I don’t know about you, but I’m always a tad cynical about ghostwriters who don’t seem to have written too much themselves.
Which, I accept, is your cue to say, “So what have you written?”
Well, before all those thrillers on the Home page (which aren’t out yet!) and before most of the 100+ climbing articles, I wrote lots of stuff about business and management. This included two books.
The first book sold in five countries, the second in about 29 or so.
These days, people boast of having an Amazon bestseller badge. There are thousands of categories. The badges for each category can change in a day, sometimes an hour. Conversely, my second book was regarded as a bestseller for nearly 10 years.
Cheered up by this unexpected modicum of success, one day I stumbled across an advert for someone wanting help with a book. I send off a letter (remember them?) to a PO address.
I got a reply – two years later. Apparently, my letter had fallen down the back of a radiator, and a gentleman had just found it.
I ended up helping him with five books. He was a lovely man. He’d already had more than 20 books published. But he was getting old, in poor health, and running out of steam.
By and large, the books were very well received and reviewed. One was chosen as ‘book of the year’ by several eminent journalists. It was also shortlisted for a major literary prize. My client was very happy indeed.
That somewhat unlikely start got me going as a ghostwriter. And then, two things occurred to me.
I’d written my own two books because I’d been out in the field for years, practising my discipline. My head was buzzing with thoughts. I was desperate to get them out on the page. I suspected that my books would help people with pressing problems. And they did.
So those books were written for two reasons: self-expression, and a desire to help others. But there was an unexpected side benefit (aside from the second book’s royalties, which were substantial).
My books demonstrated my expertise. They sealed my authority. They positioned me in the marketplace. And they got me some lucrative clients.
Are there other coaches, consultants, etc, in a similar situation? Absolutely!
And that’s why I like working with just a few clients at a time. Either they’ve got inspiring stories to tell, or they’ve got expertise which can help people. If they play their cards right, there will be business benefits: more clients, more lucrative clients, speaking engagements, etc.
Sometimes people try to write their books themselves. Often, they grind to a halt. Almost always, they make a depressing discovery. While they’re experts in their own disciplines, they’re beginners at book writing. These days, the market is horribly crowded. Your book has to stand out; otherwise, it’s invisible. Forget about using AI, unless you want something soulless. And remember that some of your competitors will be using the best ghostwriters they can lay their hands on.
“But you wrote your own books!” Yes, I did. However, by the age of 30 (long before I’d begun those books), I’d already written more than 1,000,000 words. By the age of 40, I’d gone way past Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours of ‘deep practice’.
If you need help with writing, get the best person you can lay your hands on. That’s my advice. For what it’s worth, I only do non-fiction ghostwriting. It’s just the way my brain’s wired.
P.S. Have just remembered. I used to have an all singing, all dancing ghostwriter website. But it vapourised in a microsecond, despite my hosting provider swearing it wouldn’t (thanks, guys!) Although it was fully backed up, I’ve not had the heart to reinstate it. And I’m not sure that many people read it anyway. (There was probably far too much stuff on it). So now I’ve gone minimalist. Hopefully it’s an easier read.