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I’ve been writing about making money as a freelancer for well over a decade now. I have written five books, dozens of articles and hundreds of blog posts about the subject. I get many questions, and lately many of those have been about the field of ghostwriting. What is ghostwriting? How lucrative is it? How do I get started?
The fact is that any competent writer can ghostwrite as well—as long as you understand the additional responsibilities that come with ghosting. There’s a growing market for talented ghostwriters, so I encourage freelancers to consider whether their personality, background and experience make you a good fit for the field.
Your clients’ needs may vary, but I believe that successful ghostwriters must have the following attributes:
Confidence. Confidence is a key to ghostwriting success for several reasons. First, a confident ghost is more likely to get clients—when they trust in your abilities, they’re willing to hire you to write their book or blog post. Second, your confidence in yourself will make your job easier when it comes to creating a piece of writing that sprang not from your own ideas and brain, but from your client’s. Finally, you have to have enough confidence to recognize that you can write without a byline—and that any praise your piece, whether an article or book, receives will be directed to and accepted by your client—not you. If that idea makes you uncomfortable or resentful, ghosting isn’t for you.
Creativity. It’s a rare client who simply wants to dictate his thoughts and have me write them up for him. (And that’s not really ghostwriting, but transcribing.) A ghost does much more than that—she may be called on to conceptualize, organize, research, edit and rewrite. As a freelancer, you’ve no doubt come up with story ideas, organized articles or book chapters and come up with new approaches to subjects you’ve written about that before. You’ll use those same skills when you ghostwrite.
Flexibility. When you write your own piece, you do the research and writing. When you ghostwrite for a client, though, you may need information—whether written or in the form of phone, email, or in-person interviews—directly from that person. If he’s not available when you need him, you may have to push back a deadline or move forward on another part of the project that doesn’t require his immediate input. If you’re working per your client’s deadlines (and not, say, for a traditional publisher), then he may not feel the pressure to complete the project—which means you fall behind (and don’t get paid for your work). Understanding that when you ghost, you may at the whim of your client is key to ghosting.
Ability to organize. If you’re working on a short project, this is less important. But consider, for example, ghosting a book. That requires that you organize the information you receive from your client, research you perform on your own, different drafts of chapter, and other relevant information. I like to use manila folders for book projects, and set up a folder in Word to hold all of the various research and chapters; your methods may vary but the key is to manage information, drafts, and emails in a way that works for you.
Publishing knowledge. If you’re ghostwriting shorter pieces like articles and blog posts, this is not a great concern. However, if you’re going to ghostwrite books for clients, you should have some books under your belt already. If you have published your own books with traditional publishers, you have an understanding of the industry that will benefit your clients. And if you’ve self-published with a print-on-demand, or POD, company, that knowledge will help clients who choose the same option. Ghosts who have done both—traditionally published and self-published (whether in print, or with e-books, or both)—have a huge advantage over ghosts who are great writers but know little about publishing today. In my opinion, the more experience you have with books, the more valuable you are to a client, and the more potential you have as a ghostwriter.
Ask yourself honestly whether you have these five essential attributes. If the answer is yes, then consider adding ghosting to your freelance repertoire.
With everyone so busy these days, most marketers are looking for strategies to help get more done in less time. Well, there are a few ways to do this – two of them are using article directories and ghostwriters.
Using Article Directories
Taking advantage of article directories is a great way to add relevant content to your site. You can visit the vast number of directories out there in
0 Comments on Content Marketing with Article Directories and Ghostwriters (two strategies to save you time) as of 1/1/1900
Becoming a published author is usually a tough, demanding mission. But for Denene Millner, it was “a total fluke.” The journalist landed a book deal after writing an article for the New York Daily News, and since then has written 20 more, including Steve Harvey‘s New York Times-bestseller Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man.
In the latest installment of Mediabistro’s So What Do You Do? series, the author/journalist/blogger tells what cooperative writing is really like.
“It’s really crucial that the person who’s writing the book trusts me,” she explained. “It’s extremely difficult to walk into a project with someone who doesn’t trust that you can deliver. There’s nothing worse than working with someone who doesn’t trust you to do your job. And that’s whatever you’re doing. You could be bagging groceries at Kroger. If someone doesn’t trust you not to put the eggs underneath the milk, they’re going to give you a hard time for it.”
David Ritz has had a successful ghostwriting career, collaborating with everyone from Ray Charles to Joe Perry, and written quite a few novels too. In the latest installment of Mediabistro’s Hey, How’d You Do That? series, the prolific writer tells how he landed some of his biggest clients, and how gives tips for aspiring ghostwriters.
“When I first met Ray Charles, I didn’t know about ghostwriting; I was just going to do a biography of him,” Ritz recalled. “And then his agent asked me, ‘Which book would you be more interested in reading: a book about Ray Charles written by an egghead or a book written in his own voice?’ I told him that I would much rather read the book written in his own voice, and he told me, ‘You should write the book you would want to read, not the one you believe you should write.’ And that was a big turning point for me.”
As a ghostwriter you will come across a variety of clients that may request your ghostwriting services. One of the clients will be ‘the rewrite client:’
This is actually a popular project for a ghostwriter, content rewriting. Whether an individual wants to have his memoir rewritten or a businessman needs to have his business manuscript rewritten or a business wants articles rewritten for an affiliate or sister site, the client will provide you with a full manuscript or article and request that you rewrite it for them.
Sounds pretty simple right? Well, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
For the individual with the memoir you may receive a manuscript that’s very poorly written. You will have to try to determine what the client means in certain instances and this will take lots of feedback. Content rewriting will also mean you’ll need to spin words while still invoking the client’s voice. And, depending on the individual’s reason for writing the memoir, you may have to advise that ‘getting even’ doesn’t really make for a saleable book.
Then there is the businessman looking into ghostwriting for the business book he wants rewritten. Again, you may have poorly written content that you’ll have to sort through. And, you’ll have to strive to keep the client’s voice. You’ll also have to verify all the information.
Another client in need of your ghostwriting service may be the business or health marketer who needs articles rewritten for a sister or affiliate site. This content rewriting is probably word-for-word the most difficult, unless you become very proficient at it. Depending on the genre you will need to become acquainted with the language, the keywords, and the business or health topic you’re writing about.
For example: assuming you’re requested to rewrite health articles about allergies, you’ll need to know the particulars about allergies, such as terminology: indoor allergies, outdoor allergies, environmental allergies. You get the idea. And, the word “triggers” means those substances that will cause an allergic reaction. But if you’re rewriting you may not be able to use the word ‘trigger.’
If you’re wondering why you can’t use a particular word it’s because when rewriting any content for online use, it must meet non-duplication criteria. This means that the rewritten article must be under a particular percentage in regard to duplicate content according to search engine criteria.
Why is this so important in regard to content rewriting?
Simple, Google penalizes page rank if it determines your content is duplicated by other sites.
