When ghostwriting a book, I am sometimes asked to also write the book proposal. I remember the first time I was asked to do this. I had no idea, so I did my research. A book proposal is a plan to convince either an agent or a publisher that your manuscript should become a book.…
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I’ve long known that a client-ghostwriter relationship can resemble a marriage at times. The client is sharing so much with so many details that, inevitably, the client gets put in a vulnerable situation. It is up to the ghostwriter to treat that information, and by extension the client, with all the care, decency, and sensitivity…
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As I’ve previously written, having other sources when ghostwriting a memoir fleshes out a story with different points of view, confirms details, and helps neutralize the “unreliable narrator.” To get these details, however, a ghostwriter often needs to interview those other sources, so this is about how to do that effectively. Like with the entire…
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I specialize in ghostwriting three non-fiction types: memoir, business book, and expository essay. Of these, memoirs take the longest to complete. The main reason, I have found, is it takes longer to organize an outline and write about an individual’s life. With a business book or expository essay, the client often has the outline already…
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Process (n) — a systematic series of actions directed to some end Why have a process? It seems like a silly question. How do you get anything done if you don’t have a way to do it? And I agree that it should be self-evident that a process is necessary. I found this on Alan…
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I’ve written that partnering with a ghostwriter is great when your story is too important to leave to someone who isn’t professionally trained. It’s also extremely important to partner with a ghostwriter who gets you. Colloquially, I mean, hire a ghostwriter who clicks with you. But what does “click with” mean? Historically, it’s from the…
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When it comes to developmental editing, different developmental editors provide different services. For example, some provide line editing or proofreading services. Some will offer coaching, in which the editor regularly meets with the writer and provides support and feedback throughout the writing process. The most important service a developmental editor offers is the manuscript critique.…
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Last week, I introduced developmental editing and gave an overview of what it is. This week, I’m describing what it’s not. As developmental editing is its own animal, it doesn’t deal with any of the following: Copy editing. This type of editing focuses on word choice, punctuation, capitalization, style, typographical errors, and grammar. Copy editors…
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You have an idea for a book that you’re sure will be a big hit and reach a wide audience. You also have decided that, for whatever reason, you can’t write it yourself. So, you hire a ghostwriter. Unfortunately, the book you got was pure drek: typos galore, inconsistent style, questionable organizational choices, and words…
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To paraphrase William Shakespeare: When machines do the work that we’re assigned And create the content that does abound We’ll all be free to do the things we love And leave the dreary work to be done by glove. I say paraphrase because this, I believe obviously, was written by artificial intelligence (I found it…
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