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!