Why Involve a Ghostwriter?

Why involve a ghostwriter?

The simple answer is to make your life easier and to make sure that your book gets published. The slightly more complicated reason for working with a ghostwriter is that you will reap the benefit of your book sooner and it will probably be a better book for being written by a third party. Also you will get paid more and get paid sooner.

Let me elaborate...

Call the Specialist

You call a plumber when your sink is blocked, so why don't you call a writing expert when you want to produce a book?

A professional writer will bring far more to the party than simply the ability to get words down on paper (although clearly, that is one key reason for working with a writer). The writer will also bring:

an understanding of the elements that go into a book and so most ghostwriters also bring extensive research capabilities
their experience and understanding of how to get a book published, and
an external objectivity to the project which will help to separate the wood from the trees so you can focus on the issues you want to communicate.

By working with a ghostwriter, you can focus on the message you want to spread, and the author can worry about getting the words down and ensuring the commas are in the right place.

Time

A professional writer will bring time to a project. Let me explain what I mean by that:

It can take months to write a book. Most people don't have that sort of time to spare which is one of the reasons why they bring in an external writer. As you will be hiring a professional to work for you, they will dedicate their every waking hour to the project (well, if not every waking hour, certainly a lot of time) in order to get it finished.
Even if you have the time to write a book, a professional writer can probably write a book far more quickly than you can. There will be several reasons for this: first, the writer will have experience of writing, and second the writer is likely to have a much clearer idea of what should be included and what should not.
When you start working with a writer, they will expect deadlines. These deadlines may be set by you or they may be set by the publisher. Professional writers will meet these deadlines and make sure things happen when they should. If nothing else, this will ensure that no time is wasted.

Money

Involving a professional writer will usually mean that you get paid:

more money, and
sooner.

It may be obvious, but it is always worth restating: the sooner you deliver the manuscript, the sooner your book can be printed. The sooner the book can be printed, the sooner it will get into the shops and start selling. The sooner it starts selling, the sooner it will start generating income for you, and the sooner you can start reaping the benefits of having a published book. By collaborating on a book you will be able to bring the project to fruition much sooner—often a book can be written in a matter of weeks by a ghostwriter.

Your Guarantee of Success

A professional writer will not guarantee success. However, by engaging a writer, you are demonstrating your commitment to creating a professional quality book. This means that publishers and literary agents will take you more seriously.

By presenting a professionally written book to an agent or a publisher you will increase:

the chance that the book will get published, and
your negotiating power as the publisher will have more confidence in what they will receive.

A ghostwriter will understand and have experience of the publishing process. They will understand how to create a project that will be attractive to (literary) agents and commissioning editors at publishers.

If you can involve a ghostwriter with a proven publishing track record, then this will remove much of the risk from any project. When you approach a publisher, they will have a guarantee that the book will be written on time and to a high standard.

They will also understand that the ghostwriter will bring other qualities to the project, for instance marketing support by highlighting sections of the book which might be appropriate for serialization (which, in addition to raising the profile of the book, will also help to generate additional income).

Making it Happen

Published authors know how to get books published.

They are experts in presenting book concepts to (literary) agents and commissioning editors in such a manner that it is easy for the agent and the publisher to say "yes" (and pay an advance).

Most people don't realize that a book gets sold many times as it passes through the publishing process and before it reaches the bookstores. At any point in the process, it can fail to sell and be left dead in the water. A professional writer who has had books published understands the process and will be able to ensure the book passes through all of the stages in order to be successfully published.