Hello Nairaland Writers in the house!

I just finished reading a SURVIVAL GUIDE on how to become a professional ghost writer by Jonathan Thompson.

I just couldn't endure not sharing it with you guys so, if you're interested in becoming a professional ghost writer, here's a full guide.

Follow this thread, let's get into ghost mode.

Shall we?

INTRODUCTION

I had always been pretty determined to be a writer. It's simply what I was going to do, if and when I ever grew up.

So, at 19, when an opportunity presented itself, I jumped on it. To be honest, I really had no idea what I was doing and was wholly unprepared for what was to come. But the experience that I gained there and the lessons that I learned would prove to be absolutely invaluable to me for the rest of my ongoing career.

It was a ghostwriting gig for a small start-up of a production company, writing everything from novels to screenplays. Most of the time, I would accept an assignment and have to immediately run to Google for some guidance on precisely how one would go about fulfilling it. In my six years of working for that company, I worked on pitches to major studios and publishers, graphic novels, regular ol' wordy novels, scripts for television and even two movies.



Even though my name would never be anywhere near even one of the finished products, I gave it everything I had. Which was a challenge. Frankly, I did not believe in the company's flagship story. It was predictable, formulaic and had been done a million times before. Still, I did what I could to improve the product, which often involved completely ignoring the client's directions.

I was actually pretty proud of some of what I wrote.

Despite all of my efforts though, the company eventually folded and nothing I wrote for them has ever been published. None of it. Every word is gone.

Which is pretty disappointing. Some of it wasn't totally terrible.

Even though it wasn't completely fruitful, the experience gave me something to build on. Overall, my writing improved as I gained more experience. But, I also now knew what it was like to express the thoughts of someone else. Finally, I learned how to manage a client, even when we didn't agree on some aspect of the project.

I also received a recommendation letter that would land me my first publishing contract. Under my own name, I have since published two novels, one fitness book and hundreds of digital and print articles.

But not all of my work since has been bylined. In fact, most of it has been ghostwriting. Although I am a credentialed health and fitness professional, most of my words on the subject have been released under the name of other, better-known individuals.

Why? Well... because it's easier work to get.

If you know how to handle it, ghostwriting can be a fantastic way to start and continue your writing career. It can provide a steady flow of work, even when other sources have dried up, and help you build a network of other professionals in your niche.

Of course, like everything else, it has its challenges.

Which is exactly why I wanted to write this book: To help you make your way through the wilderness that is professional ghostwriting. I've been there. And, for the most part, I made it through the ordeal relatively unscathed.

In these pages, I hope to be able to give you a deeper understanding of what you can expect as you pursue ghostwriting professionally, help you develop the skills that you'll need and give you some tips about finding (and keeping) work. Most importantly, my goal is that by the end of this book you will learn how to enjoy your time working as a ghostwriter.

Who's following?

Chapter 1: Defining Ghostwriting

Before we really delve into all the details of how to ghostwrite, I need to make sure that it's clear what I mean when I use that term. Why? Because, in my career, I've encountered many people – both clients and other writers – who misuse the phrase.

Beyond just being incorrect, this can lead to all sorts of problems. I once had a potential client, for example, approach me about what they deemed a ghostwriting job. When I asked them exactly what they expected from me though, it became clear that they were really looking for a copy editor. And that's not what I do.

I've also seen writers bill themselves as ghostwriters who, upon further inspection, really wanted to function more as editorial consultants.

The truth is that the literary industry is far more compartmentalized than many people realize, with tons of different titles that all fulfill very distinct and necessary functions. In order to operate successfully in that environment, you need to be fully aware of what title best fits your skill set when looking for clients.

Ghostwriting: What It Is And Is Not
Put simply, ghostwriting involves authoring a work for which someone else will get all the credit. Very often, these are cash jobs that involve a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) binding you to secrecy. The length and severity of these NDAs will vary from job to job. I've signed some that were effective for three years, others for a full ten years.

Other jobs do not require you to sign an NDA. It's entirely up to the client.

There are lots of reasons why someone may want a ghostwriter, as well, and this will change the workflow. Your potential client might be someone with a great story who would like to write out a memoir, but doesn't know where to start. Or, they might be an expert in their field with limited time or interest to spare on writing a manuscript.

Occasionally, you might even stumble across a well known author who just doesn't feel like writing his or her own novels anymore.

As I've already alluded to, people often think that ghostwriting and editing are the same thing. They're not.

Not even close.

The primary difference, of course, is that ghostwriters are writers. They write.

