WHEN ONLY A GHOST WILL DO: ON GHOSTWRITING

WHEN ONLY A GHOST WILL DO

By Christina Hamlett

“It must be so fascinating to be a ghostwriter,” an interviewer told me. “Do you get to go to a bunch of séances?” It took me a beat to realize she assumed I’d built a career around talking to the dead. Silly as that sounds, it does speak to the fact many people are clueless about what ghostwriters do, much less how to join their ranks as silent partners. 

As the saying goes, everyone has a book inside of them. Not everyone, however, has the time or skill sets to make their ideas a published reality. Cue the ghostwriters! While this can be a lucrative income stream, it’s also one which isn’t without controversy. Specifically, the argument is made that somehow there’s something criminal about allowing someone else to put their name on work you’ve created. If they’ve stolen it? Yes. If it’s a work-for-hire? No. 

And work-for-hire is exactly what ghostwriting is all about, regardless of the medium.

QUALIFICATIONS

Although you don’t need a degree to be a ghostwriter, you do need excellent writing/editing skills, have a substantive body of publishing credits and be an expert on a client’s chosen topic (i.e., historical romance, medicine, criminal investigations, etc.). The best ghostwriters are chameleons who can adapt their own “voice” to that of each client much the way actors use different accents and nuances depending on what each role calls for. An awareness of how today’s publishing industry works is a must as well, along with patience, a sense of humor, first-rate organizational skills, and attention to detail.

GHOSTWRITER, COLLABORATOR OR EDITOR?

Whether you work for an agency or yourself, ghostwriting is different from collaborating or editing and these differences are predicated on pricing, anonymity and risk. 

To use a seafaring analogy, you’d hire a ghostwriter just as you’d hire a master shipbuilder to deliver you to your desired port. For an agreed-upon price, the ghostwriter turns your concept into a marketable, seaworthy project, navigates the challenging waterways, and lets you take all the credit for the creation of that fabulous “vessel”.

A collaborator is a partner with skills comparable to yours who builds the project alongside you, assumes an equal share of investment and risk, and expects the reward of both a split credit and half the profits. (Spoiler alert: A lot of clients may try to talk you into going this route to avoid paying you. Unless you’re certain they’ll contribute equally to the work, my recommendation is to decline.)

An editor is like a painter who gives your DIY boat a fresh cover coat and some touch-up. If, however, an editor knows nothing about water-tight construction, scraping off barnacles, or how to avoid pirates and Krakens (publishing scams), don’t be surprised if you sink before you even get out of the harbor. 

Neither ghostwriters nor editors receive remuneration beyond their professional fees, nor—unlike collaborators—do they participate in any pitching/selling. All three arrangements require formal contracts to define rights, timeframes and payments.

COMPATIBILITY

Whether you subcontract through an agency or go into business for yourself, the process of client selection and defining project parameters is similar. Many ghostwriters offer a no-obligation meeting before work begins to ensure a comfortable match. My own process is an initial 30-minute phone call in which I ask new clients to tell me what their project is about, why they want to write it, the target audience, whether they’ve already started the project, and how much they plan to participate in its development. This consult is also invaluable in sizing up a client’s personality and, frankly, determining if s/he is a kook. 

The “why” question is especially telling. If their only motivation is to get very, very rich or to exact revenge on any parent, child, spouse, lover or former boss who wronged them, this is not a client you want to work with. Likewise, I stay away from anyone who constantly interrupts/argues during the consult or is either too unfocused or too obsessed with their own importance.

Me: Who are your target readers?

Them: (insulted) The entire world! Isn’t that obvious?

Me: What’s your book about?

Them: Lemurs. I think they’re really cute.

Me. I agree. So what’s the plot?

Them: I don’t know. Isn’t that your job to come up with something?

Them: My book is about Utopia.

Me: What’s the core conflict?

Them: (confused) There isn’t one. It’s Utopia.

Them: My book is going to blow the lid off of Christianity.

Me: And why is this important to you?

Them: (adamant) Well, SOMEONE HAS TO DO IT!

Seriously. You just can’t make these people up.

WHAT’S IN A CONTRACT

Deliverables are critical in a ghostwriting agreement. My contracts for books are typically six months and specify that half the money is due up front with the remainder split between completion of the first half of the manuscript and delivery of the second half. It’s human nature, of course, for clients to change their minds and demand revisions. To avoid problems or issues, I specify they’re entitled to two proofing opportunities per chapter and a final edit/proof of the completed manuscript. 

My contracts also specify how often we’ll be in communication (i.e. weekly, biweekly) and whether any outside (billable) research will be needed to complete the project. A nondisclosure clause is included as well, along with contingency releases in the event either party is unable to fulfill the requirements of the contract.

BREAKING IN

Create an appealing website so prospective clients can find you. Have a variety of writing samples to demonstrate the versatility of your “voice” as a writer. Include links to blogs and published articles. 

Join social media platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Subscribe to business publications; these can be fertile ground for identifying corporate leaders and entrepreneurs who want to expand their professional profiles by authoring books which identify them as experts in their respective industries.

Teachers are always looking to produce books which can be sold as “required reading” in their classes. Although they have a built-in body of content, time can often be elusive in actually assembling it for publication. Expertise in formatting, self-publishing and cover design will serve you well here.

Lastly, consider outsourcing opportunities with advertising agencies and even book publishers. The former may have clients who—not knowing where else to turn—have come to them for ghostwriting assistance. The latter may have books which show promise but need extra editorial work in order to become marketable.

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Former actress and director Christina Hamlett is an award-winning author whose credits to date include 46 books, 266 stage plays and squillions of articles. She is also a script consultant for stage and screen and a professional ghostwriter. www.authorhamlett.com.

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A LITTLE SCANDAL IN ST. ANDREWS, Christina Hamlett

Against the storied and majestic backdrop of Rusacks Hotel in St. Andrews, Scotland, one of golfing’s most prestigious events is attracting spectators from around the world. This year it has also attracted a thief and a murderer…or are they the same person?

Whatever hopes Rochelle Reid had for catching some cozy R&R on a working Highlands holiday with her boyfriend are quickly disrupted by an unscrupulous photographer, getting tasked to entertain a Saudi prince’s sheltered wife and being pursued by an Italian playboy. Then again, it’s all par for the course when one includes amateur sleuthing among her skill sets.

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