Developmental Editor
Ghostwriter
Author Coach
Developmental Editor Ghostwriter Author Coach
Your words.
Your way.
You have something to say.
I want to help you say it.
“The most original of authors are not so because they advance what is new, but because they know how to say something as if it has never been said before.”
Are you tossing around ideas for your first book or your fifth (or more)? I’m your collaborative BOOK ARCHITECT.
In the thick of writing your manuscript and feeling stuck or lost? I’m your BOOK COACH.
Want fresh eyes (high-level or line-by-line) on your manuscript’s structure and content , whether you’re on the first page or the final word? I’m your DEVELOPMENTAL EDITOR.
Have a book in you but not what it takes to string all the right words together? I’m your GHOSTWRITER.
Need a little bit of this and a little bit of that to bring your book to life? Just need somebody to fix it? I’m your BOOK DOCTOR.
Questions You Might Have
Who are you?
I’m Michelle Tullier. (That’s too-lee-yay but I’ll answer to anything close.)
I’ve been a freelance editor and ghostwriter since 2005. Forbes Books, Macmillan, Simon & Schuster, and Penguin Group (now Penguin Random House) have all hired me to work with their authors and edit their books, and I work directly with authors who are self-publishing. I’ve been writing books of my own since 1997, with nine books through publishers including Wiley, Penguin, and The Princeton Review imprint of Random House, and my tenth book will be out through hybrid publisher Gatekeeper Press in 2026.
But that’s just resume window-dressing (and there’s more of that on the About page). Who I really am is someone who is absolutely in my zone when I write and edit. Corny as it sounds, I bound out of bed in the morning and have to be dragged away from my desk to eat dinner because I love doing this so much. Editing, writing, and coaching authors brings to bear all the talents I most enjoy using — strategic thinking, creativity, attention to detail, and project management.
Besides all that, I love dogs, alphabetized spice racks, and when my Gen Z daughter actually wants my advice. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, I live on an island in Maine with my husband because I like being cold and on a sailboat in the Bahamas because I like going places on the water.
Fun fact: You saw that Goethe quote above? He’s my first cousin, seven generations back, so writing is in my blood.
Who do you work with?
I work with first-time authors or highly experienced ones on books that are just a glimmer of an idea, or are completely written, or somewhere in between. I edit and ghostwrite only non-fiction, with specializations in business, self-help and personal development, psychology and other social sciences, the “hard” sciences, and memoir, but I am open to a wide range of topics. Basically, I’m best with people who are experts in their field (or their own life story) but not necessarily professional writers.
What’s your work style?
I collaborate as a hard-working partner and am known for calm stewardship of a project, remaining unflappable even when deadlines loom or things get complicated. I don’t shy away from telling you what you need to hear to make your book the best it can be, but I do so with sensitivity and never forgetting that it is your book and you make the ultimate decisions.
How much will it cost?
Please see the Services & Fees page.