“Everyone has a book inside of them – but it doesn’t do any good until you pry it out.” – Jodi Picoult
In an article in Forbes, it was reported that Mike Schultz (Wellesley Hill Group, of Framingham, Mass), surveyed 200 business-book authors.
He stated that: “The vast majority of the authors we surveyed – 96% – said they realised a significant positive impact on their business from writing a book and would recommend the practice.”
However, if you had ideas of becoming a multi-millionaire over night, think again. The primary benefits they enjoyed as a result of publishing their business book were indirect:
- Generating more leads
- Charging higher fees
- Getting better speaking engagements
- Increased personal and business credibility
Far from being a purely narcissistic indulgence, the book inside you will help draw attention to your brand. It will raise your profile to help people find you (and talk about you), and it will boost your credibility, authority and expertise.
So why haven’t you already written one?
Probably because of:
- The amount of effort and time involved in writing the book
- Doubts that you won’t make loads of money, so is it worth it?
- You’re daunted by the prospect of putting pen to paper
That’s why you should consider hiring a ghostwriter to help you.
Isn’t using a ghostwriter to write your business book cheating?
No – using a ghostwriter to write your business book is not cheating.
Why?
It is you who has had the idea for your business book.
It is a topic in which you are an expert.
It is you who have come up with the rough outline and structure of your book.
Your ghostwriter is just providing expert writing skills to ensure those ideas, and your expertise comes across engagingly.
Before embarking on a project such as writing your business book, it’s important to be honest with yourself.
- Are your writing skills up to creating an engaging read?
- Do you have the time and stamina needed to write the book?
- Are you serious about the project?
Writing a 60,000 plus word book is a vast undertaking.
How a ghostwriter works
Before I outline the process, I want to stress that your ghostwriter is there to provide words and guidance only.
They will not research and come up with the content for you – that’s your job. If they did then, yes, you would be cheating.
Step 1
Your ghostwriter will sit down with you and listen to your ideas and review your proposed structure. During this initial meeting, you will both get an idea of whether there is any chemistry between you. Not in a Fifty Shades way, but in a ‘can we work closely together’ way.
Step 2
With a firm understanding of the project, the ghostwriter will then put together a project proposal outlining schedule, method and price. Once this has been agreed work can get underway.
Step 3
Several interviews are conducted, recorded, and transcribed from which the writer will pull together a book outline. This is revised by the client and redrafted until its spot on. These recordings also allow the writer to get ‘in the client’s head’ and take on their voice and personality for the final writing stage.
Step 4
Over several days, the ghostwriter interviews the client, again recording the conversation for transcription.
Step 5
From these transcripts the writer then creates an expanded outline. Again, as in step 3, this is revised and redrafted until a final working outline is achieved.
Step 6
The ghostwriter then goes away and starts writing. It is a process that can take anything from a few months to a year or more, depending on the complexity of the project. A draft is then shared with the client.
Step 7
This is where the client gets involved in the revision process. They make edits and make it their own by adding stories and reword.
Step 8
After a final edit, the manuscript is handed over the client for publication.
Ghostwriting is an investment
You won’t be surprised to learn that ghostwriting isn’t cheap. It’s unlikely you’ll make the money back in sales. But that’s not why you’re writing your business book.
As you can see from the outlined process, it takes a lot of time and skill to write a book. Depending on the format you’re looking for, you could be looking at anything from £10,000 (plus out of pocket expenses) upwards. Payment will probably be in three or four payments.
Should ghostwriting be an option for you?
These questions will help you decide:
- How long have you been meaning to write your book? If you keep thinking ‘next year’, yes, hire a ghostwriter and get it done
- Does the investment make sense?If it will push your business and reputation to the next level, yes, it’s worth it
- Do you enjoy writing?If the answer is no, get yourself a ghostwriter
- Do you have the time?Be honest, it will take hundreds and hundreds of hours to complete your book. How valuable is your time?
If you want to have a chat about the ghostwriting process to work out whether it’s right for you. Give Sally Ormond, Briar Copywriting, a call on +44(0) 1449 779605 or +44(0) 7905 273252.