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Speak Your Book

Private Author Partnership

Your book isn’t going to write itself. But you don’t have to write it alone.

You’ve lived the experiences. You’ve developed the ideas. You have something worth sharing. Through guided conversations and a thoughtful editorial process, I help you turn what you know into a book you can be proud of.

The problem

You’ve been thinking about writing a book for years.

  • I don't have time to write.
  • I don't know where to start.
  • I have too many ideas.
  • I'm not a writer.
  • I'll get to it someday.

Maybe you don’t need another year to think about your book. Maybe you need a different way to create it.

A different way to write your book

You speak. We shape the story.

Writing alone in silence isn’t the only way a book gets made. This process starts with conversation: guided interviews, thoughtful questions, and an editorial process built to turn what you say into a manuscript that still sounds like you.

  1. 01

    Discover the book

    Guided conversation to surface the experience, ideas, and through-line already inside your work.

  2. 02

    Speak your ideas

    Structured interviews, recorded and worked through together, so the material comes from your own words, not a blank page.

  3. 03

    Shape the manuscript

    Your material is organized into a coherent structure: chapters, sequence, and the thread that holds it together.

  4. 04

    Refine the story

    Editorial review and revision, working chapter by chapter until the manuscript reads the way you'd want it to.

  5. 05

    Prepare for the next publishing steps

    Leave with a finished manuscript and a clear sense of your options, whether that's self-publishing, querying, or working with a publishing partner.

Who this partnership is for

This is for you if you’re ready to take your book seriously.

Good fit

  • You have a meaningful story, message, or area of expertise.
  • You're willing to participate in guided conversations.
  • You can commit time to interviews, reviews, and feedback.
  • You value collaboration and professional editorial support.
  • You're prepared to invest in completing your book.

Not a good fit right now

  • You're looking for a one-click AI-generated book.
  • You want someone to invent your story or expertise.
  • You're unwilling to participate in the process.
  • You're not ready to commit time or resources.
Kary Youman, founder of Speak Your Book, speaking on stage

Meet your partner

Hi, I’m Kary.

My father had been working on a book for years. Our conversations helped him bring greater clarity to the manuscript, which he largely completed before his passing. He entrusted the manuscript to me, and I made final adjustments before publishing it six months after he died.

I didn’t write his book for him. I asked questions, listened, and helped him find the structure in what he was already trying to say.

That experience reinforced something I believe deeply: sometimes speaking our stories helps us find the words we’ve been searching for. That’s the same role I play for the people I work with now: collaborator, interviewer, editorial guide. Your book, your voice. I help you get it onto the page.

The commitment

A book worth writing deserves a real commitment.

This is a private, hands-on partnership, not a self-serve tool. It asks something real of both of us:

  • A defined period of regular, guided interviews together.
  • Editorial review and revision between sessions, not just at the end.
  • Active participation: showing up, reflecting, and giving honest feedback.
  • Direct collaboration with me throughout, not a hand-off to a team.

This level of personal, editorial support involves a significant financial investment, appropriate for premium, human-led work rather than a software subscription. Applying costs nothing, and it’s how we find out whether this is the right fit. Specific pricing and the shape of the engagement are part of that conversation once I’ve reviewed your application.

You already know whether this book matters to you.

The question is whether you’re ready to give it the time, attention, and support it deserves.

If you’re ready to explore working together, tell me about your book.

Apply to Work Together