Are you wondering whether a ghostwriter is in fact what you’re looking for? If so, this post will help you decide whether you need a book writing mentor, or a ghostwriter.
What exactly is a ghostwriter?
A ghostwriter is someone you hire to write your book for you. They will write it as if they are you, imitating your communication style and turning your content into a well-crafted book, so you don’t have to spend the time writing the book yourself. The book is then published with you as the author, and the ghostwriter is quite literally a ‘ghost’, working behind the scenes and getting paid for their time, but making nothing from the book sales and getting no recognition as having been the one who wrote the book.
My ghostwriting clients have typically been CEOs who have had the budget to pay for a writer more easily than they have had the time to write the book themselves. Ghostwriting a book, depending on the scope of the subject matter, can take anywhere from three to six months, so it is a sizeable financial commitment; it is equivalent hiring someone full time for that many months. For most people it is far too expensive, which is why it tends to be people who run a business who can afford it – they already have many staff members, so adding another (contractor) salary isn’t a big deal, but finding the time to write it themselves would be hugely challenging.
The only work involved for you, when you hire a ghostwriter, is:
- A three-hour session to Unpack Your Book at the start the project
- Ten to twenty hours of interviews for me to gather all your content and stories
- Ten hours to read the first draft and provide feedback
- Ten hours to read the final draft and sign-off
What are the differences between Book Writing Mentorship and Ghostwriting?
Book Writing Mentorship involves writing the book yourself, while being helped every step of the way so you are never stuck or unsure, and so the quality of your book is the very best it can be.
I have my own Book Writing Process which clients find very helpful, though ultimately it is my constant feedback on and involvement with their writing that is most beneficial. I help with every detail of the book; helping you Unpack Your Book, determine your Writing Roadmap, helping improve every paragraph and sentence, teaching you storytelling techniques, and helping to determine the best structure to make your book engaging and insightful. Through the process my clients improve their writing ability significantly, which is great fun to witness and very rewarding.
Book Writing Mentorship costs far less than ghostwriting, and you get the satisfaction of writing your book yourself. You are the sole author on the cover, as it is all your work. You own all copyright of the manuscript and receive all book sales – the book is yours.
My book mentoring clients are typically professionals or entrepreneurs who want to write a book to boost the career, business or consultancy – and/or because it’s a personal goal they want to achieve.
How to choose?
If you have the financial ability to employ someone for a number of months to write your book for you, and would either prefer to not write it yourself because you don’t love writing or because you are simply too busy, hiring a ghostwriter is a great option for you.
If you would struggle to afford ghostwriting but would like to write a book to boost your career or business, but are unsure of; how to go about it, where to start, exactly what to include and what to leave out, how to make sure it’s written well, how to ensure you won’t get writers block, and how to ensure you will actually finish it – book mentoring is a great option for you.