BARRY FOX & NADINE TAYLOR
10 Easy Steps
The Book Ghostwriting Process
Authors & Ghostwriters of memoirs & more
www.BarryFox.us
The Book Ghostwriting Process
www.BarryFox.us
There is no set-in-stone process for ghostwriting a book. Some ghosts take an informal approach, while others prefer a formal approach, working through a sequence of steps. Here's how a formal approach might look.
www.BarryFox.us
#1 - INITIAL INTERVIEWS Over the course of a couple of interviews, the ghostwriter asks the author questions designed to elicit an overview of the story or idea. This is not the deep-dive round of interviews - the ghost is just trying to get the big picture.
The Book Ghostwriting Process
www.BarryFox.us
#2 - PREPARE THE OUTLINE Working from the initial interviews, and perhaps a bit of research, the ghostwriter prepares an outline. This outline can be anywhere from 2 to 20 pages long, depending on the book's genre and complexity.
The Book Ghostwriting Process
www.BarryFox.us
#3 - IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS For some books, no additional interviews are necessary. For others, especially memoirs, there may be dozens of additional interviews. The interviews may be recorded and transcribed, as they contain a fair amount of the material the ghostwriter needs to complete the book.
The Book Ghostwriting Process
www.BarryFox.us
#4 - ADDITIONAL RESEARCH If necessary, the ghostwriter conducts research on her own. This might include interviewing people other than the author, tracking down statistics, or even visiting the author's workplace or childhood neighborhood to learn more.
The Book Ghostwriting Process
www.BarryFox.us
#5 - FIRST DRAFT The ghostwriter prepares the initial draft of the manuscript. This can take from just a few to several months. If the author prefers, the ghost can provide drafts of individual chapters as they are written, instead of the entire manuscript at once.
The Book Ghostwriting Process
www.BarryFox.us
#6 - AUTHOR EDITS The author reviews the first draft, making notes of items to be corrected, expanded, cut, etcetera. This is a crucial task, as it helps ensure the ghostwriter understands the author's ideas and information - and hasn't gone astray.
The Book Ghostwriting Process
www.BarryFox.us
#7 - SECOND DRAFT The ghostwriter revises the manuscript according to the author’s notes. This can be as simple as entering the author's changes and comments into the manuscript. Or it may be the bigger process of introducing new ideas and information. Or both.
The Book Ghostwriting Process
www.BarryFox.us
#8 - FINAL AUTHOR EDITS Once again, the author reads the entire manuscript. The goal is to ensure that all of his/her notes and comments have been addressed. In the process, the author may find a few more small items that need revising.
The Book Ghostwriting Process
www.BarryFox.us
#9 - PERFECTED MANUSCRIPT The book ghostwriter makes the final changes according to the author's final round of edits. The manuscript is now complete. But it's not finished!
The Book Ghostwriting Process
www.BarryFox.us
#10 - POLISHED MANUSCRIPT Now that the writing is done, it's time for the editing. Depending upon the book's needs, the ghostwriter may send it to a line editor and/or copy editor. And the ghost will certainly send the manuscript to a proofreader to catch all those little errors that remain.
The Book Ghostwriting Process
Contact Barry Fox & Nadine Taylor Barry@BarryFox.us
Nadine Taylor & Barry Fox
Bestselling Authors & Ghostwriters of memoirs and more
We can help you write a great book!