A great tool to check your duplicate content score is WordsFinder Duplicate Checker and Article Rewrite Comparison. According to this site, your score needs to be below 80 percent or you may be penalized for duplicate content. But, your client may request it be below 70 percent. To be safe, you should always aim for below 70 percent. If you’re rewrite duplicate percentage is too high, you have to rewrite it, while keeping it coherent and on topic, until it’s under 70 percent. This will most likely mean finding synonyms for a number of words. Take the word ‘strategy. You might spin it with ‘policy,’ ‘plan,’ ‘technique,’ or other word that has a very similar meaning.
So, while content rewriting may sound easy, it can be a much more involved ghostwriting project than anticipated. Take this into account when quoting a price.
~~~~~~~~~~ To keep up with writing and marketing information, along with Free webinars - signup for The Writing World newsletter on the right top sidebar! Until next time,
Karen Cioffi Multi-award Winning Author, Freelance/Ghostwriter, Editor, Marketer Writer’s Digest Website of the Week, June 25, 2012
Leap year's here again and we have a February 29th! One extra day this year to achieve our writing goals. I'll take all the extra days I can get. :)
In my February 8th A Writer's World newsletter (sign-up at the right sidebar), I mentioned about the rhythm of freelance writing.
You have some work, you don't have any work. You have so much work you need to subcontract some of it out.
This can be the nature of freelancing.
Preparing for a recent project, I cleared my calendar for February and learned a valuable lesson. When you focus on a project, task, article, or whatever, you can accomplish more than if you dabble here and there in your groups, social networking, emails, and so on.
I actually felt free, not having to touch base with my writing groups, not having to promote on the social networks, not having to read all my emails. It was liberating and a time freeing sensation, even though I was hard at work on a ghosting job.
I did though, in preparation for clearing my calendar, write a two articles, prepost my Twitter posts for the month, preposted my blog post for here and my guest posts at Writers on the Move and 4RV Publishing, and preposted my newsletter emails, all at the very beginning of February. I think it took me two days to do all this, but the rest of the month I was relatively free, aside from my work.
But, now that I'm not so pressed for time, I'm not sure I'd do all that preposting again unless it's absolutely needed.
My writing coach, Suzanne Lieurance, is always advising to keep specific days for specific projects. This seems to be the best strategy. Pick one day a week for preposting your blogposts, guest posts, tweets, and so on. And, to stay in touch with your groups and read informative emails (this is a good learning tool), set a timer for at most one hour a day. Use the rest of your day to be productive.
I was debating whether to go back to the three posts a week and have decided it's worth the extra time involved. My stats are pretty good and I wouldn't want to rock the promotional boat. :) So, I'll be posting 3 days a week. The only change will be that Fridays will be guest post days, rather than Wednesdays, and Wednesdays will be 'link day,' or bits of writing or marketing tips day. Wednesdays will be short and sweet.
This is great information. Hearing this again reinforces it for me. I particularly liked the point about setting the timer for an hour. I'm just getting used to keeping certain days for certain things. Old habits are hard to break! But when I stay to my schedule, I am definitely more productive.
As most writers know, there isn’t much money in being an author; the money, if you can get a successful freelance writing business going, is in freelance writing work and ghostwriting.
There are so many different freelance writing and ghostwriting jobs you can do. But, to keep your target market focused and to strengthen your area of expertise, you should choose one or two specific types. Offering too many varying services weakens your platform and your authoritative status.
It should be mentioned that you can also learn the copywriting ropes and create a copywriting business or simply include its techniques to enhance your own writing. But for now we’ll stick to freelance writing work, including ghostwriting; although some of the opportunities may require a bit of basic copywriting skills.
Freelance Writing Work You Can Choose From:
• Magazine freelancer - writing and submitting articles to paying magazines • Writing for book publishers who accept freelance writers (you’ll need to query for a position) • News reporter • Feature writer for newspapers or magazines
• Getting work from job boards • Editing and/or proofreading other writers’ work • Critiquing other writers’ work
• Writing speeches • Writing content for websites • Writing content for newsletters • Writing articles and blog posts • Writing white papers or reports • Writing books, e-books, or pamphlets • Resume writing
Aside from the special skills needed for copywriting, all written content has the need for a writer. And, chances are there is someone, somewhere looking for some type of freelance writing work. It’s a matter of finding the work and attracting clients.
The important thing is to have your freelance writing business visible. I had someone contact me to write a six to ten page report as part of a job application requirement. He was busy over the weekend and wouldn’t have time to do it himself. He found me through a Google search using ‘ghostwriter’ as a keyword. I don’t do rush jobs, so had to decline.
This is another aspect of freelance writing work that you may want to consider, there are some businesses that offer very quick turn around. People pay more money for a quick turn around.
Yet another point to make is that when someone contacts you for freelance writing work, and for whatever reason, you can’t do it, try to be helpful in some way; make a lasting impression. I gave the ‘job application guy’ some tips on what to look for in a qualified freelance writer and told him if he needed help down the road to give me a call.
So, you can see that if you’re out there, doing information marketing and building a quality business, it definitely helps in finding clients and garnering freelance writing work.
I'm putting together an e-book, <
0 Comments on Freelance Writing Work: The Possibilities as of 12/12/2011 4:27:00 AM
Today, I'm back with Part 2, features two through five, of "A Ghostwriter: 5 Features That Can Help Build Your Business."
2. A Ghostwriter Provides Informational Content
Information rules in today’s ever changing world. Providing informative and/or instructive content to your staff, customers, and potential customer is now essential, especially with business transparency being a desirable feature that employees and customers look for.
While businesses and marketers can generate their own content, a ghostwriter frees up company time for more productive and revenue generating work.
‘Informational gifts’ is another content product that businesses need to be aware of. Of the thousands of websites within your industry available for customers to find and subscribe to, why should they choose yours? That’s where an ‘ethical bribe’ comes in to play. Providing an informative report or e-book with valuable information that your potential customer will appreciate tends to motivate that individual, company, or visitor to click on your opt-in box, thereby increasing your mailing list. And, every business knows the importance of having a mailing list – it’s crucial with the increasing e-commerce trends.
It’s this offering of valuable and quality information that helps build a relationship with your site’s visitors and keeps them coming back. This ongoing relationship will eventually lead to an increased mailing list and sales.
3. A Ghostwriter for Your Business’ Landing Pages and Products
The first impression an online searcher – potential customer searching for your product or business type - will have of a business, is its landing page. Obviously, a business needs to have an attractive, quick loading, SEO friendly, and informative page. Now, while a ghostwriter will most likely not be a web designer, she can create the needed content for the site, content that will engage the visitor and motivate him to subscribe to the mailing list and make contact with the business.
The mailing list is what generates long-lasting relationships and sales. Through the mailing list you can offer information, along with product and/or business promotion. Marketing experts advise though, to offer a 75 to 25 percent ratio of information to promotion.
Again, information is what people want today; they want to know how to find a solution to their problem or need, and they want to be informed. If you provide that, you will have sales.
