Ghostwriter
Welcome to The Book Ghostwriter website. Do you have a book in you, waiting to be written? Do you have the ideas or the material, but lack the time, talent or inclination to turn the book in your head into a book on the shelves? What you need is a ghostwriter.
My name’s Charlie Wilson and I’m a professional ghostwriter. I’m the founder and director of The Book Specialist, an editorial agency offering services for authors and publishers, from ghostwriting and author mentoring to editing and proofreading. I’m the author of four non-fiction books in my own name. And I’ve ghostwritten all or parts of many other books (I’d like to tell you which, but my lips are sealed).
Specialisms as a ghostwriter
I specialise in ghostwriting non-fiction books – autobiography and engaging non-fiction. Here are the elements of writing style I apply to the books I ghostwrite:
Carefully structured: Structure is everything, I believe. A reader wants a logical structure that tells them where they are, where they've been and where they're going.
Clear: I believe readers should be able to easily determine meaning and direction of the text.
Consistent: Nothing bugs me more than inconsistencies in a book's structure, content and style.
Engaging: Writing with the reader in mind is paramount.
Inclusive: I don't write material that's offensive to others, such as racist, sexist or ageist content.
Informed: I like to keep my writing grounded and real.
The books I ghostwrite
Ghostwriting is a confidential service, and a ghostwriter is – by nature – a ghost in the writing process. So I wouldn't dream of shouting about my work as a ghostwriter. To get an idea of the kinds of clients I work with, take a look at the About Me page on my main website, The Book Specialist. And for an idea of my writing style, you can take a look at How to Succeed as a Freelancer in Publishing, Survival Guide for New Parents (in press) and Writing a Marketable Book (in press).
I write across many different genres, in different styles and voices. Over the years I’ve been, as ghostwriter, a serial dater, a dog, an escort, a soldier, a hunter, an entrepreneur, an accountant and a herbalist. Genres have included mind, body and spirit; psychology; health; business; education; family; autobiography/biography; popular culture. This isn't an exhaustive list, and I consider ghostwriting projects that focus on other subject matters. But of course to write about a subject I have to be able to understand it fully, so I’m not a ghostwriter who writes about astrophysics or quantum mechanics.
Ghostwriter availability
Each year I ghostwrite two to four books. In addition, I commission ghostwriters from within The Book Specialist team to take on other books.
I am selective about the books I write and that other ghostwriters take on through The Book Specialist agency. Before ghostwriting can commence, the following must apply:
1. The ghostwriter gets on with the client, and feels able to engage with the book and write in the client’s voice.
2. The ghostwriter is confident that this will be a good, marketable book of interest to readers.
3. The terms are mutually agreeable – for example, the ghostwriter can deliver the manuscript in the required time, and to budget.
The ghostwriting process
The process of working with me as ghostwriter is pretty simple: agree, plan, research, write and revise. Then, hopefully, you publish. The process as a whole usually lasts between four months and a year.
1: Agreeing to work together
If I am interested in a ghostwriting project, I usually suggest meeting up before commencing work. I live in Nottingham, and work with clients in Nottingham and in the surrounding areas like Derby, Leicester, Sheffield and Birmingham, and I travel to London to work with clients in the capital. I will also travel further afield where necessary – from Scotland to Ireland, the US to the Med.
If we're both happy to go ahead, I ask you to sign a project agreement that lays down the terms of the ghostwriting – so we both know where we are throughout the process. Then I can get to work as your ghostwriter.
2: Planning the book
Together, we work on an outline for the book – a logical, clear structure. The best writing, in my experience, comes out of careful planning. And by starting with a clear plan, you know exactly what I'll be ghostwriting and how.
3: Researching the book
I can't ghostwrite a book for you out of thin air – I need material upon which to base it. Research can include:
Interviews: These may be with yourself or others. I write notes and record our conversations. This is an excellent way for me to gather material and get a clear picture of your ideas and opinions.
Notes/documents: You may have already written down material for the book, or you may want to pass me documents from other sources (e.g. reports, websites, books, publications) that will inform my ghostwriting. Some clients hire a professional researcher for this: I can recommend one if you need.
My own knowledge-gathering: You may prefer me to do research on your behalf – watching footage, reading books, hunting online, chatting to people.
4: Ghostwriting
Now I'm ready to write, and write, and write. I lock myself in my garret with a thermos of coffee and a pack of biscuits, and I start ghostwriting your book. A few months (and many biscuits) later, the first draft is done.
Depending on your preference, I may send chapters back as I complete them, or I may ghostwrite the book in its entirety and then return it to you at the end.
5: Reviewing and revising
After you receive the ghostwritten manuscript, you review it and, if necessary, you ask for revisions. Hopefully, if we've communicated well at the planning stage and during the ghostwriting process, you're pretty happy with the first draft, and we need only make small amendments. In all the years I've been working as a ghostwriter I've never had a client ask for more than minor revisions
6: Over to you
After we finalise the manuscript, you're ready to start approaching publishers/agents, or to start the self-publishing process, depending on your preference.
I'm happy to recommend agents/publishers you can approach, and I can advise you on putting together a proposal/submission package. However, I don’t act as an agent for books. I prefer to stick to what I do best – being a ghostwriter.
Find out more
To discuss a ghostwriting project, please contact me through my main website: The Book Specialist.