Granted, some ghostwriters are capable of performing certain editing services (and some editors are extremely talented writers), but they are two distinct jobs. If a client approaches you and wants you to guide them through the process of writing their manuscript, or wants you to touch up an already completed work, they're looking for an editor.

To fully appreciate the differences, we need to look at all of the various types of editors out there, roaming the literary jungles. You may be totally prepared to take on some of these jobs. Others might be totally outside of your comfort zone. Understanding that will help you define yourself as a professional and communicate clearly with your clients.

(I should also state that there are types of editors that won't be on this list. They're exclusion is not because I find them unworthy, but because their particular roles are specifically designed to function within certain publishing houses and publications. It's unlikely that someone will expect you to act as a freelance Managing or Acquisitions Editor.)

Copy Editor - This is what most people think of when they use the word “editor.” The act of copy editing requires one to comb through a manuscript, looking for errors. All errors. Of any form. That means checking spelling, grammar, punctuation and word choice, along with making sure the document is factually accurate. Or, at least, that's how the job will likely work for you as freelancer. Larger publishers sometimes divide the responsibilities up between different employees. As an individual though, you'll generally be expected to complete all of these associated tasks.

Developmental Editor - Really more of a coach, the developmental editor will work alongside the author from start to finish, helping to shape the idea and guide how it's expressed. This may involve planning the structure of a manuscript or even helping to draft a story. The developmental editor will also assist in doing research and will usually work through several different drafts.

Substantive Editor – Although there is a little bit of overlap here, the substantive editor is distinct from those of the developmental variety primarily based on when they step in. While the developmental editor is with the author before words are set down through to the end, a substantive editor won't usually show up until the manuscript is already finished. At this point, the editor will read through the manuscript, checking for logical progression, solid sentence structure and anything else that could impact the overall strength of the project.


Not For Beginners
Before moving on, I feel like there's a pretty pervasive myth about ghostwriting that must be thoroughly squashed: It is not an entry-level or beginner's position.

All too often, I see clients looking for ghostwriters specifically state in their ads that it's a “perfect fit for beginners.” No, it's probably not.

To ghostwrite well – which we'll get into later on – requires a fairly skilled and confident writer. At the very least, you need to be familiar with the specific genre that you'll be working in. The reality is that most of the best, most sought after ghostwriters out there are actually well known and respected writers when they write bylined work. Ghostwriting is just another form of income for them, one that capitalizes on their already established name within the industry.

Of course, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't bother looking for ghostwriting gigs if you're still green. Just don't expect it to be easy.

It's also important to make this clear because, very often, clients attempt to underpay ghostwriters. Which is a gross injustice. In addition to plying their trade, ghostwriters do so without receiving any credit – which means that you are left with nothing to add to your portfolio. Getting future work, then, becomes more of a challenge. (Which we will address in Chapter Five.)

Set Your Boundaries
Now—all that having been said about what ghostwriting entails—it's vital that you realize you may be asked to do editing or work that does not fit inside the ghostwriter's scope of practice. And, horror of horrors! You might actually agree to do it.

Which is totally fine. As long as you have the ability to take on that extra work and fulfill your client's expectations. This is why clear communication from the outset is so important. When your client says they want you as a ghostwriter, does that also mean that you'll be responsible for self-editing? Or, if they specifically ask if you can edit, what type of editing do they have in mind?

Equally as important are your own desires and expectations. Do you even want to edit? Or do you (like me) loathe the act? There's nothing wrong with that, given that you make it clear to your clients that editing is not a service you offer.

Drawing these lines is a pretty logical conclusion in other industries. For some reason, things tend to get blurred when it comes to writers. To borrow from the late comedian, Mitch Hedberg: If you were a chef and someone asked you to farm, how would you react?

Sure, there are chefs out there who do keep a farm for their restaurants. And those people are awesome. But they're also outliers. Most of the time, they partner with a farmer to do the farming.

You might very well be okay with being both a ghostwriter and an editor. Go for it. But you might not be. Make that plain to your client before you proceed with the project.

Boundaries may have to be drawn for another reason. You may be uncomfortable writing about certain topics or for certain people. While you don't always have to mention these restrictions to your clients, since this can lead to unnecessary confrontations, you may want to be judicious in what sort of jobs you even apply for. If you have any doubts while just reading the ad, it's probably better not to even apply.

To fully understand how your personal values and ideas interplay with those of the client, we need to delve more into the actual day-to-day work of the ghostwriter. Which happens to be the subject of the next chapter.

Chapter 2: The Art Of Becoming Someone Else

Because your client will be taking the credit for your words, something unique is required of you as a ghostwriter: Those words need to sound like they were written by someone else.

