Outline Your Book Idea

Before you get started with a ghost writer, you should do some writing.

Seriously.  This is your book.  It should represent you.

The process is far easier with an outline that the author approves.

Every writer has a different approach.

For my purposes, outlines are critical to the process so everyone is on the same page.

Interviews are also critical to the process.  Be prepared to dedicate time to your project.  It's your project, so you want it to exceed your expectations, right?

If you are hiring a ghostwriter to write and publish your book, you must insist on talking directly to the ghostwriter.  The best process is to sit in a room and talk... for hours and hours over a period of time.  It's easiest to have more than a few sessions for interviews.

Recording those conversations by audio or film is a huge help to the process, too.  Those recordings are then transcribed and then you should see an outline or a few sample chapters.

Get a feel for the ghostwriter.  Make sure he or she matches your intention and captures your tone of voice.  Details are important to the process.

Three hours of dialogue isn't going to be enough information to fill in an entire book, either.

The best projects I've worked on entail 20 to 30 hours of recordings.  Yes, they're detailed.  Yes, they represent the author whose name will go on the front cover of the book.  But isn't that the way it should be?

Books are not created out of thin air.

One sentence is not a book.

You need content.

If you are just getting started, interview different ghostwriters and ask about the process before you pay a dime.  Get organized and be able to articulate your vision.  Is it a self-help book?  Is it a memoir?  Is it a novel?  What is your goal in publishing the book?  Is it for family members so you can tell your life story?  Or do you want to sell the book in the back of the room when you're hired to speak at public events?

Everyone has a story to tell, so tell your story your way.  Be hands-on and review drafts as the book is coming along.  In the end, communication and direct contact with the ghostwriter is a win-win for everyone.  Good luck with your book project!

Power of Email to Remember a Life Story

Marion Green has passed away.  She was my friend. In fact, I owe so much to Marion's passion and energy for writing. Marion was a strong voice in getting me back to full-time writing again.

After her passing, I went through my email archive to read her messages to me.  Every single message encouraged me to write.  Every single message was positive.  Every single message held her voice that I could no longer hear.  And I was reminded why I got back to writing.

Many years ago, Marion called me and said, "You have to start writing again.  I was published in the LA Daily News! They have half a million readers!"

Sure enough, she discovered a program where community journalists could post stories online and a portion of those chosen stories would be published in the print edition of the newspaper.  It was called Valley News.  I jumped at the chance.  I researched stories, I interviewed people, I became a better photographer and I was rewarded.  Over the course of the program, hundreds of my stories and photographs were published.

After a feature article was written about my submissions along with a photograph of me, newspaper readers randomly stopped me in the grocery store to say they enjoyed my articles and to keep writing. I was offered a position ghostwriting for a high-profile man with thousands of followers.  I was offered a PR job for a high-profile business leader in downtown Los Angeles.  I was offered an opportunity to write feature stories about businesses in Los Angeles County in exchange for a high-profile membership.  I wrote a story about a pothole and a cracked street and it was paved by the city soon afterwards. I wrote a story about a left hand turn/red light problem and the city responded. Story after story got action because each one was published in the print edition.  It was really crazy.  But that is the power of publishing; that is the power of the media.

After a couple of years of amazing work, the program was dismantled.  The rumblings of what happened revolved around the inches of publishing space.  As I was told the story, the regular paid union newspaper writers were upset because the articles written by community writers were taking up a big percentage of publishing space.  If that was true, I could see their point.  We were taking up the space and our feature articles about real people in the community were being given priority publishing space.  It was good for the community, it was great exposure for the community writers, but not so good for the staff writers.  When the community program went away, some people lost their jobs as the newspaper downsized.  As unpaid writers, we also lost our opportunities.  And our community lost its voice.

Marion continued to take creative writing classes.  She was still writing and publishing articles in her local retirement community, too.  She was also writing stories about her life or reviewing special books she read.  During this same time, I started writing books and Marion was so supportive.  She loved books.  She definitely had a book in her, but she ran out of time.

With the help of her children, we wrote her memorial tribute and her service was beautiful.  After the service, her children tossed flowers into the ocean in honor of their mother.

After the service, her children gave me one of Marion's books entitled, "A Natural History of the Senses," by Diane Ackerman.  It is one of the nicest gifts anyone has ever given to me.  It is a book that Marion owned and it was a part of her library.  That book reminds me to keep going, keep writing, keep contributing, and help people to tell their stories.

Marion remains a strong voice and an inspiration. Anytime I'm stuck, all I have to do is re-read her emails and get to work.  Our relationship and part of her life story is all there in writing for me to revisit at any moment of the day.

Everyone has a story and every story should be shared...  If Marion were here, she would tell you to start planning, start writing, and get your book published before it's too late.

For her exceptional encouragement to all writers:
Thank you, Marion Green.

Need a Ghostwriter?

There is no time like the present to get your book published.

Put your life story in print.

Share your vision.

Share your advice.

Share your story.

Provide a guide book to your clients at seminars.

Create a book to sell in the back of the room after speaking engagements.

Don't wait another day.

It's easy to get started.

Your name will be the only name on the book as the author.

Non-disclosures apply and no one will ever be the wiser.

Walking with you throughout the process, I will help get your thoughts organized, create a plan, provide an outline of the entire book, write the book and publish the book upon your approval.  You will be hands-on throughout the process with firm date deliveries at each step plus approval points.

The finished book product belongs to you and only you.

In 60 days, you could have a finished book in your hand.  And you will become a published author.

Imagine having your own book with your story or point-of-view on your bookshelf and available online for friends, family and strangers who want to learn more about you.

Contact ghostwriterpam@gmail.com for more information.

My mantra is simple.  Everyone has a story... tell your story in print today!