Ghostwriting Series #3: My Learning Curve

Hello and Good Monday everyone!

A quick, shameless plug before we dive into the meat of this post: my first ever blog interview after hooking my agent just went live over on Brenda Drake's blog, so please go check it out! It's me and my super secret Pitchwars mentor, now revealed, chatting about the experience.

Today is the final post of the ghostwriting series I've had going as my family moved cross country. If you haven't had a chance to see post 1 and post 2 with Marcia Layton Turner, be sure to check them out! She has great tips and experience to help you break into and succeed at this unique faucet of freelance work. I'm not nearly as accomplished in ghostwriting as Ms. Turner, but I thought I'd share a little bit about what I have learned as I meandered this part of my short freelancing career.

Source: www.laustel.com

Unlike the sort of projects Marcia accomplished in 30 days, I started on much smaller projects. I wrote a fun bath book to accompany a bath toy, and got raving reviews from the client. (This was a small step that later lead me to writing picture books, but that's a topic for another post.) In addition to this project, I also took on half a dozen 25-page recipe eBooks. Most of the focus on these books was formatting, but it still required some research and creative writing before each recipe.I also did sporadic articles and short eBooks in between these, all with a clause in contract that these were ghostwriting and I would never have a public claim on them.

The first significant ghostwriting project came from a current client that had already tested me out on several of these smaller ghostwriting projects. She approached me after having hired and fired another ghostwriter, who from what I could understand, didn't have the same voice or conviction on the topic that she could tell I did. The client had a better grasp of what she wanted and felt confident in me (even though I didn't). But at that precise moment in my life, finances were tight and the big number offered was too tempting. I reasoned that the research was done, that I simply needed to rewrite it in her style and format all 40,000 words. That could be done in a month, no problem.

However, my lack of experience didn't prepare me for the depth that ghostwriting goes compared to other freelance writing I'd been doing. There were hours of additional research I needed to do, and it was harder for me to focus on the topic and write then cranking out some content articles. Thankfully, the client was gracious with deadlines and willing to pay for my additional time.

Through this experience, I learned a few key things that I want to share with you. These may reiterate some of Marcia's suggestions, but that just means their even more relevant.

1. It's really important to understand the project before you take the job. It's expected that you ask lots of questions and understand the client's audience, intentions, and needs. Break down the time period you'll need to complete the project and make sure you're getting paid accordingly. If you are taking the project on alone, give yourself some leeway hours just in case.

2. Once the project starts, communicate regularly with the client. If you've preproposed deadlines or check-in days, be sure to stick to them. In my case, the communication kept her in the loop and led to more pay when I made her aware of every step and why it took so much longer then originally planned.

3. Loving or knowing the topic well ahead of time makes the project go smoother. Most freelancers have one or more niches that they write within, and often those topics are what they are passionate about. Those are the ghostwriting topics you should consider, especially when you will be working on it for a month or for thousands of words. In my case, this big project called to my passion for natural health care and treatments.

In the end, this ghostwriting endeavor taught me a lot about deadlines and my time's worth. I also discovered that if I'm going to write that many words for one manuscript, I'd rather it be mine and fictional. But it was a wonderful learning experience, and I still chalk it up to extra writing practice.

Have you done any ghostwriting work? What was your experience like? Please tell me in the comments below!

Ghostwriting Series #1: The Pros and Cons of Ghostwriting with Marcia Layton Turner

Source: www.laustel.com

 Ghostwriting seems to be a lessor discussed facet of freelance work. It's been an important part of the launching of my career, but I don't consider myself an expert. So for this series, I'm going to let an guru share her wealth of knowledge and experience with my readers in a two to one ratio with my own. Her 30 plus pieces speak for themselves. Please welcome Marcia Layton Turner to EG Moore Freelance and Fiction!

----

If you’ve thought about getting in to ghostwriting, you’re not alone. After all, with magazine and newspaper work disappearing and web content writing often paying paltry rates, the higher pay that ghostwriting often offers looks mighty appealing. At least that’s what I hear from friends and colleagues who are on the hunt for new writing income sources.

What some don’t realize, however, is that ghostwriting is different from writing magazine articles, authoring books, or crafting blog posts for your own blog. You have your own distinctive voice. That voice might be casual and conversational or it might be scholarly, or it might be opinionated and peppered with expletives. We all have our own style and tone that we’re most comfortable with.

The biggest preconceived notion about ghostwriting is that it’s just like any other kind of writing for money. It’s not.

Ghostwriting requires well-honed writing skills on top of the ability to adopt someone else’s voice. That means writing to match another person’s tone, style, rhythm, vocabulary, and word preferences. A friend should be able to read something you’ve written in another’s voice and believe your client wrote it. That’s what a good ghostwriter does. It’s a skill that can be learned, of course, but it does add another element to writing assignments that can make it tough for some writers to do well.

There are a number of pros and cons with respect to ghostwriting.

Figuring out how to match your client’s voice is perhaps the biggest con. That is, it’s a challenge that must be overcome to be good at ghostwriting and to build a solid base of clients. Being able to mimic how another person communicates is just as important, maybe even more so, than mastering the topic. Writing articles or blog posts as a freelancer in your own voice is simpler.

Another con, or challenge, in ghostwriting is that some clients misunderstand the role of a ghostwriter. They may think that hiring a ghost means they don’t have to participate at all in the development of their book – they’ve turned that over to you. They’re wrong, of course, but clients who hadn’t planned to make time to be interviewed or to brainstorm how best to approach the topic of their book may become irritated at your request for their time. That’s why they hired a ghostwriter, they think.

