GHOSTWRITING
What does a ghostwriter actually do?
A ghostwriter transfers the story you want to tell from your head to the page, or translates your notes and bullet points into a coherent, engaging manuscript. The end result, be it a traditionally published book, or a self-published one, will have your name on the cover (sometimes the ghost’s name too, depending on your own preference). It will be your story or message or observations, told in your voice, and you will be considered the author. The ghostwriter’s job isn’t to simply pull the words from your head and transcribe them verbatim, or take your notes and plump them out a little. They will get under the skin of your story; they will look at it from every possible angle so that everything makes sense and nothing is missed. They will approach the writing of your book from a reader’s perspective, or at least this particular ghost does. When I am ghosting a book, I live and breathe it as though it were my own story, never losing sight of the fact that it is not.
How does the process work?
First of all, contact me by email with some outline details about your project and I will get in touch to arrange a phone chat. During that initial phone call, we will assess what it is you really need – be it a ghostwriter, an editor, or a writing coach. I’ll ask you lots of questions, including who your target reading audience is, what your publishing expectations are, if you have a deadline, and what your budget is. You can ask me lots of questions too. There is no charge for the call, which should last no longer than an hour. After our call, if you are happy for me to do so, I will prepare a proposal outlining your options, the work to be undertaken, a timeframe, and the fee. If you already have some written content, I will read a section of it to help me structure the proposal, but a full read of a draft manuscript or an assessment of substantial notes would incur a fee. There is no fee for the proposal. If you are happy with the proposal and want to proceed, I will send you a short contract – a condensed version of the proposal, outlining the brief, the timeframe, the fee structure, copyright and confidentiality. Once you sign the contract, an initial payment will be required, and then we are off and running. Every ghostwriting project is different, and together you and I will agree on an approach that works best for your book. There will most likely be a research or orientation period involving recorded interviews, the reading of all available written material, looking at photographs, the sourcing of additional documentation, etc. It is important that I get your voice into my head during this phase, so that when I start to write, I can channel it onto the page. When I do start to write, I will draft a couple of initial chapters to make sure you are happy with the writing style and tone of voice. After that, you may want to see draft chapters on a regular basis, or wait until the first full draft is complete. Again, that is something we can chat about. When I have completed the first draft, you will review the manuscript, and I will undertake one round of edits. Any further edits beyond that may incur an additional fee. At the end of the edit phase, I will send you your book in both word and pdf documents, presented in the standard publishing industry format.
Will my book be published?
There are no guarantees in the publishing world, ever. Even seasoned writers with successful careers and a string of published books can find themselves at the mercy of the publisher, their latest manuscript rejected. Any ghostwriter who promises you that your book will absolutely 100% be published by a traditional publisher is a ghostwriter to avoid – unless of course, they produce a publishing contract (and if they do, please make sure it is legitimate). That said, if your story is compelling and your book is well written, and you are prepared to put in the work, well, you have a fighting chance. I can talk you through the publishing process and recommend agents and publishers to approach. There is no additional charge for that. I can also write your book synopsis, query letter and cover blurb, however that will incur an additional fee.
What about self-publishing?
Self-publishing no longer carries the stigma of “vanity publishing” that it used to. These days it is a legitimate publishing platform, and in many instances, writers choose the self-publishing route over the mainstream option for a whole host of reasons. There are many advantages to self-publishing, but it’s definitely not for everyone, and of course, just like mainstream traditional publishers, there are some excellent self-publishing enterprises, and some dreadful ones.
Why hire me?
I’m a good writer, but when it comes to ghostwriting, good writing is only half of the equation. A skilled ghostwriter should also be curious, intuitive, a good listener, and an excellent communicator. They must be adept at research and possess effective interviewing techniques, with an innate understanding of the right questions to ask. They must be trustworthy, empathetic, and patient. Crucially, they must leave their own voice on their own bookshelf and adopt the voice of the author they are working with. And they should park their ego well out of sight. Ghostwriting isn’t for every writer, but I love it, and I believe I tick all of those boxes. There is a particular kind of joy in helping someone else tell their story, and some of the ghostwriting projects I have worked on have provided me with the greatest job satisfaction of my varied writing career.
How much will you charge to ghostwrite my book?
I don’t have a set fee for ghostwriting as every book is different. Some take several months to complete, others well over a year. I price every new book project according to a number of variables, such as the subject matter, the nature of the book (memoir, family saga, business book, etc.), the amount of research involved, and the length of the manuscript. But to give you a rough idea, you can expect to pay around £13,500 for a fairly straightforward book of around 65k words. More complex books requiring a lot of research with a 65k+ word count will cost more. Shorter books, such as a business e-book, or a coffee-table book, a concise memoir, or even a cookery book, could cost less. If you have a set budget that you can’t go beyond, I will look at what I can deliver for that fee. My pricing is fair and falls within the industry standards for professional writers. You might find someone who offers a cheaper service, but please be wary of anyone who tells you they can write your book from scratch for a couple of grand! You will also find ghostwriters who charge considerably more than I do. But it costs nothing at all to have that initial chat, so send me an email, and we can take it from there.
"I highly recommend Lesley Allen as a ghostwriter."
Christy Quinn