Frequently Asked Questions
Will you ghostwrite my book for me?
That depends. There are many situations where ghostwriting is appropriate, but even more situations where it is inappropriate.
Ghostwriting is appropriate when an executive or celebrity is interested in releasing a memoir or nonfiction book that supports his or her visibility or business strategies. In these cases, it is not good use of the person's time to author his or her own book. It is also appropriate when someone has a compelling story to tell, but might not be able to write the book, because of their physical circumstances. The book The Diving Bell and the Butterfly comes to mind, although that book was not strictly a case of ghostwriting. I've also ghostwritten overflow work from my fellow writers.
Ghostwriting is inapproriate in cases where the author has no confidence in his or her writing or has a great idea, but is unwilling to do the work to bring it to fruition. I've worked with writers who were convinced they weren't good storytellers, but after a few sessions with me they were much more confident in their abilities. They came to discover that only they could write their unique stories.
Sometimes people come to professional writers with concepts or ideas for short stories, novels or movie scripts that they want written for them. These people, of course, want a cut of the profit for simply coming up with the idea. The fact is, writers are who they are not just because of their ability to write, but because they have a million ideas jostling in their heads. Most writers don't have enough time to get to all of their own good ideas, let alone to toil over the ideas of others. When I run into people with good ideas who want others to write for them, I encourage them to try their hand at writing. Only they can give their ideas the best possible chance at coming to life in the world of story.
