Please do not be intimidated by the ghostwriting process. It is as straightforward as picking up the phone or drafting an email. It begins with an idea and finding the best possible fit for your idea.
For us, it normally begins with an initial inquiry, normally through our website and normally with a simple email requesting more information or a phone call asking how the process works. A simple note to [email protected] will get the ball rolling.
An introductory phone call comes next. This is such an important step. It allows you to describe the book idea you are working on or thinking about working on. It allows us to walk you through the process. How will we gather the information we need to get the ball rolling? Do you have material already written down or is there research we might do? Are face-to-face interviews best for our launch? We talk about the genre of your book, the audience, even the tone and style we think might be most appropriate.
Our next step is to share those most important details about cost and time frame and what it takes to create a very special book. We talk about creating that special trust that collaborators need to have, whether you’re writing a novel, biography, business book, or self-help book.
Once the logistical elements of a contract are in place, we schedule our interviews, be they face-to-face, via Skype, or by phone. This is where the ideas, concepts, and stories take shape. This is where the fun truly begins, because, yes, writing your book and seeing it take shape should be one of the most enjoyable events you’ll ever experience.
Then the writing begins. We start with an outline. We make sure that our initial chapters have the right voice, one that honors your story and/or your message. This is one of the most important aspects of the entire process. Everything hinges upon it.
Yes, the writing process is fluid and every book requires its own approach, but setting weekly and monthly goals is vital. Continuity is vital, both to you as the author, but also to the ghostwriter. Make no mistake, the author/ghostwriter relationship is so vital. This is meant to be an exciting, enjoyable process. The more interactive, the better.
Choose your ghostwriter well. Trust your instincts. Expect the best.
About Mark
Mark Graham, Iron Fox Creative, is a critically acclaimed author who has been writing and editing professionally since 1988.
He has written and published five critically acclaimed novels.
The Harbinger (Henry Holt & Co., 1989)
The Missing Sixth (Harcourt, Brace, & Jovanovich, 1991)
The Fire Theft (Viking Penguin, 1993)
The Natanz Directive (St. Martin’s Press, 2013)
Jack MacTavish and the Portals of Light (2014)
His credits included collaborations on such notable publications as the educational expose Scars of Love (At-Risk Educational Services, 2008), the acclaimed business book Everything I Know as a CEO I Learned as a Waitress (It’s All Good Publishing, 2007), and the World War II biography Spearhead: Advance and Defend (Amur Books, 2006).
He has also written a noted book of inspirational verses called Parents Are Diamonds – Children Are Pearls.
He is currently adapting The Natanz Directive into a feature film script for Patriot Pictures.
He is the owner and operator of Mark Graham Communications and Graham Publishing Group.
The views expressed herein are not those of Colorado Independent Publishers Association, its officers or directors. They are solely and completely those of the author. The Colorado Independent Publishers Association will not be held liable for any legal action resulting from information published in this newsletter, and the organization’s insurance will not cover any such action.