I'm a ghostwriter (but not Harry's!) - AMA

[Edithisoverthere]

I've been a ghostwriter for more than ten years now - we're usually very much in the shadows, but Harry's book has perhaps made more people aware of what we do.

Amongst others, I've worked with bloggers, people who have done extraordinary things, instagrammers, business people, psychics, those who want to just record their own history for family reasons . . .

I find it really interesting and I'm fascinated by the lives of others. I have non disclosure agreements on a lot of books but if there's anything you'd like to ask, please do!

How do the people authoring the books know where to find you? Is there a register of ghost writers? Or an agency that specialises in that? If I wanted someone to write my life's story, I just can't fathom even the first step in finding them beyond a Google search

How did you get into it?

Can you tell a ghostwriters style?

do you think Jilly Cooper is Harry’s?

Are you hoping to write your own book with your own name in the future?

My FIL has the most brilliant stories. I've always said I'd love to write his biography, but while I'm an excellent writer in the context of my work, I'm no author!

What would the cost be of hiring someone like you to write a private story? I've no idea if we'd get it published although I think it has legs. It would also be a brilliant TV series 😂

A man who was raised on a farm with no gas, electric or running water (well into the 80s), working in farming, engineering, welding then down the tin mines, loss of family in mine collapses, his long term trauma from that is quite clear. Then he moved to an historic island and ran the boat service for 30+ years, his wife ran off with his best friend and left him with a 11mth old son to raise. Lots of stories from then on including hair-raising pranks between him and his cousins, using telehandlers to catch parakeets in trees with your son on the forks, electric shocks, peeing on electric fences... Honestly there's just so much to be told and I wish we could get it recorded!

That was for Fuckstix but forgot to add her question in it!

I was a journalist immediately before this, but have done a few things.

It depends on the project. If a publisher brings it to me, it's usually a flat fee, sometimes with minimal royalties. If a private commission, the fee is paid in three instalments. There can be 50/50 splits on advances and royalties on some projects.

In terms of income, it's up to the ghost really - self-employed and flexible, so can take on as much or as little as I want.

If it's with a traditional publisher, they get absolutely everything legalled. If it's a private commission, I always advise to get a lawyer to look over it, no matter the topic. It would be rare for someone to have a lawyer in place already unless it was a high profile case, but I would need to speak to them directly, not do it all through a lawyer. Have you done something interesting but illegal? 😉

It's in my pile to read!

I probably wouldn't ghost fiction. Those who have asked me to usually have such a vague idea of what they want to do with it that I feel the input needed from me would be so much that I'd be as well doing it myself.

No, it doesn't bother me at all - I'd hate to do the publicity that is asked of a lot of people. I love seeing what they do though.

Fascinating subject! How did you get into doing this, did you approach publishers or did they approach you? Or do you write for people who want to self publish?

I'm not sure if I've answered this already! I was a journalist. I often say I'll write a novel, but never do - there are people with much more interesting stories out there and I really love helping them to get a platform.

Have you ever had to write about things like Harry has included and thought WTF? Why/how is this person writing that?

What's the process like?

How did you get into it/how do people get into it?

How do you find projects, or do projects find you?

What's the time commitment like, or does that depend on the subject? Say 80,000 words, how long would that take you and how much would you expect to be paid?

Sorry - so many questions, I'm a copywriter/feature writer and hadn't ever considered ghostwriting, but my interest is now piqued given recent events

I interview the client and record it all. If there's any research to do, I work out the best stage to do that. I read any other documents such as social work records, medical files etc - again, that is done at the stage which fits in best with the interviews; some people don't want you to read anything until later when you've established trust. Then I transcribe it all - I don't farm this out to anyone as I like to get a second feel for the story when I do it. I don't use transcription software either for the same reason.

Then I pull together the first draft, the client reads it, I make any changes/additions/deletions, pull together the second draft for the same again.

I've never had anything that's slipped through as the client is always in control of what there is in the manuscript. Not everyone publishes, some people just want their story to be heard and for them to have a copy of it themselves.

My name is often on the covers, usually in the acknowledgements. In terms of code, some celebs will say - about any ghost - 'thank you to x for helping me get the story out there' or 'thank you to x for listening to me'!

I was a journalist before this - lots of ghosts are. Someone asked me to ghost their story as it was too big for a newspaper feature. Honestly, I had no idea about it before that and certainly didn't know how many books were done that way.

Google search would eventually lead you to me, but most of the first two pages on that are paid for ads, so you would have to trawl a bit! People find me through LinkedIn and Reedsy, my website if they've seen my name in a book or on the cover. I do some talks/events, and there's always word of mouth. It's definitely best to talk to a few before you decide as the trust has to be there from the outset. It will develop, but you need to go with your gut as to whether this person is right for you (as well as making sure they can actually do this).

There are companies who have ghostwriters on file, and there are some that work almost like essay mills.

Very law abiding and boring I'm afraid!

I got thinking about it when the guy who scar face was based on was on Tiger King talking openly about some his crimes and your thread just reminded me!

I thought of another question though - I'm assuming the people you're ghosting get to read before publishing and often want changes? If so do they ever just totally tear what you've written to shreds or is more like "Can we leave that bit out please?"

Not really!

She certainly could have, couldn't she? Some of the excerpts coming out are mind boggling. I think his was John Moehringer, an American ghost who has written his own book too.

My name is on a lot of them anyway, but I've no great desire to have a novel or memoir of my own - I have a vague notion sometimes but never do anything about it. I think I'd be awful at it, probably need a ghostwriter . . .

You definitely should record it - so many stories are lost. I regret not recording those of my own family. Cost really does vary but it all depends on experience. I know people who do them for £5-10k, but you'd pay more for me 😉

Even if you don't self-publish or approach traditional publishers, I really do think it would be worth just recording his memories as he sounds fascinating.

No, but I am fascinated by how his ghostwriter has had to work. In a normal situation, you would think that a lot of that should definitely not have been added, but with this, it's had to be to get headlines and be different from anything already revealed. It's all had to be dragged out too - as someone said earlier, it's almost Jilly Cooper! I'd always advise someone if they should maybe reconsider adding certain things, especially if it will cause family rifts. There's no going back once it's out there.

Do you have an agency? And if so, please could you share?