Along with creating effective landing page content, a ghostwriter can produce product descriptions and guides. Through the information you provide and additional research, she can create informative and customer appreciated content, thereby fostering customer loyalty.
4. A Ghostwriter – Copywriting and Keywords
In addition to writing articles, newsletters, e-books, reports, and other content, a ghostwriter should know copywriting. While this skill isn’t essential for some aspects of the job, it is important in the event a client requires projects such as landing pages, email marketing, product guides, articles, or other.
And, being aware of SEO and keywords will help the ghostwriter create traffic effective content, leading potential subscribers and customers to the business’ website.
Knowing copywriting and SEO is a surefire way for a ghostwriter to increase her value to business clients.
5. A Ghostwriter Must be a Good Writer
0 Comments on A Ghostwriter: 5 Features That Can Help Build Your Business Part2 as of 1/1/1900
Since this is a pretty long article, I'm dividing it into two parts. Here's Part 1 of:
A Ghostwriter: 5 Features That Can Help Build Your Business Part 1
A ghostwriter provides services for different types of people, marketers, and businesses, and on a number of topics. She works silently, behind the scenes and creates whitepapers, newsletters, e-books, informational products, articles, posts, stories, and other forms of content for a business or marketer seeking to:
• Create and/or build your company’s platform visibility • Generate and increase website traffic • Provide instruction/information for employees or clients/customers • Offer an informational gift as an ‘ethical bribe’ to subscribe to your company’s mailing list • Create landing pages for your company or products • Create product descriptions and guides
The list goes on and on. But, let’s breakdown some of the uses of a ghostwriter, and her benefit to businesses.
A Ghostwriter is a Must-Have Tool
According to tracking by the U.S. Department of Commerce, e-commerce grew 17.6 percent in the first quarter of 2011. Within those first three months, Americans spent $43 billion online. And, the projection for 2012 is that e-commerce will increase another 11.3 percent.
Based on trends and statistics, this growing e-commerce market will continue to grow.
1. Building Your Brand and Visibility with a Ghostwriter
So, it’s easy to see that with e-commerce rapidly growing a ghostwriter is a must-have business tool for marketers or business owners who need to provide regularly updated content on their site/s and in their newsletters or informational emails. This marketing strategy is known as inbound marketing. It helps build your platform, creates and increases traffic to your site, and will help increase your mailing list.
Creating content for businesses is actually a busy area for ghostwriters. Marketers are very aware of the importance of having effective and fresh content on the sites they are managing. Businesses hire a writer to write a set number of post/articles per week or month for a certain amount of money per article. Some businesses may want one to two articles per day; others may want one a week.
If you are hiring a ghostwriter for this capacity, be sure she knows about keywords and SEO. The point of hiring someone to create valuable content for your site/s is to have that content picked up in the search engines, which in turn will help searchers (potential customers/clients) find your site/s.
And, if the work involves rewriting articles, the ghostwriter must know the source article’s duplicate content score. Search engines frown upon duplicate content, so it’s the writer’s job to make the article different enough so it is perceived as new.
Maintaining and increasing visibility is essential to authors, writers, and businesses. Keeping up with blog posts and guest article writing is an important marketing tool for all, well at least for those who are trying to sell their products or services.
While I know most of my readers/visitors to this site don't have their own businesses, you might know of someone who does. Maybe you know of an entrepreneur who needs help with visibility; if that's the case, DKV Writing 4 U is the perfect solution.
Here's the press release we just sent out:
DKV Writing 4 U is having a March 2011 Business Marketing Special
To celebrate winter coming toward a long awaited end, we’re offering one 180 – 300 word ghostwritten health or business article per customer for a rock-bottom introductory price of $10.
Utilizing organic marketing is an essential part of online business. Providing quality and valuable information is what creates an information funnel back to your site. So, if you’re a business owner take advantage of our special today.
DKV Writing 4 U is a writing service that includes ghostwriting, copywriting, editing, proofreading, critiquing, and resumes.
With experienced and professional writers, we offer quality work at affordable prices. In addition, there are two FREE gifts just for visiting. And, if you subscribe to our site, you will receive two more FREE e-books on writing and/or marketing.
DKV Writing 4 U strives to help writers on their journey toward publication and businesses increase visibility and opportunities.
Karen Cioffi is an author, ghostwriter, and freelance writer. She is also a member of the Professional Writers Alliance, the International Association of Professional Ghostwriters, and the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.
This 34 page e-book is full of writing, publishing (traditional and self-publishing) and marketing information. Kind of a GPS for getting where you’re headed: published and selling books. GET YOUR COPY TODAY! Click on the link for more details and a great review: http://www.karencioffi.com/writing-publishing-and-marketing/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you haven’t yet, be sure to sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter, A Writers World, and get TWO FREE eBooks: The Self-Publisher’s Guide, 2nd Edition The Blogger’s Checklist (The books offered may change periodically)
In fact, check out the sidebar for two free gifts just for stopping by!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Do you want to get that idea turned into a book? Do you want to write your memoirs? Do you need editing, proofreading, or a professional critique? Do you need an e-book or white paper to offer for instruction, platform visibility, or a gift? Do you need blog or article visibility
0 Comments on DKV Writing 4 U March 2011 Business Marketing Special as of 3/2/2011 5:40:00 PM
Just as my book, Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer’s Guide to Making More Money, was a guidebook for self-employed writers who wanted to work more efficiently, Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: The Writer’s Guide to Making Money Ghostwriting and Coauthoring Books is a roadmap for book authors and freelancers who want to add ghostwriter/coauthor to their writing resumes. It addresses everything from what types of clients to pursue, what qualities you must have a successful ghostwriter, and how to pitch potential clients as well as how to negotiate fees, work with clients, address common problems that arise during the process, and take advantage of the growing demand for talented ghostwriters.
What exactly is a ghostwriter? Is it always writing for a high-profile figure like a celebrity or politician?
To my mind, a ghostwriter is anyone who writes without a byline. Sure, some ghostwriters do high-profile books, but most work for “everyday” clients including subject matter experts who want to publish a book in their specialty and people who want to publish a book but lack writing skills or time to do so.
If you ghostwrite a book, do you need to sign an agreement that you won’t tell anyone who really wrote the book? If so, can you use the book as one of your publishing credits when applying for other projects?
It depends on the client. Some insist on confidentiality agreements and you may not be able to use it as a credit in the future; other clients recognize/acknowledge their ghosts (such as in the acknowledgments) and are fine with you using their work as samples.
Can you make good money ghostwriting? How do the deals usually work out? For example, do you get a flat fee, or a portion of the advance and royalties, etc.?
Yes, you can make good money—otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it! Seriously, again, it depends on the client. Many want to pay a flat fee while others will agree to a percentage of the advance/royalties. However, if your client is working with a traditional publisher (as opposed to doing print-on-demand or self-publishing), you want to make sure you’re protected if a book fails to sell or garner the advance you’re hoping for. I’ve had clients that paid half the advance/royalties for a deal that was already in place, clients that have paid a flat fee for all rights, and clients that have paid an hourly rate.