When you write, you likely have a voice. The freedom to express your thoughts and opinions is probably what attracted you to the literary world. We writers do tend to be an opinionated bunch.



Unfortunately, that tendency must be repressed for the ghostwriter. You are now responsible for voicing the thoughts and opinions of another person. But... how?

Getting To Know Your Client
The first, and most straightforward, technique to prepare to ghostwrite for someone is to simply talk to them. A lot. In many ways, ghostwriting is like acting. You need to study your subject, get to know them and learn how to imitate their voice and style.

A thorough interview should always be part of your repertoire. This can be part of the initial discussions that include communicating about job descriptions and expectations. The point is for you to gather all the information you need to be able to effectively pretend to be this person.

This interview process will also give you a chance to get to know your client's views on the subject, something that is particularly useful for nonfiction assignments.

In a similar way, vocal recordings can be incredibly useful tools. An interview may not be possible. I've worked with clients who hired me through a third party because they were so concerned about protecting the confidentiality of the project. In that case, the representative contacted me and answered any of my questions. I never actually had the chance to speak with the client or even knew who they were. (Although, I did eventually figure it out through deduction.)

In many ways, recordings can be even more valuable than interviews. Plus, your client's “conversation voice” is likely going to differ significantly from their “writing voice” or their “opinion voice.” When they just rattle off their ideas into a mic, you have a record of them speaking naturally about the subject, and you can easily refer back to that in the future. You can even pull notes and quotes directly from the recording as you listen to it.

This was particularly useful for me during several projects I did for a female athlete. Although she was—to date—one of my favorite clients, the gig came with several unique challenges. First, she was a woman. I am not. Also, English was not her first language.



My client also had a very distinct style and voice, which she had very cleverly built into her brand. For all of her savvy and ability, however, she just wasn't comfortable writing. We also lived several hundreds of miles apart in different time zones.

A recording was the best option. Once it arrived in my email inbox, I could listen to her rant on the subject as many times as I needed. I was also able to extract exact quotes that I liked, and change the wording as I needed. This gave me the ability to directly insert the client's voice into the piece, which then lent credibility to the rest of what I wrote.

There are plenty of other ways you can get to know your client and their voice. Even without ever actually hearing them speak.

You, On Paper
More often than not, your client will probably just want to hand you an outline or a manuscript and let you work with very limited contact. Of course, you'll have the ability to ask questions – which you should absolutely do – but the majority of your work will be based on some form of document.

Study that document. Learn to identify the main points. Decide what ideas can be scrapped and what concepts need to be developed.

Sometimes, a ghostwriter is asked to essentially rewrite something, rather than work from scratch. In my career, this is typically an article written in the past by the client (or another ghostwriter who did a less than satisfactory job). If you encounter this situation, do not simply edit that article.

That's not what you were hired to do.

Treat that article, and any other manuscript that you're given, as an outline. Take quotes from it, use it for references, but write your own piece.

The ability to rewrite is also extremely valuable when working on fiction projects. Very often, someone looking for a ghostwriter to work on their novel will already have a short manuscript that tells that story. Usually however, this is simply a summary and is not intended to be the book itself.

Are there interesting side-stories that could be embellished to build up the character or provide more context? Mark them on the manuscript and, when you start writing, use them as reference.

In one of my fiction projects on a fantasy novel, the client's summary briefly mentioned that the citizens of a certain rural village made use of massive hogs for transportation. In another sentence, the summary mentioned that the people there also lived in reverential fear of the surrounding forest. These two simple points fascinated me enough that I wrote several pages worth of backstory that intertwined both the hogs and the forest with the character of the protagonist.

The point is this: Allow yourself to be influenced by the work that the client has already done.

The Fact And The Fiction
Up to this point, I've sort of bounced back and forth between discussing the requirements of ghostwriting nonfiction and fiction. But it's time to really focus on this because, in truth, they are two very different tasks.

When working on a nonfiction project, having some familiarity with the subject is a powerful advantage. Still, if you're a capable researcher and have taken the time to learn from your client, you may be able to put on a pretty convincing show.

Even if you have that ability, you might decide that you want to specialize. Which I highly recommend. Generalist writers have the advantage of being able to take on more work, but they also tend to get paid less. Plus, you will presumably select a specialty that you enjoy, making your work less of a chore.

Unless the client has a very distinct style or way of talking that they're known for, the voice used in nonfiction tends to be a little more flexible. Of course, you will need to be aware of any jargon that may be appropriate for the topic and genre that you're working in.

A common type of ghostwriting gig is the memoir. In these situations, you will usually have pretty liberal access to either the client or a detailed outline. Since you're working with a real person's (presumably) true story, you really don't have a lot of freedom with either voice or story. Get to know your client as well as possible and avoid letting your own style creep in.

