A ghostwriter can help you scribe a publishable book.
I believe everyone has a story, whether it’s based on true life or a trip through the imagination. The following ghostwriting tips can help bring your book to life.
First, every story matters, either by chronicling an event that would otherwise be lost to time, or adding to the body of literary fiction. Second, just because someone else organizes and writes your book doesn’t mean you aren’t the author. You are, indeed, the author. The ghostwriter is simply the consultant who gathers your facts, ideas, opinions, accounts and memories, and puts them into book form.
That’s exactly what I do.
Many authors have a basic idea fleshed out … but get stuck when putting their thoughts on paper. Or, they simply don’t have time to write a book. Or, they have a disability that prevents them from writing a book. But guess what? These roadblocks can be overcome with a ghostwriter.
Ghostwriting Tips for Nonfiction Manuscripts
In my experience, authors who wish to develop memoirs and biographies are the most likely to seek a ghostwriter’s help. Perhaps they want to create a legacy book filled with family lore to pass down to future generations. They might want to write their life stories or memorialize a loved one. They may want to honor a military hero, and hard-working father, a mother who navigated the Great Depression, or a family member who survived the Holocaust. Perhaps they survived a natural disaster or recovered from an addiction or broke away from an abusive situation.
Jump Starting the Nonfiction Process
Many of these true life stories are deeply personal. Most are also meant to be inspirational. But how does one begin the journey toward publication? In other words, how does one get started?
I work with authors from all walks of life. Some are computer savvy and share screenshots from journals via email. They might scan and send documents. Others send boxes of information for me to sort out. Some prefer to Skype or do phone interviews. Others record their thoughts, often keeping a recording device on their nightstands to capture dreams and memories in no particular order. They send those tapes to me to transcribe and insert into a story arc. Sometimes, I’m asked to interview people who are part of the story.
Together, we compile a book — me writing it and the author providing most of the details.
Ghostwriting Tips for Fiction Manuscripts
There are times when authors need help articulating various concepts in their books. Perhaps English isn’t their first language. Perhaps they have a thousand “stream of consciousness” notes on a yellow tablet and are frustrated about turning their thoughts into into a publishable manuscript. They may need assistance in researching plausible science and adapting it into the story.
Whether they envision a cozy murder mystery, a science fiction tale, a romance novel, or a faith-based “David and Goliath”-type book on overcoming obstacles, my job is to collaborate and make their vision a reality.
Again, I work with raw notes and documents, tape recordings, Skype and Facetime interviews, etc. to collect the details and work through plot, setting, characterization, and subtleties that make these fiction projects unique.