Find out more info on Ghost Writing services for blogs, websites, articles and search engine optimization (SEO) purposes
Ghost writing in a nutshell - hiring a 'ghost' basics
download sample screenplay here. I took this project on as a freelance ghost writer. Sci Fi genre.
Leaving A Legacy With A Memoir
Recently I ran a poll which goes something like this…
‘Have you ever thought of writing a book?’
The result was astounding. Over 85% of the people who responded voted that they have always thought about writing a book…and most of them said that they have thought about writing a memoir. Just like me, they harbored hopes of writing a memoir in hope of leaving a legacy or tell their story to the rest of the world.
And believe me, everyone’s got a story to tell…even the most mundane of lives deserves a mention.
We live different lives and experience different things
For one, all of us live different lives and the conglomeration of experiences makes each life a different tale. This tale is not fiction…it’s for real…which makes it all the more interesting. If you think that only extraordinary tales like how Bill Gates built his millions or how Trump started his business empire is worth reading about, you’re wrong.
Everyone’s got their own tale to tell. And this can come in the form of your memoir.
Explain our side of the story
Everything happens for a reason and most of it happens because of decisions that we make. A wrong one or the right one…whichever it is, in your memoir, you get to tell your side of the story. Others may have misconceptions or preconceived ideas about what you did and why you did it, when you write your memoir, you get to tell the story from your point of view and….in a way, clear the air.
Something for the kids and other living family members to remember us by
One of the biggest reasons why I encourage people to write their own memoir is so that they can leave a legacy for their kids. I’ve written my own memoir and published it myself using a self-publishing engine (some call it vanity publishing) because I wanted to leave my story and legacy behind for my kids. One fine day, when they’re old, I want to see them pick the book up, read it from cover to cover, cry, laugh, nod their head, shake their heads and maybe chastise me for my wrong-doings when I am already six feet underground when they read.
I hope, too, that they will pass the book on to their kids and let them have a read about what grandma’s life was like too.
Self-publishing makes book publishing all that much easier
Many published authors tsk-tsk-tsk at the vanity publishing industry but let me tell you why vanity publishing is so popular these days. Getting a publisher to publish your story is an extremely time-consuming and difficult pursuit! It took one writer fifteen years to get her book published!
Although I don’t think vanity publishing is the best way to go but it provides us with the chance to publish our memoir, the book that we want the world to read and a book that we want to print and present to our kids in the future in the form of a memoir.
Everyone’s got a story to tell. Perhaps it’s time to think about telling yours too.
Ghostwriting A Challenging But Mentally Rewarding Profession
July 26th, 2008 - Ghost writing is the kind of job that not only fills the pocket but it also fills the mind. What do I mean by this? Well, while ghostwriting is not the easiest job in the world, it is one of the more enriching aspects of being a freelance writer. You see, whenever I take on a ghost writing project, I am required to delve deep…very deep into the topic. The client could be an individual who wants to write a book about selling steel pipes and I would have to learn everything I can about the topic concerned. While it takes them years of experience to get to where they are, I would have to learn along the way.
The learning curve for a ghostwriter is always a very difficult one – you’re probably given weeks, if you’re lucky, months to learn all you can about the topic. And then you’re on the job!
Now imagine you’ve just got a client who wants you to write about how to capture ghosts or fengshui; maybe you get a client who wants you to write about the benefits of alternative healing. Ack! Frankly, even with my shallow knowledge about the topic, I don’t think it is possible for me to write on those topics CONVINCINGLY in the form of a book.
That is why the job of a ghost writer is an extremely difficult yet challenging one. Of course, the client would have a role to play here too because the client would be required to ‘feed’ his or her ghostwriter with information about the topic…and also, somehow, help flesh out each point that he or she wants in the book. Usually, the client would jot down everything that they can think of about the topic and just fax or email me the stuff.
The ghostwriter, upon receiving the information, would have to spend some time digesting the information and if the writer’s got questions, this is the time to ask…not in the middle of writing the book, mind you because let’s just put it this way, when you get stuck in the middle of writing an book, it’s very discouraging. Discouraging enough to halt the entire process till the ghostwriter plucks the courage to continue with the book.
