When potential clients talk to me about ghostwriting their books, they inevitably ask, “How do you work?” or “What’s your writing process?” By this they mean, “Exactly what does a ghostwriter do?”
The answer is simple: It depends on the client’s needs.
Some clients, the “You Do It” types, prefer to give the ghostwriter their basic idea, plus perhaps an article or two on the topic, and leave, not returning until the manuscript is complete. They do not want to do anything more than read the final manuscript to make sure they agree with what the ghost wrote.
Then there are the “I’ll Finish It When You’re Done” clients who participate just a little in planning the book, and not at all in the writing.When the manuscript is complete, however, they swing into action, reading everything carefully and making changes, adding in case studies, suggesting quotes or studies to include, and so on. These clients are eager to put their own “stamp” to the manuscript, albeit in a limited way.
A fair number of clients fall into the “Let’s Work Together”category, talking with the ghost on the phone or in person, typing or dictating passages or pages on their own, and passing drafts of sections and chapters back and forth with the ghostwriter,correcting, adding and deleting material with each pass.
The “Guide Me Through It” types are even more heavily involved in the writing – in fact, they prefer to write much of the manuscript themselves, relying on the ghost to help them structure the overall book and individual chapters, make sure they stay on track, smooth out poorly written passages, create a modest portion of the text, and otherwise ensure that the client writes a clear, compelling book.
Finally, there are the “I Did It, You Fix It” clients, who write or dictate a complete manuscript on their own, but recognize that it is not of publishable quality. Or perhaps it’s well-written, but too technical or complex for the popular market. They want the ghostwriter to break the manuscript down into its constituent parts, eliminate what’s unnecessary or repetitive, reassemble what remains in a more structurally sound and/or reader-friendly manner, indicate or add in what’s missing, smooth out the writing, and otherwise polish the manuscript.
The key to selecting a good ghostwriter is deciding which type of client you are, then finding a ghost who works well with your type.
