You don’t know what you don’t know. The mantra of a ghostwriter.
In our field of work, we’re coming in as professionals as it relates to book writing. We are not, however, the experts on your content or stories.
It’s true that some of us have more experience related to the genres we focus on. For example, I have a corporate background, understand finance and accounting, and earned my PMP. That doesn’t mean I’m the expert in your business book.
You know your specific topic inside and out. And more importantly, you know your stories and experiences inside and out.
As a ghostwriter, it’s my job to help bring all that to life and get it onto the page. So how do we ghostwriters bring those teachings and stories out?
Let’s dive in.
Ask Good Questions
Writing is an important skill for a ghostwriter, but arguably one of the other most important skills is the ability to ask good questions.
Some of these questions can be planned based on the outline. Many are free-flowing based on the direction of the interview. In my process, I’ll often start with high-level questions like, “Teach me about…” or “Tell me a story about…”. That gives us our foundation. We can then start to get into the details.
As a ghostwriter, I try to think about how I may want to position the chapter and then ask questions to fill in the gaps. I try to be proactive about what information the reader may be looking for.
Sometimes, these questions don’t surface until we get into the writing. And that’s okay. It’s better to follow up with questions later in the process and fill in the gaps than to never ask the question at all.
As ghostwriters, being curious is a superpower.
Feedback is Crucial
We don’t always get all the necessary information and stories on the first draft. That’s why there’s a feedback loop. The next phase of capturing additional insights and stories that make the book stronger is through being open to and encouraging feedback.
As an author, it’s important that you don’t worry about hurting the ghostwriter’s feelings if they didn’t get something quite right or missed some description or information. It’s crucial to provide this additional context (respectfully). As ghostwriters, we know we weren’t there. We haven’t lived your life. We appreciate the additional insight.
Furthermore, authors also remember and realize new stories or perspectives when they actually see their expertise and stories on paper. As ghostwriters, we aren’t mind readers so it’s important that we encourage feedback and receive that feedback gracefully.
When we receive this additional information, we can help provide our guidance on how and if this new material should be incorporated into the book.
More Stories
When in doubt, as ghostwriters, we’ll ask you for more stories.
Why more stories? Why not more insights or reflections?
When an author tells a story, the insights and reflections generally appear organically. Because of the nature of the conversation, authors will naturally tie the story back to the topic of the chapter or the theme of the book.
Furthermore, it’s important to keep the reader engaged and provide information that resonates. Stories are what do that. Oftentimes, the actual concepts of the material are pretty straightforward to cover. The stories help the readers see how those teachings come to life and how they may apply to the reader.
Additionally, stories help highlight the nuance of the teaching. What works, why it works, when it works, etc. It’s one thing to try to talk about all this. It’s another to demonstrate it.
Believe it or not, as an author working solo, you often have blind spots as well. Partnering with a ghostwriter helps to mitigate these. When we ask questions and are curious about the topics and stories at hand, we help you to think about your material in a way that you may not have considered before. Your experiences and knowledge seem second nature to you. They really aren’t to everyone else.
If you’d like to partner with a ghostwriter to help excavate your genius and experiences, request a book consult using the button below!
Disclaimer: This blog should not be construed as providing, or intending to provide professional financial, legal, psychological, or other professional advice. It is simply meant to share my experiences with those who may find them relatable and helpful.