Your Story Deserves a Master Memoirist
Most people carry one extraordinary story inside them and never tell it.
You’ve spent decades building something remarkable—a business, a career, a life of meaningful impact. You’ve overcome obstacles others couldn’t imagine. You’ve learned lessons most people never get the chance to discover. You’ve lived a journey worth preserving.
But finding time to write it? Learning the craft of memoir? Organizing four decades of memories into compelling narrative? That’s where most people get stuck.
That’s where I come in.
I’m Dawn James—an award-winning memoirist, certified memoir coach, and publishing strategist with 20+ years of experience helping accomplished professionals, athletes, military veterans, entrepreneurs, and everyday people with extraordinary journeys transform their life stories into polished, publishable memoirs.
Unlike faceless ghostwriting agencies that hand off your story to whoever’s available, I personally conduct your interviews, shape your narrative arc, and oversee every chapter. Your memoir isn’t just written—it’s crafted with intention by someone who understands memoir as both an art and a legacy project.
From First Conversation to Finished Book
- Our six-step process is designed to honour your story while keeping the project moving forward.
- 1- Discovery Call: A complimentary, confidential conversation to understand your story, goals, and timeline.
- 2- Story Outline: Dawn drafts a chapter-by-chapter outline with you so you can see the shape of your book before writing begins.
- 3-Interview Sessions: Dawn personally interviews you in recorded one-on-one sessions, capturing your voice, memories, and the details that bring your story to life.
- 4-Manuscript Drafting: Your hand-matched ghostwriter drafts the manuscript in your voice, with Dawn overseeing every chapter and sending chapters for your review along the way.
- 5-Production: Editing, cover design, interior layout, ISBN, and print/distribution setup (Complete & Legacy tiers).
- 6-Launch: A coordinated release with marketing strategy, promotional assets, and launch support.
See Packages below.
Why Clients Choose Dawn James
Why C-Suite Executives, Entrepreneurs, Athletes, Celebrities, Veterans & Everyday Visionaries Trust Their Stories to Me
Award-winning Memorist, Memoir Coach
Founder, Publish and Promote; Creator, Your Memoir Blueprint, Publishing Strategist
Personal Expertise & Credentials
I’m Not Just a Ghostwriting Agency. I’m a Memoirist.
As an award-winning memoirist myself, I understand memoir from the inside. I’ve faced the same blank page, the same self-doubt, the same challenge of transforming a lifetime of experience into a coherent, moving narrative. I’ve published hundreds of client memoirs. I know what works and how to write an engaging memoir that readers will remember.
This isn’t theoretical knowledge; it’s earned experience.
I’m a Certified Memoir Coach
Beyond ghostwriting, I’m a trained memoir coach who helps clients develop their own writing skills, overcome imposter syndrome, and understand their story’s narrative arc. Some of my clients choose full ghostwriting (because they don’t have time to write). Others choose coaching (because they want to do the writing themselves with expert guidance). Many choose a hybrid approach.
I listen to what you actually need.
20+ Years in Publishing
I’ve been in the publishing industry for over two decades—working with traditional publishers, independent authors, corporations, and everyday people who wanted their stories preserved. I understand manuscript development, editorial strategy, publishing paths, and how to position a memoir for impact.
When you work with me, you’re working with someone who’s navigated every aspect of getting a book from concept to reader’s hands.
You Retain Everything
- 100% of your rights
- 100% of any royalties
- 100% creative control
- All copyrights in your name
This is your story. I’m just the professional who helps you tell it beautifully.
Diverse Client Base & Proof of Expertise
Our Clients Include:
C-Suite Executives: CEOs, CFOs, and senior corporate leaders who’ve built companies, navigated transformations, and accumulated career wisdom worth preserving. Their memoirs become both personal legacy and thought leadership platform.
Entrepreneurs & Business Owners: From startup founders to multi-generational family business leaders, entrepreneurs carry extraordinary stories of risk, resilience, and reinvention. Their journeys deserve documentation that honours the full complexity—the failures alongside the victories, the sacrifices alongside the rewards.
Military Veterans & Defence Leaders: From enlisted soldiers to high-ranking officers, from active duty to retired command, military stories carry weight that civilian experiences rarely touch. I specialize in helping veterans navigate operational security, honour their fallen comrades, and process their service through structured storytelling.