What kind of experience do you need to become a ghostwriter?
If you’re going to be ghosting books, you really need to have a book or two under your belt. (Keep in mind, though, that ghosts also write speeches, articles, blog posts—you name it.) It also helps to have experience in the subject matter you’re writing about. This is where experience as a freelancer writing about certain topics—say, business or health—can help you nab ghosting gigs as well.
Author, Editor, and Freelance Writer Kathy Stemke Joins the Team at DKV Writing 4 U
DKV Writing 4 U is privileged to welcome Kathy Stemke to the team at: http://dkvwriting4u.com
As a super special way of welcoming Kathy Stemke on board as an editor and freelance writer at DKV Writing 4 U, we are having a SUPER SPECIAL July 1st through July 15th, 2010. Stop by our site for the details to this special and to learn more about Kathy Stemke.
DKV Writing 4 U is a writing service that includes ghostwriting, copywriting, editing, proofreading, critiquing, media releases, and much more.
With experienced and professional writers, we offer quality work at affordable prices. In addition, there is a FREE gift just for visiting. And, if you subscribe to our site, you will receive another FREE e-book about writing and/or marketing.
DKV Writing 4 U strives to help writers on their journey toward publication; businesses increase visibility and opportunities; and for those just starting out, we even help with blog and website creation.
Karen Cioffi is an author, ghostwriter, and freelance writer; co-moderator of a children’s critique group; a reviewer for multiple sites; as well as founder and manager of VBT Writers on the Move.
On February 19th, 2010 Irene Watson and Victor R. Volkman spoke with fulltime freelance writer, proofreader, and editor Ernest Dempsey. He shared encouraging information on how you can get started in the fun and profitable art of freelance writing. In addition to having written 4 books, he is now the editor-in-chief of the literary magazine Recovering the Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing and also works as the country editor for Pakistan on the celebrated Internet news channel Instablogs.com. He shared with us on the following points:
Where are some places that I can go to look for freelance web writing?
Is it “ghost writing” or does sometimes my name get shown?
What about being a Foreign Correspondent for a news organization in another country?
How does getting paid work?
How do you manage personal time, schedules, and deadlines?
What types of writing projects are available: interviews, reviews, tutorials and how well does each pay relative to the others
How have you improved your knowledge of English by writing over time?
How does freelancing compare to a “regular job”? Do you get to travel more?
Karim Khan, pen named Ernest Dempsey, hails from Hangu, a small town in Pakistan. As a child, he enjoyed two things: The joyful company of his brother and Khan’s best friend, Shais; and making airy castles with lots of characters in his mind. At twelve, he started writing detective stories, horror, thrillers, and humor. He has a Masters degree in Geology and one in English Literature.He has authored four books including his latest The Blue Fairy and other Tales of Transcendence and, in just the last few years, seen the publication of his poems, essays, short stories, and literary reviews worldwide. Khan is now looking forward to completing his first novel.
Why Hasn’t Charlie Rose Called Me Yet? « M. Ste said, on 2/19/2010 5:37:00 PM
[...] about plays and theater by Victor Volkman of Authors Access. My topics are below. For now, listen to the great Ernest Dempsey. 1. the process of writing a play 2. being a playwright-producer 3. directing your own play 4. the [...]
I am in search mode this week, looking for a new ghostwriting project. I happened across this great post from Amanda Evans, listing all the best sites to find ghostwriting jobs and decided to share it with my fellow writers.
Have fun, and good luck!
Filed under: Telecommuting Jobs Tagged: freelance writing, ghostwriting, ghostwriting jobs, writing [...]
2 Comments on Where to Find Ghostwriting Jobs, last added: 2/16/2010
Laura Cross's family and friends in Detroit, Michigan knew she would move on to bigger and better things when she began writing and performing plays for them as a child. Actually, they hoped she would move on to bigger and better things--they were tired of being her only audience!
When Laura packed up the moving van it was to head to California where she earned Certificates in Writing and Feature Film Writing for the UCLA Writer's Program. Laura's writing life has included magazine writing, script reading for production companies and literary agencies, leading writing workshops and blogging about screenwriting and non-fiction writing. She's also written some absolutely fabulous nonfiction books but sadly, as a ghostwriter, she has to keep the titles under wraps! Laura divides her time between Los Angeles and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Complete Guide to Hiring a Literary Agent By Laura Cross
This book is for every prospective author who has sought to have their manuscript transformed into a printed book. It guides you through the process of contracting a literary agent and convincing them that you are in fact the next great bestseller. From formatting a query letter to ensuring your manuscript looks presentable, every step of the process from inception to execution will be laid out in vivid detail for you.
Both published writers who have successfully found and acquired an agent and literary agents who are inundated with manuscripts and requests in the thousands every year, have been interviewed for this book and have provided their personal stories, tips, and tricks as to how you can get into the publishing industry through an agent. Finally, once you have found your agent, you will learn how to read contracts, accept offers, and understand what details will be handled exclusively by your agent.
Notes: The print version comes out in June 2010 and you can pre-order it on Amazon. The e-book version is available for purchase on Laura's site, where you can also download a free sample chapter.
Book Giveaway Comments Contest! If you received our Eve
29 Comments on Laura Cross, author of The Complete Guide to Hiring a Literary Agent, Launches her Blog Tour!, last added: 2/11/2010
This is one of the first blog posts that I have read today and I found some great advice to keep me inspired for a while. Although, I am a little jealous that my writing space isn't as nice :) Thanks for all of the advice and insights!
I look forward to your book. Literary agents have long been a mystery to me. I am always looking for different ways to approach them. I am assuming that even though I write children's fiction, I will find a lot of adaptable information.
Glad to see that you write 5 pages a day on your own projects. I have tried using a word count per day but find myself continually checking to see how many words I have, especially when the writing isn't going well.
Cheryl Carpinello author of "Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend" http://www.beyondtodayeducator.com http://carpinelloswritingpages.blogspot.com
Hi Horrible Sanity, Margay, Janel, Cheryl, and Edwina - glad you enjoyed the interview and found the post informative. Good luck with all your writing endeavors.
@Horrible Sanity - Thanks for your interest, I will email you directly about the possibility.
@Margay - as a ghostwriter I have worked with literary agents for many years and gained quite a bit of insight. However, I did research the topic further when preparing to write the book, including interviewing literary agents and published authors who successfully attained agents.
@Janel - love your avatar! I think all you really need is one item in your writing area that sets the mood, makes you feel good, and keep you inspired. It doesn't have to be an expensive item. It could simply be a motivational quote scribbled on a piece of paper and tacked to your wall.
@ccarpinello, Cheryl - setting a page count goal motivates me to write. Ultimately, the goal is to write - the page or word count is irrelevant. As long as I write, I've achieved the goal -- no point in beating yourself up if you don't hit a specific word or page number. (Of course, when it comes to client projects I have to hit that page count or I'm in trouble :)
Laura, you are an amazing and talented writer. Great advice about making your time count and keeping things moving. Your book sounds awesome and what a great resource.I'm looking forward to following your tour.
