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Scott Carbonara 9/25/26 Scott Carbonara 9/25/26

When You Hire An Expert Ghostwriter or Editor, Don’t Tie Their Hands

Imagine you wake up and find your car won’t start. It’s got gasoline in it. You can still see the battery under the hood and tires where tires belong. Since you’re not mechanical, you need some help, so you have it towed to a local shop.

We seek automobile mechanics if we’re not a subject-matter expert on our car. If you don’t trust your mechanic, find another one. But for heaven’s sake, if you know enough to know you need a mechanic, don’t tie their hands. Let them do their job.

And when you need an editor, writing coach, or ghostwriter, don’t tie their hands. Let them do their jobs.

Scott Carbonara 11/6/25 Scott Carbonara 11/6/25

What Details Should You Include in a Memoir?

As a ghostwriter, I often help authors determine what belongs in their autobiography (covering someone's life) or memoir (covering specific events in their life). Without professional guidance on what to include, they often suffer from the opposite problem: They want to include the kitchen sink.

Here are some questions I ask clients to help them decide what to include or leave out of their manuscript.

Jocelyn Carbonara 10/30/25 Jocelyn Carbonara 10/30/25

Can AI Write My Book?

Recently, I listened to a podcast with other editors chiming in about book-related topics. A conversation struck my interest around the use of AI in publishing. One question went something like, “Should an author use AI to write their book?”

The answers were a bit mixed, with one editor saying, “definitely,” and others offering softer versions of “maybe.” Even the “definitely” editor (definitely) presented some strict caveats. So I’d like to chime in with my experience—and opinions—on the topic.

Jocelyn Carbonara 9/25/25 Jocelyn Carbonara 9/25/25

The Truth, Your Truth: Navigating the Ethics of Memoir Writing

Knowing how to share the truth in your memoir can feel muddling. Let me demystify this process from a book editor’s perspective.

We’ve provided editing and ghostwriting for authors with trauma and abuse. Just as often, we help authors tell stories of entrepreneurial success. One of the top concerns we hear from all memoir authors is: How much of the truth should I tell? And how should I do it?

Scott Carbonara 9/18/25 Scott Carbonara 9/18/25

Writing Engaging Blogs or Articles

Since book authors also often write articles or blog posts, I want to share some tips on how to do it effectively. But instead of writing a how-to post, I want to show you an example of engaging short-form copy, such as might appear in a blog (on leadership, which is another of my businesses as a speaker and consultant). I’ll break the article itself down by sharing elements [in bold and brackets, like this] that, obviously, wouldn’t typically appear in a published article. These are tips you should be mindful of when you write.

Jocelyn Carbonara 9/4/25 Jocelyn Carbonara 9/4/25

An Editor’s Perspective: Developing and Preserving an Author’s Voice

If you’re writing a book, you’ve probably heard about author “voice.” One of the most common concerns I get from new authors is, “I want to make sure whatever editor I work with preserves my voice.”

That’s critical to me too. In our work as editors and ghostwriters, our goal is never to dilute or arbitrarily change your voice. Instead, we want to amplify it—to sharpen it, soften it, or work to make it as clear and impactful as possible.

But I often see confusion around author voice, so I’d like to demystify it a bit here.