A Sort-of Ghostwriting Manifesto
When I started writing for business leaders in 2008…
(Ok let’s be honest here, because if this is not honest, it is nothing.I didn’t start with business leaders, but I eventually started writing for their segment.)
When I started writing in 2008,
ghostwriting was exciting.
I loved the idea of being a bridge between my client’s ideas and their audience.
I felt writing a book to build and amplify my client’s voice not only propelled me into the thick of new ideas but also gave me a chair to sit in and listen to insights in fields which were completely new to me.
It was a great experience…
One of my client’s started his consultancy and left his 9-9 job because of the book.
One wrote his book to share his ideas and it ended up propelling him to a leadership role
Another client wrote the book to share his experiences in re-building a company because it was such a wild ride and no one had spoken about the dark edges.
All great outcomes, but when I look at the writing landscape now, I am not sure about ghostwriting.
Should I be excited?
The good news…
Yes, let’s start with that:
It’s the Golden Age of Influence.Creating content is a great way to grow your influence. Everyone wants to write.Plus, it’s far easier to publish now than it was a decade ago.
And it comes from ideas like:
Horrible idea #1
Books should be based on templates.
Templates like Myth Buster, ‘How To’, ‘Story and Learning’ can be great starting points for getting your ideas moving,
but when authors see them as the best and easiest way to write, they do a grave injustice to their reader and themselves.
Because their readers get:
a cloud of similar looking and sounding books that don’t stand out or influence them in any way.
And authors miss out on:
sharing their deep insights which had the potential of turning a reader into a fan or a follower.
Horrible idea #2
Books are easily configured like assembly line product.
There is a process for book writing. It includes brainstorming, thinking, outlining, first draft, and maybe 2 more drafts, editing and finished manuscript. In an attempt to simplify writing and make it fit a fast-moving assembly line, many of these processes are eradicated for efficiency.
The template cuts off brainstorming and thinking.Rewrites and drafts are pushed out of the window.
The whole attempt is to move from idea to book in the fastest possible way…with no thought involved.
Question: If there is no thought involved in writing how can that book invoke any thought in its reader?
Horrible idea #3
Books are just visiting cards.
Can you imagine…
Getting inspired by a visiting card?
Or maybe
Reading a visiting card and thinking, “wow, that’s an awesome legacy?”
Or
seeing a visiting card and visualising the experience and expertise of the giver?
Books are so much more than visiting cards…
They open your mind to new ideas
Show you possibilities where you earlier saw only roadblocks.
Make you feel ‘seen’ and ‘heard’ in a world you thought of as a stranger.
Ideas like these are Horrible…
BECAUSE THEY START WITH THE GRAND IDEA OF
‘MAKING WRITING EASY’ BUT END UP
BLANDIFYING WORDS AND REDUCING GOOD THOUGHT TO SIMPLE DRIBBLE
And worse…
They give a platform to suave operators who use these ideas to lure first-time authors and sell them pipe dreams of instant glory and renown.
For such suave operators, the authors are just a number and a soft target
Creating a good book takes time and effort…
In the beginning of my writing career, I wrote for an agent, who wanted a quick turnaround of 2 months at the max. It worked when he got authors who just wanted a book in their name
but
his model fell flat when an author came who wanted a book that reflected his lifetime of learnings.
Why?
Because the author really wanted to share his expertise in his book.
He didn’t want a book that just skimmed the surface.
He was willing to put in the time and effort.
I was excited to write his story whereas the agent just wanted a quick turnaround so that he could create more fluff for more authors.
After rounds of negotiation, the agent finally walked away from the deal because the author wanted more, which he couldn’t deliver despite trying out more authors who would fast track the project…
So I continued writing for the author.
used it as a base to build his own consultancy with bigger clients.
Left his full time job and became a renowned consultant.
That’s the power of a well written book.
And it comes from ideas like:
Who are you to crib? Ghostwriting is not creative anyways
I often get told off by publishing platform owners and professionals, when I start sharing my views on the ‘efficient but soulless books’ being touted these days.
Yes. Ghostwriting is not about my idea.
It’s about finding my clients idea…
Because I have rarely had a client who came to me with a structured table of contents and explicit details of what would go into each chapter- no discussions needed.
It’s about listening to a lifetime of experiences and finding the thread that connects their lived experiences with the insights they want to share…
Because sharing those experiences makes their learnings come alive in a more visual and emotional way and connects far deeper with their readers than any ready-made template ever would.
It’s about capturing the essence of my client and distilling it into a ‘voice’ that has a personality
Because AI generated content has no voice and no soul.
If you disagree with this, you don’t need to read ahead to understand what lies at the center of ghostwriting.
Curiosity lies at the center of ghostwriting
If I am not curious about the what, the why, and the how…I will not ask my clients the right questions and they will never be nudged to remember stories and experiences that shaped their ideas.
These stories & interlinked experiences give depth to their books and make them interesting and authentic.
Active listening balances the curiosity and is the other half of the center
Two centers? Yes
Where curiosity leads to digging deeper and airing out intuitive learnings.
It makes me:
hear things that are not said outright. backtrack to portions that got lost in long-winded conversationunravel tangled narratives more questions.
Doing so, I sometimes find the missing piece of the puzzle.
