idea that you’re sure will be a bestseller? Write a book! Don’t let your ideas go to waste just because you’re having trouble putting them on paper. That’s what ghostwriters are for.
Ghostwriters can either write from scratch, or edit and rewrite something you’ve already written. If you have any writing talent at all, the second way is obviously a cheaper route. But if you’re completely stuck and can’t even get started, a good ghostwriter is worth his or her weight in gold.
An effective ghostwriter will talk to you and, more importantly, listen to you. He or she will be skilled in the interviewing process, making sure to get all the information you have so that it can be translated to the written word. A good ghostwriter will get into your head and become a natural extension of your thoughts. He or she will bridge that gap from mind to paper.
It’s a partnership, the relationship between writer and client, and, depending on the size of the project, it can be a long one. Therefore, it’s important to choose your ghostwriter carefully. First and foremost, make sure you’re comfortable with the writer. Make sure you feel as though the ghostwriter is a person with whom you can communicate. This is somebody you’re going to spend some significant time with so you’d better feel a healthy level of trust.
Secondly, especially in the case of a book you hope to get published, the writer ought to have some rudimentary knowledge of the publishing industry. No ghostwriter can guarantee publication (run screaming from one who does), but they should at least be able to point you in the right direction when it comes to finding an agent or a publisher. They should be able to help you write a book proposal that summarizes your work (most