Ghostwriting fiction presents a unique set of challenges. Since fiction is, by its very nature, a highly creative act, individual styles tend to be much more pronounced. Learning to write within the bounds of your client's style is key to the success of the project. To do this, read as much of their work as possible. The more you take in their ideas and speaking pattern, the easier it will be for you to imitate them.

Sometimes, though, this can be an issue. While many writers who look for ghostwriters are capable of telling a well formed story... others are not. Occasionally, your task will be not only to imitate but also to emulate – that is, imitate with the goal of improving. This can be a tricky balance; you need to honor their way of thinking and expressing themselves, while making those thoughts... better. To do this, focus on the core ideas rather than the actual sentences. How can those concepts be expanded or phrased in a more pleasing way?

One of the biggest problems that you will face when asked to ghostwrite fiction will have to do with the story itself. Usually, the client will give you a fairly complete outline of the arc of the book. Of course, good writing dictates that you weave in other elements to deepen the plot and build more interesting characters. Be careful, however, that you don't take too many liberties with the client's ideas without checking first.

This can be a challenge, especially if you get really involved in the project and start falling in love with your ideas. Remember, this book isn't supposed to represent your ideas. If you do think up something you would like to add that deviates from the client’s original plan, do your best to sell it to the client. But you have to be willing to let it go if the client turns it down.

Remember that little tangent I went off on about pigs and forests and such? Yeah... the client didn't like it either. Personally, I absolutely adored it and felt like it was pure genius. But it got cut. And the client had every right to do that.

Getting Along With Your Other Self
If you're just starting out and cannot afford to be picky, it's fairly possible that the person you now have to speak for might be someone that you strongly dislike or disagree with. Before the job even starts, you need to decide just how strong those feelings are and if they will affect your work.

As I mentioned in the introduction, most of my work takes place within the health and fitness field, an umbrella of topics that tend to be highly controversial and divisive. It's not unusual for me to be hired by an individual who has a much greater degree of notoriety than myself and has developed a distinct brand philosophy. Unfortunately, this also means that it's not unusual for me to be asked to write something that I disagree with on a visceral level.

In one situation, a client sent me the topic along with some notes and the request to “back everything up with studies.” Here's the problem: The ideas that he was asking me to support had long since been debunked by credible science and are largely considered outdated and inaccurate by every authority on the subject. There were no studies to cite.

I was then faced with a dilemma. Do I write the articles and twist the science? Or do I simply refuse?

This is a question that you will very likely face as a ghostwriter. What you chose to do is a highly personal decision that will likely be influenced by how much you disagree and how much you need the work. Also, if you signed a contract to work for a specified length of time or to produce a certain amount of work, it may not be a wise decision to try to back out.

In my case, the issue was not big enough for me to make a scene. Granted, I disagreed and hated feeling like I was propagating information that I knew to be false. But then I remembered something that a ghostwriter should never forget: It doesn't matter what I think.

Again, I had been hired to write the client's ideas. For all of their fallibility, his philosophies weren't hurting anybody. They were just wrong. So I wrote them and allowed him to use them to impact his own reputation. That's his decision.

Plus, I discovered a useful little trick that we'll get to in Chapter Three.

When To Say “When"
There have been times when I've had to just tell a client that I could no longer work on a certain project. And, you may be put in this same position at some point. But how do you know when it's time to let that job go?

As I've already mentioned, you may be able to simply overlook some of the issues. Or you may not. Is your dissension going to impact the quality of your work? Although you might think that you're such a professional that could never happen, no one is immune from this.

You have your own personal beliefs, opinions and values. When a client asks you to write something that conflicts with those beliefs, opinions and values, you are likely to withdraw and lose interest in the project. Even if you're totally determined to soldier on.

It's much better for both yourself and the client if you speak up early, rather than produce sub-par work – which would waste your time and your clients money and could potentially impact your reputation.

But how do you have this conversation? If possible, it's better to avoid getting into an argument with your future ex-client about the issues you're having. In a very non-confrontational way, explain that you are having issues supporting some of the thoughts and cannot produce the quality of work that they need on that subject.

Or you could give them no explanation and state simply that you are no longer available. Just be aware that this approach will likely receive a less than favorable response.

What about those working in fiction? The basic principle is the same. You might be uncomfortable with the subject matter or even with the style that you're being asked to work in. Be honest but respectful when expressing this.

In both of these cases, it would have been better if you could have anticipated the problem before accepting the job – which is why open communication during the interview stage is so valuable.

Thanks for this thread. #following

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