Is the economy on an upswing?

We're hearing news that the economy may be starting to rebound - emphasis on may. Some industries are reporting good news while others are making little headway. The market for freelance writing seems to be in the latter category, where publishers have fewer opportunities for freelancers and are still slow to pay.

However, demand for ghostwriters appears to be edging up, if inquiries to the association from would-be authors are any indication. Potential clients with publishing experience, as well as those without, are coming out of the woodwork, expressing an interest in getting their book published next year.

Some of that upswing may be due to the few weeks left in the year and the sense of urgency some of us start to feel about projects still undone, rather than a sign related to the health of the economy. Either way, it seems to be good news for ghostwriters hoping for new projects in 2011.

Interview with Ghostwriter Amanda Howells

When I recently heard that most of the books in the Sweet Valley High series had been ghostwritten, my first question was, "How do you get that gig?!" I don't have the skills to write fiction, but I'd love to align myself with a successful series in order to virtually assure myself of ongoing ghostwriting work.

So when I saw this interview with ghostwriter and author Amanda Howells (real name Amanda Gersh) about her stint writing Sweet Valley High books, I was thrilled to hear exactly how she got her foot in the door.

http://thedairiburger.com/2010/07/29/dreams-do-come-true-an-interview-with-a-sweet-valley-ghostwriter/

Her latest book, The Summer of Skinny Dipping, looks like a great summer read - and is not part of the Sweet Valley High series.

How Easy Are You to Do Business With?

My family and I are house hunting, albeit at a rather relaxed pace, but when a home comes on the market in the area we like, we contact our broker about touring it. Generally this is not an involved process and we're able to take a look soon thereafter.

However, just tonight we encountered a local broker group that seems unconcerned about showing or selling homes. Making an appointment to get into one of their listings is beyond inconvenient, to the point that we don't even want to look at any of their properties.

Which got me thinking. How easy am I to do business with? I'd like to think I'm easy to find, easy to reach and easy to buy from, but I'm going to review my marketing tools to make sure that is, in fact, the case. This includes making sure that:

- My contact information is on all my printed materials, web pages and social media sites.
- My website is search engine optimized for keywords like "ghostwriter" and "freelance writer."
- All incoming phone calls are returned within 24 hours.
- All emails receive a reply on the same day I receive them.
- I have a presence on ghostwriting-related forums and in discussion groups.
- I meet all deadlines, preferably turning projects in early.
- I am in constant communication with clients, so they know exactly where their project stands.

I'm sure there are other steps I can take, too, but this is where I'm starting, so that editors and clients won't shy away from giving me the opportunity to work with them. So how easy are you to do business with?

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Whose Voice Should You Hear?

I recently came across an article titled "Ghostwriting Doesn't Mean Writing Like Someone Else," to which I replied, "Oh, really?" Well, not out loud, but you get the point.

The author of the article indicates that ghostwriters should apply their own writing style and voice to whatever project they are working on, that they shouldn't try and adopt the voice of their client. Specifically, she says, "you have to write according to your own skills and way of thinking. It is not writing just like someone else." Oh really?

Because I thought one of the main benefits of hiring a ghostwriter is that you tap into the experience and talents of a professional writer, who can actually mimic and adopt your own style and tone of speech. Otherwise, the finished product may look and sound nothing like you, the client.

Granted, with some projects, such as how-to articles or white papers, where the author's voice is less important, copying your speech pattern and vocabulary may not matter. But if we're talking about a book that relates personal experiences or concepts, it should certainly sound like you and not the person you've hired to help put your ideas on paper.

The most talented ghostwriters are chameleons, able to match the speech and writing style of their clients, rather than allowing their own voice to show through. Take advantage of their skill and make sure your finished product sounds like you, not your ghostwriter.

Source of Ghostwriting Projects

I just came across a website that posts ghostwriting opportunities that I thought writers should be aware of. Although the budgets appear to be rather small, there may be some gems in there that lead to ongoing work - especially the blogging and ebook projects.

To see what's currently listed, go here: http://www.writingbids.com/jobs/freelance-ghostwriting-projects.php.

Hawaii-based ghostwriting opportunity

I happened to glance at the following Craigslist posting for a ghostwriter and was intrigued by the title: "Ghostwriter for social networking assignment." As someone who has done her fair share of ghost blogging, I thought this might be right up my alley.

And then I read the post in full.

http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/wrg/1826163985.html

While ghostwriting is part of the full-time job responsibilities, making travel arrangements seems to comprise a larger portion of the daily activities, as well as travel, answering emails and maybe even cooking and cleaning.

