In Today’s Journal
* Taking the Day Off
* Wanna Be a Ghostwriter? Practical Tips
* Of Interest
* The Numbers
Taking the Day Off
I’m taking the day off from the Journal today to spend more time with my novel. My thanks to Dan Baldwin for the following guest post.
Note: Dan has talked before in TNDJ about ghostwriting, but this is a decidedly different slant.
Wanna Be a Ghostwriter? Practical Tips
a guest post from Dan Baldwin
“Hey! I got a great idea for a book. You write it up and we’ll split the profits fifty-fifty.”
If you are a writer you have heard or you will most certainly hear that sentence. If you fall for that line, you’re not a ghostwriter—you’re a sucker.
A ghostwriter is someone who takes the ideas, achievements, failures and dreams of another person and turns them into a genuine book. He is compensated for that work according to his own rate.
I have encountered several good writers who would like to become ghostwriters, but who are “spooked” by the prospect. Ghostwriting isn’t scary at all.
You’re not the author; you’re only the writer.
That’s a key factor the ghostwriter must know and understand. Everyone you know, have known, and will ever know has a book hidden inside. Many will want to release that work. The job of the ghostwriter is to bring that book out in a publishable form.
First, a couple of definitions—
- Author—the name that appears on the cover of the book
- Writer—that’s you, the guy who does the real work.
The author’s name goes on the book; the writer’s name goes on the check. Unless you contract for publishing or promotional work, that ends your part of the deal.
Authors have a perverse view of the process. Authors also have an equally perverse view of what happens after publication.
I’ve worked with authors who knew—just knew, mind you—that their book would hit the best seller list from day one, that it would sell tens of thousands of copies immediately, that fans would line up around the block for their book signings, and that they’d be up for the Pulitzer by the end of the year.
An important first step for the ghostwriter is to rain on the author’s expectations parade.
Early in the process, and the earlier the better, I explain that eight out of ten published books fail in the marketplace. Most books never earn back the advance paid to the authors—if they even get an advance, which is becoming less and less likely these days. Failure is not only an option, it’s practically guaranteed.
Once that chore is out of the way, the writer can proceed with a guilt-free conscience and work his butt off to beat the odds.
The process is simple. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. This is especially true when you’re working with someone who expects you to read his mind, carry out his orders, and to be okay with “the check’s in the mail.”
Ghostwriting doesn’t require any special talents not found in writing novels, short stories, memoirs, news reports, or advertising copy. But it does require the ability to balance patience with the need to shout, “Get off your ass, do your part, and get me that information you promised!” when necessary.
A ghostwriter must sacrifice his voice for that of his client. This is an essential skill. A ghostwriter must remember that the work is the author’s work and not the writer’s chance to stretch his skills, try out new techniques, or tell the story the way it “ought” to be told.
It’s easier than you think, but you must work at it from page one to “The End.” The writer’s input is essential and should be expressed, but in the end it’s the author who writes that check. It’s his book; write it his way.
Except for highly technical books, most books are written at an eighth grade level. The reason for that is simple: Everyone in America has at least an eighth-grade education.
Write the book that way and most authors will be delighted with how great they “sound.” Throw in a few terms and phrases gleaned from your client and he’ll be amazed at how you have captured his true voice.
I know extremely well-educated business leaders who speak with multiple voices. They’ll use one voice for the board of directors and another when addressing the men and women on the manufacturing line.
That’s not a matter of talking down or talking up to people; it’s a matter of using words and phrases appropriate to the audience. Voice is often determined by audience. And regardless of that audience, never talk down or try to cozy up to those folks.
Authors (name on cover) usually have one of three reasons for hiring a ghostwriter (name on paycheck):
- One, the author has the ability to write, but lacks the inclination and drive necessary in the hard work of actually applying fingers to keyboard.
- Two, some authors want to write, but they’re busy doing whatever it is that they want to write about. As one of my authors said, “I can write it, but you can do in six months what it would take me six years to write.”
- Three, they can’t write, but they have something to say and need professional help saying it.
And that’s why God invented ghostwriters. And paychecks.
Anyone considering becoming a ghostwriter should consider his skills in
- writing in someone else’s voice,
- interviewing,
- research and fact-checking,
- patience with someone who’s unfamiliar with the process,
- the ability to make sure the author lives up to his end of the bargain (deadlines are particularly challenging), and
- a willingness to smile while chewing nails.
Once you have a handle on those abilities, you’ll find that ghostwriting isn’t so spooky at all.
Talk with you again soon.
Of Interest
24 Most Popular Writing Posts of 2024 Sight unseen, I’m betting they’ll all invoke the myths and say the same old things. But in case some of you find them helpful, here they are.
Our Regular Four Challenges Enter the 2025 Holiday Sale The first few paragraphs about which challenges are more popular is interesting.
The Numbers
The Journal…………………………… 130
Writing of The Intermittent Ghost: Jack Temple (BO-31A)
Day 1…… 4202 words. To date…… 4202
Day 2…… 3055 words. To date…… 7257
Day 3…… 3412 words. To date…… 10669
Fiction for December………………… 82766
Fiction for 2024………………………. 828866
Nonfiction for December…………….. 24080
Nonfiction for 2024…………………… 386650
2024 consumable words…………….. 1,215,516
Average Fiction WPD (December)…. 3599
2024 Novels to Date…………………….. 19
2024 Novellas to Date…………………… 1
2024 Short Stories to Date……………… 32
Novels (since Oct 19, 2014)…………..… 103
Novellas (since Nov 1, 2015)…………… 10
Short stories (since Apr 15, 2014)……… 269
Short story collections……………………. 29
Disclaimer: Whatever you believe, unreasoning fear and the myths that outlining, revising, and rewriting will make your work better are lies. They will always slow your progress as a writer or stop you cold. I will never teach the myths on this blog.
Writing fiction should never be something that stresses you out. It should be fun. On this blog I teach Writing Into the Dark and adherence to Heinlein’s Rules. Because of WITD and because I endeavor to follow those Rules I am a prolific professional fiction writer. You can be too.