Working With A Ghostwriter By Laura Sherman

My line of work often fascinates people. I’m a ghostwriter. I love to introduce myself by saying, “Hi! I’m Laura, the Friendly Ghostwriter!” It usually gets a smile.

You might wonder about the steps involved in working with a ghostwriter. I always say each job is different, and each writing relationship is unique, but having said that, there are common aspects I can share.

You need to settle on a ghostwriter, sign a contract, and pay about 25% of the total fee to start.

Interview ghostwriters until you find the perfect match. It should be someone you can really communicate well with--someone who is excited about the project. Passion is a key ingredient.

Also, finding someone with experience in your genre would be ideal. Now, you don’t need a gardener to write a gardening book, but you do want someone with experience in nonfiction writing. A master gardener would be a plus.

Never pay a ghostwriter the entire fee upfront.

That would be a recipe for disaster. The writer will have no motivation to complete the book.

However, your ghostwriter will need to be paid ahead of the final writing. The first segment is always the most time consuming, because it includes the outlining and research phase. This is why that payment is the largest.

You need to get all the research information to the ghostwriter.

From the moment you realize you will be working with a ghostwriter, begin gathering together all your research information and notes. Think about what your writer will need, in order to tell your story or prepare your nonfiction manual.

“But why should I do this work? Aren’t I hiring the ghostwriter to do this for me?”

Sure, you can pay the writer to do all the research, but remember, you are the best source for information on your book! Also, the cost for your ghostwriter will increase substantially if the writer needs to research from scratch. In the long run, you will save both time and money if you can do the bulk of the research on your own.

You need to review all the material in a timely manner.

Your ghostwriter will email you segments of the book on a regular basis. Make sure to read the pieces and provide the writer with detailed feedback. If it’s good, tell your ghostwriter why it works. If it isn’t, let your writer know why. Try to be kind, but be honest!

I always allow one revision per segment. You don’t want to get involved in a ton of back-and-forth emails at this phase, but you do want to guide your ghostwriter. The outline should be hammered out first, so by this time you’re just settling on the details and voice of the book.

Waiting until the entire rough draft is written to tell your writer what you think of the book is always a bad idea. By then it may be difficult and time-consuming to change things.

By the time you get through this process, chances are you’ll have a manuscript that is very near completion. Personally, I will work and rework the first draft, making minor changes (mostly for flow and consistency) and then request one more set of revisions, once I’m satisfied. Many times I get a thumbs-up without any change requests.

Again, no two writing relationships are the same. Each client has different needs and each story is unique, but there are commonalities you can expect when working with a ghostwriter.

Do you have any questions about the ghostwriting process? Please feel free to ask me here in the comment section, and I’ll answer you. You can also email me anytime at laurasherman@earthlink.net.
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Laura Sherman, a.k.a. “Laura the Friendly Ghostwriter,” is a professional ghostwriter and author.

She recently authored “Chess Is Child’s Play.” As a parent of three, and one of the top 50 women chess players in the nation, Laura wrote this book to help parents teach children how to play chess.

She also ghostwrote “Joshua’s Missing Peace – A Mother’s True Story.” This book tells how a six-year old boy was misdiagnosed and placed on heavy psychiatric medication. Through dedicated research, his mother discovered the true cause of the illness and the cure, ultimately saving her son’s life.

Laura lives with her family in Florida, where she spends her spare time at the beach and writing haiku, the Japanese art of short poetry. Feel free to contact her through her website at www.laurasherman.com.