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 Hello, I’m Christopher Richards. I am a ghostwriter. I write for people who don’t have the time to write. I write for people and organizations who have important things to say, but struggle to articulate them.
Authoring a book or article in your area of expertise is a compelling claim to authority. I ghostwrite nonfiction for business and nonprofit organizations.
When I tell people what I do for a living, I sometimes get a raised eyebrow. But I almost always get questions. What exactly is ghostwriting? How does ghostwriting work? Prospective authors want to know: Will I make money from book sales? What should I look for when choosing a ghostwriter?
What exactly is a ghostwriter?A ghostwriter is paid to write books, articles, reports, speeches and other content that is credited to another person.
Will I make money from book sales?Could it be another best-seller? Possibly, but that’s not the point. Being on the best-seller list is not an expectation of the people I write for. For most people, the value is increased awareness, competitive advantage, and professional stature. A book opens doors to new opportunities. And it is those new opportunities where your book pays for itself— many times over.
How does ghostwriting work?Because a ghostwriter writes for someone else, the relationship between author and ghostwriter is of tremendous importance. For some clients, it is important for author and ghostwriter to meet face to face. For others, telephone and email work well. However, writing a book can be a significant investment of your time and money. Make sure the relationship works. Are and you, as author, and your ghostwriter on the same page? Initially, I like to set up a phone call with a prospective author to discuss the purpose of the book or article, its readership, and some idea of what the book will contain. Please see, How do I start? How long will it take?Writing your book takes time and effort. How long it will take to ghostwrite your article or book depends upon conceptual complexity, participant availability (that's you), timing, and my professional commitments. You should expect a turnaround time of at least several months for anything approaching book length.
Working together
is a wide range of possibilities for how author and ghostwriter can work together. Some authors will want to attempt a rough draft and then look for someone to help polish it. Others will provide notes or outlines for the ghostwriter to work from. And then there are those who want the content to emerge through a series of recorded interviews.
What should I look for in a ghostwriter?Of course you’ll need a person who can write. Make sure to look for someone who can understand what you want, ask incisive questions, and listen to the answers. A good ghostwriter will make a great effort to find the correct voice and style for your content. The voice may be your voice, the voice of your organization, or a style you can give an example of. This won’t be the voice of the ghostwriter. Ghostwriters must have the emotional maturity to put aside their own perspectives when necessary, and write from your vantage point, for your readership.
Many ghostwriters’ work comes to them by referral. Most will have an agreement not to disclose that they had written or participated in a book. This makes showing samples difficult. However, the ghostwriter should be able to show you a variety of writing styles, and it is this flexibility of style that should give you an idea of ability. Is the writing clear? Is it to the point? Does it inform? Is it even amusing? Does it draw you in? Does it keep your attention? Is it consistent in tone?
How do I start?Every project must have a beginning. Yet that beginning for the ghostwriter can be at different points along a continuum. At one end, vague ideas, rough notes, or an outline; at the other, rough draft, to an almost completed work. However, all projects start with discussion and/or review of existing material, if any. On verbal agreement to work together, I write a letter of intent which spells out my understanding of what you want and specific next steps in your project.
I charge a prepaid hourly fee for a minimum of ten hours for new clients. This way, for a small commitment, we can take time to work together in determining the readership, the content, and scope of the project. After ten hours of consultation and/or writing, we should be in a better position create an effective working relationship and estimate the entire project. In some cases, we may generate an outline, or gather content during the first ten hours. For small writing assignments such as short articles, this minimum fee may cover the whole project. Please contact me for fees, details, and availability.
Thank you for reading. |