Getting started with a ghostwriter

I’ve always loved reading books. Now the more I write them, the more I am fascinated by the challenge of how to make each one readable and interesting. I thought I’d write this first post as an overview of ghostwriting and my own longform writing history. Besides authoring hundreds of articles and other projects, I’m a writer of both fiction and non-fiction. Although I’m only offering non-fiction ghostwriting services (my fiction is for me!). My first time organizing a longer manuscript was writing my master’s thesis, around 120+ pages, and then my PhD thesis at 300+ pages. I recently finished a business book for a C-level executive, and I’ve also written a book on freelancing called The Feisty Freelancer. More projects are in the works!

Process a common thread

One element common to all the book projects I’ve worked on is process. While the subject matter may differ, the obstacles to creating a longer work are the same. Challenges include how to grapple with a bulk of research and information? How to organize all that information and expertise so that it is most useful to the reader? This is such an important aspect that I’ve written an entire page on the process!

Process is where your ghostwriter saves you time! First step is to gather information from the main author (you!) via interviews. Then I coordinate with everyone in your organization to get any other information that is needed. This might include more interviews with others in the organization, as well as any helpful archival material and work already published. Then my next piece of expertise comes in assessing what approaches might be best to help convey the message clearly, but also with flair. After all, we want to grab the reader’s attention and pull them into your narrative.

Building the author-ghostwriter relationship

I like to start by building my relationship with the author. I arrange an initial in-depth conversation to determine their vision for a project. Typical questions include their goals in writing it, and how involved they want to be in the process. Then I provide them with an even more in-depth overview of ghostwriting. Before we chat, I send the author a questionnaire that helps them reflect on the project and helps me to understand their needs. I also solidify budget and even from the start we flesh out a work-back schedule. This helps to determine the timeline that the project requires based on the ideal publishing date.

Throughout the process, I send updates to the author. Usually this involves an outline of the workflow based on the work-back and our conversations. Then I make a schedule for research, interviewing and writing. The first milestone is usually the outline. Sometimes the author already has an idea of this so I will incorporate their notes. I draw on my experience from past projects to refine it and add details about how the story might be best approached from a narrative perspective.

Then comes the writing

The writing process is another post for another day, but for now let’s just summarize it as a series of drafts. Depending on the client, we decide whether it makes sense to create an entire draft at once. I’m also happy to work through chapter by chapter. Sometimes those chapters will change later in the project, as we refine the overall narrative arc. After a solid first draft, we move into overall changes for a second draft. Then it’s time for further refinements like line editing and copyediting.

While the process evolves over months, there is fun at every stage, mostly in the process of moving from idea to final. It’s great to see an author’s expertise captured in a readable format and to know that it will help them accomplish their goals, whether it be to celebrate a milestone or help clients better understand their organization.