You're book sounds like a winner. So many writers need this information. Even now with 2 agents reading full ms, I may end up back in Square 1. My blog readers would also love to meet you at Wordshaping - http://amberpolo.blogspot.com/
Dear Laura, I'm learning a lot already from the free chapter download. Thank you! I'm currently putting together a nonfiction book proposal and I have a question I hope you can answer. I know I need to come across to an agent as confident of my material and my ability to deliver it well, but how can I demonstrate my confidence, and relate the scope of each chapter, when the book isn't written yet? ~Deb Kincaid
Hi, i am new to the world of blogs and writing. I totally enjoyed your interview, especially loved your description of the table where you write and the presence of your cat. As soon as I sit down to write my cat has to be on my lap. maybe I just need a big beautiful table like you describe. Thanks for all the helpful info. I plan to follow your tour. Jill
Hi Dianne, Amber, Deb, Desire', and Jill - thanks for your comments.
@Dianne - as a fellow ghostwriter I suspect you have the same experience with keeping things moving with your clients.
@Amber - getting your full manuscript into the hands of two agents at the same time is an impressive accomplishment (and rare, since most agents request exclusive submissions). It sounds like you'll have an agent in no time.
@Deb - when you're pitching a nonfiction book idea to an agent or publisher you're declaring that you are THE go-to expert on the particular subject. When submitting a nonfiction book proposal, even though you haven't written the manuscript yet, you will have conducted extensive research, written one to two sample chapters, identified your target market, analyzed competitive books, and created a detailed outline (chapter by chapter with headings, sub-headings, sub-categories, etc.) You will already know what the book will "look like" when it is written -- the number of chapters, word count, images, illustrations, graphs, charts, examples, anecdotes, case studies, checklists, interviews, etc. -- all of this information should make it easy to relate the scope of each chapter. If you have positioned yourself as an expert and established a strong platform (which are essential elements for landing a nonfiction book deal with a major publisher), then you will have demonstrated that you are more than capable (and confident) to author the book.
@Jill - my cat does the lap thing, too! I can usually work around it. It's when I'm trying to write and he decides he wants to sleep on the computer keyboard that we start having "issues"
Thanks, Laura. I'm glad I have five months to whip this proposal into shape before my writers conference! Great advice. Best of success with your book. ~Deb Kincaid
I've been looking for a book just like this. I have draft of a finished manuscript and not the slightest clue as to how to shape it and present it properly. Thank you Laura.
I needed this post today. Isn't that weird? Laura, I downloaded your free chapter and that's just what I needed. I am in the midst of looking for an agent for a YA novel that I have worked on for about 5 years--through workshops and critique groups, too. And I told myself I am just going to start sending it and stop tweaking it. And I have received 3 rejections, one request for a partial, and I am feeling down. UGH! But I know that's ridiculous--so I was glad to see the example at the end of your book where the author contacted twenty-two agents. Research and perseverance are the keys, I think. :) (And maybe a glass of wine every now and then.)
Thanks for the free chapter download! Can't wait to see the whole book.
Great interview. As an aspiring novelist, I'm always seeking out more information on agents and the querying process. If I'm not lucky enough to win, I'll need to purchase your book.
My question regards ghostwriting. Has it ever bothered you to not be acknowledged in public for your ghostwriting work?
I've had numerous small publications, and I take pride in seeing my name on that byline. I admire ghostwriters for putting forth so much effort without getting the direct credit.
Thank you, Laura, for sharing your expertise! So many of us are trying to do our homework on literary agents, but having the information in one place is a godsend!
I have spent a couple of years ghostwriting website content. I'd certainly enjoy moving on to something more challenging. I look forward to learning more from you.
Your career path is intriguing to me, so I apologize that I'm not asking about the book on literary agents (which sounds terrific), but simply *must* ask what you find most rewarding about ghostwriting. It's an interesting career choice for a writer. Egoless, if you will. Along the same line, what's the most difficult thing about being a ghostwriter? Do you ever finish a book and think, "Boy, I sure wish I could tell people I wrote *that* one"?
Thanks for the comments. I'm surprised to see so much interest in ghostwriting - if you want to learn more, my blog stops at Day by Day Writer on Friday, Feb 12th and at Freelance Writing on About.com on Monday, Feb 15th will delve deeper into the subject.
@Loren - congratulations on finishing your manuscript. All the best with your agent search.
@Margo - You have a great attitude and you're right - research and perseverance are they key to success. Don't get discouraged. There is an agent that is right for you and your material.
@Beth - I get this question a lot, "Has it ever bothered you to not be acknowledged in public for your ghostwriting work?, and the honest answer to that is a resounding "No". Yes, I'm proud of my writing ability, especially when one of "my" books is successful for the client - but ghostwriting is my job and the credit is the paycheck. The books are not written in my "voice" nor do they come from my initial ideas. It's not "my baby" I'm developing. And though I am often excited about specific projects, they're not something I become passionate about, like they are for the client or for an author writing his or her own book.
@Toni - if you're considering transitioning into ghostwriting books, you'll definitely want to learn more about connecting with literary agents and check out the blog stops this Friday and next Monday.
@Larina - I suppose ghostwriting is an interesting career choice for a writer. It's not something I consciously "choose' - it happened, I enjoyed the process, and (not being a 9 to 5 kinda girl) I quickly realized it was a viable way to make a living on my terms. The best part of being a ghostwriter? I get to choose who I want to work with and the projects I want to write. I can work from anywhere at anytime. Any my salary is based on my value, not an hourly wage. The most challenging aspect of being a ghostwriter? Like anything, there's been a learning curve - learning how to evaluate a project, learning how to effectively capture each client's distinct voice, and learning how to schedule projects to ensure they stay on track and run smoothly.
@danceluvr - to respond to your question "I could claim to have ghostwritten any book and who's to say otherwise?" No professional, ethical, trustworthy ghostwriter would ever reveal (or even "hint") that he or she authored a specific book. Doing so would be unethical and could easily result in a lawsuit. The ghostwriter's reputation would be destroyed. Who would want to work with a ghostwriter who doesn't stay hidden?
So, how can anyone verify a ghostwriter's experience? For portfolio samples you want to be very careful when using ghostwritten material due to non-disclosure agreements. My contracts specify that I may use up to a specific number of ghostwritten content for portfolio purposes, without identifying the “author” or book title (instead I identify a project by topic and type of client – for example, “A how-to entrepreneurial book for a prominent business leader”) Most professional, established ghostwriters receive referrals from literary agents and publishers. Obviously, when I receive referrals for ghostwriting projects from literary agents or publishers, they clearly know the titles of some of my ghostwritten books, because they referred previous projects.
@Linda - congratulations on completing your book proposal. I hope the free chapter from my book provided some additional direction on finding and selecting agents to pitch.
