ALL ABOUT GHOSTWRITING - MY WORK + PROCESS
Since the publication of Making Waves: One Startup Founder’s Raw, Gritty, and Inspirational Journey, which I wrote with Helaine Knapp, I’ve been getting lots and lots of questions about my ghostwriting work, so I decided to answer the most common ones I’ve seen right here in one place.
How did you get into/become a ghostwriter?
Before I started my company Uplift, I was a published author, journalist, and editor so I had plenty of writing experience.
Beyond that, I see a story in everything and everyone. A few years ago, I was working with Helaine at her company CITRYOW; we were in the throes of Covid (so had some free time on our hands) and I suggested to her that we start working on her book. Mind you, she had no idea she was going to write a book at all, but I saw a really interesting and action/experience-packed life trajectory so threw it out there. That became the start of one of the most amazing adventures I’ve ever set out on.
Later on, Helaine referred me to a wonderful woman in business who wanted to write a book, and she became my next client. I’m now negotiating contracts with two more high-profile women to write their books as well!
So this path was, on one hand, something I stumbled into (or created for myself out of thin air), but there is a lot of synergy with my consulting work since I primarily work with incredible female founders and can write really capably not only about their lives, but anything related to their business.
Similarly, as a businesswoman myself, I also deeply understand the business behind the book, involving agents, publishers, and a number of other steps and entities, so am well-positioned to advise on that along the way - I do all of the writing but my work here goes far beyond that.
What does a ghostwriter do?
Ghostwriters and book collaborators can do a little or a lot, from early-stage advising on book concept and outline, to just editing, all the way to writing a full manuscript, among many other things. From my end, I’m heavily involved in the concept creation, and do all of the writing straight through to the completion of the full book. See more below for other pieces I work on when it comes to the business side of writing/publishing.
What do you like about ghostwriting?
From the time I could hold a pen (hello, Harriet the Spy days), I’ve been passionate about writing, especially first-person/personal narrative. Nothing thrills me more than relaying a good story that - bonus! - will fire up, inspire, or benefit other people.
A colleague at an event once told me I should host a talk show, and while I don’t have a huge interest in a television career, I do love asking questions, especially the tough, emotional, and deep ones, and pulling stories from people who have something important to share with the world.
Interviewing skills are a really important part of this role, and I have them in droves, fueled by my curiosity, and capped off by my ability to synthesize everything I’ve heard and know into a proper and entertaining narrative.
I was so excited to hear one of my ghostwriting client Helaine’s readers review the book as a “must-read thriller” - that’s high praise for a business-centric inspirational memoir!
Whom do you work with?
Typically power women, but in general, those who are willing to be vulnerable and dig in and really share a side of themselves on the page that no one has seen yet.
It’s a must that I have a connection and vibe with my clients - otherwise the process would be very painful and annoying - so I’m very selective on choosing with whom I work
What is the process for ghostwriting a book?
I’m sure every ghostwriter has her own way of doing things, but here’s how I do it:
As mentioned above, it starts with communication and interviewing skills: my client and I have a lot of conversations where I pull out and document every single thing I can about a her life, going back to childhood
It’s a must to learn about a person’s entire trajectory and hear every possible story, experience or incident - I see significance where others don’t, and all of it informs the big-picture story
I record and transcribe the conversations as they occur and slowly, a narrative starts to take shape
Of course, not everything will make it into the book (and that can be a challenging negotiation between the client and me, but one worth having!), but as a bonus, outside of the book itself my client will have a wonderful record of their life to refer back to!
Timing:
Helaine and I took a few years to bring Making Waves to life - it started over Covid with weekly conversations then things accelerated once she got an agent and the book was sold to a publisher. For a while, we weren’t on any sort of timeline and the material we produced with our conversations could probably be converted into two more books!
With the next client, there was a serious deadline. I wrote an entire book proposal, entire book manuscript and submitted it to the publisher in under five months. That’s very accelerated, but I’m able to work quickly without sacrificing quality and I have to say: this book is kickass and I’m so excited for it to come out in early 2025!
The therapeutic component:
I make this process super fun. It can also be really therapeutic: I’m great at breaking down walls with my clients and getting them to see and reveal things they hadn’t previously noticed or considered in their lives. I’ve been a coach for practically my entire life and career in various forms so that quality of mine really shines in the ghostwriting process.
Other things I do in the ghost-writing realm
If my client wants to actually publish the book (because not everyone does - some people want to writing a book for posterity only, which is great!), I help determine the publishing path: traditional, self, or hybrid
Write book proposals
Advise on and write agent query letters
All forms of editing
Write keynotes and other speeches to support the book