What is Ghostwriting?
ghostwrite
/ˈɡōstrīt/
verb
gerund or present participle: ghostwriting
write (material) for someone else who is the named author. "she asked him to ghostwrite her memoirs"
(Definition from Oxford Languages)
The concept of ghostwriting was almost unheard of pre-1930. Distances were great, technology was lacking, and the literacy rate was low. Individuals had to be able to successfully write a book, find a publisher, and convince them to print it.
If your skill level, location, or financial situation didn't allow you to do that, your story, no matter how good, would never be heard. It's a shame really, to think about all the amazing bits of history that were lost to time because those experiencing it had no way to share it, aside from personal journals or letters.
In today's world, that is not the case. I'm sure there are literary critics out there who wish otherwise, but now, anyone with access to a computer and the internet can write and self-publish anything they want. They may never get rich from the exercise because that will still required a marketing strategy and a lot of work, but they can, and do, publish quickly and easily.
Writing a book isn't as easy as you might think though. Non-fiction is arguably easier to do than fiction as there is an expected structure, and its similar to what we use when writing reports and essays in school.
A non-fiction book can range anywhere from a 10 000 word guide to a 300 000 word scientific tome, which means the possibilities are endless. The standard format involves an introduction, a series of chapters, each with headings and subheadings, a conclusion, and a set of references to let the readers know where the statistical or technical information came from.
Within that format, the introduction is used to state an idea or theory that the author has or a problem which needs to be solved. The chapters lay out the reasons for the theory, followed by the ways in which the person has tried to prove or disprove the theory, or solve the problem. They then explain what the results were, and anything new that was learned from the process. The conclusion ties it all up in a nice bow by reminding us what the theory was, what was learned, and if the theory was proven to be correct.
It sounds simple enough, and people in the academic and business worlds rely on books like this to make a name for themselves, and to advance their career. The problem arises when that person doesn't have the time or the skill to write this sort of book themselves.
After all, being a scientist, or a financier, or an expert in geodynamics, doesn't automatically make you a writer. This is where a ghostwriter comes in. Anyone who wishes to publish a book can hire a ghostwriter to take the information they have gathered and make it into a book. They ensure that the information is coherent, follows a easy-to-understand progression, and uses proper language and grammar. The book itself becomes a collaboration between two people with different skillsets, but the credit for the writing is given to the person who hires the ghostwriter.
Who Needs a Ghostwriter?
The answer to that question is everyone and anyone with something to write.
We live in a global economy. Thanks to the internet and modern technology, we can work with, and do business with, people from all around the world. We have expanded our reach when it comes to entertainment, books, movies, and music. All of these things require written communication of some sort.
As I mentioned before, having a valuable skill or talent that you want to share, doesn't automatically give you the ability to share it in a clear or understandable way. That is a unique skillset. Today ghostwriters are used around the globe for everything from music to fiction to economic reports, political speeches, autobiographies, scripts for movies or videos, and more.
Because the ghostwriter agrees to relinquish the credit for their part of the process, few people even realize they are in the background with their trusty laptops, typing away. In fact, even some of the most famous fiction writers use ghostwriters! So do those celebrities that start their own webinars, or write autobiographies.
This doesn't mean they don't know what they are talking about, it simply means that they are working to their strengths and admitting their weaknesses. Hiring a professional writer to do the writing is simply good business sense. It is cost effective and it allows them the time to concentrate on the parts of their career that they enjoy.
Exploring the world of ghostwriting
When the new year rolled around, I found myself with a bit of free time and a yen to try something new. I'm a firm believer in the idea that life is better with a bit of adventure in it, and that learning shouldn't stop... ever.
I saw an ad for a company that was hiring ghostwriters, and I decided to sign up and give it a go. Partly from curiosity, partly as an opportunity to add to my income, and partly because I was interested in the process. A company that produces millions of book must have a successful and organized process.
Since I have a few books of my own that I want to write someday, learning how to set up an outline, format the chapters, and create a good timeline/storyline will help me in the long run.
I signed up, completed the tests I was given to prove my skill level, and set out to write my first book. Ghostwriters are generally asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement, since the person who hires them will be taking credit for the job, and the writer may have access to some personal information. That means that I can't give you any details on the book or the author.
I can say that it was a very interesting exercise, and one that I enjoyed enough to repeat. In fact, the client I worked with requested that I help her with a second book, which I am working on now.
I have decided to add ghostwriting to my website as one of the services that I offer, so if you have a book floating around in your head, but you aren't sure how to make that a reality, feel free to pop onto The Copy Goddess and send me a message!
So, How Does it Work?
There are several ways to go about getting your book into print. Each one has pros and cons. The one you chose will likely depend on two things. Finances, and fame. Let me explain what I mean.
Traditional Publishing
If you are a known entity, in other words, an expert in your field, or a celebrity, you may be able to go the traditional approach. This involves writing up a proposal about the book you wish to write and hiring an agent. The agent approaches publishers about your book.
