Who we are
Author Vicinity is a book production studio based in Alpharetta, Georgia. We help authors move from an idea, outline, or unfinished draft to a manuscript that is ready for publication and, when you want it, to storefront setup on the major retail platforms. Our work covers ghostwriting, developmental and line editing, copyediting and proofreading, cover and interior design, and assisted publishing support. You remain the author and publisher of record. We do the production work you hire us for.
Many people who reach us already know how to write. What they often lack is time, a clear process, or a partner who can turn notes into a coherent book without an open-ended guess. Others have a finished draft that needs professional editing and production. We work with both. The common thread is practical communication, defined deliverables, and transparent packages so you know what you are buying before you start.
We are not a literary agency, a vanity press in the old sense, or a marketing firm that sells ads and PR as part of a “publishing deal.” We are a studio: writers, editors, and production specialists who treat your book as a project with scope, milestones, and ownership that stays with you. Authors who hire us usually want a finished book they can stand behind — not a contract that trades rights for vague promises.
Our primary location is Alpharetta, GA, at 5174 McGinnis Ferry Rd STE 240. We work with clients across the United States and beyond. Most collaboration happens by phone, email, and shared documents. The goal is steady progress without ceremony: you know who is working on what, what comes next, and when a draft or file is due for your feedback.
If you are comparing studios, agencies, and self-publishing platforms, start with what you actually need. Some authors only need a writing sample or a short manuscript; others need a full-length book plus editing, design, and listing help. We publish those options as clear packages. Custom work is available when a project does not fit a ladder; the packages exist so most authors can see pricing and scope up front.
Why authors hire a studio like this
Writing a book is one skill. Finishing one that reads well, holds together structurally, and meets retail formatting standards is another. Authors hire a studio for several overlapping reasons.
First, time. Professionals who have a story, a method, or expertise often cannot clear months of uninterrupted writing time. A ghostwriting engagement turns interviews, notes, and existing material into drafted chapters on a schedule. You stay the source and decision-maker; we handle drafting and revision cycles.
Second, craft. A strong first draft is still a draft. Developmental feedback, line editing, and copyediting catch structural gaps, uneven voice, and surface errors. Production work covers, interiors, ebook files — has its own standards. Hiring people who do that work every week reduces the risk of a book that looks unfinished next to comparable titles.
Third, process. Self-publishing tools are widely available. What is harder to get is a sequence: discovery, outline or plan, drafting or editing, review, design, and store setup. A studio supplies that sequence so you are not inventing a workflow while also trying to write. You still approve the work and own the rights — without managing freelancers across five platforms with no single point of accountability.
Fourth, clarity about ownership. Authors who have been burned by unclear contracts care about copyright, publisher of record, and what happens to files after the project ends. We treat those questions as part of the engagement. You keep the rights. You stay author and publisher of record unless a written agreement says otherwise.
- You need the book written or rewritten and do not have the bandwidth to draft alone.
- You have a manuscript that needs professional editing and production files.
- You want store setup help without buying ads, PR, or ranking claims.
- You want package pricing and defined deliverables rather than an open-ended retainers-only model.
Ghostwriting approach
Ghostwriting at Author Vicinity begins with listening. Before we draft, we learn how you talk about the subject, what must be in the book, what can wait, and who you expect to read it. That intake shapes the outline or chapter plan. We do not invent a voice that does not sound like you; we build toward a manuscript that reads as your book — because it is.
A typical ghostwriting engagement moves through discovery, planning, drafting, and review. Discovery covers interviews, source materials, and any existing draft or notes. Planning produces a structure you can approve before long chapters are written. Drafting proceeds in batches so you can course-correct early. Review is collaborative: you mark what is accurate, what needs a different emphasis, and what should be cut.
We work across memoir, business and professional nonfiction, and fiction-adjacent projects when the fit is right. Fiction-adjacent” means narrative work near memoir or story-driven nonfiction, or selective fiction where collaboration fits — not a claim that we specialize in every genre. If a project is outside our strengths, we say so.
Official ghostwriting packages include a Writing Sample at $1,500 for authors who want to test fit before a larger commitment; Short projects at $10,000 / 25,000 words; Standard at $24,000 / 60,000 words; and Full-length at $36,000 / 90,000 words. Scope, word count, and revision expectations are confirmed in writing before work begins. Details live on our
ghostwriting page and in the
contact us when you need a different mix.
You are the author of record. Ghostwriting is a service relationship, not a transfer of authorship. When the manuscript is complete and accepted per the agreement, the book is yours to publish under your name, with rights that remain with you.
Editing & production
Not every author needs a ghostwriter. Many arrive with a complete or near-complete manuscript and need editing and production so the book can be printed and sold cleanly.
Editing may include developmental feedback when structure needs attention, line editing for clarity and voice, copyediting for grammar and usage, and proofreading for a final pass. Which levels apply depends on the manuscript and the package. A tight business book and a sprawling memoir ask for different emphasis; the plan should reflect that.
Production goes beyond text. Print-ready work includes cover design and ebook and paperback interiors so files meet distributor and printer expectations. A book that is “done writing” is not automatically ready for Amazon KDP or IngramSpark — margins, fonts, image resolution, and metadata all matter.
