So you want to get published, see your ideas in print, but have little time (or little inclination) to commit to the painstaking work of writing a book. Enter the ghostwriter. But what is reasonable to expect from a ghsotwriter, and who sets the rules? Ghostwriter John Burton explores the ten unwritten (until now) rules of the ghostwriter.
There is no rule sheet for how a ghostwriter should behave, and a service sector unregulated is a service sector run amok. We all know what to expect from plumbers, dishwasher repairmen, and builders, but what about ghostrwriters?
Obviously, it's in any ghostwriter's interests to maintain good business practice, but, let's face it, anyone can call themselves a ghostwriter. In addition, there are many forms of agreement between a client and their ghostwriter. Sometimes the bulk of research is to be done by the client, other times by the ghostwriter. Sometimes the ghostwriter is contracted to non-disclosure of involvement in a project, and at other times a ghostwriter is free to express that they wrote the book.
So what are the rules?
Here's my personal ten things that every client should expect from the services of a professional ghostwriter;
1. A ghostwriter should stick to what they know best - writing engaging and informative, entertaining text. They are not experts on all things, and should understand that the client is the expert in their field. Thus a ghostwriter should not presume authority (even thought they are the 'author').
2. The ghostwriter cannot be totally transparent, but their style and tone should not draw attention away from the purpose of the text. If the tone is inappropriately strong, the reader's attention is inevitably drawn to the author's voice and personality, something most clients do not want (unless that's what they're paying for).
3. A ghostwriter's job is to take your story and commit it to the page, not engage in some therapuetic dance around the plot, trying to bring things to a forced happy conclusion. A ghostwriter is a professional writer, not a therapist. (Unless, like me you are both).
4. A ghostwriter is a computer not a pen, an artist not a secretary. Don't assume your ghostwriter will just take dictation and put it for print. They should know how to compose that engaging text, and may have a word or two to say about style and format.
5. Ghostwriters should be the quickest of learners. They need to be quick-witted, able to adapt their voice, tone, writing style, and mood in order to imaginatively enter the world of the client, from which they can compose authentically and persuasively.
6. Ghostwriters (like therapists) should be the good listeners as well as good talkers. It's a fact that writers in general have the gift of the gab. But a ghostwriter needs particular skils in listening and aqcuiring the experience and expertise of the client for whom they write. It's impossible to be the voice of one you cannot hear and do not understand.
7. A ghostwriter needs to be an organized creative. Is there such a thing? Well, yes, but they are a rare breed. In the business-centered world of contemporary publishing, a ghostwriter needs to add an element of business professionalism to their art. The writer's ideal of being able to sit in a garret overlooking the Tuscany skyline while sipping Pim's is a far cry from the deadline-punctuated world of the professional ghostwriter.
8. A ghostwriter needs to manage information as effectively as they can create art. A business-know-how textbook is as artistic an endeavor as a novel, and both need the planning mind of a war general mid-campaign.
9. The romantic concept of some burst of inspiration hitting the artist in a moment of sublime revelation is charming, yet impractical. A ghostwriter needs to be able to write consistantly well if they ever hope to meet deadlines and hit targets required for the world of modern publishing.
10. The ghostwriter needs to be adaptable to the various forms of agreement that can exist between the client and the writer.
