In my last post, I highlighted several typers of editing one could use to improve their manuscript. Today, I’m delving into more detail about line editing. As I previously wrote, line editors focus on more creative uses of language and how the word choice affects how clearly the story is communicated. Is the language clear,…
Read MoreIn addition to ghostwriting, I also edit. My editing days go back to 1990 and my days working in newspapers, where the editing mantra was, “The fewer the words, the more powerful they are.” Once a manuscript is completed, it’s really important to have a neutral set of eyes look at it. I tell all…
Read MoreLast week, I received a phone call and an email inquiry from a man looking for a ghostwriter. He is 93 years old and doesn’t have a lot of time to get his memoir out of his head and onto the page, so he wants to move quickly. He didn’t balk when I told him…
Read MoreFor me, ghostwriting is a most rewarding job. The work I do in telling somebody’s in-depth, compelling story — and then getting paid thousands of dollars to do it — is emotionally and financially gratifying. But like every other job out there, there are downsides. Here are some I have discovered. Scheduling conflicts — There’s…
Read MoreThere is a poem I remember reading in a prayer book: What does it really mean to “hear”? The person who attends a concert with a mind on business, Hears — but does not really hear. The person who walks amid the songs of birds And thinks only of what will be served for…
Read MoreNobody starts out wanting to be a ghostwriter. Something happens along the way that makes them want to pursue that vocation. For me, it came in stages. First, I was a journalist. I wrote for two Los Angeles daily newspapers, in the sports departments, and I discovered a gift for getting people to open up…
Read MoreThere must be a high degree of trust between ghostwriter and client. Each must recognize and respect the other’s talents. Like with a marriage, the relationship between ghostwriter and client has ups and downs, pitfalls and pleasures, risks and rewards. Either partner can throw things out of whack. Clients might typically try to take advantage…
Read More