Thanks to the perfect storm of improved printing technology, the rise of the thought leader, and the emergence of 24/7 social media, there has never been a better time to write a book. Publishing your own book can catapult your career or your business simply by packaging your expertise.
Although I’ve just made it sound really easy, the book writing and publishing process is actually quite involved and time-consuming.
The good news is that as the publishing industry has been disrupted, ghostwriters have stepped in to fill the expertise gap and help aspiring authors structure, write, and edit their books.
Granted, there has also been an explosion in scammers pretending to be ghostwriters and ghostwriting firms who promise to write 250-page books for a few hundred dollars. Please, please, understand that a legitimate, professional ghostwriter will charge many times that figure because it will take months to help you craft an excellent book.
The sayings, “You get what you pay for” and “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is” both apply here. Don’t get ensnared or you will waste your time, your money, and put your reputation at risk with a poorly written book.
5 Key Qualities to Look for in a Ghostwriter
Some of the most important qualities you need your ghostwriter to possess are likely traits that may surprise you. For the best quality finished product, look for a ghostwriter who demonstrates:
Self-confidence
You want a ghostwriter who is not so scared of losing you as a client that they aren’t willing to speak up and express their true opinions or share their ideas. A ghostwriter’s ability to risk conflict or disapproval is closely tied to their level of self-confidence. You want them to be self-assured enough to speak their mind. You want a partner — someone who will push you to consider new perspectives as well as to push back on points that don’t make sense to them.
Since your ghostwriter effectively represents your reader, you want someone who will help you make your book better for those who pick it up. Sometimes that means suggesting a new approach, adding research or more stories, or even recommending that a chapter be scrapped. Only with the help of a self-confident ghostwriter will you be pushed to produce the best quality book.
Honesty
Similarly, you want a ghostwriter who will be honest with you about the book, the content you want to share, the stories you want to tell, and the lessons you want to teach. A “yes” person will not help you write a book you can be proud of. You may even begin to question how strong your content is if all your ghostwriter does is compliment you.
Look for a ghostwriter who is willing to tell you the truth, even when it’s hard. To test that, ask your potential ghostwriters to talk about how they deal with conflict. If they can’t give you examples, that may mean they deal with it by avoiding it. That won’t result in the best book for you.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Curiosity
It’s hard to gauge how curious a ghostwriter is when you’re getting to know them, but the more curious a ghostwriter is about your topic, your business, or you, depending on the focus of your book, the better the finished product.
You can try assessing this trait by asking how the ghostwriter comes up with interview questions, or flip the script and ask them to tell you about something they are passionate about. How detailed are they in describing their favorite pastime or hobby? A surface-level explanation of this activity they supposedly love may indicate less of an ability to pose insightful questions or to consider different perspectives and ideas.
Publishing Expertise
Since your goal is to publish a book and not just write one, you want a ghostwriter who can advise you on your publishing options so that you don’t finish the writing process and wonder, “Now what?” You should know from the outset how your book will be produced.
Selecting a ghostwriter who is capable of talking you through the pros and cons of the different publishing models and connecting you with traditional and independent presses they have personally worked with can save you months and ensure you make the right choice for you, based on your goals and budget.
Similar Personality
To create the best book possible with your ghostwriter, you also need to click, or vibe. Said another way, you need to have professional chemistry. Typically that means that you have similar personalities or that your personalities are complementary.
When you work alongside someone whose company you enjoy, you will relax. Ideas will flow more easily. You won’t worry about saying the wrong thing and you’ll generally look forward to your meetings with your ghostwriter. Being in the right frame of mind for your discussions will have a direct impact on the quality of information you share and, ultimately, the book that results.
On top of these traits, you also want a ghostwriter with strong interviewing and writing skills. But these are table stakes. That is, this is the minimum you require.
You can assess a ghostwriter’s interviewing and writing skills by skimming samples of their writing and asking about the best interviews they’ve done. How do they approach input sessions with their clients? Do they wing them and see what the author wants to share or do they prep in advance, send questions beforehand, and then really dig in to understand what their client decides to share? Their answer will determine how detailed and insightful your book ends up being.
2 Selection Factors You Can Ignore
Conversely, two factors that shouldn’t play much of a role in your decision-making include:
Number of Bestsellers
The number of bestsellers a ghostwriter has written should be near the bottom of your list of selection criteria.
The reason is that bestsellers are almost always the result of the size of an author’s mailing list and community, plus the amount of money they are willing to invest in marketing it— both of which are totally beyond a ghostwriter’s control. You can have a compelling, expertly-written book that gets great reviews and doesn’t hit any bestseller lists because the author is relatively unknown or because the field they are in is small. Don’t hold that against the ghostwriter.
Location
Some authors are wedded to the idea of sitting across from their ghostwriter over lunch or in their home, talking through every detail of their book. They assume that the best books are written when the author and ghostwriter are almost neighbors.
I disagree.
Yes, when writing a memoir or a deeply personal book it can be useful for the author and ghostwriter to meet in person. However, in-person meetings do not need to be the only way that information is exchanged. Thanks to video conference technology, it is very possible for authors to work closely with ghostwriters who are on the other side of the world.
More importantly, by insisting on a ghostwriter in your area, you are severely limiting the pool of ghostwriters you can consider. This is especially true if you live in a smaller town or are far from a major city, where there are greater numbers of experienced ghostwriters. Don’t let location determine who you hire.
There are many skilled, experienced ghostwriters available to assist you in writing an excellent book, but make sure you’re paying attention to traits that will directly impact the quality of the book you write, versus characteristics that simply won’t move the needle.
Thinking about writing a book? I’d be happy to share my guide to finding, hiring, and working with a professional ghostwriter. Email me at marcia at marcialaytonturner.com to request it.