At a recent surgical consult I had, my doctor asked me how I got into ghostwriting. After I replied, his next logical question was this: “What kind of people come to you for help writing their books?”
Which is the topic of today’s blog.
The answer? People with supersized ideas with undersized resources of time, energy, or writing ability.
Creative genius Walt Disney needed his brother, Roy, to oversee operations. Without Roy, we might not know of Walt because his visions would have remained unfunded.
Similarly, Paul Allen saw the Altair 8800 computer on the cover of the January 1975 issue of Popular Electronic magazine, which inspired him to pursue the concept of personal computing for the masses. However, without Bill Gates writing the code, negotiating licenses, and developing the business strategy, who knows what would have happened?
Then there’s Bill Bowerman, who poured rubber into a waffle iron to create a better-performing running shoe. But Nike’s success didn’t happen until Bowerman partnered with Phil Knight, who produced their business plan and distribution model.
Like these entrepreneurs, many authors possess strong ideas but lack the time or talent to turn their concepts into a book. They need a ghostwriter for that.
Do ghostwriting partnerships work? They can.
The 2002 film, Catch Me If You Can, the story of Frank Abagnale, Jr., wouldn’t have made a splash without his partnership with Stan Redding’s fictionalized writing, which was loosely based on true events.
And the stories captured on film about Jason Bourne (The Bourne Series) came out years after Robert Ludlum’s novels. Ludlum developed the character; a ghostwriter created the stories.
The same holds true for many books and movies in the James Patterson and Tom Clancy franchises. Or consider Spare by Prince Harry, Open by Andre Agassi, The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X, Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, The Art of the Deal by Donald Trump, and Iacocca: An Autobiography by Lee Iacocca—all of which had ghostwriters or cowriters.
Are you familiar with Alexandre Dumas? He’s cited as the author of books like The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers from 1844. Forget who got credit for the stories; Dumas used an uncredited collaborator named Auguste Maquet. All Dumas did was polish Marquet’s writing.
All the works I’ve mentioned were bestsellers written by ghostwriters or cowriters. The books may have sold based on their famous authors, but they became memorable based on their writers’ ability to create a compelling, clear arc and/or storyline. A film deal would not have been possible without that creative vision and writing talent.
If you’re not already a celebrity, you can’t ride on name alone; you need a great idea, the skill to write about it, and adequate time and energy to get your book done. And in case you’re wondering, AI isn’t adequate as your ghostwriter. To create a book that engages other humans, you need a skilled human writer to guide your project.
Do you have a story or concept you can’t seem to get on paper? We can help. Reach out for a consult today.
Happy writing!