Facebook just said to leave a comment. Didn't say where. ( I know - details ...) Lots! of people left comments there. I hope they read the last post. Thanks C Donnell
This would be the perfect gift for a writer friend of mine who's working on her first book, which is about depression. I know she is almost at the looking-for-an-agent stage and this book could help her so much. Plus it's her birthday on the 22nd so I've just found the perfect gift! Thanks :)
Thank you for all your thoughtful comments. :) We held a random drawing by writing all your names on a slip of paper and picked one out of a bag.
Congratulations goes to "suzemuse"!
I didn't see an e-mail address on your profile, so please contact us at: [email protected] to claim your prize--a copy of Laura Cross's book, The Complete Guide to Hiring a Literary Agent.
Thanks again to every one who commented, and please check out Laura's tour dates for more giveaways and excellent information about agents.
Manuscript update: I’m going to reward myself with this treat when I get the perfect query letter and synopsis written.
Writing a novel isn’t easy, and we writers should reward ourselves when we reach a goal, no matter how small. Here’s one suggestion, Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Imagine these cookies speckled with brown whole wheat grain.
Chocolate chip cookies from scratch have been a staple in our home for years. We even have a special tin, and all our friends know there’s always some in there. I use the regular Tollhouse recipe on the back of the Tollhouse Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips bag, but I’ve tried to make them a little better for us over the years with a few substitutions:
Replace the granulated sugar with Splenda. The difference is neglible.
Remove the egg yolks and use just the egg whites. With between 9 and 10 minutes in the oven, the cookies have a nice crisp outside and chewy, cakey inside.
Add some more flour. I buy free range eggs, and they seem to be bigger than regular eggs. So to compensate, I’ve had to add in some more flour to keep the right consistency.
Now here’s my latest discovery:
Replace 1 cup of the total flour with whole grain flour and use regular white flour for the rest of the required amount.
Over Christmas, when I made a bunch of cookies that were a bit more healthful than the usual recipes, I found an awesome recipe for Whole Grain Snickerdoodles. I got the idea for the whole grain flour substitution in the chocolate chip cookies from those snickerdoodles, and it gives the chocolate chip cookies a really nice texture — not to mention having some whole grain flour in there is a little better for you.
So, next time you achieve one of your writing goals, no matter how big or small, try these for a (somewhat) healthful treat.
How do you reward yourself?
Write On!
P.S. If you’ve got a burning question about ghostwriting, you’ve got until Sunday night to enter it to be answered by writer Laura Cross, and have a chance to win a PDF copy of Cross’ informative book Complete Guide to Hiring a Literary Agent: Everything You Need to Know to Become Successfully Published. Cross’ answers to all the ghostwriting questions — and the winner of the book — will be on the blog on Feb. 12.
P.P.S. I’m going to the Austin SCBWI conference tomorrow, so next week look out for reports about the speakers, including Arthur Levine editor Cheryl Klein; Farrar, Strauss and Giroux editor Lisa Graff; Bloomsbury editor Stacy Cantor; agent and former editor Andrea Cascardi; agent Mark McVeigh; agent and blogger extraordinaire Nathan Bransford and many, many more.
Manuscript update: Still perfecting my query letter and synopsis. I’m attending the Austin SCBWI conference on Saturday — so excited — and hope to have a fantastic, shiny, brilliant query letter and synopsis ready to start sending out to the conference speakers soon after.
One thought before I do: Your query letter and synopsis are supporting players to your manuscript. Ultimately, it’s your manuscript that will get an agent to sign you as a client, so working hard and as long as it takes to make your manuscript perfect is essential. But once that’s done, don’t short-change this next part. Even though the query letter and synopsis are supporting players, they are the first ones on stage, and if they don’t shine with brilliance, your audience won’t stay for the full show. So, take the time, do the work, no matter how frustrating it can be. If necessary, shelve your query letter and synopsis for a few weeks, just as you would your manuscript, to make sure it’s the best it can be before you send it out.
When I was submitting my first novel to agents, I worked hard on my query letter and synopsis, and my first query letter got a good many requests for the full manuscript — the goal — but it also got many no thank yous. Later in the process, I revised the query letter, and my ratio of requests to no thank yous rose enormously on the side of requests. (Ultimately, my first manuscript got back very positive comments about my writing, the story, characters, etc., but the agents I submitted to said they felt it wasn’t right for them right now. As I had finished my second novel and started revising it, I decided to stop submitting my first book and start again with my second, which is what I’m doing now.)
Ok, now for the sharing part. Writer’s Digest just posted a really great article about query letters by literary agent Ann Rittenberg, Basics of a Solid 3-Paragraph Query Letter. Ann gives an example of a query letter that worked for her and dissects the parts of a query letter and how they should be used.
But what I like best about Ann’s article is the statistics she gives at the beginning. They might be daunting, scary even, but they’re the reality, and the way to look at them is as a challenge. Let’s face it, with these statistics, the odds are against anyone getting a request from a query letter, but people do get requests (see above) and books from debut authors are published every year. There’s nothing to say that it can’t be your book or mine, as long as we put in the work that’s necessary.
Read Ann’s article but don’t feel discouraged. Feel energized, charged up that you are now closer to getting that request, closer to being a debut author, because you have something other writers must not: You have the keys that Ann is giving you about how to write a query that will get a Yes.
Coming next, more on writing a brilliant synopsis.
P.S. You’ve got til the end of this week to enter the contest to win a PDF copy of Laura Cross‘ book Complete Guide to Hiring a Literary Agent: Everything You Need to Know to Become Successfully Published. Go to my
0 Comments on More on query letters as of 1/1/1900
Manuscript update: Three fellow writers have very graciously agreed to read my latest revision, which I finished yesterday. Thank you, to them. Once they’re done, I’ll do one more read-through, going through their notes and fixing anything else I see, then I think it will be ready to send out. So next week’s goal will be to get a good query letter written.
I’ve written before about the benefits of being part of a critique group. There’s the camaraderie, the support in an otherwise lonely activity, the comfort in being with others in the same boat as you, and, of course, there’s the critique itself.
That last one is the most important benefit of a critique group, but only if the members are really critiquing.
Good critiquing is priceless, but good critiquing isn’t always pretty. By that, I don’t mean writers should be nasty about their criticism. We all want to strive for constructive criticism. But what I mean is that identifying flaws is a part of good critiquing.
Andrea Brown Literary agent Mary Kole has a great post on her Kidlit.com blog today about the need to grow a thicker skin. She points out that some critique groups meet only to hear how wonderful each others’ writing is. I like to hear good news as much as the next guy, but as Kole says, no one learns if they’re not told what they have to work on.
Now, sure, some critique group members are going to have less experience than others and might not be able to pick up on problems as easily as more experienced members. But that’s why it’s good to be in a critique group with members with all different levels of experience.
But even less experienced writers are readers — or should be if they’re writing books — and as readers, they should be able to contribute criticism as much as any book fan.