Don't get me wrong, for anyone who can write well and who wants to live in Hawaii for a year, this sounds like a terrific job. It's just not what I would necessarily consider a ghostwriting gig. Then again, it's in Hawaii...

So who's applying?

July Teleseminar on Tuesday, 7/6

I'm so excited about our next Association of Ghostwriters teleseminar, which is next Tuesday, July 6th at 7:00 pm EDT/6:00 pm CDT/5:00 pm MDT/4:00 pm PDT. During the 1-1.5 hour call, members will hear from a literary agent who specializes in representing ghostwriters. She'll be sharing with us what she's looking for, how to impress her and what most ghostwriters are charging these days.

Members, if you can't make the call, don't worry. You'll be able to download the MP3 file and transcript within the next week or so and listen or read at your leisure.

The equivalent of reading fees

With demand rising among corporate executives, national speakers, consultants, coaches and small business owners for ghostwriting services, businesses have been formed to connect professional ghostwriters with would-be authors. There are a handful of legitimate publishing companies that do a fine job of shepherding books through writing to design to production.

And then there are some that are not.

The ones I have heard of often prey on clients - taking their money and failing to produce anything close to a decent manuscript. But there may be a new business model making the rounds that targets ghostwriters. It involves requiring training in order to be considered for future ghostwriting work. Here is an example from a firm in Los Angeles that charges a fee for a 10-session course of some kind: http://losangeles.cajobz.com/looking-for-professional-ghost-writers-venice.html

I know nothing about this firm, but the fact that they charge a fee to ghostwriters in order to qualify be added to the company's database of writers is suspect. It is akin to literary agents charging reading fees to review manuscripts - the legitimate ones don't.

Granted, firms may need a way to qualify the writers they represent; requesting writing samples or recommendations is typically the way firms handle that. And I wouldn't have a problem with the practice of requiring a test or training if the firm were providing it gratis. But it is not.

Stick with firms that do not require a payment to qualify for ghostwriting work.

Finding Ghostwriting Gigs Online

Ghostwriting work can range from blog postings to articles, speeches, white papers, reports, books and just about any other kind of written document. Given the wide range of opportunities, it is smart to develop a strategy or plan for pursuing the kind of ghostwriting work you most enjoy.

I just spotted this blog posting from one ghostwriter explaining her approach to discovering ghostwriting opportunities and thought you might want to take a look: http://hubpages.com/hub/The-methods-I-use-to-find-online-ghostwriting-jobs.

The key to landing regular ghostwriting work is to constantly be looking.

Association Officially Launches

Thanks to everyone for your patience as we worked out the bugs during the official launch of the Association of Ghostwriters. Everything started out well Monday morning, but by the afternoon, the "Become a Member" button stopped functioning and no one could join. Maybe too many people tried to join at once? I don't really know.

Anyway, because we (and by "we" I mean my intrepid virtual assistant) could not get a response from tech support regarding the software program we purchased, we installed an entirely new system yesterday (Tuesday) and started over. As of today, everything works.

So if you tried to join and only got an error message, please try again. And if you're thinking about joining, I hope you'll stay tuned to learn more about the great member benefits we have planned. New members will soon be receiving the debut issue of the association newsletter as well as the audio file and transcript of last night's great call about using a virtual assistant to get more done.

Thanks again for your patience!

Ghostwritten New York Times Bestsellers

I think we all know that many - maybe even most - books authored by celebrities are ghostwritten. Many high-profile individuals with a message to impart don't necessarily have the time to sit down and put pen to paper day-after-day for several months. And yet they have information people want.

To overcome this dilemma, publishers often pair a well-known person with a ghostwriter - someone who has written books and is likely to deliver a manuscript the publisher can actually publish without having to rewrite it. This is not news to many of you, I know.

Books are produced everyday that have someone's name on the cover who did not actually slave over the words and phrases within. Not a big deal.

What was a surprise to even me, however, was that an estimated 30-50% of books on the New York Times bestseller list are supposedly ghostwritten. As many as half! That's a lot, at least to me.

The source of this statistic is Dr. X, a publishing industry insider who was interviewed by Scott Jeffrey for a program titled Everything You Need to Know to Become a Best-Selling Author. It was produced in 2004 but my sense is that the information, and statistic, is still valid today.

As a ghostwriter, this alerts me to the potential opportunity to partner with more would-be authors under contract at major publishing houses than I thought. Time to start checking in with my editor friends to see what exciting books may be in the works.