Ghostwriting, therefore, is an exciting job for me because I love learning and I love challenges. I think ghostwriting is not a job for the weak, though. It’s an extremely rewarding yet stimulating profession.
Related: New Chinese Memoir Wins Raves for Ghostwriter Foster Winans
Ebook ghostwriter 101
July 13th - When I take on a job as an ebook ghostwriter, here’s what I have to do. It’s not as simple as writing an article or mindlessly copying, pasting, revising or rewriting the stuff from others…that’s what a lazy ghostwriter or article writer would do…and I believe I am way past that. I believe more about delivering something really…really GOOD? Sorry, words fail me when it’s off office hours and I am still working.
But in short, here’s what I would do when I take on a project to ghostwrite an ebook for a client.
Research the topic of the ebook
Most of the time, clients want a ghostwriter to help them come up with something totally, outrageously, kick-assedly vibrant, enthusiastic, brimming with life, hope…and marketability. We call this ebook marketing and the books for free. What the client does is hire the ghost writer to whip out something really good, offer it for free with URLs and contact information pasted all over the ebook hoping that with free circulation, there’s exposure.
So, when I become a ghostwriter for an ebook, I have to dig really deep into the topic so that I am convincing when I write the ebook. When the ghostwriter is half-a-cup empty, the ebook will end up sounding as convincing as a postman trying to sell you website hosting services.
Outline the ebook with the client
After working out the nicks and nacks of the industry, I will typically spend half a day outlining the chapters or pages…basically the content of the ebook with the client. We’d go over the minor details about what would go where, how and why, which diagram, what caption, who’s quote, etc.
A ghostwriter who does not outline the book that he/she is about to write is bound for a very rough ride ahead.
Draft the ebook
When I say ‘draft’, I really mean a ‘draft’….as in blowing very breezily past. The main reason why people don’t get past the first chapter is because they fail to acknowledge the fact that whatever they’ve written there is a ‘draft’…it’s meant to be changed, edited, proofread and improved on.
I would often tell my ghostwriting clients that it’s a DRAFT….D.R.A.F.T…so, don’t get shocked when there are spelling mistakes. It’s meant to be that way…yeah…well…sort of.
Editing and finalizing the ebook
This part of the process of ghostwriting an ebook is the longest you’ll ever have to go through. Not only is it tiring and time-consuming, you might end up cock-eyed at the end of it all. Trust me, when you’re done with the ebook, you can probably recite chapters without looking at it.
But this is the way to work the ebook with your ghostwriter if you ever hire one. Bold and brave business owners can actually try writing their own ebooks but what I recommend is for you to hire someone to go through it with a neutral point of view. Even ghostwriters have to rely on the clients for their feedbacks…sometimes we ask friends and husbands to do the dirty work but they’re always too hard to peel away from household chores or the latest soccer game on TV.
Anyway, good luck with your ebook writing endeavor! Remember…persist and be consistent and you WILL get your ebook published!
*** ***Ghostwriting is A game sans the name
May 23rd, 2008 - The game of being a ghostwriter is this…you get to play the game but if you win it, you’re not the one to stand on the podium. Someone else gets to be there to claim the prize. Of course, when you’re a freelance ghostwriter, you’d have to know that if something goes wrong during the game, you don’t take the blame, the person who hires you does.
In case you’re not familiar about how this ghostwriting game works, I’ll give a couple of low-downs.
There is always a nagging worry at the back of my clients’ minds (and I understand why) that the ghostwriter that they hire would run off and claim that the work is theirs, or if they start telling the world that they’ve written this book, that book, this screenplay, that script, etc. The relationship between the ghostwriter and the owner of the final product has to be a very close one – bordering on intimate especially if you’re planning to release an autobiography. When you hire a ghostwriter for your own autobiography, you’ll be revealing a lot of personal information to the ghostwriter and you’d have to make sure that they’re not loose with their words.
For example, if you’re a prominent political figure or a famous business man, how would you feel like pouring your entire being to a stranger you’ve just met a couple of days ago. Granted, this ghostwriter you’ve hired could be someone ten or twelve years your junior. How do you connect with the ghostwriter is important to the relationship because the relationship, the trust and transparency has to be there! Otherwise, there would be this bridge between you and the ghostwriter that will forever be there and you just can’t do things right that way.
