
Introduction to BOOK Ghostwriting

A lot of people still think “Ghostwriting is when someone writes a book for the author.” That’s a rather misleading and old-school definition. When the print world imploded in 2009, ghostwriting was compelled to expand its parameters to help fill in the gap left in traditional publishing houses. Ergo, while there are many writers who still write books under other people’s names and consider that ghostwriting, today’s professional ghosts work intimately with their authors to:
It’s a big job, it takes in-depth industry knowledge, and it costs between $35,000 and $120,000 per project, depending on the content, the focus, and the author’s intentions.
It’s also what I teach in Ghostwriting Professional Designation Program every year. GPDP’s six-week prerequisite class, Introduction to Ghostwriting, gives people the chance to see if they really want to invest in making this career move, because, frankly, it’s a huge life change.
Bottom line, GPDP amounts to a masters-level course in creating Marketable Literary Properties out of great ideas.
I realize the impulse to write-it-all-out in analyses, proposals, query letters, and BSP is strong—oh, so so strong. But you must realize no author, agent, publisher, booker, host, etc. wants to have to read through all your verbiage. Ghostwriting Psych 101: be concise but comprehensive. Just another reason why ghostwriting is the simplest, most complex endeavor a writer can undertake (and why we make the big bucks!).
This week’s post is about maximizing your business model.
Remember the first two rules of ghostwriting!
This week’s Head’s Up, Ghostwriters! is about positioning yourself via publishing history.
Don’t hamstring yourself on your first draft.
Include potential ROI with your strategy plans.
We CAN impose perspective, motive, and agenda!