No Time to Write? Not a Writer? A Ghost Writer Can Help!

Melinda Marsh, D.C., is a chiropractor whose unique healing work has helped hundreds of men and women return from the agony of disabling back injuries to lead happy, productive lives. Not a day goes by that a client doesn't say, "Dr. Marsh, you should write a book!"

Indeed she should. With her expertise she could help thousands, millions even. When I asked her if she was working on a book, she said, "Yes, I've started one. But my patients come first. I'm so busy I don't have time to write!"

Mark Sjogrin invented a simple device that turns banana peels into dish soap. The product works like a charm, but it's the story of how he discovered it that deserves to be a book. "I've tried to write it," he says, "but I get bogged down. I'll never get it finished."

If you have no time to write, or if you're having a hard time finding the words to get your message across, a ghost writer may be the perfect solution. A ghost writer knows how to turn your wonderful ideas into irresistible prose that reads as if you'd written it yourself – only better.

How can a ghost writer help you?

• A ghost writer can pick up where you pooped out and complete what you've started.
• A ghost writer can organize your material and make it reader-friendly.
• A ghost writer can set you up as the expert in your field.
• A ghost writer can help you get your book published and out into the hands of readers.
• A ghost writer can save you time and money by doing the writing for you.

And... YOU get all the credit for the published work.

So... what questions do you need to consider before contacting a ghostwriter?

• What topic are you going to write about?
• What qualifies you to write on your topic (personal experience, education, or research)?
  
• Is the book fiction or nonfiction, or somewhere in-between?
  
• What audience is likely to want to buy and read your book?
• What books have already been written on this topic?
• How are you going to provide the information (written notes, outline, rough draft, tapes, personal interviews)?
• What is your goal in writing the book? Do you want to use it as a cornerstone of your business? Are you writing it to entertain? to help people solve a problem? What do you hope readers will gain from reading your book?
• What plans do you have for publishing (seeking an agent and a conventional publisher, self-publishing, publishing online as an ebook, etc.)?
• What is your budget for writing this book?
  

Although you don't have to know the answers to all these questions before contacting a ghost writer, you should start thinking about them today. For more information, go wordweaver4U.com. And I'd love to hear from you. Call me at 760-434-5224!

Here's to your book!

Warm wishes,
Chiwah Carol Slater
wordweaver4U.com

Hey, Book Writer – Make Your Memoir Reader-Friendly

"Chiwah took what I'd written and massaged it and turned it into a book that makes me look like a great writer."

Those heartwarming words came from Scott Miller, a Viet Nam veteran who had a great story to tell. Scott doesn't think of himself as a writer, but he's a heck of a storyteller. His book, The Incarcerated Kid with the Lacerated Head, stands as evidence to that fact.

Scott came to me with a manuscript of a memoir chock-full of wonderfully entertaining stories from his childhood and young adult years. He didn't need a copy writer or a ghost writer – he'd already written the book. His grammar was awful, his spelling atrocious. I didn't care – I was too busy laughing as he took me back to my own childhood, hiding behind the couch, playing with matches... reveling in the adventures and misadventures of growing up in America in the '50s.

Now, any book publicist will tell you that unless you're rich and famous, nobody is going to be interested in your memoir. And that's true. Does that mean you can't succeed by writing a story culled from your own life experiences? By no means! You can do what Scott did: Turn your memoir into a story that takes your readers back to relive the joys and tender moments of their own lives.

The power of any book is in how if affects the reader. The reason we say memoirs don't sell is that they tend to be all about you, and nobody even knows who you are, or cares. So when you write your story, step out and become the storyteller.

It's fine to see yourself as one of the characters, the one called "I," from whose perspective we hear the tale. But don't make the story about you. Remember, your reader doesn't care about you. Your reader cares about the story, and it's the characters that create the adventures that bring a story to life. So take an objective look at every person you write about, including yourself. Think about what makes these people tick, and write that into the story, as Scott did.

So what if your grammar and spelling are a mess? That's what editors were made for. If you bring me a well told story, I'll turn it into good writing. The key is in the depth of your insight into yourself and the characters who lived the story with you.