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Scott Carbonara 8/30/25 Scott Carbonara 8/30/25

Why Your Ghostwriter (or Editor) Needs to Be a “Fit”

A while ago, I contracted with “Antonio” (not his real name) to ghostwrite his highly personal memoir about a traumatic life event. When we first met, Antonio told me I was the fifth ghostwriter he’d interviewed, and he still hadn’t found his ideal writing partner. Before we finished the first meeting, we both knew we felt instant “chemistry” and would make an outstanding writing team. But I urged him to conduct his due diligence.

The ghostwriter/author (or editor/author) relationship is an intimate one. The last thing you want is to share the most personal details of your life with a ghostwriter only to discover quickly that you can’t stand the person writing your story!

Jocelyn Carbonara 4/10/25 Jocelyn Carbonara 4/10/25

Author Dr. Brian Klausner on Writing: “Enjoy the Process—Don’t Be Intimidated by It.”

We periodically feature guest input from impactful authors we’ve worked with. Please enjoy this Q&A about the writing process with health policy and medical biography author Brian Klausner, M.D. As a medical doctor, he brings a unique perspective to the topic of homelessness in America.

SPIRITUS BOOKS: Tell us a little about your book, In the Gaps: Better Understanding the Expensive Human Suffering of Chronic Homelessness, and why you wrote it. How has it helped you personally or professionally?

Scott Carbonara 4/3/25 Scott Carbonara 4/3/25

What Does It Take to Be a Full-Time Writer?

Last month, an upcoming college freshman interviewed me about how to become a full-time writer. While I can’t speak for every writer, I shared the following tips with him, which I believe have contributed to my ability to work for so many years in a profession I love.

Scott Carbonara 3/27/25 Scott Carbonara 3/27/25

Have You “Scottified” Your Manuscript?

I’m currently ghostwriting and incorporating my client’s themes into his book. He’s an academic heavyweight with years of business experience, something I point out to explain that he’s not lacking in IQ points or business acumen. However, he reached out to us, because he knows that writing is not something he claims as his strong suit.

Early in our work together, I’d send him a draft of a chapter, and then he’d expound on his concepts where I didn’t have enough depth. (Note: When ghostwriting for a subject-matter expert, the expert will always know more than the writer.) In a recent chapter, knowing that he’d written his notes in a stream-of-consciousness fashion, he added a final comment:

“Please Scottify.”ary-goes-here

Jocelyn Carbonara 3/21/25 Jocelyn Carbonara 3/21/25

Put the Pen Down: When to Get Away

A professor in college once told my Soviet studies class, “Sometimes you have to go away to get close.” I can’t remember the reference, but the meaning behind the quote stuck to me permanently.

Writing can provide great therapy. It’s often an effective negotiation tool. It’s a means of making a living for many. For others, it’s a way to build a legacy or document a story. But there are times when putting the pen down for a while is the healthiest—and even most productive—choice. Here are a few of those times.

Jocelyn Carbonara 2/28/25 Jocelyn Carbonara 2/28/25

Dr. Maya Angelou Interview on Courage and Fear: “Write Letters. Protest…Never whine.”

One of my career highlights was interviewing the late Dr. Maya Angelou decades ago. A highly respected poet laureate and author, she shared words about fear, courage, and how to act on them. They feel as helpful today as then, so I’m sharing them again.

DR. MAYA ANGELOU: “Write letters. Protest. Never whine. Whining lets a brute know that a victim is in the neighborhood. But protest, yes, all the way to the Supreme Court.…I will not condone cruelty. I will not condone unjust actions….

I intend to use my energy constructively instead of destructively. If I can say that about the negative, then what about the positive, then what about the faith and the hope I can garner from someone who loves somebody, from someone who is trying to make the world a better place? What about me identifying with someone who is charitable?…

Sit down. Go inside yourself. Don’t look outside for it. Look what you’ve overcome already. And some of the things no one ever knows but you...the times you were afraid and lived through that.”