The important thing is that critiquers critique. If you’re part of a critique group, you’re making a pact to help others make their writing better, and to do that, you have to point out where they’re going wrong. If you don’t, you’re wasting their time and yours.
On the part of the critiquee, it’s important to just listen and write notes when getting your critique. Don’t let emotion, pride, stop you from listening. And don’t let emotion let you take the critiques for anything other than what they are: someone else’s opinion. Some of the notes you get are going to help you make your work better, some won’t. As the creator of the work, you can make the decision of which is which when you go over your notes later.
It’s always tough to hear people criticize your work, but without that criticism — constructive criticism — your work will never get better. No writer can see every flaw in their own work by themselves — that’s why there are editors. And if an unpublished writer can’t listen to the opinions of others, digest them and figure out which will make their work better, they’re going to have a hard time being published, because published writers work side by side with editors — who give their own educated, knowledgeable, experienced criticisms.
Oh, and by the way, when I say that critiquers are doing their job when they point out the flaws, I don’t mean critiquers shouldn’t point out the good parts too. We all need encouragement as much as we need to know how to improve. The best critiquers are those who can find both good and bad things to say about another’s work, and saying the good first is always a great way to help someone grow.
Got any other critiquing tips? Tell us in the comments.
Also, I’ve had some great questions about ghostwriting sub
3 Comments on Critique like you mean it, last added: 1/23/2010
I’m just beginning to work with critique partners. This was very helpful. Thank you!
daybydaywriter said, on 1/22/2010 7:27:00 PM
I’m glad, vvdenman. Good luck with working with critique partners. The right critique relationships will be very rewarding.
Vonna Carter said, on 1/23/2010 7:52:00 PM
I’ve heard a lot about the recent launch of Becky Levine’s book The Writing & Critique Group Survival Guide. I’m in a great critique group(I talked about this wrenching but ultimately rewarding experience on my blog a while back) but I’m going to check this book out as a resource for other writers who have either just joined a critique group or are thinking about joining one.
Revision update: I didn’t work on my revision at all over the weekend, and coming back today, with just two days away from the story, I felt out of it. I must make time on the weekends from now on. I did get some good stuff done this morning, however, and I’m looking to tomorrow’s session. Still hoping to be done by the end of the week. Fingers crossed.
If you haven’t read a mention of this yet, I’m interviewing Laura Cross on Feb. 12 about ghostwriting. Laura, the author of Complete Guide to Hiring a Literary Agent: Everything You Need to Know to Become Successfully Published, has credits in magazine writing, script reading and non-fiction books, but you won’t find her name on any of the books because they were ghostwritten.
Ghostwriting might not lead to fame, as the work will be published under another name, but it can be rewarding in the financial sense, and it can be an opportunity for writers to do what they do best — write. Ghostwriting is common practice for both fiction and non-fiction books, and publishers always need writers to be the silent partner.
But how do writers find these jobs? And how does ghostwriting work? Does the publisher give the writer the story then leave them alone? Or is it more of a collabortive effort?
Laura will pull back the curtain on ghostwriting on Feb. 12, and you can ask the questions. Leave a question in the comments section of this post before Feb. 1, and whoever asks Laura’s favorite question will win a PDF copy of her Complete Guide to Hiring a Literary Agent book — useful to us all.
So, put your thinking cap on and get your fingers tapping. Let’s give Laura some great questions to dig deep into the writing revenue stream that is ghostwriting. Then check back on Feb. 12 for the interview. It’s going to be fun.
Write On!
3 Comments on Ghostwriting and a competition, last added: 1/22/2010
How does a writer get a ghostwriting gig if he or she doesn’t have a published book yet? Are other writing credits enough to land a job?
daybydaywriter said, on 1/20/2010 3:58:00 PM
Great questions, Suzanne. Thanks
anitanolan said, on 1/22/2010 9:47:00 AM
I’d like to know how to actually get a ghostwriting or work for hire job. I’ve actually done some work for hire, written for a magazine, edited a couple magazines, etc, but I don’t seem to be able to break through. (The WFH work I’ve done has come to me through friends of friends.) I apply for jobs, hear back that they’ll keep my info on file, but never hear anything more.
What is the correct way to approach ghostwriting/WFH publishers, what are the best ways/places to find out about this type of work?
thanks. Looking forward to the interview.
Revision update: It’s coming along, but I’ve slowed down a bit.
There’s that old saying that when a door closes, another opens. Call me an optimist, but I believe in this. I acknowledge that the second one doesn’t always open immediately, but with some patience, a lot of hard work, dedication and, perhaps most of all, faith, it will open. God provides, I believe, and I’ve seen it happen time and time again.
On Wednesday morning, I heard that the job I have held for the past 10 years was being eliminated, pretty much effective immediately. I knew change was coming, but hadn’t expected it quite so quickly and didn’t expect this type of change. But there it is. I’ve been laid off, which nowadays isn’t an unusual thing. I’ve joined the many many many others who have lost their jobs lately thanks to the economic climate.
I’m not one who worries too much about change. I lived in four different countries by the time I was 12, so change is nothing new. It can be exciting, strange, daunting, but mostly, it’s something that happens, and you just roll up your sleeves and deal with it.
Change can also bring opportunities, that other door opening. Who knows what we’ll find through that door, but no matter what, it will be a new chance to learn, at the very least.
When I put the news of my job’s demise on Facebook, a writer friend of mine wrote back: “Bummer! but more time for the novel selling/writing ” Now that’s looking at the bright side!
I don’t know what will be in store for me in the near future. I’m looking for a new job and freelance work (anyone need an expert editor/writer with 15 years experience?) and I do plan to also spend more time on my novels. Whatever happens, though, this is an opportunity. I plan to make the most of it.
And now, I’ve got an opportunity for you.
On Feb. 12, I’ll be posting an interview with Laura Cross, author of Complete Guide to Hiring a Literary Agent: Everything You Need to Know to Become Successfully Published. See, I told you, opportunities!
But here’s the real opportunity. Laura will be answering YOUR questions, and the best one will WIN a PDF copy of her book.
Here’s some info about Laura:
Laura Cross’s family and friends in Detroit, Michigan knew she would move on to bigger and better things when she began writing and performing plays for them as a child. Actually they hoped she would move on to bigger and better things–they were tired of being her only audience!
When Laura packed up the moving van it was to head to California where she earned Certificates in Writing and Feature Film Writing for the UCLA Writer’s Program. Laura’s writing life has included magazine writing, script reading for production companies and literary agencies, leading writing workshops and blogging about screenwriting and non-fiction writing. She’s also written some absolutely fabulous non-fiction books but sadly, as a ghost writer, she has to keep the titles under wraps! Laura divides her time between Los Angeles and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
For our interview, we’ll tap into Laura’s private life: ghostwriting, although I’m sure Laura will answer other burning questions if you have them. Ghostwriting is one of those lucrative opportunities that, if you
Sorry to hear about your job situation. In 2005, I was laid off in January too. I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been so it was really stressful, but in the end it all worked out and I found a BETTER job. The same will happen for you as well. A chance for another/better opportunity!