What I usually do with my clients is I dedicate a week or two socializing with the client. If the client is located other parts of the world, we would chit-chat over MSN or I would pose them important questions which would help me DEFINE this stranger. The ghost writer has to know the person personally and understand his or her thoughts. Whilst it is extremely difficult to cross the digital divide through the Internet, this calls for effort. And it’s possible.
It is easier to ghostwrite for someone your own sex or someone who can relate to, so, when you hire the writer, go a little bit into the ghost writer as well….it’s not a one way street. It is two ways.
AND DON'T FORGET THE AGREEMENT!
*** *** ***The never-to-be-seen ghost behind the writing
Sometimes when I ghostwrite something, I get the feeling like I am being a surrogate mother. You’re probably asking, how can ghostwriting be ANYTHING like being a surrogate mother. Hang on a minute, here’s how ghostwriting works. Someone gets an idea, has got the money but can’t sit down and write anything, much less complete it, so he goes on the Internet and searches for a ghostwriter.
The job of this ghost writer is to take the idea, develop it into something and then hand it back to the ‘owner’ of the idea and the ghostwriter gets none of the credit…except for a stash of fresh cash in the bank. But other than that, it’s a pretty thankless job, being a ghostwriter.
If you’re a freelance writer, you would understand that every piece or article (right down to every dot and exclamation mark) is a work in progress until the final full stop, therefore, it requires resilience and persistence. Throughout the whole process (which I liken to being pregnant), you nurture the piece of article and you put every single bit of ghostwriting experience you have in every single bone in your body into that work. you piece it together carefully, edit, proof it and then rewrite parts of it that make absolutely no sense (hey, it’s like that!) at all and then go through it again.
And then when the ghostwriter is finally done – he/she sends it over to the ‘owner’ for approval, comments or whathaveyounots…and if everything’s a-okay, then the ghostwriter will have nothing to do with the baby…ever…again.
Sob. Sob.
The worst thing about being a ghost writer is that if you think the work was really awesome, you’re bound to feel the urge to do something like the following:-
- Announce to the world that you’ve just come up with a complete masterpiece.
- If it climbs up some best-seller’s list, you want to call your mother to tell her that your book made it to the top
- You want to use the work as a sample or as part of your portfolio.
Of course, none of which the ghostwriter is allowed to do. Ghostwriters are bound to a pact in a sense that we are never to reveal ourselves and the role that we have played with the final product. We are to relinquish all rights and interest in the work once payment is made and the ghostwriting project is considered closed.
Worse yet, sometimes ghostwriters feel a little anxious about what the ‘owner’ did to the work. For instance, you can’t be calling the ‘client’ up and asking him/her what’s happening with the work! or he/she is letting it sit on his PC rotting away…that’s weeks or months of work there and you have no right to tell him that he/she has no right to let it rot.
Much like a surrogate mother.
But ghostwriting is a really interesting job and sometimes I like picking up such projects – for one very simple reason.
Every time I stat a ghostwriting mission, I become a master of something new! Like I wrote on cancer once and I can tell you what food groups to consume, to what proportions and what to avoid. I also ghostwrote many articles too – for instance, one of kayak-making (I was completely at a loss at the start) which developed into another newsletter ghostwriting project for furniture building. I also ghostwrote a book about crocheting which is right up my alley and also another about making an insane amount of money through an MLM business.
If I pick up a ghostwriting project on how to fix your own piano, I guess I would be a master at that topic too…which is interesting, don’t you think?
Ghostwriting is an interesting job…it pays the bills, although not regularly, but it’s interesting AND pays the bills…which is a fabulous combo. If you’re looking for someone to ghost write something for you, I could if I had the time. And if you want to ask me how much it would cost you for me to ghostwrite something for you, I would say ‘it depends’.
Depends on the work (book, newsletter, sales letter, articles…whatever), length (number of words), topic (difficult to walk-in-the-park) and stuff like that.
But to pull a figure out of thin air about ghostwriting, I would say a client would have to typically be prepared to pay anything between $200 and $5,000.
But that was two figures, wasn’t it? Ah well
 |
| Subscribe to TrulyMarsha |
| Visit this group |