ABOUT
Rebecca Pillsbury is an award-winning writer and editor specialized in memoir and narrative non-fiction. She is passionate about helping athletes, entertainers, and entrepreneurs share their stories of inspiration, so their audience grows and more lives transform.
In Her Words…
Milestones: I’ve co-written and/or ghostwritten over twenty-five books – one of which sold over 10,000 copies in less than two months – and edited more than fifty books. I’ve partnered with the stars of a #1 hit Netflix documentary, the vice president of an African country; a CNBC/Forbes Africa Business Woman of the Year; an Emmy award-winning videographer; a Paralympic gold medalist sled hockey player; a twelve-time Blues Music Award Winner, and many more.
What I can do for you: I help high-profile athletes, entertainers, entrepreneurs, executives, and people with inspirational life stories leave a literary legacy with a message that lands.
I can also: beat deadlines and deliver clean manuscripts. I have no problem taking the lead and keeping projects on track. I’ve consistently earned repeat business and high praise from clients, agents, editors, and publishers.
Why you should work with me: I produce page-turners. I’m an empathetic interviewer with an ear for voice and ability to unravel the soul of a story. I’m also a voracious memoir reader and up on market trends. At the core of my services are high standards of authenticity, integrity, creativity, and professionalism.
People I enjoy working with:
- Have a sense of humor
- Tell the truth, especially when it’s uncomfortable
- Are humble about their achievements
- Believe that everyone’s life has a higher purpose
- Are continually seeking to be better than they were yesterday
- Understand that their book is not about them—it’s about the people it touches.
Also: I have a background in the music industry and love working on memoir, pop culture, sports, and history books.
My Short Story
I grew up in Wisconsin and earned a degree in Communication Studies from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. My passion for roots music led me to Nashville, TN after graduation, where I worked in the music industry as everything from a booking agent to merchandise seller to backstage security guard before being led back to my childhood dream of a career in writing. My love of mountains and the ocean drove me cross-country to the Pacific Northwest, where I’ve set up shop ever since. Currently living at the end of the Oregon Trail just outside Portland, Oregon, I enjoy spending time with horses, my foster dogs, my kayak “Lizzie,” and my garden (which all started as a memorial to my beloved cat, Mendocino).
My Backstory
I’ve known I was meant to be a writer since I was eight years old; I was entering short story and poetry contests since I could pick up a pencil. I studied communications and creative writing in college, only to graduate and lose hope of finding a decent-paying writing position. Like many artists, I gave up and found a day job—only dabbling in writing for personal pleasure.
I’ve had many jobs in my life. I could tailor a resume as a non-profit, music business, real estate, or pet care professional. I’ve worked at the iconic Ryman Auditorium (“The Mother Church of Country Music”) and as a backstage security guard at epic concerts and music award shows throughout Nashville, TN. I’ve worked for a non-profit that teaches yoga to people in prison and addiction recovery. I’ve co-owned a Spanish language school, walked dogs around the world, and worked in an independent bookstore on a Pacific Northwest island. All these positions helped make me who I am, but not what I have always been—a writer.
It took entering a writing contest in 2013 to bring me back to my calling. I wrote my first full-size manuscript, a memoir, and was awarded one of the top prizes in an international writing contest. I knew I had re-discovered my purpose.
I began researching all I could about both self-publishing, hybrid, and traditional publishing. I enrolled in numerous online trainings and live workshops. I hired professional editors and designers to turn my manuscript into a publish-ready document. One year after I wrote the first word of the manuscript, I had my first published book in hand.
I thought it was smooth sailing from there. But I would come to find out that the hard part hadn’t yet begun—at least for me. The writing and editing process came natural to me; ideas and execution are my strengths. Public speaking and other extroverted marketing endeavors, however, are not. Though the book reviews were extremely positive and affirming of my skill set, sales were modest. Maybe I hadn’t quite figured out my calling after all.
I went back to the drawing board, only this time I didn’t do it alone. I hired a business coach to help me clarify my niche. I have since found my purpose and passion as a ghostwriter/collaborator and editor.
My area of talent and expertise is transformational writing and editing. My greatest strengths are active listening, intuition, and organization—all of which make me an excellent interviewer, researcher, and writer of this genre. I am able to access the soul of an individual and their story and manifest it into a book that engages and inspires.
Some of my clients have become international bestselling authors. Others – who prior to working with me had difficulty getting one book out of their head – hired me again to complete their second and even third or fourth or fifth book. There’s magic in this journey.
If you are an entertainer, entrepreneur, or anyone else who wants to publish your transformational story but lacks the time, expertise, or desire to do it yourself, contact me for a free consultation. I look forward to hearing your story!
