Many people assume that authors who hire ghostwriters to assist them in writing their books are poor writers. They think that the authors aren’t capable and need the support of professional writers to get their books done.
Not true.
In actuality, almost every single one of my clients could absolutely have written their own book. They are, in fact, good writers. They have to be to reach the leadership levels where they currently serve.
Many come to me with a clear idea for their book, an outline already started, and a purpose for publishing.
What they don’t have is the time to write it.
Obviously, delegating the writing of the book to a professional writer is where the majority of time can be saved. But it’s not the only source of time-saving. There are several other ways that a ghostwriter can save a busy aspiring author time.
Research
No matter what genre your book is in, it’s very likely that some amount of research will be required. Sometimes the research is as simple as verifying the spelling of a person’s name through a quick Google query. Other times, an in-depth investigation requiring access to scholarly online databases is required to pull the most recent journal articles on your topic. And there is everything in between, such as tracking down potential interview sources or case studies, archival research, photo research, and even genealogical research.
Being able to hand off all the background research required to compile an authoritative book with respected source material saves you considerable time, and it also fortifies the arguments and proof that you offer the reader. It makes your book more credible and more interesting.
Interviews
One of the biggest advantages a ghostwriter offers a business leader and aspiring author is their curiosity and interviewing skills. Through both broad and pointed interview questions, ghostwriters can gather relevant material to make your book more thorough, more compelling, and more accurate.
Yes, only you know what you know, but it can be difficult to self-assess what is needed to tell a story or inform the reader. It’s much easier to have a skilled outsider ask questions of you, to be able to paint a richer picture than you could have envisioned. They may help tap into memories and experiences you had long forgotten, but that are extremely relevant to the concepts and ideas you want to share in your book.
Structuring your material
Experienced ghostwriters have written numerous books. They know how to organize the relevant material to maximize the impact on the reader and to make it as easy as possible to follow and understand. They can outline concepts in their sleep. This saves you time.
Rather than having to figure out what point to make in what order, you can ask someone with this experience, who isn’t as close to the content as you are, to help structure your book. This includes determining how many chapters are needed and in what order, to ensure that the information is logical and has the desired effect on your reader.
Representing your reader
You’re the expert and, as such, you may have more difficulty figuring out what material is essential for someone new to your topic and what is extraneous. When you’re so close to something, everything seems important. But when you can get an outside perspective from someone with publishing experience, you can more easily decide how best to explain something or which examples are critical for comprehension.
Project management
A book can quickly become unwieldy and complicated if you don’t have someone responsible for tracking your progress, managing all the different versions of chapters, scheduling input sessions/interviews, and monitoring your progress toward your deadline.
A ghostwriter serves both as your writing partner and your project manager, so that you don’t have to worry if you’re on track or, for example, which version of Chapter 8 is the latest. They can tell you.
Editing
Related to revision management, ghostwriters also manage the task of gathering, incorporating, and tracking any suggested edits or revisions. This may come from you, from your editor, your agent, or outside technical editors you asked to read your draft.
Your ghostwriter takes the lead in incorporating those suggested revisions and sharing the latest update of your chapter with you. You don’t have to do any of the tracking or managing.
Publishing expertise
Writing a book is a time-consuming process that can easily become overwhelming. Fortunately, with a ghostwriter and collaborator by your side, you have someone who can reduce any anxiety and worry about your manuscript. They’ve got it under control.
Now, add to that the pressure of finding and working with a publisher to get your book produced. That’s Part 2 of the publishing process, and without experience in the publishing world, you can get scammed, find a publisher who doesn’t have the same sense of urgency as you do, or completely overlook publishing options that would be a good fit for your needs.
A ghostwriter with publishing expertise can save you time, money, and the chance of a ruined reputation by ending up with a poorly designed mess.
Your ghostwriter can shoulder the primary responsibility for getting your book written while you focus on your day job as well as guiding you in marketing and publication, to increase your odds of success once it’s released. They can help ensure that you achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself for your book and the impact you want it to have.