I have a question about ghosting: I was once approached by a company who wanted me to do some ghostwriting for them but I wasn’t sure about how much to charge. What is the going rate and what should a writer beginning in ghostwriting charge for their work?
Looking forward to the blog post. Thanks Samantha!
daybydaywriter said, on 1/8/2010 7:49:00 PM
Thanks for the encouragement, Karen. I’m glad to hear it worked out well for you. I’m sure it will be the same for me.
And thanks for the ghostwriting question. It will be sent to Laura.
I’m an arts critic but in order to keep a decent amount of food on the table, I ghostwrite non-fiction books. So far, I’ve been lucky enough to find clients through referrals and being at the right place at the right time. The problem is, all of these projects (12) have been self-published, which means that although the manuscript is top-drawer, it ends up languishing by the caseload in clients’ sheds while they work out how to market them.
I quite like ghosting and am looking to move onwards and upwards. I’ve been making a few inquiries with publishers and agents about how they source ghostwriters for memoirs or other projects but can’t get a straight answer out of either side. Both say to try the other!
Which party is responsible for arranging the ghostwriter and what is the best way to get my foot in the door? Are there agents that deal specifically with ghosts?
This is an interesting question, and like so many of the questions I receive it doesn’t have an easy answer. In fact, it doesn’t have one answer. Both publishers and agents can use and hire ghostwriters. I know that BookEnds has a number of writers available for ghostwriting projects and have called in those writers more than once to help complete a project an expert writer was struggling with. In all of those situations, however, the ghostwriter came to us from another project. In other words, one writer came with an expert when I took on his book. She did such a great job that I later used her for other projects. Other writers came to us as writers and worked on projects of their own, but we called them in when ghostwriting became available.
I’ve also been in situations where it was the publisher who decided a ghostwriter was needed and suggested someone. I will tell you though that any time that happened the writer was already agented somewhere and the publisher had simply worked with her before on other projects. Typically publishers do not have a list of ghostwriters at hand and a smart ghostwriter is agented anyway.
Unfortunately, I suspect some of what you’re looking for is luck. It seems you’re getting work, which is great, now it’s getting those projects out to agents and finding someone who can get it to publishers. I don’t think you’re going to have any luck approaching publishers, and I think you’re going to have a difficult time finding an agent unless you have a project you can sell. Your best bet is finding that key project, ghostwriting it, and then working with the author to find an agent who would be willing to take you both on.
At this point, since I’ve never sat on your side of the desk, I’m going to turn this over to my readers. They tend to have better advice than I do on subjects like this.
I may be way off-beam, and speaking from a UK only perspective, but I would think that ghostwriting non-fiction is a prime case of soemthing where you and your subject need to put together a really strong proposal and seek representation before you write - this is about more than your writing skills, so doing the best you can is no guarantee if people don't want the subject. I would have thought, therefore, that it was most prudent to tik this box first.
This is a very interesting post and something that I rarely hear about, have never researched, and have no idea how it would even work. BUT! Now, my interest is peaked.
Hmm...I have been called in to help write manuals and ACE awards propaganda and how-to manuals. It's amazing what happens when people hear that you're a writer. This was a VERY interesting post!
I don't ghostwrite per se -- with most of the co-authoring I do, my name ends up somewhere on the book -- but the process is very similar to what Jessica described. Basically there are three ways I've gotten co-authoring deals: 1. Proposing them to a publisher (usually through an agent) where I find an expert to help me write a book on some interesting topic. I put together a proposal and my agent sells it. 2. Having previously worked with an agent who thinks of me when a new project needs a co-author. 3. Having previously been published by a publishing company with an editor who thinks of me when a new project needs a co-author.
One of the other commmenters suggested shopping a co-authored/ghost-written proposal to agents, and I think that's probably the best plan.
I found one phrase to be particularly interesting. "Most ghost-writers are agented anyway." Now that's not something you hear much about. How does one go about querying an agent for representation as a ghost-writer? And, lest my own agent read this and think I've decided to go in this direction, she can be assured that I'm finding it hard enough to write my own material, much less hire out to write with others. I just thought it was a fascinating subject.
I worked with a ghostwriter for a couple of years. He wrote fiction under a variety of names, some familiar, others not. He got burned out on plotlines and characterizations, so I provided blueprints for his stories and developed good characters. It came in very handy when I began writing my own novels. And the money was nice too.
I met author Andrew Neiderman who once upon a time wrote a few romances for Harlequin. He was writing his own stories when Gothic author, V.C. Andrews (Flowers in the Attic) passed away in the mid eighties. The publisher approached him saying the family had many outlines for future stories of Andrews and asked him to ghostwrite. He must have had a similar voice and writing style. He's still ghostwriting today, as well as writing under his own name and it's common knowledge.
With non-fiction, I'm not sure, other than marketing your skills somehow. Perhaps advertising your ghostwriting services in magazines like Variety (to find a celebrity with a platform but no writing skills) or other industry, arts, or sports related magazines, or Writer's Digest, to get the word out could help?
Have a website that shows you've completed projects, and other writing, and perhaps a blog. Get business cards printed and send off letters to everyone in the bizz advertising your skills. Then when you do secure someone with a strong platform, contact an agent with a proposal.
I would expect ghostwriting is like writing any other nonfiction - you need a platform. If you don't personally have a dynamite platform that will sell your book, you need to team up with someone who does before you can seek out an agent. You probably ought to have at least some knowledge of the field, but you will be best off finding someone else who is an expert in XYZ but doesn't have the time or inclination to write a book by themselves.
The tagline of Ghostwriting: The Hidden Writer is “How To Become A Ghost Writer And Quit Your Day Job.” The blog author, Amanda Evans, is a fulltime ghostwriter, and says that the aim of her blog is to provide advice to those who want to know how to become a ghostwriter.
In addition to posting about her experience as a ghostwriter, Amanda also regularly posts info about European freelance jobs.
1 Comments on Blog highlight: Ghostwriter, last added: 12/22/2008
BY KELLY JAMES-ENGER
Kelly James-Enger is a longtime freelancer and the author of more than a dozen books including Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: Make Money Ghostwriting Books, Articles, Blogs and More, Second Edition; Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer’s Guide to Making More Money, Second Edition; and Dollars and Deadlines: Make Money Writing Articles for Print and Online Markets.
Becoming a published author is usually a tough, demanding mission. But for 
David Ritz
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Karen,
This is great information. Hearing this again reinforces it for me. I particularly liked the point about setting the timer for an hour. I'm just getting used to keeping certain days for certain things. Old habits are hard to break! But when I stay to my schedule, I am definitely more productive.
Kathy
http://kathleenmoulton.com
Hi, Kathy,
I have to read it periodically for reminders myself. It's just too easy to get sidetracked.
Thanks for stopping by!