Athletes & Sports Figures: Whether professional athletes at the peak of their careers or everyday athletes who’ve overcome physical limitations to achieve their goals, athletic memoirs require understanding of both high-stakes performance and human vulnerability.
Celebrities & Public Figures: Some people have lived in the public eye. Their memoirs require nuance—setting the record straight, sharing what was never told, finding the human story behind the public persona.
Everyday People with Extraordinary Journeys: Perhaps your story didn’t make headlines, but it changed your family. Maybe you survived cancer, rebuilt after bankruptcy, overcame abuse, immigrated with nothing, or raised children with special needs. Extraordinary doesn’t require fame; it requires the courage to live fully and the wisdom to look back and learn.
These are the stories that matter most to me.
The Personal Touch
I Take Only a Handful of Clients at a Time
You won’t get shuffled into an assembly line. I work with 3-4 memoir projects simultaneously, which means I can:
- Personally conduct your interviews (not delegate them to junior staff)
- Develop deep understanding of your voice, values, and narrative arc
- Provide thoughtful editorial oversight on every chapter
- Respond promptly to your questions and concerns
- Bring my full creativity and attention to your story
You’re Not a Project. You’re a Partner.
Some of my clients become friends. I genuinely care about their stories being told well. I celebrate their finished memoirs like they’re my own work, because, in a way, they are.
This personal investment matters. It’s the difference between a competent memoir and a memorable one.
Your Voice Is Protected
A ghostwriter’s job is to disappear into your voice and write so authentically in your style that readers would swear you wrote it yourself. I don’t impose literary flourishes or stylistic preferences. Your memoir should sound like you thinking, remembering, and sharing your story—not like a ghostwriter’s interpretation of your story.
You Get More Than Writing
While other ghostwriting services deliver a finished manuscript and wish you luck with publishing, I provide comprehensive support:
- Editorial Direction: Professional editing beyond basic copyediting
- Structural Guidance: Help positioning your memoir for maximum impact
- Publishing Strategy: Clear explanation of traditional vs. self-publishing options
- Launch Support: Guidance on how to introduce your memoir to the world (or keep it private—your choice)
- Family Legacy Planning: Help ensuring your book serves your family for generations
3 Ways to Tell Your Story
Choose the package that matches the scope of your story and the legacy you want to leave.
MEMOIR ESSENTIALS
Up to 40,000 words
$24,000 USD
✓4 in-depth interview sessions
✓Full ghostwritten manuscript
✓2 rounds of revisions
✓Developmental editing
✓Copy editing & proofreading
✓Manuscript-ready handoff
✓100% rights retained
★ MOST POPULAR★
MEMOIR COMPLETE
Up to 60,000 words
$32,000 USD
✓ 6 in-depth interview sessions
✓ Full ghostwritten manuscript
✓ 3 rounds of revisions
✓ Developmental + line editing
✓ Cover design & interior layout
✓ ISBN, distribution & print setup
✓ Marketing strategy session with Dawn
✓ 90-day launch support
✓ 100% rights retained
LEGACY EDITION
Up to 80,000 words
$45,000 USD
✓ 8 in-depth interview sessions
✓ Full ghostwritten manuscript
✓ Unlimited revisions within scope
✓ Premium editing suite
✓ Custom cover & interior design
✓ Private launch event consult
✓ 90-day post-launch publicity support
✓ Family archive/legacy guide
✓ 100% rights retained
Payment plans available. All packages begin with a complimentary discovery call.
The Guarantee
Your Memoir Should Honour Your Life
If you reach the final manuscript stage and genuinely feel your story wasn’t captured authentically, we’ll revise until it is. Your satisfaction isn’t optional—it’s the baseline.
You’ve earned a memoir that does your journey justice. My job is to ensure you get exactly that.
The Invitation
Your Story Matters. Let’s Make Sure It’s Told Right.
Whether you’re a CEO ready to document your career, an entrepreneur with an unforgettable journey, a military veteran whose service shaped nations, an athlete whose journey inspired others, or simply someone whose life contains wisdom worth preserving—your story deserves professional attention.
The question isn’t whether your story is worth telling. The question is: will you let it be told?
Real Authors. Real Results.
Discover how Publish and Promote has empowered first-time authors and seasoned writers alike to bring their stories to life. From editing to launch, our clients share their heartfelt experiences and the transformative impact of working with our expert team.