Official production packages: Edit at $4,500 (copyedit and proofread with marked and clean files); Print-ready at $7,500 (Edit plus custom cover and ebook/paperback interiors — print-ready PDFs and epub, without store setup); Listed at $9,500 (print-ready files plus ISBN/copyright filing help and KDP and IngramSpark setup, with you as publisher of record). Full descriptions are on our
book editing and
assisted publishing pages.
We do not guarantee bestseller status, paid reviews, or Wikipedia outcomes as part of editing or production. Our job is to make the manuscript and files professional. What the market does with the book after release is outside any honest production scope.
Assisted publishing and store setup
Assisted publishing at Author Vicinity means we help with the practical steps of getting a book into retail channels while you keep the rights and remain publisher of record unless a written agreement says otherwise. This is production and setup support with clear boundaries — not vanity publishing under a new label.
Store setup typically covers formatting and cover work as included in a package, metadata, and account configuration on platforms such as Amazon KDP and, at higher tiers, additional storefronts. Publishing packages include Publishing Spark at $799; Shelf Sync at $1,499; Wide Circuit at $2,799; and Global Press at $4,200. Each ladder step adds deliverables; none of them include advertising budgets, PR campaigns, or ranking guarantees.
Authors are often sold “publishing packages” that blur production with marketing promises. We keep those apart. If you want ads or publicity later, that is a separate decision with separate vendors and budgets. Our assisted publishing work stops at helping you list and distribute the book with files and metadata that meet platform requirements — not at promising how many copies you will sell.
You can buy editing without store setup, or production files without a full listing package. More detail is on the
assisted publishing page.
How a project typically runs
Projects differ in length and intensity, but the rhythm is consistent: listen, plan, create, review.
Listen
We start by understanding the book you intend to publish — audience, goals, existing materials, deadlines, and constraints such as privacy, legal review, or brand voice. A short call and written brief usually suffice. Ghostwriting-heavy projects add interviews; editing-heavy projects start with a manuscript review and plan.
Plan
Before long stretches of drafting or deep editing, we agree on scope: word count or package tier, deliverables, revision rounds, and timeline. You approve the plan. A clear plan is cheaper than rebuilding mid-project.
Create
Drafting, editing, design, or setup work proceeds according to the plan. You receive work in stages when the package calls for it — chapter batches, edited files, cover concepts, interior proofs — so feedback lands while changes are still efficient.
Review
You review; we revise within the agreed rounds. Final files are delivered in the formats specified by the package. For listing packages, store setup follows once files and metadata are approved. You remain the decision-maker on content and the owner of the work product under the agreement.
Communication stays practical. You will know who to email, what is in progress, and what we need from you to keep the schedule. We do not require publishing jargon to finish a book — we do require clear answers on facts, preferences, and approvals, because the book is yours.
Who we work with
We work with individuals and professionals who have a book to finish or publish: memoirists; business owners and practitioners capturing a method, career arc, or thought leadership; and authors whose projects sit near narrative nonfiction or selective fiction where collaboration fits. We do not claim to be the right studio for every niche. Fit matters more than a long list of categories.
Some clients are first-time authors; others have published before and want a cleaner process. Some need only a writing sample; others need a full manuscript plus editing and listing. The common requirement is seriousness about the book as a finished product — not as a lottery ticket or a vehicle for claims we will not make.
If your project involves specialized legal, medical, or technical claims, arrange appropriate expert review. We write and edit; we do not replace professional advice in regulated fields.
Rights, ownership, and what we do not sell
You keep the rights. You are the author and publisher of record unless we agree otherwise in writing. Files produced under a paid engagement are delivered for your use under that agreement. We do not take your copyright as payment for production services.
What we do not sell is as important as what we do. We do not sell bestseller guarantees, paid Wikipedia placement, or invented testimonials, client counts, or awards. We do not bundle ads or PR into production packages and call the result a “publishing deal.”
Authors who have compared contracts elsewhere often ask about imprint names, ISBN ownership, and royalty paths. In our assisted publishing work, the default is that you remain publisher of record and control how the book is listed. Exact account and ISBN arrangements are confirmed in the package documentation.
If something is not in the package description, assume it is not included. Ask before you buy — we would rather answer a precise question than inherit a mismatched expectation mid-project.
Packages overview
Packages are published so you can compare scope without a hard sell. Brief overview:
- Ghostwriting Writing Sample $1,500; Short $10,000 / 25k words; Standard $24,000 / 60k words; Full-length $36,000 / 90k words. See ghostwriting.
- Production — Edit $4,500; Print-ready $7,500; Listed $9,500. See book editing and assisted publishing.
- Publishing / store setup — Publishing Spark $799; Shelf Sync $1,499; Wide Circuit $2,799; Global Press $4,200. See assisted publishing.
When a project crosses categories — for example, a short ghostwritten manuscript plus print-ready production — use the
contact us or contact us for a written scope. Pricing on the site is the official reference.
Location & contact
Author Vicinity is based in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Address: 5174 McGinnis Ferry Rd STE 240, Alpharetta, GA 30005
Phone: +1 (607) 303-5144
Email: info@authorvicinity.com
Call or email with a short description of where the manuscript stands and what you need next — writing, editing, production files, or store setup. We will point you to the matching package or say if a custom scope fits better. To browse first, use the service pages linked above and the articles below.
From the blog
Practical reading for authors comparing ghostwriting, self-publishing costs, and store setup — without marketing theater. More posts live on the
Author Vicinity blog.
