Do you know that you can be the author of a bestselling self-help book and never write one word? It's true! Most people assume that authors are the people who write the books.
You might be surprised to find out that your favorite self-help book authors didn't "write" their books.
In the self-help book industry, the term "author" and "writer" are not synonymous--in fact they denote two different roles in the book business.
An author: the one who has the ideas and a platform to promote those ideas.
A writer: the person who puts the author's ideas into words on a page.
It's quite possible that the author worked with a ghostwriter to create such a readable and sellable book.
Who uses ghost-writers? Some of the best known authors have used ghostwriters.
For example, Billy Graham and Jerry Falwell shared a ghostwriter named Mel White.
John F.
Kennedy was the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book Profiles in Courage, but his speechwriter, Theodore Sorenson, was the writer.
George Lucas takes credit for writing the novel version of Star Wars, but it was actually written by ghostwriter, Alan Dean Foster.
Does using a ghost-writer reflect poorly on you as an author? It's quite acceptable to publishers for authors to work with ghostwriters.
There's no shame in it.
Sometimes authors aren't the greatest writers.
Or sometimes they just don't have the time to write a full manuscript.
Some publishers would rather have an author put time into building a promotional platform than spend time hidden away writing somewhere.
Keep an open mind about using a ghost.
It might be the best option for you.
It's a win-win; good for the author and good for ghost-writers as well.
Ghostwriters are respected professionals in the publishing industry.
There are many ghosts who make good money transforming lectures, speeches, or notes written on the back of napkins into sellable manuscripts.
How Does This Arrangement Work? A ghostwriter can be hired by the author or the publishing house.
The author provides the content while the ghost creates the book's structure and writes various drafts.
The author critiques the different versions, adds illustrations and more ideas when needed.
Should You Hire a Ghostwriter? If you've got some great ideas, but don't see yourself as a strong writer, or maybe you just don't have the time, consider hiring a ghostwriter to put together your proposal and, once you've landed a publishing contract, to write your manuscript as well.