1O Questions Your Ghost-writer Needs to Ask Before Writing Your Book
There’s nothing more satisfying than collaborating with the perfect ghost-writer and vice-versa. But that doesn’t just happen. The business of ghost-writing is all about trust, and having your ghost-writer ask you these questions, is one way to build that trust.
Now, these questions aren’t just because your ghost-writer is nosy (although let’s not rule that out). These questions help build the foundation of your working relationship. It’s also the foundation on which your contract is built.
So, what are these questions?
Question 1
Why Do You Want to Write Your Book?
That is perhaps the most important question. Some authors write for the fame and royalties, but then we can’t all be rich and famous like J.K Rowling. Others write to show their expertise and build their brand, and if the book makes a billion bucks while they are at it, it’d be a fantastic bonus. While others write not for the money, brand, or fame, they simply want to get a message out or leave a legacy (as in the case of memoirs, autobiographies and biographies). I ask this question to advise my client accordingly or make valuable suggestions to help their publishing journey.
Question 2
What’s Your Central Message?
Naturally, it’s essential to get down the theme or message of your book before you start writing. But some authors don’t always have this down in the beginning. I’ve had a meeting with a client who wanted to fit different themes and ideas into one book. Themes and ideas that, if separated, could make three great books. That’s not to say a book can’t have several themes; it can and does. But this often comes in the form of one central theme and then supporting themes. If you overwhelm your reader with too much at once, they may forget your main message and leave your book quite confused.
Also, having your theme or message down is the fastest way to figure out your target audience, because contrary to what you may think, your book isn’t for everyone. If my client doesn’t have the theme or central message of their book figured out, I help them narrow it down.
Question 3
Who is Your Target Audience?
As I mentioned earlier, your book isn’t for everyone; that’s not possible. The worst thing you can do for your book is to market to a general audience. You need to figure out the people you want to talk to and sell your book to them. While I don’t engage in marketing my client’s book (you need another expert for that), I help them narrow down their target audience. That makes things easy for me as I research and write.
Question 4
Do You Want a Ghost-writer or Co-Author?
That answer should be obvious, but it’s not. Why? Things might change along the way, and you may realise that you’d prefer a co-author. As you already know, a ghost-writer is essentially a ghost. They take no credit whatsoever. However, a co-author is different. Most authors do want to write their books themselves; they just need someone to bounce off ideas and share the workload, and that’s where the co-author comes into play. A co-author is a writer with whom you collaborate to write your book. Some co-authors contribute in terms of research (and writing), especially if you’ve come up with the idea and concept of the book. Others split the book down the middle and do everything as equal partners. You each take a part of the book and work on it. Finding a co-author can be beautiful, especially if you find one with whom you are compatible.
Question 5
Will You Self-Publish or Traditional Publish?
There are many pros and cons of both, and this is an essential question for a first-time author. Many first-time authors haven’t thought as far as publishing. They simply want to get their book out first. As I mentioned, I ask this question because there are pros and cons to both types of publishing. I like to present them to my clients so they can make the best choice for them.
Question 6
Have You Started on a Manuscript? If So, How Far Along Are You?
Some authors already have some parts of the book written and just need help to complete it. Some have an outline, and some simply have an idea. I ask this question because it’s an integral part of determining your budget and deadline. Naturally, if you already have a manuscript going, it won’t cost as much as just having an idea. Also, this lets me know how intimately the writer will be involved in the book. Some authors want to be a part of every process; others prefer editorial input.
Question 7
How Much Time Do You Have to Dedicate to Writing Your Book?
Some authors drop their book on the lap of their ghost-writers and don’t show up again until the book is done. If that’s what you’d like, it’s best to state it in the beginning. It’s bad to tell your ghost-writer that you want to be in 100% only to turn around and ghost them.
Question 8
What’s the Deadline for Your Book?
For some authors, the entire point of using a ghost-writer is to get their book finished on time. So, having a deadline for your book isn’t only normal, it’s necessary. It gives me a time frame to work with and lets me know if I can take on the project or not.
Question 9
What’s the Length of Your Book?
I have to say here that it’s more about quality than quantity. Your book doesn’t need to get to 60k words if you can make your point in 30k. Also, the length of your book helps me determine the deadline.
Question 10
What is Your Budget?
That is a big one because ghost-writing a book is much more than writing it. You need an editor/proof-reader, a book formatter, a book cover artist, or help with publishing. Also, depending on your book, you may need an illustrator or a researcher. And of course, there’s marketing and promotion. All of that can be a bit overwhelming for a first-time author, especially if they are self-publishing. As I mentioned earlier, I don’t do marketing or promotion, but I can help my clients with editing, proofreading, formatting, and getting a book cover artist or an illustrator. I’ll outsource some of these tasks (I’m no jack-of-all-trades). So, I like to determine what my client’s budget is; that way, I can decide whether or not I’ll help with the extras or not.
Conclusion
There’s a lot that goes into writing a book. That’s why you have to get these questions done, so you and your ghost-writer can get your expectations sorted out. These questions usually happen during the discovery meeting or consultation, and many professional ghost-writers will not charge you for this.
