By Megan Okonsky When I meet new people, I hesitate before sharing what I do for work. My official title shifted from “copywriter” to “ghostwriter” in 2019 and I began fielding quite a few questions about my job. Nervous to take up too much time talking about my 9-5, I avoided bringing up work woes or the fact that I worked from home. These days, my official title is “online account manager”. One might think I cause less of a stir among strangers. But as I explain that I manage accounts on dating profiles, the questions don’t stop coming. Yes, I ghostwrite messages on dating apps. My daily re ..read more

By Rob Swystun First off, let me just say that you have absolutely lived a fascinating life. Your accomplishments deserve to be hailed and your trials and tribulations deserve to be recognized. With that out of the way, it pains me to inform you that regardless of how interesting your life is, your chances of having a book traditionally published about it are basically zero.  In this blog post, we will discuss why that is the case and what options you have if you still want a book published about your life (or the life of someone you know).  It’s not you, it’s the business Tradition ..read more

My talented father, Richard C. Layton, was a fine artist, working primarily in watercolor, oils, and pastels. He drew and painted landscapes, seascapes, and portraits. I always marveled at how quickly his paintings would take shape. He would labor for hours in his studio, concertos and symphonies playing in the background, carefully applying layers of color to his pieces. He often had commissions from clients for portraits, but on top of that, he loved to sketch and paint outdoors. It might take him days or weeks to finish a scene. My dad was a true artist in that he paid much less attention ..read more

By Robert Bruce Woodcox Talking about oneself is generally not the way to begin an article that enlightens others, but it is necessary to talk about why you should listen to me carefully as you read this. Most of you ghostwriters are not charging enough for your talents, time, education, experience and the results of a job well done. But then, Marcia has had discussions about that and for good reason…it’s a fact! I know this from long experience. I started my own international marketing and advertising agency in 1972 after graduation from college. I ran that for 25 years and had clients all o ..read more

By Jeff Raderstrong I was in an interview with a potential client, discussing a book she wanted to write on young leaders in politics. I asked her some of the standard questions I usually ask at this phase of the process: “How would you describe your voice? How would you want me to capture your voice?” She gave a short laugh and said: “I don’t care about my own voice. I want to sound smarter. That’s why I’m talking to you.” The candidness surprised me. Most potential authors usually give some variation of the same response to these questions: saying that their voice is accessible but thought ..read more

By Erick Mertz Finding the right professional service provider for your needs is often tricky. This can be especially true when it comes to hiring a ghostwriter for your writing project. What makes hiring a ghostwriter so tricky? One reason is this: published rates are difficult to find. Then on the off chance you are able to find them, they vary wildly, making you wonder whether any two providers are offering the same service. Finding what a ghostwriter costs isn’t like finding a new car. In vehicle shopping, price comparisons are as easy as watching a few television commercials, or looking ..read more

By Laura Schaefer I recently updated my website and asked a friend for her feedback. She said this: “It easy to understand the value you bring to the project of writing a book. What I don’t understand is how much potential money I would make if I wrote a book, and what percentage of that would go to you?” It’s a fair question and one we ghostwriters get a lot. The quick answer: Generally, none – ZERO – of the profits/royalties our author clients receive from publishing their books goes to us, the ghostwriters. Instead, nearly every ghost is paid upfront directly by their client (or, more ofte ..read more

I’m a big fan of Oprah’s “Favorite Things” List, which she publishes in her quarterly magazine each November. In it, you’ll find luxurious clothes and slippers, high-end appliances, electronics, facial creams and treatments you never knew existed, decadent desserts, as well as toys and gifts anyone would be thrilled to receive. Well, I’m a much more practical girl. Although I would never buy a one-of-a-kind $50,000 SMEG refrigerator designed by Dolce & Gabbana that Oprah raved about, I have been known to spend many hundreds of dollars on a chair that won’t hurt my back. (Yes, this is what ..read more

Guest Blog Post By Jennifer Locke “My Shot.” “You’re Welcome.” “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” What do these songs have in common? Answer: They were written by certified MacCarthur genius Lin-Manuel Miranda. And, perhaps, they were reviewed by John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats before the rest of the world was exposed to these earworms. Lin-Manuel recently posted a picture of John Darnielle and himself on Instagram. These two prolific songwriters have been “email pen pals” for years, sharing early song drafts and giving and receiving feedback on their work. The picture delighted me. I have my ..read more

What People Misunderstand About Ghostwriting I’m listening to a money mindset program called Your Wish is Your Command, by Kevin Trudeau, at the recommendation of one of my business coaches, and I was surprised that within the first few minutes of the first CD in a 14-CD set, the topic of ghostwriters came up. Actually, Trudeau makes a sweeping generalization about super wealthy people who use ghostwriters that surprised me. He claims that the super wealthy “don’t write the books. They don’t even know what’s in the books” that bear their names, because they use ghostwriters. He’s wrong. Now ..read more