This month, I’m marking twenty years as a bestselling ghostwriter and, to celebrate, I am sharing twenty insights into what I believe ghostwriters need to know to get to the top of the profession.

Winning new work

There is a lot more to this than being a great writer

It’s a given that a ghostwriter is an expert with the written word. It is not all we need to be good at though. To begin with, we all need to be brilliant salespeople. While most ghostwriters would consider themselves as introverts, a big part of our job is convincing writers and publishers that we are the business and they should invest their faith and money in our hands. We also need to be excellent interviewers and very often sleuths to find all the facts we need. Ghosts must also be super-organised and adept with running a small business, because that’s what you are doing. Oh, and expect to get involved in coming up with book titles, shaping news lines for the PR and social media campaign, liaising with publishers and a lot more. This is just a snapshot of all the skills we need.

Ghosts do not need to be an expert in anything but being a ghost

Some authors will get nervous that you don’t know absolutely everything about their chosen field. I lost a job once because I couldn’t explain the entire mathematical model behind crypto. The author had sent me a book of equations that would not have looked out of place in my son’s physics module at uni. He couldn’t accept the trade off: authors bring the expertise and ghosts interpret it into a narrative that suits the reader. I’m not an expert in business leadership, or entertainment, or economics, or mythology (all subjects I have tackled) but I know how to translate the words of those who are into compelling, highly readable books.

AI is helpful, but not the master of everything

By now, nearly every established ghost will have experienced receiving an AI-generated chapter layout from an author, who will airily say they’ve taken a lot of the hard work out of the process by making a credible start. This is a cue for a frank conversation with the author. AI can be helpful to order their thoughts, yes, but if they want their book to have credibility and to stand out from the (frankly worrying) amount of digitally generated rubbish out there, they should put their full faith in their human writer. And, as an aside, these AI generated layouts are generally awful. They are repetitive, and never manage to explore all the angles. Stand your ground ghosts!

Be choosy

It’s easy to assume that, as a freelancer, we’d say ‘yes!’ to any job offered. That is always a big mistake. Successful ghosts choose authors, as much as the other way around. Over time we develop a nose for what might become a bestseller and we should use it. The work we do is our showcase for future jobs. We can’t speak about all of our collaborations, but when authors kindly let us mention them, it is a great showcase.

Stand your ground on fees

Nearly everyone can write, but few can write as well as a bestselling ghostwriter, or construct a compelling narrative, or understand the market as well as we do. Any ghost who finds themselves being beaten down on fees, with authors saying they could do it themselves if only they had time, should let them. Similarly, if authors retort they can get it for £2000 elsewhere, let them try. You can’t fake good writing. If authors want the best, and six months of a top ghost writer’s time, we don’t work for nothing. We have a valuable skill and should be proud of that.

Ensuring a successful collaboration

The best collaborations are just that: collaborations

Hiring a ghost doesn’t mean handing it all over to someone with the expectation a book will simply emerge within a given time. My favourite authors are all in. They always want to talk about their books, make time for regular meetings, send regular messages and snippets of information and quickly give feedback on draft chapters. This level of involvement will always result in a book that faithfully represents their original vision.

Take a structured approach

One of my oft-said lines to authors is ‘send me everything, don’t worry about overwhelming me with background’. I’ll admit it now, I do get overwhelmed. Writers talk about the jolt of fear from seeing a blank page in front of them, but I also routinely experience a sharp intake of breath at the beginning of a project, wondering where to start. It can all feel like a huge mountain to climb. My way around it is to write a clear chapter-by-chapter plan and start working through the draft according to the plan. It is amazing how, once you get started, the feeling of being overwhelmed just disappears.

No plan survives first contact

I would perhaps slightly amend this well-known saying. Ghostwriters who work to a plan, as I do, generally find that the story will significantly deviate from that plan by interview number four or five. Often, this is the time when an author will reveal something incredible they never mentioned up until that point, something that will completely change the narrative. This is fine. Plans can be easily adjusted. More importantly, it is a sign that the author is sufficiently relaxed to talk freely. This is the point when all the great material will start to flow; relax and go with it.

Start weighing up publishing options from day one

While the book is being written, ghostwriters should also be advising authors on the publishing options, setting out the differences between self publishing, hybrid and traditional publishing, together with all the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Publishing can be a complex and secretive industry: we are our author’s guides.

Expect the unexpected

(Nearly) every author cries

Ghostwriting is an intense experience, especially if the author has experienced any sort of trauma. It is our job to gently push authors during the interview process, often encouraging them to reveal stories they have not spoken about before. We dig below the surface because that it how to achieve an authentic end product. Sometimes, this can lead to tears, even if the subject matter is not obviously emotional. That’s fine. By the time the relationship has reached this stage, both parties will be comfortable enough with one another to work through it and come out stronger the other side.

Ghosts have feelings too

Connected to the above, we also need to be mindful of our own emotional response to certain stories. The intensity of the relationship works two ways, meaning it is sometimes difficult to detach yourself emotionally. Ghosts need to be aware of this and take active steps to unwind post certain interviews. It is useful to develop certain go-to rituals, whether it is a cold-water swim, a brisk walk or simply a coffee with a close friend. For me, it is a 10-minute potter in my greenhouse.

