Ghostwriters and the Importance of Quick Decisions

Let's see whether this story sounds familiar to you. You have a book idea in mind, and you decide you'd like to work with a ghostwriter. You do your homework, come up with a handful of potential writers, and interview them. Then you take some time to mull things over. You get busy with work and family and a million other things. When you reach out to one of those ghostwriters a few weeks (or maybe months) later, the writer is busy and can't take on your project. Then you're stalled. Do you wait for the ghostwriter to be available again? Do you work with someone else, even if you're not sure he or she is right for your project? Do you start from scratch? Or give up entirely?

Don't despair, but do know that in the world of ghostwriting, making fast, informed decisions is necessary for success. Most ghostwriters work as independent contractors and are happy to take on an interesting project that comes their way at the right time. But with any freelancer, timing is everything. Ghostwriters aren’t expected to sit around and wait for you to hire them, and good ghostwriters get bundles of projects each month. They could sign with anyone while you are making your decision, and you may miss the window of opportunity for working with your favorite writer.

The best way to ensure that you get the ghostwriter and schedule of your dreams is to give yourself the right amount of time. Even if you won't be writing your book, creating a book takes a lot of time and effort. If you just got a big promotion, had a baby, or are booked to travel around the world, hold off on your project. You should wait until you are in a settled state and have a reasonable amount of free time before you start the ghostwriting process.

Once you're ready to start on your book, set aside time to research different ghostwriters (you can look through this blog series for tips for finding the right one). Narrow your options, and then schedule interviews with your potential writers. Think of this interview process much as you would one for a job: you should choose the most qualified, interested person in a timely manner. If you wait more than two weeks to get back to your writer, you may find that he or she is now engaged in another project.

One way to make your decision simpler is to create a checklist for your interview. Write down all of the characteristics you are looking for in your writer, e.g., available, experienced in your field, comes highly recommended, shows interest in your project, is friendly, is deadline oriented, etc. After your interview, go through and check off everything you liked about that writer and add any other thoughts or impressions that you had about him or her. When your interview process is over, go back through your notes to find the writer who is best suited to you.

After you've made your decision, get in touch with your writer. As soon as you can, you two should create a schedule and get going on the project. You'll be far more likely to get the right writer, a good schedule, and an excellent product if you remind yourself to act quickly and decisively throughout the book-making venture.

Contact the Jenkins Group and tell us about your project

Working with a Ghostwriter on a Corporate Anniversary Project

A corporate anniversary project will hardly ever appeal to a mass market audience. But when it comes to the company writing the anniversary story, it couldn’t be more important. The owners, employees, shareholders, and clients all have a big stake in creating a continuing legacy of excellence. 

An anniversary book commemorates years and years of history, hard work, and success. And it doesn’t have to be dull recitation of what happened in what year. For best results
(unless you happen to work in the publishing or journalism industries), I recommend hiring a ghostwriter.

The ghostwriter will work with you to learn the history and the atmosphere the company. You’ll discuss the past, present, and future; where the company has been and where it’s going; and what you want the book to cover. For many ghostwriters, a corporate anniversary project is much like writing a nonfiction book; it entails a lot of research and a fair number of interviews, leading to a drafting process as they create your manuscript.

However, a lot of ghostwriting projects stem from a single author, and in a corporate anniversary book, that is rarely the case (unless the writer is working from the perspective of the CEO or another executive). It is important to choose the point of view, the tone, and the style of the book you want and discuss this with your ghostwriter early on.

One thing to have in mind is keeping the book “committee” simple. By this, I mean that there is no need to have every member of your organization review the drafts of the book and give feedback—that would drive the ghostwriter crazy! Instead, pick out a small but strong team. You’ll want someone with an eye for good writing, a company-history buff, and one or two other people invested in the project. That way, neither the company nor the ghostwriter will be overwhelmed.

To prepare for a corporate anniversary project (or any ghostwriting project), be sure to have your materials at the ready, as well as a strong vision for your book. The more information you can give the ghostwriter, the more likely you are to end up with the product that you want.

I’d suggest treating a corporate anniversary project much like any other ghostwriting endeavor. The subject of the book does not matter, but the content certainly does, and it is important to put your best foot forward in writing. Look through the previous blogs on this site to get a good idea of ghostwriter “best practices,” and, as always, focus on choosing the writer that is best for your project.

