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What If I Can’t Afford a Ghostwriter?
Around 375 BCE, Plato wrote something truly profound. But since few modern readers understand ancient Greek, we needed Benjamin Jowett (1817–1893) to translate those words into something we could grasp: "The true creator is necessity, who is the mother of our invention." Today, we just say, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
History lesson aside, many clients have told me something like, “I want to work with you. But I can’t afford it.”
I understand completely. I meet with about twenty clients before I find one with the passion and financial resources to hire me. But what about the other nineteen? Should they just give up on their dreams? Of course not.
Here’s what I tell those who aren’t in a place to hire me as a ghostwriter.
How Much Does a Ghostwriter Cost?
A ghostwriter is a paid professional who gives each client their time, expertise, and talent to complete a writing project to the best of their ability in exchange for compensation for their skills. Ghostwriters are paid in money; clients get to have their story told in the most engaging way possible.
But how much does a ghostwriter cost?
The Truth, Your Truth: Navigating the Ethics of Memoir Writing
Knowing how to share the truth in your memoir can feel muddling. Let me demystify this process from a book editor’s perspective.
We’ve provided editing and ghostwriting for authors with trauma and abuse. Just as often, we help authors tell stories of entrepreneurial success. One of the top concerns we hear from all memoir authors is: How much of the truth should I tell? And how should I do it?
Ye Will Be Judged: Preparing for Book Design
When it comes to the editorial process, most authors inherently understand that they are expected to play a role. After all, it’s your name at the top of that document. But what about design?
The good news is that you don’t need to have a creative bone in your body to meaningfully contribute. In fact, you can impact the results even before you hire your designer. What follows are three pieces of advice to better prepare you for a productive and satisfying book design phase of your publishing journey.
An Editor’s Perspective: Developing and Preserving an Author’s Voice
If you’re writing a book, you’ve probably heard about author “voice.” One of the most common concerns I get from new authors is, “I want to make sure whatever editor I work with preserves my voice.”
That’s critical to me too. In our work as editors and ghostwriters, our goal is never to dilute or arbitrarily change your voice. Instead, we want to amplify it—to sharpen it, soften it, or work to make it as clear and impactful as possible.
But I often see confusion around author voice, so I’d like to demystify it a bit here.
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!
Explore posts by topic:
All Blog Posts
- author coaching 1
- author spotlight 7
- book editing 2
- book writing 2
- courage 1
- fear 1
- ghostwriting 1
- guest author 2
- hiring an editor 1
- hybrid publishing 1
- leadership book writing 1
- maya angelou 1
- memoir writing 2
- poetry 1
- protest 1
- self-publishing 2
- traditional publishing 1
- voice 1
- who can edit my book? 1
- writers block 1
Search all posts: