Philadelphia Ghostwriting
A Philadelphia ghostwriter of books that work as hard as you do.
Working Draft Creative is a ghostwriting and editorial studio based on Philadelphia’s Main Line. We write business and nonfiction books for founders, executives, and experts. We meet in person across Greater Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York City, travel wherever a project takes us, and work virtually with authors around the world.
Where we work
Based on the Main Line. Working wherever you are.
Diana Holquist, our founder and principal writer, lives on the Philadelphia Main Line. For authors in the region, that means a book can be built across a table instead of a screen: in your office, at your home, or over coffee somewhere convenient.
Some authors prefer to meet in person, particularly for interviews and early book development. Others work with us entirely by video and shared documents. Either way, the process is close, collaborative, and rigorous.
In person
Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania suburbs, including the Main Line and Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, and Bucks counties.
New Jersey, from North Jersey to the Shore.
New York City, with in-person meetings available by arrangement.
Virtual
Authors anywhere in the United States and abroad, working through video interviews, shared manuscripts, and scheduled calls.
We also travel beyond the region when a project calls for it.
She has helped me move a large work off my desk FINALLY! … She grabbed this project in both hands and now it’s in the publisher’s domain. … She makes a chapter of work into three questions and a few highlights.
Who we write for
Serious books for people with something to say.
“Thank you so much for your Editorial Letter. All of your comments were well taken. I have already begun to add more content as well as changes to my manuscript.”
Wavey H. · Editing Client · Philadelphia
Our authors are founders, CEOs, executives, consultants, physicians, and specialists. They have built a company, developed a method, or learned something the hard way that other people need to know. What they don’t have is a spare year to turn it into a book.
Business and leadership books
A company’s story, a leader’s philosophy, or the framework clients already pay for, written as a book that carries the author’s authority. Business book ghostwriting
Expert nonfiction
Books built on professional knowledge and research, in fields where the author knows more than anyone else in the room. If the book isn’t defined yet, we start with the Book Blueprint.
Editing and book coaching
For authors who want to write the book themselves, with an experienced editor or book coach alongside.
Publishing guidance
Proposals, agents, and the choice between traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing. Publishing guidance
Writing a memoir or family history? Our sister studio, Main Line Memoir, specializes in exactly that.
How it works
In person, virtual, or both.
Ghostwriting isn’t transcription. We listen, question, challenge, research, and write, and the finished manuscript sounds unmistakably like you.
- A first conversation about the book, what it needs to do, and whether we’re the right fit.
- Strategy. We define the book’s argument, audience, and structure before a chapter is written.
- Interviews and research, usually about two hours of your time every other week for the first few months.
- Drafting, chapter by chapter, with your review as the book develops.
- Revision until the manuscript says exactly what you mean.
- Publishing guidance, from proposals and agents to hybrid and self-publishing.
What that looks like in practice
A local founder might hold every interview at her kitchen table and review drafts on screen. An executive in Princeton might meet once to set the strategy and handle everything after that by video. An author in Chicago or London might never meet us in person at all. We plan the mix around the author and the project, not the zip code.
Why Working Draft Creative
Dozens of books. Multiple bestsellers. All kinds of publishers.
You work directly with Diana from the first conversation to the finished book.
Around that core, each project draws on developmental editors, line editors, designers, publicists, and publishing partners, brought in only when the book needs them. We have placed books with major New York publishers, and we know how hybrid and self-publishing work today.
The work is confidential. You own the book, your name goes on the cover, and we mention our involvement only with your permission. More about us
Questions & answers
Working with a Philadelphia ghostwriter
Do I need to live in the Philadelphia area to work with you?
No. We’re based on the Main Line and meet in person with authors across the region, but many projects are done entirely by video and shared documents. We work with authors throughout the United States and internationally.
Where do you meet clients in person?
Throughout Philadelphia and its suburbs, anywhere in New Jersey from North Jersey to the Shore, and in New York City. We come to you, whether that’s your office, your home, or a quiet table nearby. Travel farther afield is available if desired.
Do you work with authors in New York City?
Yes, quite a few. We like to joke that Philadelphia is the sixth borough, as we're only a quick Amtrak ride away. That being said, most New York City projects run by video, with in-person sessions when the book benefits from them.
How much does a ghostwriter in Philadelphia cost?
Our fees are the same for local and remote authors. Full-length business books generally start at $45,000, shorter and tightly scoped books at $20,000, and book proposals at $25,000. After a first conversation, we send a proposal covering scope, timeline, and fee. There’s more detail on our ghostwriting page.
Is in-person ghostwriting better than working virtually?
Not necessarily. Some authors talk more freely across a table, especially early on or when the material is personal. Others are more relaxed on a video call from their own office. We suggest a mix based on how you work and what the book requires.
Do you ghostwrite memoirs?
Working Draft Creative focuses on business and expert nonfiction. For memoir and family history, our sister studio Main Line Memoir offers the same care with a process built for personal stories.
Tell us about your book.
If you’re looking for a Philadelphia ghostwriter, or simply the right ghostwriter wherever you are, start with a private conversation about your idea and your goals.