Blog 61: Interview with a Ghostwriter

Hello there and welcome to another blog interview with a member of the Author Support Network. As we are celebrating International Woman’s Day, I thought we would grab one of the gals, the lovely Marie Ellis of Muse Content, to chat to us about ghostwriting. But don’t be frightened, it is much less spooky than it sounds. I promise.

Hi Marie, could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself and how you came to begin ghostwriting?

I don’t think anybody dreams of being a ghostwriter as a child. There’s no straight line for this career path, and there’s certainly no booth at a career fair. In truth, I started my career as an actor in Los Angeles. After seven years of working as an actor, I went back to university and studied literature, eventually earning my master’s degree in the UK. Somewhat luckily, I got my first job as a journalist for a science magazine, and then, after fifteen years of writing and editing, I worked my way up to Editorial Director of a health-science company in the UK.

When I left full-time employment to go freelance, I got rather lucky. My first client was a well-known UK scientist who asked if I’d be the ghostwriter for their upcoming book with Penguin Random House. Thus began my career as a ghostwriter. That first book became a Sunday Times number 1 bestseller, so things started to snowball from there.

Wow, that is certainly a great start to your ghostwriting career! So, who would benefit from this particular service?

Anybody who wants to write a book with support would benefit from working with a ghostwriter. I’ve worked on cookbooks, business books, memoirs, and general nonfiction. My clients range from scientists and business owners to individuals who just want to tell their story. What’s more, the degree to which you employ a ghostwriter is a sliding scale. Sometimes I help authors outline their book so they can write it themselves, and sometimes I write the whole thing with their feedback, and everything in between.

You cover a range of non-fiction there, but do you provide this service for someone who has a fiction story to tell?

I don’t provide ghostwriting services for fiction books, but I do provide developmental edits for works of fiction.

That's good to know. At what stage would you recommend that someone get in touch for ghostwriting?

It really depends on the project, but many ghostwriters and developmental editors like me tend to have a waiting list of around six months. Books take a long time to write! My stock answer would be: as soon as you know you’d like to work with a ghostwriter, you should get in touch.

It sounds like it takes a lot of planning. What does the process generally involve and how long does it take?

The process starts with a strategy meeting to identify the core reasons for writing the book and where it would sit in the market. From there, I conduct a series of interviews to land on the book outline, and then we have longer interviews for specific parts of the book. There’s also a lot of time baked in for feedback and manuscript reviews. You can learn more about the whole process on my website here.

Is it a work in progress that you collaborate with the client over a period of time?

Yes, I build a close bond with my clients, as we work together for a minimum of six months.

How do you ensure that the writing properly represents your particular client’s voice?

This is a great question, and it’s where my experiences as both an actor and a journalist come in. Ghostwriting for another person is like becoming another character. I do a lot of background research and dive into any previous books or articles they’ve written, plus I study them during the interview phase to understand their unique stances and ways of speaking.

It’s great that the skills from your previous careers play a part in your writing. What about things like bespoke packages for people on a more limited budget? Could you assist in the planning, write a portion or finish it when a client is struggling to complete it?

I do indeed. One recent package I’ve put together is called Idea Development, and it involves helping the author organise their thoughts in preparation for a book outline if they then choose to write their book themselves.

There are a number of celebrities that have used ghostwriters. It almost feels like writing someone’s homework for them. Do you get acknowledged in the book or, once you write it, do you move onto the next project, the literal ghost that no one knows is there?

There’s a misconception that using a ghostwriter is cheating, but the truth is that every book is a collaborative effort, whether the author employs a ghostwriter or not. From agents to editors to publishers, every book you see in a bookstore is the result of a whole team of people, not just one author. I’m sometimes listed in the acknowledgements for providing editorial support. Some ghostwriters are listed as co-writers. It depends on the project and what the author is comfortable with.

Very true, it takes a lot of eyes to make sure the finished product is ready for the shelves. Do you ever feel attached to what you have written after putting so much time and effort into it?

Absolutely! Every book is a labour of love. I only take on projects I know I’ll be passionate about, which is why I love my job.

What are the other services that you provide?

I’m also a book developmental editor, and I run a small content agency with a team of health writers and scientists to create SEO content for businesses.

Have you got any advice for writers who are struggling to organise their stories or are thinking about using a ghostwriter?

Follow your instinct and reach out to a ghostwriter or book coach for help. It’s amazing what collaboration can do for your creative endeavours.

Finally, I am curious to know if you have a favourite author at the moment and what type of genre you are most drawn to?

A little-known fact is that I also write my own fiction. I’m a huge fan of speculative fiction, and some of my favourite authors include Matt Haig, Margaret Atwood, and Elif Shafak.

Thanks so much for popping in, Marie. It has been a pleasure.

Thank you!

If you would like to contact Marie about your project, you can do so via her website: https://www.musecontent.co.uk.

Until next time, happy writing!