Seeking a credited collaborator / co-writer f - a job post by Mark Carter

About the job

Hello everyone,

I am reaching out because I have reached the point where I know I do not need a ghostwriter, and I do not simply need a standard editor sending notes back on a document.

I have completed a full draft novel called BUDDS. It is a grounded working-class story set in Blackburn, built around friendship, loyalty, pressure, and what happens when the thing holding a group together begins to fall apart. At the heart of it sits a central question: how far would you go to keep lifelong friendships alive?

BUDDS also serves a second purpose. It acts as a gateway book into a much larger long-term project called TERRA. I would explain that side in more detail with any serious prospective collaborator.

Alongside BUDDS sits TERRA, the wider vision behind it. At present, I have four completed draft novels in that world, another two mapped out on a matrix-style storyboard, and a further five planned. The worldbuilding behind it has been developing for around forty years, with the active drafting taking place over the last five. In total, there are currently roughly five draft books and around 700,000 words of material, with more still to come.

What I am looking for is a true collaborator / co-writer. Someone confident enough to challenge the material, question structure, push back where needed, and help reshape the work while staying true to its core. I already have the characters, the world, the drafts, and the wider vision. What I need is someone who can help bring the strongest version of it to the surface.

This is not a ghostwriting role. It is a genuine creative partnership.

I would be open to:

dual acknowledgement on the cover 

a 60/40 split 

final creative say remaining with me 

So I am looking for someone serious, honest, and comfortable working as part of a real collaboration.

A strong working knowledge of Frank Herbert’s themes, worldbuilding, and deeper philosophy is essential. Not as a direct source to work from, but to help ensure the wider project develops with depth, internal logic, and a natural progression while avoiding obvious IP issues. Familiarity with the non-canon Dune Encyclopedia timeline would be a major advantage, as TERRA grows from the expansion of a specific historical gap within that framework.

To be clear, this is not a Dune IP project or adaptation. However, that background knowledge is important in order to properly understand the deeper architecture behind it.

BUDDS would be the starting point and the acid test.
TERRA is the wider long-term vision.

I would especially like to hear from people who are:

strong on structure, character, and development 

not afraid to challenge material 

interested in building something properly rather than just passing through it 

open to a credited creative partnership 

If this sounds like you, I would be interested in talking.

Please also understand that this is a lifelong passion project, and I will be carrying out the necessary checks. A proven writing background is important.

Thank you.