Contact the Jenkins Group and tell us about your project

Who Will Market Your Book Once It’s Written? You!

After you have completed your work with your ghostwriter and your editor, you may be wondering which steps to take next, especially when it comes to marketing your book. If you are working with a traditional publisher, it is likely that the publisher has a PR and marketing plan in place. However, if you are self-publishing or working with a publishing services firm, you will need to get a bit more hands-on with your marketing strategy.

You should begin to think about marketing before your book is published. But if you are running a bit behind, the good news is that you have a high-quality, well-written book to start with. Your great content should be the biggest selling point for your book. Almost anyone can publish these days, but not everyone can publish something interesting, informative, or groundbreaking.

If you are a natural-born seller, marketing your book will come easily to you. You can use social media websites (blogs, Facebook, and the like), explore options with book reviews, visit indie bookstores and set up a book tour, give out free books and discounts—the list goes on. Keep in mind that this will take a LOT of work, but if you target your market and work hard, your time and effort will pay off.

If you are more comfortable with your authorship role and less comfortable making a sale, you may consider turning to a publishing services firm for help. These companies can help you put together press releases, reach important media outlets, get started with websites and social media, and more. They have tons of experience marketing books and will guide you along a marketing path that suits your interests and your needs. In the book business, getting professional help from ghostwriters, editors, and others helps set your title apart from the rest.

Keep in mind that no matter which direction you choose to go with your marketing, you will need to be involved. With so many books in the market, every author has to fight for his or her spot with bookstores, libraries, and, most important, readers. With a book product at your fingertips, you are already a step ahead of the competition. Keep up your hard work to see your book go from some ink and paper to a desirable product for your audience.

Contact the Jenkins Group and tell us about your project

Working with a Ghostwriter on a Technical Subject

Working with a ghostwriter on a technical subject is not as daunting as it sounds. There are plenty of ghostwriters who are versed in advanced business, science, mathematics, and humanities. Below is a step-by-step guide to helping you work with your writer to create the technical book of your dreams.

Step One: Find the right ghostwriter. Of course, this is step one for any project, but a technical subject can be much more challenging than a memoir or an autobiography. Look for a ghostwriter who has experience and an education in your field. Gauge both the ghostwriter’s interest in your subject and his or her familiarity with the concepts you’ll be discussing. Unless your work is so groundbreaking that no one has ever heard of it, you’ll want to find a writer who is comfortable with the basics of your field.

Step Two: Choose an audience. Before you even get started on the book, you’ll need to decide who you want your readers to be. The beauty of ghostwriters is that they are chameleons, able to adapt raw materials to almost any type of book you desire. Decide whether you want your book to reach an audience of your peers, a scientific community, the general public, or another group entirely. It is important to shape the rest of the project around your intended readers.

Step Three: Create an outline. Using your materials and the advice of your writer, put together an outline of how you’d like the ghostwriter to proceed. The complexity of your outline depends on your schedule and your ghostwriter’s familiarity with your subject. Nonetheless, you’ll want to give your writer a guide through your materials to help him or her shape the book.

Step Four: Hand over your materials. As always, the more relevant material you can provide your writer, the better your book will be. Try not to overwhelm your writer with stacks of briefs, essays, and findings, but do give him or her all the materials you think are necessary to complete your book. In this stage, organization is key—using a color-coding system or something along those lines can help your writer sort through your materials and use them correctly and efficiently.

Step Five: Communicate. Be on hand via phone or e-mail to answer your ghostwriter’s questions. Technical subjects can be … well … technical, and no matter how educated your intended audience is, you want your message to be as clear and correct as possible. Help guide your writer toward the book you want and the content that best suits your topic. If the two of you work together closely, you will be more likely to have a comprehensive and well-written book.

Step Six: Revise carefully. Technical subjects often rely on data, statistics, and the work of other experts. Be sure that everything you and your writer include in the book is accurate and properly cited. Because you are the expert in your particular topic, you are the one who can give the best critiques and complete the most thorough revisions.

Contact the Jenkins Group and tell us about your project