Member Spotlight: Burton St. John

How did you land your first book ghostwriting project?

My first project was through a person who is in charge of a museum. She had archival material related to a prominent deceased businessperson. That material had been designed for a book, but never pulled together into one. We talked about the popular notion that this person never wrote a book–but this businessperson actually had laid out some chapters. So, she commissioned me to put it all together and it was subsequently published.

What has been your secret to building a steady stream of ghostwriting clients?

Networking, word of mouth, and Reedsy.

What do you wish clients understood about the ghostwriting process? 

That having a notion that you have a great story isn’t enough. One needs to understand that a story that can be book length needs to be timely and timeless. Timely in the sense that it resonates with readers–it connects with them in a way that they want to read it now. Timeless in that it also offers an account that will be meaningful to readers for years to come; it has a message that will endure as relevant. Combine those two aspects with the client’s distinctive insights that are revealed through scenes, action, and dialogue and the client has a good chance of a meaningful book.

How would you describe your favorite type of project and client?

Because of my background in helping people deal with organizational crises, I like to help clients that want to write about personal and/or professional challenges. This can range from hurdles in making a business run to personal accounts of overcoming trials like a divorce or navigating difficult family dynamics.

What are the best parts of this career?

Helping people see their narrative that is embedded in their experiences and their worldviews. Clients often respond with “I haven’t encountered that question–I need to think about it.” To me, those are some of the best words I hear in this career. It means that the client and I might just be on to something they have always wanted to express. I like helping people see better what is meaningful to them and how to articulate that in writing. I’ve been doing that for over 35 years and I keep finding that such sparks of realization makes this work compelling.

How can people reach you?

My email is webspinner1@verizon.net. My website is burtonstjohn.com and I am also on Facebook.