Sometimes, the part I find makes all the ideas zing together!
Yes. The book is not based on my idea or even based in niches I know anything about…but I know how to find my client’s real idea and make it shine with its own, unique glow.
Writing like this is like colouring-in and creating magic…
but this kind of writing is now being replaced by a joyless assembly line of pre-made parts.
Because though we started with a good aim of makingwriting easier and more accessible…
Yet instead of providing capable handholding and better guidance…
Things have gone weird.
The Blandification of ideas has started
Ever wonder why every book you read, sounds the same and uninspiring?
While trying to master this weird new game of influence and make writing ‘easy’ and ‘as quick as pressing a button’ we :
Created a template-guided, marvel of a process, where writing is efficient but bland.
Reduced the complexity and vastness of ideas and experiences into a simple efficient read devoid of voice or inspiration.
You see, those horrible ideas on writing ensure that: Everything is on the surface.
You read but you don’t get affected.
BUT we forgot that books which are written to serve as ambassadors for our message and brand should be about
Good ghostwriting connects the varied experiences and thoughts of authors to skillfully weave them into a narrative that captures their reader’s imagination
It makes the readers ‘see’ things differently so that they can ‘act’ differently.
It makes the readers felt ‘seen’ and motivates them to transform their lives.
It creates books which end up being dog eared, underlined and highlighted.
Okay, I’m done with the ranting and hair tearing…
What can we do as ghostwriters and creators of our author’s vision?
1.Educate ourselves.
One of the books I wrote for a client was in the field of Quality and as with every new niche, it introduced me to many new terms. Of these Continuous learning and the Plan-Do- Check-Act cycle stayed with me.
Talk to other writers.
Join writing associations.
Join courses.
In this AI driven age, we need to hone skills that make us better at what we do.
Talking with other writers in your niche makes you feel less alone and it effectively mutes the loud self-proclaimed views of efficient writing companies.
I also love re-reading books.
Rereading helps me analyse the work of successful writers as I pay attention to their style, structure, and how they engage their audience.
There is so much to learn. Make the learning your focus NOT the noise.
2.Share Ideas
As writers, we need to share what all goes into the writing because most people really don’t know what ALL goes into writing a book.
They believe in the movie created hype of a writer sitting down at the beginning of the movie with a pile of A4 sheets and a typewriter. From there the scenes move on to a seamless flashback (which is the entire movie) that ends with the writer getting a publishing deal or becoming a bestselling author followed by adoring fans.
Many potential ghostwriting clients I speak with, think that writing their book is a matter of one or two, hour long interviews.
They think that through those short meetings, I will craft a book that speaks in their voice.
In my discovery calls, I share my 4-stage Ideology Empath process which helps me structure my authors life worth of experiences into books that speaks in their voice with authority and clarity.
I also share the next steps again with my authors as we go through the process.
Beyond talking with them, I also speak about what I have learned and what I implement in writing through:
- 1. Youtube videos
- 2. LinkedIn Posts
- 3. Blogs
Sharing ideas helps clients understand the benefit and the collaborative spirit of true ghostwriting.
And see how a good process scores over a template to express their idea in the best possible way.
3.Understand that you’re not for everyone
Ghostwriting is an easy way for leaders and experts to write their insights and amplify their voice in their niche.
Yet, as ghostwriters we need to understand that not every leader is our client.
Almost all leaders dream of writing a book but the ones that usually do
are the ones who have gone beyond dreaming of their book to feeling an urgency to hold it in their hands.
They can’t wait to share their learnings with a bigger audience!
Another thing.
Experience reduces effort and creates content that speaks in the author’s voice
That experience is not cheap.
My authors agree because they understand the value I bring to their book.
4.Enjoy what you do
I often get asked, “why do you write for others?” and honestly, I cannot understand that question.
Think about it.
How many people can write their ideas down with clarity?
Now think…
How many people can convert other people’s ideas into an interesting read that speaks to a specific audience?
How many people get an opportunity to meet experts in varied fields, interview them in-depth and become a bridge between their ideas and the world?
I love what I do.
It satiates my natural curiosity and desire to learn new ideas plus it helps me elevate and share ideas by experts while earning me money.
What’s there not to like in it?
Most ghosts I meet love the work they do and that reflects in their writing.
Ghostwriting is a collaboration
And the best collaborations lead to a sharing of ideas and leveraging strengths.
My strength is writing, listening, nudging and connecting the dots.
If you’re doing it right, I believe a ghostwriting collaboration should be lots of fun.
There is no blandification.
Just creativity, collaboration and a shared dream to create…
A Book that Matters
By bringing creativity back into ghostwriting, we make everything better.
Instead of saying
“I need to write according to this template because my business or brand needs a visiting card like that other leader in my niche”,
We start by saying,
“I really want to share my learnings.
How do I do it in the best possible way?
How do I make my ideas shine?
How do I help solve a problem in my niche and in doing so build a book that matters?”
The old age of writing has gone.
AI is here.
But your unique experiences and your expertise are
More powerful
More connected
More transformative
Use them to craft a clear, compelling, focused book that infuses every chapter with your ideas and voice.
Because a book that matters…
Will be powered by your insights.
are the ones who have gone beyond dreaming of their book to feeling an urgency to hold it in their hands.
