Ghostwriting Defined
The Professional Writer and Client Responsibilities

“The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say.” ~ Anaïs Nin

Ghostwriting is probably one of the most dynamic forms of writing that I can personally think of and one that I absolutely thrive on when doing. In fact, there honestly is nothing more exciting than being approached by a prospective client, or an existing one, who wishes to have a manuscript or eBook created for their specific niche.

So, the question that I guess is on the tip of your tongue at present is probably, “What exactly is ghostwriting and how is this achieved?”

Simply put, ghostwriting is employing a professional writer to write content on your behalf, using your concepts and ideas.

Ghostwritten materials and documents can be any content, such as books, articles, blog posts, or even reports that are published under the name of the person whose concept and ideas where used to create the prose, which I will refer to as ‘the client’ throughout this post.

To elaborate further, years ago, ghostwriting was a controversial subject because many people felt that the author of the book or document did not necessarily deserve to have their name on the finished title because they had not contributed much to the creation of the intellectual property. However, as individuals and companies begin to understand the ghostwriting process in greater depth, they are starting to realise that nothing could be further from the truth.

Ghostwriting responsibilities are typically as follows:

·         Finding a Professional Writer – The client, wishing to have the title or content written, would approach a professional writer and then negotiate a price for a finished document or manuscript. Pricing varies greatly, depending on the expertise of the professional writer and the quality of the document that you can expect to receive. In addition to this, the pricing structure may also vary from writer to writer. For example, some professional writers elect to charge a flat-rate for a completed manuscript, as I do, or they will opt for a smaller writing fee for the completed document and a percentage of the title’s royalties over the duration of publication.

·         Concepts and Ideas – After negotiation, the signing of a contract, and a confidentiality agreement,the client will then have to supply the ghostwriter with their concepts and ideas so that the copy that they wish to have written can be created. If the client has no ideas or concepts and the ghostwriter is asked to supply these, then, legally, the ghostwriter is the author and can claim the intellectual property rights to the copy they have produced. This is because the ideas and concepts behind the prose are the ghostwriter’s and not the client’s.

·         Outline Production – Usually, a ghostwriter will then create an outline for the work that they are going to produce based on the ideas and concepts that the client has supplied. Often, the ghostwriter will then create an outline, which will require the client and the ghostwriter to work closely together to perfect so that the writing of the document flows smoothly. The more work and preparation that the ghostwriter and the client put into the outline, the better the finished product is going to be. I personally like to spend a lot of time with my clients when first drafting an outline as this allows me to get to know their wants and desires as well as understand their unique style and tone of voice so that these aspects can be included in their content.

·         Direction and Guidance – Throughout any given project, a ghostwriter will essentially carry out the creative work of developing a document as the client has specified. However, they will also continually look for direction from their client. This is mainly to ensure that the writing they are producing is what the client desires and that they have grasped the client’s concepts and ideas accurately. Without a client’s direction and guidance throughout any given project, the ghostwriter cannot hope to deliver what the client wants.

Overall, ghostwriting is truly a form of art that is directly interlaced with expert communication skills, and a good ghostwriter is extremely focused on their client’s wants and needs rather than their own.

My personal philosophy when I work with a client to ghostwrite their material is: “I am but a tool for writing that allows you to put your ideas down on paper and helps you to achieve your writing goals and aspirations.”

In addition to this, I also offer guidance so that, together, we can explore all avenues of your original concept. This usually means that we brainstorm, which then generates new and exciting ideas that can be used to develop your initial ideas and concepts.