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!

Is there always an acknowledgement that there is a ghost, or do some people want to claim that it really is their own book?

Do you have to keep it a secret that you've written a book for someone or if you know/suspect someone else who's ghosted for someone? Or is it common knowledge who does which celeb's books?

Do you have to vary the style of writing to make it seem like a particular celeb wrote it, or is it the way that you'd have chosen to tell the story if it had been your own?

People approach me, publishers bring me projects, some of the publisher ones are rescue jobs if they haven't gone well with another writer, a (rare) few I'll suggest to publishers I know.

A lot of people self-publish now as you just get so much more control. There's also hybrid publishing but you have to be very careful with that. Some crowdfund too.

I'm a copywriter, so it's something I could definitely do, but I've found nothing reputable when looking online.

That's fine! Some info about a few of these above now that I'm back and answering them, but in terms of length, 60k is the minimum. I've had clients go up to double that, and some do more than one volume. It takes me about 4 months and payment varies, you can set your own level.

Ah, that's a shame, I thought you had something fabulous for me!

Yes, the client always get to see it first and, thankfully never had it ripped to shreds! Little bits do get changed, memories can be recalled just by reading the first draft, more might have happened, or relationships may have altered. The client is always in control of the content.

I don't work with an agent I'm afraid - I have done in the past, but prefer it on my own, cuts out a layer!

Lots of non disclosure agreements out there - and I've signed quite a few. Most people acknowledge you but, yes, plenty of celebs want to claim they wrote their own.

It's always in the voice of the client and that can change so much from project to project, which is what I love.

Please could you share the names of agencies you've worked with in the past? Now you're established you get approached with work, but I would like to start out. It can be really tricky to sift through the mills

If I've missed any questions, just give me a shove.

Have you been translated into Spanish? if so, did the translator do a good job?

Well, I'm not sure they got the bit about being alarmed by my brother's baldness or getting shoved into a dog bowl quite right . . .

www.standard.co.uk/insider/jr-moeringer-who-is-prince-harry-celebrity-memoirist-spare-b1050916.html?amp

looks like the ghostwriter has similar parental issues if the press can be believed.
A friend once showed me an autobiography his father commissioned, I now realize it must have been by a ghostwriter.
I was agog by the amount of sheer name and connection dropping to the Royal family/military here and abroad.
Father moved /worked in those circles.

His many own DC were barely mentioned, a few insignificant lines.
Think they were perceived as having not lived up to his standards.
It was eye
opening on many levels and felt very narcissistic in hindsight.
Do many people do commission you for that reason? An inflated sense of self importance ?
A fascinating profession by the way !

It's tricky situation to convey!

Quite a few of the 'minor' celebrities these days come across as utter thick as mince morons who can barely articulate a spoken sentence let alone write one. How hard is it to ghost write their story without losing the will to live?

I guess I'm lucky in that I can pick and choose projects which means I don't have to take on the ones that feel that way. It's usually the people who aren't quite sure whether they have a story worth telling that have the most incredible ones.

There are definitely people out there who 'embellish' a lot though - I get a quite remarkable number of men who claim they've been in the Foreign Legion and want to meet without me telling anyone. Sadly, I never seem to have a space in my diary for those . . .

I haven't had to take on anyone like that, but I'd imagine the will to live would go quite quickly! I think I'd struggle to make much out of someone really young though and so many of them are on Book 2 or 3 when they're still in their 20s.

Do you try to match your writing style to the person's personality?

Do you always write in the first person, using "I" so that it reads like an autobiography?

I think what is interesting about reading an autobiography is as much the way the person puts things into words, their way of looking at the world, their use of vocabulary, their sense of humour, etc etc, and I would think most of that is lost if a ghost-writer is used.

Yes to first person. I'd hope that I always get the client's voice and that none of it is lost. Many, many books are ghosted (probably more than you realise, fiction too) and the person whose story it is has to sound authentic.

How can fiction be ghosted?

Do you mean celebrities pretend write novels?

*pretend to write

If it's a celeb, then they'll just need it as part of their brand. The ghost will come up with the majority, usually with a bit of input from the agent. If it's a non-celeb, there might be more of an idea there, but the ghost still does most of it.

Some of them are quite open about it.

I know you've said you wouldn't want the credit but have you ever written for anyone who's gone on to describe the hours they spent writing their book, their process and all that shit and not just let people think they wrote it but actually described themselves writing it iyswim

I think what is interesting about reading an autobiography is as much the way the person puts things into words, their way of looking at the world, their use of vocabulary, their sense of humour, etc etc, and I would think most of that is lost if a ghost-writer is used.

That’s the art & craft of being a professional ghostwriter. Being able to ask the right questions as an interviewer to get the interesting parts of someone’s life, being able to capture their ‘voice’, their way of expressing themselves. It’s why they’re called ‘ghosts’ - you shouldn’t see them in the final work at all.

More autobiographies are ghostwritten than not, I’d say. Even for celebs you’d think are natural writers.