In this case, if you are able to find a publisher who agrees to publish your book, they will likely set you up with a ghostwriter. The upside of the traditional method is that they pay you a portion of your fee up front. This is known as an "advance." The advance is based on how many books the publisher expects to sell. In this method, the publisher pays all the expenses, but they also collect the majority of the money from the sales. You will receive a royalty check for a percentage of those sales.
The other good thing about a traditional publishing house is that they handle everything to do with production and distribution. It's important to understand that by agreeing to go this route, you are agreeing to provide your time later when it is time to promote and market the book. They may ask you to do a book tour, do interviews, or give talks about the book.
SElf-publishing into print
Option two was, until rather recently, the only other option for someone wishing to write a book. If you are unable to find a publisher willing to take your book, and you have the financial means to go it alone, this might be the way for you. This method has the biggest financial risk, but you also get to keep the profits from the sales, minus the costs, so you have more control.
In this method, the book is written and then given to a print company for formatting and production. You pay the printing company for a 'run' of books. That means that they set up a machine, and print a large number of books at once. Usually, the bigger the run, the less money it costs you upfront per book.
This method gives you a lot of control over the look and feel of your book, but it requires more work, more money, and more storage space. Once your books are printed, you will need to approach bookstores, or schools, or the media, in order to get the word out. You can hire a marketing firm to help you with this part, or you can approach people directly and use social media to spread the word.
How you go about it probably depends on the type of book you have written. If you just finished a new text book on jet propulsion, then you should probably approach the scientific community, or institutions that teach that particular science.
If you've written a series of kids books about saving the planet (as I am currently collaborating on with a friend), you could approach educational sites, home school groups, libraries, and conservation groups. If you get lucky, you may be able to sell large quantities of your book directly to these groups/organizations.
If not, you will need someone to sell your books. You can approach bookstores about listing your book, or you can set up an online storefront of your own. If you already have a thriving online business, this is probably the best way for you to sell the books to people who already know you, and are interested in what you have to say.
The final thing you will need to deal with, is distribution. This is usually managed by hiring a fulfillment centre. This is basically a company with a series of warehouses. You ship your big pile of books to them to store. When an order comes in, they will pull the required number of copies from the shelf, package them, and ship them. They usually require a certain amount of money per month for the use of the facilities and a service charge for each book that they ship for you.
Self-Publishing Print-on-Demand
This last method is quite similar to the one above, but with one major difference. When you use this method, your books are printed as they are purchased, not before. What this means for you, is that you don't need to spend a bunch of money printing books that you haven't sold yet, and you don't need to pay for storage.
In fact, depending on the company you use, they may take care of quite a few of the details for you, including putting your books on their online storefront, collecting payment, arranging printing, packaging, AND shipping. In some cases, they will even help you market your books. You can choose the free options, or pay them for a marketing campaign.
When you chose this option, you agree to comply with their rules, which might limit the size and format of what you wish to print. It might also mean granting them exclusive rights to the publishing of your book. It is, however, very convenient.
I have chosen this method to publish my own series of kids books, and I have chosen Kindle Direct Publishing to do it. I haven't spent any money on the production, or shipping, and I haven't had to approach anyone to convince them to sell my book. I have made sales, and when I do, a royalty cheque is sent directly to my bank account.
With this method, the publisher is covering the costs when it comes to printing/packaging/shipping, and as with the first method, they keep the bulk of the money from the sale. This method provides me with what is known as a 'passive' income.
In other words, now that I have the books completed and set up, I no longer have to do any work, and the money will trickle in. If I want to make any sort of regular income from this, I would need to do some marketing. This could be done through social media though, or online, simply by sending people the link to Amazon Books, where my books are available worldwide.
The other thing I like about KDP is that they provide a program called Kindle Create which helps me to format the books. Once the books are complete, I can group them together on Amazon as a series. That means that anyone who sees any of the individual books will have the option to view the rest of the series, which multiplies my opportunities for a sale.
KDP also allows me to use more than one author name, so I can use different pen-names if I wish to keep my kids' books separate from other types of writing.
What Does This Mean For You?
The bottom line here is that it's never been quicker or easier to become a published author. That fact has opened doors for many people who in the past, would have been unable to find a publishing company.
Anyone with an idea, or a good story, can share it with the world, even if it isn't 'mainstream' or part of the current trend. It's great news for solopreneurs, as well as those who sell unique services. Writing and publishing a book can really help to get your name out in front of the world.
It's also a great way to establish yourself as an authority on whatever topic you specialize in, which can help drive business to your site. If you sell webinars or courses, having the ability to offer more information in book form will help you branch out, and provide a way for past clients to reinvest in your business. It's a win-win!
SO, if you have an idea for a book of your own, but you weren't sure how to make it a reality, a ghostwriter might be just what you need!
I'm available to help, and I offer a Free 30 Minute Consultation if you want to discuss the possibilities!
Toddles for now!
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