitch Camp, but you'll need to focus more attention on your manuscript rather than your proposal at Camps 1 and 2. I will explain the details and nuances in your customized trip plan and on our calls.

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What if I finish Base Camp and I don't want to move forward right away?

Can I take a break and come back later? Move forward on my own?

Or is my book journey over?

 

That's up to you. As we end our stay at Base Camp, you can take a break and come back later, when you're ready (and depending on your book guide's availability). Or you can continue your journey on your own. We'll spend a portion of our last call at each camp discussing your options and I will provide you with details and pricing for the next camp, along with a list of resources such as books, articles, and courses that you can use to find your way through the next camp on your book journey without the aid of a book guide. These resources do not duplicate the Every Adventure Book Guide experience—they are simply an option for writers who choose to go forward solo.

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Why don't you provide pricing for all the camps up front?

 

Every author's book and book journey is unique. A long book takes more time than a short one, and a simple book (usually) takes less time than a complicated one. After we finish a camp, I'll have a good sense of how much time and effort it will take to guide you through the next camp and will quote you a price based on that insight.

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What exactly am I paying for, anyway? What does a book guide DO?

 

I'm glad you asked! First, let's talk about what a book guide doesn't do:

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• As a Book Guide, I don't write your book for you.* That's ghostwriting, and though I've ghostwritten many books, Every Adventure Book Guide's focus is on guiding authors who want to write their own books. 
   

*I make exceptions occasionally based on my availability. Ghostwriting is time intensive, requiring a substantial upfront financial commitment from you and time commitment from your ghostwriter. Plan to spend roughly $1 per finished word plus $100 per hour for research. Most nonfiction manuscripts cost between $30,000 and $80,000  to complete. Additional services—including queries, synopses, book proposals, agent research, pitch packages, book design, and publishing packages—require an additional cost. Schedule a free call to get a quote specific to your book.

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• I don't interact with others on your behalf. For example, I will guide you through a book proposal and pitch plan, but I will not pitch to agents or contact publishers for you. You need to establish those connections, and I will show you how.

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• I don't make false promises to you about getting on bestseller lists, getting a big publishing deal, or even getting a traditional publisher at all. Bestseller lists and six-figure advances are driven more by having (1) a big marketing budget; (2) a lot of followers who will buy your book; and/or (3) a platform or channel for selling many, many copies of your book. Publishing is a business—not a public service—and publishers don't invest in books they can't make a profit on. That doesn't mean it can't happen, just that there are no guarantees.

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• I won't tell you that writing a book will make you rich, famous, or even popular. It won't help you find your soulmate, either. If it did, EVERYONE would write a book!

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Here's what I can and will do:

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• In each camp, I will provide you with steps to complete at two-week intervals. I will evaluate your work and provide written feedback. We'll have a one-hour call after each section to discuss the feedback and the next steps. 

  • The number of steps and weeks it takes to complete them differs between camps and depends on how much time you have to commit to them each week.

  • Each camp has a minimum and maximum number of weeks. For example, the minimum time you can spend at Base Camp is six weeks, and the maximum is twelve weeks. You will need time to complete steps and I will need time to review them, but I limit the time in each camp to ensure we are making steady progress. Whether we spend six, nine, or twelve weeks at camp, the cost is the same because we complete the same number of steps and have the same number of calls.

  • Each step is critical to the book-writing process. These are the steps I use to write books and that I have guided many ghostwriting clients through to obtain the content I need to write their books.

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• I will work with you on needs outside the actual book writing, marketing, and publishing, because this process takes a lot of time and effort that you are used to committing to other activities. I'll help you get organized and motivated so you can stay on track and not get lost on your book journey.

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• I will believe in you and your book. I don't take on authors or books that I don't believe in, so count on me to be by your side—even on days when you doubt yourself. As your book guide, I'll keep us on track and headed for the summit.

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If I didn't answer all your questions here, bring them to our free, 1:1, 30-minute introductory call, where we'll decide whether your book and Every Adventure Book Guide are a good fit. 

 

Writing a book is a big deal and you need to know what you're getting into!