Want to write a book? Hire a ghostwriter. It's not that scary!   by Keith Luke

in Marketing / Brand Marketing    (submitted 2011-01-08)

Are you an expert in your field? Want to write a book but don't know how to start? Or possibly, you have tried to write a book and found that you are not very good at expressing your ideas in writing? Consider hiring a 'ghostwriter'!

A 'ghostwriter' is not the writer of scary stories … usually! I asked a professional writer and media consultant, Cassie Wilson (www.cassieworks.com), to explain just what a ghostwriter is and what one does.

Cassie told me that a ghostwriter is a paid professional writer who works closely with the author, usually an expert or an authority in their particular field, who shares his or her ideas with the ghostwriter, outlines exactly what they would like their book to say and who they think might be interested in the topics covered in the book.

Ghostwriters do get paid for their writing work but never receive published credit for the final product. That credit always goes to the 'author' of the book, pamphlet or internet writings. Ghostwriters should not be confused with co-authors, who do receive published credit.

Ghostwriting a book is not an easy task though. The ghostwriter must often thoroughly research the topic of the book they are writing, do interviews with other experts in that field and much more, and then express those thoughts coherently and always 'in the voice' of the author, even when that author has trouble writing their own grocery list!

To be completely fair though, some experts and often times, famous people can actually write. They just don't have the time or discipline it takes to write a book.

I have heard it said that publishing makes you an expert. Cassie agrees. She says it is true in many fields. Some examples include medicine and science, who have their own specialty publications in which doctors and researchers regularly publish their research and findings, as well as in the world of academia, to name just a few.

If you want to write a book and either don't have a clue or don't have the time, consider hiring a ghostwriter. It's not scary, at all. You can learn more about the media at http://www.cassieworks.com.

About the Author

Keith Luke is a writer, website designer and media performer with decades of experience but is always learning and he tries to share what he's learned.