Some commissions won’t go the distance

It’s rare, but sometimes the relationship between author and ghost won’t work out and the collaboration will come to an end. This is why contracts are so important. It has happened once in my 20-year career and it felt horrible. There is little that can be done other than to try to keep things as amicable as possible, ensure you are paid for the work done to date and that there are no hard feelings on either side. This is not an easy thing to do when emotions come into the equation, but all you can do is remain as professional as possible. If it looks like it cannot be resolved amicably, it is worth seeking outside advice. The Society of Authors can be very helpful here and offer useful advice to members.

Ghosts must always act in an author’s best interests

A good collaboration is more than just a business partnership

Ghosts have a duty of care to authors

We have a duty of care to the authors we work with and that means that, sometimes, we are dutybound to advise them to leave certain aspects of the narrative out, even if they do sound like a cracking story. At the most extreme, this could be something that could potentially lead to legal action, but it could also be a story that could have a negative impact on their career or personal life. Authors can get carried away, wanting to tell it all, but may not consider the long-term ramifications if it is printed in a book for prosperity.

The easy way does not a good story make

The other side of the coin is that there will be stories that authors don’t want to tell, but absolutely should. Ghosts must make it a priority to coax stories out of authors that they might want to keep hidden. Most people live their lives on social media, especially well known celebrities, and regularly reveal all. Any book is going to fall pretty flat if it trots out the same old stories that appeared on IG a year ago.

Care needs to be taken to not to accidently ‘out’ an author

One of the first things I do when I sign a contract with an author (or even before this stage) is follow them on LinkedIn, and other social media, as well as set up a Google Alert to monitor what they are up to day-to-day. It is really helpful in building a complete picture. It can be really hard to stop myself liking their posts though, especially when they announce something I know is really special to them. Why can’t I click ‘like’? Because I am not supposed to exist. Others will think that there can only be one reason why Teena Lyons, ghostwriter, is liking a post by Mr or Ms SuccessfulPerson; I am working with them on their book or have done so in the past. It is not for me to make that announcement. (I do ‘like’ if the author has openly said they have worked with me – that makes it their decision). This silence can be tough sometimes, especially when you have formed a strong bond with an author.

When the work is all done

Saying goodbye is hard to do, but OK

The end of a project can feel quite abrupt. One minute you are working 24/7 on the final edits of a book, using all your emotional and creative energy to get it over the line, speaking with an author on a near daily basis. Then, the manuscript will be out of your hands and the author out of your life. I won’t lie, there are some authors I really miss speaking with day-to-day, a small number less so. This is how it is though, what you have signed up for. All being well, you will have the pleasure of watching them (from afar) going from strength to strength with their book. Even better, the author will return for their next book and it will be like nothing ever changed. More than a third of my books are repeat business, so the authors clearly enjoy the interaction too.

Don’t expect thanks, praise or recognition

Not always anyhow. Some authors are effusive in their gratitude because you’ve helped them realise a long-held dream and bring their story to the market. They want you to share the limelight and will willingly tell anyone and everyone what a great job you’ve done. Equally, many won’t. When the manuscript is finally finished and the last edit agreed, that will be it. They will, excuse the pun, ghost their ghost. I liken it to a teenager who pushes their parents away because they are old enough to go it alone and need a definitive split to break the bond. The trick for a ghost is to understand that it is not a sign they have failed. Quite the opposite. They’ve done the job they were supposed to do. Now is the time to stand back and let the author shine.

You’ll develop a (brief) obsession with sales figures

Related to the above, standing back doesn’t mean completely checking out. In the months following a book launch, I always lurk in the shadows watching the sales numbers on Amazon. It’s a real boost to see a project you’ve been quietly working on for months take off once it is out in the wild. It’s also motivating on a personal level to see authors get behind their books and give their all to the marketing push. If you feel the need for recognition, this is it: seeing the real-world impact of your work.

The worst and best moments about being a ghostwriter

On balance: Ghostwriting is a great career option

To finish, I’ll list the five worst moments in ghosting

Being shortlisted for a job you really want to do, but not getting the gig
Receiving a lot of AI generated copy from an author, which is bland and unusable
Pressing ‘send’ with the first few draft chapters for an author to review – the first concrete test of the relationship
Hearing that the author has shared the first draft with their spouse, neighbour or cat sitter. Writing by committee never works
Getting rejected by a target publisher. Ghosts feel it as badly as the authors they work with

And the best bits about being a ghostwriter

Getting paid to write. There can be no better job in the world
Becoming the world expert for three to six months on whatever subject it is you are writing about
Travelling the world and meeting interesting people. I have been to four continents to date
Not having to get heavily involved in the gruelling PR, marketing and speaking tours for books. Ghosts like to stay in the shadows
Monday mornings with a week of writing ahead

If you’d like to learn more about ghostwriting and how to get started in this amazing industry, try our ghostwriting course. Here, The Ghostwriters Agency’s co-founder Shannon Kyle and I, together with other leading ghostwriters, have shared our invaluable tips on everything you need to know about ghostwriting. Click on the button below to find out about the ghostwriting masterclass.

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Become a bestselling ghostwriter - 20 top tips