In brief
You’ll have a finished piece of writing that sounds like you, says what you mean, and is organised the way a reader expects, so you can attach your name to it and send it.
I’ll pull the story into shape, write in your voice, and keep the process contained to what moves the work forward. Next is a short voice interview and a chapter-level plan.
I start by listening for how you explain things when you are not “writing”. I capture your phrasing, your pacing, and the words you repeat. Then I turn that into an outline you can react to, a sample you can approve, and a drafting rhythm that keeps the manuscript moving without you living in Google Docs.
A bit about me
I’m Eleanor McLeod, a ghostwriter at Rutledge Draft. I started in long-form editing, where my job was to find the through-line in good material buried under too much of it. Ghostwriting grew out of that work. People kept showing up with smart ideas, a deadline, and a voice that disappeared the moment they tried to sound “professional”.
I’m hired when the voice matters as much as the facts. I don’t ventriloquise and I don’t overwrite. I build the structure first, so the draft has a spine, then I draft in clean passes so you can see what changed and why. I also keep the personal parts under your control. If it does not earn its place on the page, it stays off the page.
Recent work
Here are three recent ghostwriting projects that show how I handle voice, structure, and deadlines across different formats.
Portfolio
Nonfiction book manuscript. Took a half-drafted manuscript and interview notes, rebuilt the chapter order, and drafted the missing sections so the argument landed cleanly. The author went from stalled chapters to a complete manuscript on a fixed weekly schedule.
Memoir opening and outline. Captured the narrator’s speaking voice in a recorded interview, then wrote a first chapter and a full chapter list with turning points. The writer used the package to keep drafting without losing tone or timeline.
Founder narrative and speeches. Wrote a founder story for pitches and a set of keynote scripts that matched the way the speaker talks on stage. The work focused on one clear through-line, repeatable examples, and lines that can be delivered out loud.
“It sounded like me, but it was tighter, sharper, and ready to send.”
Founder, preparing for investor conversations
Voice capture notes
A short written snapshot of your voice: phrasing to keep, phrases to avoid, and a few sample paragraphs that set tone and pacing for the draft.
OUTLINE AND CHAPTER PLAN
A chapter-by-chapter plan with the point of each section, what evidence or story belongs there, and what I need from you to draft it cleanly.
SAMPLE CHAPTER OR SAMPLE PIECE
One drafted chapter or article in your voice, so you can approve the tone and level of detail before I write the rest.
Draft manuscript or full script
A complete working draft of the agreed project, delivered in a format you can edit and share, with sections clearly labelled so nothing is hard to find.
REVISION PASS
One full revision pass after your consolidated notes, focused on structure, clarity, and voice consistency, so the piece reads as one mind from start to finish.
PROPOSAL AND QUERY PACKAGE
Where the project needs it, a complete package: synopsis, query letter, and a polished book proposal built from the manuscript and the positioning we agree on.
Pricing
These are starting points based on scope and length. Once I see your outline and deadline, I’ll confirm a fixed price for the work.
Priced items
Get started
If you want me to hold the deadline and start shaping pages, the next step is a signed agreement and a short voice call.
1. Sign and return this proposal to book the work. 2. Pay the 25% booking invoice within 14 days. 3. Send any notes or draft material, then we schedule the discovery interview.
HOW DO YOU GET MY VOICE DOWN ON THE PAGE WITHOUT ME REWRITING EVERYTHING?
I record a guided interview, then I write from that audio, not from “what a book should sound like”. You approve a sample early. Once the sample feels right, I reuse the same voice rules across the whole draft so you are not correcting tone chapter by chapter.
WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM ME EACH WEEK, AND HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE?
Most weeks I need one scheduled call or voice memo batch, plus fast answers to a short list of questions. Plan on 60 to 120 minutes in a normal week. If you have a deadline spike, I’ll tell you exactly what extra time would buy before you commit it.
Signature
Fee summary
Who owns the rights and what stays confidential?
You own the rights to the final writing once the final invoice is paid. Everything you share with me for the project stays confidential. I do not share drafts, stories, or identifying details, and I do not use your material as marketing unless you ask me to.
HOW DO YOU HANDLE REVISIONS WHEN I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S WRONG YET?
I’ll ask you for reactions in plain categories: what feels off, what feels missing, what feels too much, and where your attention drops. I can also give you two or three rewrite options for the same section, so you can choose the direction without having to diagnose the problem first.
Payment
To book the work, I invoice 25% when the proposal is signed. I invoice the remaining 75% when the finished work is handed over. Each invoice is payable within 14 days of its date.
Your time. I’ll ask for one scheduled call or a batch of voice memos most weeks, plus quick answers to a short question list. If I’m missing inputs, deadlines move by the same amount.
Revisions. The scope includes one revision pass on the full draft. If you want another pass, I’ll price it after I see the notes, based on how much needs to change.
Changes. If the outline, length, or the type of writing changes after the sample is approved, I’ll stop and confirm the new scope in writing before I draft more pages under the old price.
Confidentiality
Everything you share with me for the project stays confidential. I don’t share drafts, stories, or identifying details, and I don’t use your material as marketing unless you ask me to.
Ownership. You own the rights to the final writing once the final invoice is paid. Until then, my drafts are working files meant for this project and aren’t for reuse or publication.
Interviews and recordings. I record the discovery interview and any other guided interviews so I can write from your spoken voice. The recordings stay private and are used only to produce your pages.
