Your Ghostwriter Online

What Does a Ghostwriter Do?

By T.R. Locke on August 5th, 2011

What does a Ghostwriter Do Anyway?

As the author of a critically acclaimed book, I began to get approached by publishers and other would-be writers asking me to ghostwrite for them.  At first, I was reluctant, but as I interviewed my first few clients, I began to grow fascinated with the stories they had to tell. These were people from diverse backgrounds and experiences who had learned lessons or lived lives that the world needed to know about, but who lacked either the ability or the time to produce a professional manuscript fit for publication. They needed my help. I felt privileged to help them.  When I tell people that I’m ghostwriting I often get a look of confusion or a nod of acknowledgment that tilts just shy of comprehension. What is ghostwriting? What does a ghostwriter do?

It is a strange term. At first, it might seem to have more to do with the paranormal than anything else. But, no, I’m not writing scary stories about ethereal beings in the spirit world; I’m writing books for which I do not get credit. Instead, another person gets the credit for writing the book and I disappear—like a ghost.

A professional ghostwriter is a person that takes your ideas and turns them into a well-written and compelling book that communicates to your audience exactly what you want them to understand.  The ghostwriter interviews you, interviews other pertinent people, conducts research, writes outlines and book proposals and ensures that your book is in the exact form and format the publisher requires.

But anyone can write a book, right? Sure. Everyone has taken writing classes in school. Likewise, everyone has taken math classes–so by that same logic, everyone can do their own taxes–figure their own depreciation schedules, and work out their own percentages of deductible carryover from the previous year. Everyone has shot a basketball in gym class before, so of course anyone could play in the NBA–just drive down to the stadium an hour before the game if you want to play.  If you think such a comparison is absurd, then perhaps you understand why hiring a ghostwriter makes so much sense for people who truly want to tell their stories well.

Authors write for a living. As an author who also ghostwrites, I apply the same skills I’ve mastered over years of focused, intense work on my own books and screenplays to the books and screenplays I write for clients. I put the same amount of research into a project for a client as I would for my own books. I conduct in-depth interviews and even travel on location, if necessary, to make sure that the content is accurate and professional.

Ultimately, I believe my job as a ghostwriter is to bring my client’s stories to life in a way that makes them look brilliant. As an author myself, I’m also able to understand what lies ahead of the client–dealing with or finding a publisher,  marketing the book, and handling publicity. A quality ghostwriter is able to help prepare the client for the journey that comes once the book is published. When you are ready to begin the journey to becoming an author, contact me here to see what a ghostwriter can do for you.

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