Posts
Ghostwriters: For blog ideas, and laughs, turn to Portent
Ghostwriters: For blog ideas, and laughs, turn to Portent I enjoy writing – I really do – but the pressure of coming up with topics I think will be useful to fellow ghostwriters and freelance writers can add to my stress. So when I lamented my lack of 30 days of blog posts for the…
Why Time Is More Valuable Than Money
Why Time Is More Valuable Than Money When ghostwriters are asked to quote a fee to write or edit a client’s project, the assumption is that there is pure multiplication going on: your hourly rate times the amount of time you anticipate the work will take equals the cost of the project. The process seems…
Who Is Your Role Model?
Who Is Your Role Model? With two teenage children, I find myself thinking frequently about who they’re hanging out with and looking up to. Who are their role models? Who are their heroes? Today I caught myself thinking about this and it occurred to me that I worry more about my kids’ role models than…
Ghostwriters: Can card sorting help you organize a large project?
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles/FreeDigitalPhotos.net Most of you know that in addition to overseeing the Association of Ghostwriters, I also run my own ghostwriting and freelance writing business. My business name is Layton & Co., Inc., and although I’ve billed through my corporation for decades, I’m just now setting up an online presence for it.…
Ghostwriters: What are your clients’ odds of getting published?
I was just having this discussion with a friend the other day, wondering where people ever got the impression that attracting a traditional publisher is easy. It’s never been easy to convince the likes of Random House, McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons, or Simon & Schuster, to name a few, to publish a particular…
Are crowdfunded books good prospects?
Crowdfunding projects are all the rage right now, helping to finance initiatives ranging from shoes you assemble yourself to a debut record to a foraging kitchen to books of all genres and sizes. Some campaigns are started to support people who have experienced a loss, such as a building destroyed, or an Alaskan airplane that…
Blog Hop
Baton Blog Hop for Writers When the esteemed Jennifer Lawler asks if you want to be in a blog hop with her, you, of course, say yes immediately. Lawler is the author of Dojo Wisdom for Writers, whom I had the pleasure of hearing speak years ago at Writers and Editors One-on-One in Chicago. The…
Take a survey, earn a chance at a $25 Amazon gift card
To better understand what ghostwriters want and need to know more about, I’ve developed a quick survey that I hope you will consider taking. It’s four questions long and should take about one minute to complete. My goal is to generate some new ideas for teleseminars and other resources for you. Everyone who responds –…
Ghostwriters: Five Easy Ways to Lose a Client
Ghostwriters: Five Easy Ways to Lose a Client For many of us, winning new clients is the fun part. It’s the high point after expressing interest, providing a résumé or bio, sending writing samples, being interviewed, offering a quote, and following up ad infinitum. Finally, victory! You’ve landed a new ghostwriting gig. The hard part comes…
Should you be Facebook friends with clients?
Should you be Facebook friends with clients? Most gurus will tell you that you should friend anyone and everyone on Facebook, to increase your visibility as a ghostwriter and to potentially connect with people who want and need your services. The more contacts, the more likely you are to meet potential clients, the thinking goes.…
$4,250 for 83,000 words? Is that what ghostwriters earn?
$4,250 for 83,000 words? Is that what ghostwriters earn? I just saw a job posting looking for someone to write an 83,000-word business book for $4,250, due in about six weeks. Apparently, this is the new normal in publishing. Does it mean you have accept $4,250 to write such a lengthy book? Not at all.…
Why Hire a Ghostwriter?
Why Hire a Ghostwriter? When I chat with a prospective ghostwriting client, the conversation inevitably circles back to one essential question: Why should someone hire a ghostwriter? This article is designed to address many issues that go into answering that question. It may also help you to better understand just what a ghostwriter’s job…