Guest Post: Working with a ghostwriter is shameful … or is it?

By Tracy Hume

I’ve got a secret to share: my secret is that I believe in hiring professionals for complex tasks rather than trying to tackle those tasks by myself. For example:

• I’m a ghostwriter. I ghostwrite nonfiction books for healthcare industry thought leaders. So I’m using my hands all day long. But just because I use my hands all the time doesn’t mean I know how to fix them when something goes wrong. When I needed hand surgery a couple of years ago, I didn’t try to do it myself: I turned to a hand surgeon.
• I pay my taxes every year (actually every quarter), but I don’t calculate my tax liability and prepare the many pages of forms by myself. I don’t have time to keep on top of the endless changes to the tax code and figure out how they apply to me. I hire a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to do that.
• I drive my car almost every day, but I don’t do car repairs myself. For that, I hire a professional.

I’ve tried the DIY route: 24/7 access to Google and YouTube creates the illusion that you can Google your way to expertise in anything. (I’ll spare you the details of my DIY dishwasher repair attempt, but let’s just say hiring an expert was the better choice).

Life is complex. It seems to be getting more complex all the time. And the more complex things become, the more important it is for me to engage the services of a professional who has the education, skills and experience to do the job correctly and efficiently.

The truth is that most of us rely on professionals to take care of many complicated tasks. So why should writing a book be any different?

Sure, people use language every day. People speak every day. People write texts and emails and memos and executive briefs—but most people aren’t working on a book manuscript every day. That is because writing a book is a particular art that requires specific skills and expertise, in the same way that being a surgeon, a CPA, or an auto mechanic does.

Writing a book requires more than just a good grasp of the English language (grammar, punctuation, an understanding of the pros/cons of using the Oxford comma, etc.). Among other things, writing a book requires knowing:

• How to define the book’s target readership.
• How to frame the book’s concept.
• How to structure the content of the book to build a clear narrative or argument.
• How to integrate research, if needed.
• How to ensure the research is accurate, relevant, timely and properly cited.
• How to write the book in a way that engages the book’s target readership.
• How to deploy the author’s voice, including tone and style, effectively.
• How to edit the manuscript.
• How to comply with the appropriate style guide, such as The Chicago Manual of Style.
• How to format and prepare a book manuscript for publication.
• The different paths to publication available today.

The healthcare industry leaders that I ghostwrite books for have spent their lives developing their expertise in different areas of the healthcare industry, such as cyber risk management, revenue cycle management or complexity-fit leadership. Their expertise in these areas does not necessarily include expertise in writing books.

Even if they possess exceptional writing skills, many leaders find dedicating the hundreds of hours it can take to writing a book impractical. They don’t want to take a “time-out” from daily and deep engagement in their area of expertise to develop and write a book manuscript.

Collaborating with a ghostwriter can even improve the book because the ghostwriter provides a third-party perspective on the author’s ideas and content. The right ghostwriter asks good questions to make sure there aren’t any gaps or redundancies in your content. A ghostwriter can also make sure you break down and explain industry acronyms and jargon in a way that will make sense to your readers.

Considering all these factors, why wouldn’t you hire a professional to help you turn your ideas into a book?

I’ve chosen to devote my time and energy to becoming a professional writer. The hours I’ve spent on research, skill development, and writing book manuscripts have contributed to the level of expertise I now have.

I’m not embarrassed that I’m not a surgeon, or a CPA, or an auto mechanic. And I don’t suggest to my friends and colleagues that I did my own surgery, or my own taxes, or replaced my transmission by myself. I’m not embarrassed that those are not among the skills I have devoted my life to learning. I am glad I live in a world where other people have developed expertise in those areas and that I can hire them to help me.

And when I find someone who does an exceptional job for me, I tell everyone. I don’t hide it and pretend I did the job myself.

Why should ghostwriting be treated any differently?

It is time to remove the stigma from working with a ghostwriter. Collaborating with a ghostwriter doesn’t mean you are not a good enough writer. It doesn’t mean you aren’t an expert in your field. It doesn’t mean you aren’t “smart enough” to write a book. In fact, I would argue, it means you are smarter than most, because you recognize that you would like to continue to focus on your area of expertise, while at the same time collaborating with a professional to help you share that expertise in a book.

Let’s change the narrative: working with a ghostwriter is NOT shameful. It’s a smart, strategic, and forward-thinking choice that enables you to share your expertise without sacrificing your focus. That’s not something to hide—it’s something to be proud of.

Tracy Hume is a ghostwriter who specializes in writing nonfiction books for thought leaders in the healthcare industry. For more information, visit her LinkedIn site at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyhume/ or email her at tracy@tracyhume.com.