3. You and your
ghostwriter
should be a
good fit.
C o m p a t i b i l i t y i s k e y
b e c a u s e w r i t i n g a b o o k
t a k e s m o n t h s t o
c o m p l e t e , e v e n f o r t h e
p r o s .
11. Ghostwriters of
business books
tend to have (or
should have)
business
backgrounds.
It makes the process much
smoother and easier, and adds
value, quality and depth to the
material being produced.
13. Jargon and
complexity is an
inevitable by-
product of being
an expert in your
field.
A good ghostwriter takes complexity
and turns it into plain English so it is
accessible to a wider audience.
14. When the expert says something
that sounds intelligent but appears opaque,
the ghostwriter must keep at it,
asking the “dumb” questions (back to ‘fit” again)
until another, better way is found to
express those thoughts so that
every reader will understand.
16. At their core, most
business books
are simply an
extended
argument.
Ultimately, a business book’s value
is defined by how
persuasively the author
Is able to make his or her case.
17. Structure is about developing
a consistent and coherent theme.
Your ghostwriter should have the ability to
organize and structure your book’s contents
so your argument builds and flows
in a convincing way.
18. Ideally, a business book works
on multiple levels:
Inspirational
Emotional
Intellectual
Visceral
20. Your ‘voice’ is as
unique to you as
your thumbprint.
An experienced ghostwriter knows
how to put creative ego aside and
quickly discover your authentic
written voice.
21. However, your voice on the page
is likely to differ
from your spoken voice.
Why?
22. Because even the most articulate speaker
will appear a little less polished
when his or her (transcribed) words
are seen on the page,
so a certain amount of polishing
is always necessary.
24. You and your
ghostwriter must
rely on each
other.
Trust is mutual belief.
Trust sometimes takes time to fully
develop. That said, there doesn't
have to be love at first sight or even
at last sight.
25. If you are committed to going ahead
with your book, but have a concern
about your ghostwriter's ability
to capture your voice…
26. … your prospective ghostwriter
should be willing to show you
written samples from published books
they have either co-authored or ghosted.
(Or possibly even write
a sample page or two for you.)
27. To learn more
To l e a r n m o r e a b o u t m e
a n d /o r t h e b o o k c o l l a b o ra t i o n p ro c e s s ,
s i m p l y c l i c k o n t h e l i n k b e l o w :
Jonathan Verney