Writing tips

The plot
thickens

Choosing
a literary
agent

Query letters

Inspire me!

But they
rejected me!

Ghostwriting tip 1  

Before entering into any kind of contract with a ghostwriter, you might want to discuss your project with an agent or publisher. It's a fickle market with shifting trends that can leave your book high and dry six months down the line.

Also ask your ghostwriter about get-out clauses and penalties. Most ghostwriters are fairly honest and decent, but there's always scope for unscrupulousness.

Ghostwriting

There's long been something of a stigma associated with ghostwriting, as if it's something to be ashamed of. Which is irrational. Plenty of people have good stories or ideas for books, but lack the necessary "mechanical" or literary skills needed to assemble a readable manuscript. They may not have sufficient time. Or patience. They may be illiterate, or semi-literate - which is more common than most people realise.

Conversely, there are plenty of editors with excellent literary skills who simply can't spin a good yarn or devise a new formula for a history or art book.

It cuts both ways.

The job of a ghostwriter is essentially reportage. It's less an art and more a craft. You tell, I show. You invent, I present.

It can work well, or it can be disastrous. So think long and hard about your project, and make sure that the ghostwriter you choose is sensitive to your needs and easy to get along with.

It can take a long time to bring a project to fruition - from months to years even - and you'll need to maintain a good working relationship throughout.

I can help if you've got a good idea for a book, or a good story to tell. There are some things that I prefer not to handle, such as celebrity biographies, medical books, and anything distasteful or gory. But I'm generally pretty flexible.

If you look around the site, it will give you a feel for my interests and experience.

My name, incidentally, doesn't have to appear on a project. In fact, I'd rather it didn't. Ghostwriting is essentially a backstage job. I'm happy being way back there in the distance.

Email me with details of your project and we'll talk through it. It may be that I can persuade you to handle the first draft yourself, possibly saving time and money and adding authenticity. You may have a hidden talent for writing that can be teased out. And good books aren't, in the main, a matter of sophisticated writing. Far from it. The best books are usually simple tales, simply told with honesty and candour.

When you're ready, send me an email and I'll respond as quickly as possible.