If you are interested in life story writing or having a history documented, Libby can help on a variety of levels. She can become your ghostwriter and write your story in a professional and readable way in your own “voice”; or if it’s a biography you want – your own or that of a family member – she can write it for you and undertake any relevant background research on your behalf.
Libby works closely with clients to record, structure and write their stories in a negotiated time frame. Final manuscripts are edited by a professional book editor.
If you want to self-publish, Libby can guide you through the necessary steps. She can arrange for a cover design and have your book beautifully printed in the required quantity. If you are looking for commercial distribution, Libby can also advise on your options and help with marketing advice.
If you are seeking a commercial publisher for your story, Libby can write a synopsis and covering letter to accompany the completed and edited manuscript for submission to suitable potential publishers.
Below is a summary of professional writing services offered. To discuss fees please contact Libby Harkness.
BIOGRAPHY WRITING SERVICES
Writing a good biography takes a special skill. It’s not just a chronological document with dates, facts and dry stories about life peaks. A person’s life should not only be revealed in a way that family and friends recognise and identify with, but in a way that others too can enjoy. If the subject is unknown to you when you start reading his or her story, when you’ve reached the last page, you want to feel as if you know that person well.
Libby’ skill is in capturing the essence of a person’s life and rounding it out so their biography is not just informative, but also interesting and absorbing. Many years as a journalist has helped hone Libby’s interviewing skills and she can interview family, friends and business associates as part of a wider look at a person’s life. Meticulous research is also something Libby carries out as part of putting a good story together.
If you think you would like to commission someone to write a biography of your mother, father, or another family member, why not talk to Libby about it.
GHOSTWRITING SERVICES
A good ghostwriter should be able to write someone’s autobiography, memoir or specific life event for them as if they were telling it themselves. This is not as easy as it might sound but it is Libby’s particular area of expertise. She has a knack of “getting the voice” of her clients. Many of the stories Libby has written are about significant events in the lives of people; most are life-changing, some are tragic, some are inspirational.
Libby’s special skill is her empathy and sensitivity. This enables her to construct the story in a way that tells it as it should be told. A story can convey a range of emotions – sadness, strength, humour – but the reader must believe that the ghostwriter is really that person telling the story.
One of Libby’s commissions in 2010 was a story about a father’s loss of his little son to a brain tumour. It’s called “The Promise – a father’s diary of loss and love” and will be published in 2011. Here’s what her client wrote about Libby for the front of the book:
"An extraordinary thing happened to me when I decided to write this book. I found Libby Harkness, or maybe we found each other. I am not a writer, and while this is my story, it took a very gifted person to put it into words. Every one of them is Libby’s. Over the months it took to research, write and fine-tune The Promise, I watched this terrific woman live my story. Her passion and commitment to my project was exceptional – in fact, extraordinary. I will always be in her debt and be very thankful that we shared this time."
Do you have a life story you would like to tell but not the writing skills to do it? Why not ask Libby if she can help.
HISTORY DOCUMENTATION
Posterity isn’t the only reason for getting a family, club or company history presented in a quality book. Family histories can be given as gifts and passed down to the next generation; children love to read what their parents, grandparents and even great grandparents did – where they came from, how they lived, what they looked like.
A well-written and colourful club history can be a good way to attract new members, used as a fund raiser or given as a gift. A beautifully-presented company history can be used as a promotional tool or presented to employees when they retire.
Libby’s journalistic skills can help document your family, club or company history. She can do the research, write the material and collate photos in preparation for publication.