Finally, whether you’re writing blog posts, an article, or a book for a client, you’re dependent on their being available to provide input and feedback on your work. Unfortunately, not all clients understand that. Finding time to connect can be difficult when dealing with very busy people, as most ghostwriting clients are.

Despite these factors to consider before striking out as a ghostwriter, there are plenty of pros as well.

For those of us who struggle to come up with our own ideas to sell to publishers, clients who want to hire us to write about their topic makes life much easier. As a ghostwriter, you don’t have to come up with ideas yourself, though sharing your perspective and feedback with clients regarding their ideas is essential.

And when it comes to research, a ghostwriting client typically has background information and opinions to share that can lead you to sources and material you might never have come across. Having access to clients who have expertise on a subject can make research so much faster and easier.

The reason many freelancers decide to explore ghostwriting has more to do with money than anything else, however. This is the biggest pro of all: ghostwriting projects often pay well. And by comparison to publisher advances today, ghostwriting fees look very attractive.

Yes, the money is good. But where it’s easy to identify outlets who might buy your written work, it’s more difficult to identify who might need your ghostwriting services. Many clients prefer not to reveal their need for professional writing help, making it hard to determine who, exactly, is in your target market.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t aim to be a ghostwriter, only that there are a few barriers you’ll need to overcome and some challenges inherent in the job to be aware of.

As someone who earns close to 80% of her income from ghostwriting, I think the best part of being a ghostwriter is the opportunity to explore new topics, guided by the leading experts in their field. I certainly learn something new every day.

Marcia Layton Turner is a ghostwriter and freelancer who focuses mainly on business topics. She has authored, co-authored, or ghosted more than 30 non-fiction books. She is also founder and executive director of the Association of Ghostwriters. Connect with her on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.

Thanks again Marcia! This ghostwriting series will continue in mid April, where Marcia will give you an example from her career and how to use ghostwriting to further your freelancing career.

Rewriting The First Chapter: Mining Your Current Beginning For Gems

If you're actively using online resources within the publishing industry (you are researching so you can learn, aren't you?) then you may have heard that rewriting the first page is not only recommended, but also necessary for your novel or project to come to fruition. I've decided to do a mini series on the steps of rewriting any novel's beginning. Last week, I wrote a post on How to Know If You Need To rewrite your opening line, paragraph, scene or chapter.

Today, we're going to focus on the chapter you already wrote and which parts or intentions should get tossed or be recycled when you rewrite. I'm going to use my novel ROWDY DAYS OF DOM SANDERS as an example for you. Let's look as some questions you can ask yourself to figure out exactly how you should rewrite and what you originally did right (sort of.)

What did you love about it?

It's important to reread and remind yourself what you loved about your original chapter. Is it the voice? The character introduction? Or maybe its the way you worked in the setting.

For me and DOM, my love of my initial first chapter was based on showing Dom's trickster qualities, and reflecting the opening chapter of its inspirational book. (Dom is a Tom Sawyer Retelling.) I wanted to echo the opening of Tom Sawyer by having an adult looking for him and having him come out of hiding. I also needed to establish who his family and pet dog was, that they were poor and living in a new house that needed a lot of work, and that Dom really wanted a horse. My first chapter did that.

What may be hindering it?

This may be a harder thing to figure out on your own. Trusted Critique Partners or even beta readers may be able to shed some light on what's missing or if you are starting the story in the wrong place.

I'd had dozens of feedback and CP input on Dom, and many people loved its opening. But I had read on several agent blogs and heard agents as conferences mention that new houses, schools, and new kid in town could be tropes to avoid in the opening. I felt that Dom's was unique, but still worried about how it was coming across to professionals.

My other concern that one CP brought up was that my antagonist wasn't mentioned until chapter three. That seems too long to her, so she suggestioned cutting the first two chapters and starting there. While the idea was heart wrenching and exciting all at once, I just couldn't do it. Chapter two had a few key things that needed to be established for the rest of the novel. I couldn't think of a way to get that important info in another way I hadn't already tried.

Is anything else needed in the first line/scene/chapter?

Now you know what to keep and what to get rid of. But what else do you need? According to Les Edgerton, there are ten elements that should be considered. The first four are vital, the last six are things to consider.

1. Inciting incident: what happens that brings forth the buried problem that pushes plot forward
2. Story-worthy problem: that buried problem throughout the plot
3. Initial surface problem: propels protagonist to action (or none-action), makes main character make a decision.
4. Set up: only give what’s necessary for reader to understand next scene.
5. Back story: dole out bit by bit.
6. and 7. Opening line/Language: Reduce adverbs and adjectives. Each adjective diminishes first line by 10%. Avoid forms of “to be”. Reduce redundancy such as “ran quickly.” Avoid invisible words such as “beautiful” that dilute prose; the reader will skip over them anyways. Use these suggestions throughout manuscript, too!
7. Character intro: pick telling detail and let reader fill in the rest as they get to know them in the manuscript. “ Also, don’t flood beginning with too many characters!
8. Setting: the setting sprinkled in the opening should only help reader understand the time period, culture, or society of the story. 
9. Foreshadowing: hint at action and/or obstacles throughout manuscript. More necessary for some genres than others. Thrillers and mysteries benefit from it.

For Dom, I was missing some foreshadowing via a bad guy, and a pull back of back story. I also needed to make it more exciting to grab some serious reader/agent attention.

Next week, I'll help you with the actual rewriting and give you an example from Dom to finish off this series!

What do you love about your current WIPs beginning? What do you think you need to change? Please tell me in the comments below!