Ghostwriting should be a collaborative partnership for the best results

My favorite ghostwriting projects are the ones where after I submit book content to my client, I receive a reviewed copy completely marked up with red tracked changes. That might be discouraging to some ghostwriters, but for me, it means that my client actually cares about the quality of the book.

I don’t see it as them “correcting” my writing or thinking that there’s something wrong with my writing.

I know there’s nothing wrong with my writing, or I never would have gotten this far in my career.  

Ghostwriting is a collaborative effort, and without the author’s feedback and revision, the books will never reach their quality potential. 

The Importance of a Collaborative Partnership

In my line of work, I’m tasked with the job of representing someone else’s brand, message, experiences, and stories. Through interviews, I can capture a lot of the details and emotions but no matter how long we work together, my clients and I are never able to experience a Vulcan Mind Meld.

I can’t be in their thoughts, and I have yet to discover my own latent telepathic and psychic abilities. As such, collaboration is a key part of a ghostwriting partnership.

To my knowledge, the most accomplished ghostwriters in the world have yet to master mind reading.

So, it’s the clients’ review that checks for accuracy, makes sure I capture the right meaning, and adds layers of substance.

To add to that, my clients are experts in their fields. I don’t have a medical degree, I’m not a financial manager or real estate agent. I’m not a mindset coach and I don’t manage chronic pain.

Within the fields I’m writing about, there are topics, nuances, and terminology that I only have a layman’s understanding of. So, when my clients go through the content, they can spruce up areas that need a little more focus and specifics in their niche or field. They can determine when something needs to be defined or if their target audience will understand the terminology.

These are the collaborative elements that turn an okay book into a great book.

Without them, the book is a shell of what it could be.

Without collaboration, quality gets sacrificed and the end result may not resonate with readers in the way the author envisions.

What Does a Ghostwriting Collaboration Entail?

Each project is a bit different in how my clients and I figure out the best way to work together. From early on in our work together, we figure out the best platform for communication, how regularly we want to meet, and go over details of the best way to establish a good working flow together.

However, there are aspects of ghostwriting collaboration that are universally important.  

One of the major collaborative elements in ghostwriting is the interview.

I interview my clients on topics they want covered in the book. We discuss talking points for each chapter and I’m able to dig into the details more through the interview.

Without the interview, the book doesn’t get written. It is the primary method for content generation.

Even so, there has to be collaboration. I need to go into every interview knowing what we are going to talk about and with questions that can guide the content generation and keep us on task. I also need to remain attentive so I can ask follow up questions and clarifying questions as needed.

From the client side, they need to be forthcoming with information and willing to participate in the conversation by answering honestly and fully.

Another collaborative aspect is reviews.

After I write a chapter or a segment of content, I send it to my client for review. I invite them to look it over and make notes with comments and tracked changes. This gives them the opportunity to improve upon what’s already there and make any necessary changes where things don’t hit the mark.

If you’re looking to work with a ghostwriter, be prepared to collaborate. Be prepared to talk about your experiences and answer questions. Be prepared to review content and give your ghostwriter feedback on how the manuscript is progressing.  

Your book will be better for it.

Good Collaboration vs. Bad Collaboration

There are all kinds of bad collaborations.

Sometimes it comes down to a clash of personalities or misaligned expectations. But that’s a totally different animal. Most of those situations end before they get started because a ghostwriter knows if they’ll be a good fit with a client and they can refer them to someone else early on.

During the writing process, a hesitant collaborator is the fastest way to send a project off the rails.

Whether that’s a client who is reluctant to answer questions, who doesn’t want to review the material and rubber stamps everything without giving it a thorough readthrough, or a ghostwriter who is an unreliable communicator or who takes over creative control of the project.

These are signs of people who aren’t great collaborators and if that’s the case, the book won’t get very far.  

For anyone looking to work with a ghostwriter, if you find someone who isn’t responsive or go through a service where you have little to no direct contact with the ghostwriter you’re paired with, those are indicators that any book written won’t be a great book.

Whether you’re writing a book yourself or working with a ghostwriter, your participation is necessary.

A good collaboration happens when your ghostwriter is communicative, responsive, and knows how to conduct a content generating interview and then craft the information into a compelling book.

A good collaboration happens when the author is forthcoming with content, details, and ideas and when they give honest, thorough feedback on the ghostwriter’s writing.

Professional traditionally published and indie authors work with a team to get their books written and published – editors, beta readers, formatters, etc.

Writing and publishing a book is a collaborative process.

Ghostwriting a book is no different, only the collaboration starts with the project design and writing.

When you’re ready to write your book, make sure you have the right team at your back. If that includes a ghostwriter, choose someone who understands the importance of collaboration.