What Are Ghostwriters, and What Do They Do?
You’ve probably heard the term “ghostwriter” before and likely associate it with secretive writers who do the behind-the-scenes work on the memoirs and tell-all books published by public figures like celebrities, athletes, and politicians. And that is indeed what some ghostwriters do: they gather the stories and anecdotes audiences want to read and thread them into engaging narratives that make commercially successful books. They’re the perfect solution for busy people with fascinating stories who don’t have either the time or the writing skills to put together a book themselves. If you’d like an experienced writer to help you write your own memoir and immortalize your legacy, check out our memoir ghostwriting services.
Celebrity memoirs aren’t all ghostwriters can write. As the internet continues to grow and expand and businesses increasingly turn to websites and social media platforms to connect directly with their audiences, there’s never been a greater need for a seemingly endless stream of high-quality online content. From marketing to sales and everything in between, businesses need to have a steady flow of branded content to publish online. That’s what many ghostwriters are doing these days: writing website copy, blog posts, social media posts, and scripts for podcasts and videos. These projects require different skills from the traditional ghostwriters who compose full-length books, but the writers are ghostwriters nonetheless. If you’re searching for someone to develop your company’s online content, contact us and tell us what you need—we’ll find the perfect writer to join your team.
There’s yet another kind of prolific ghostwriter these days, and that’s the ghost who writes business books for CEOs who want to establish themselves as thought leaders in their industries and boost their companies’ standing. Business leaders are increasingly turning to authordom to further assert themselves in their industry and boost their brand image—but most are too busy running their business to sit down and write a book. If you’re a CEO or business owner looking for a professional to help you write that book you’ve been thinking about publishing for years,reach out to our ghostwriting services for CEOs to get a free consultation today. Whether your book’s on finances, management, or what it takes to launch your own company, we can help.
What exactly do ghostwriters do?
Ghostwriters extract your most valuable ideas
Regardless of what your ghost is writing—be it a book on leadership, a memoir, or a series of blog posts—all the content and ideas are coming from you, the author. You can’t ask your ghostwriter to come up with the content ideas themselves—that’s not what ghostwriting is. A ghostwriter simply helps you organize your ideas into a cohesive narrative and find the right words to express it.
Your knowledge, thoughts, and expertise go into the writing, which means you need to communicate your ideas to your ghostwriter before they can start working. Clearly expressing complex ideas in a coherent and engaging way isn’t everyone’s strong suit. That’s okay because ghostwriters are experts at interviews and will know how to extract the most valuable insights and messages from their subjects. Just make sure you’re open and sharing everything you need to and more to ensure your ghostwriter has all the material they need to make your book a success. It’s important to hire a ghostwriter you get along with so that you feel comfortable sharing all your thoughts with them.
Ghostwriters organize your thoughts into a compelling narrative
Getting all of those ideas out of your head is a great first step. Only an experienced writer will know how to put them all together and organize them into an interesting, structured outline that speaks to the themes and messages you want to share. The outline is where you start to see the shape of your final product and when you can most easily make big changes and adjustments to the story you want to tell. A professional ghostwriter will take your feedback and make any necessary tweaks to make sure you feel represented by the story you’re telling. While you should certainly trust your ghostwriter’s expertise, don’t be afraid to request sweeping changes. After all, it’s your story, and it’ll be your name featured prominently on the cover.
Ghostwriters work while you grow your business
One of the greatest advantages of hiring a ghostwriter is that you can stay focused on growing your business while your book is being written. Even CEOs who have the writing skills to pen a manuscript often hire ghostwriters due to time constraints. Keep in mind that working with a ghostwriter is a collaborative process and you will need to put some time and effort into it. Keep your schedule open enough to accommodate any meetings that may arise with your ghostwriter. You’re still the author, even if you’re not typing away into the night, but your ghost will be the one crafting the sentences while you do what you do best. As professionals, they’ll meet your deadlines and ask all the right questions to streamline the process and take as little of your time as possible.
Ghostwriters deliver polished manuscripts
Most professional ghostwriters work alongside professional editors and proofreaders who make sure that your final manuscript is polished, smooth, and clean. All writers—including professional writers—need a good editor and proofreader. Like any other type of writer, ghostwriters rely on an editorial team to verify that the final product is up to industry standards and portrays the author the way they want to be portrayed.
Not only do our ghostwriting services include our in-house editorial team’s guidance, but we will also be with you all the way through to the publication and promotion of your finished book. With us, you get the full package—it’s the easiest possible way to become a published author. If you’re ready to work with a team of experts who will streamline your process and write amazing content for you, learn more about our ghostwriting services for CEOs or our memoir ghostwriting services.
