You’re on a big mission fueled by big ideas. Maybe you'’re a leader who’s cracked the code on something important, or you’ve lived through experiences that could genuinely inspire others.

You keep thinking, “I should write a book about this”—but then reality hits. You're not a writer. You barely have time to answer emails, let alone craft 200 pages of compelling prose.

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to be a writer to become a published author. When you’re ready to turn your expertise into a real, hold-it-in-your-hands book, a professional ghostwriter is your secret weapon.

In fact, virtually all business books and celebrity memoirs are ghostwritten. Because when the ghostwriter knows what they’re doing, the book should feel like it came straight from the author’s brain—which, in a way, it did.

Understanding the Ghostwriting Process

Most of the authors we’ve worked with knew nothing about the ghostwriting process before they embarked on it, but once they decide to dive in and embrace it, they almost always find it to be instructive, enjoyable, and rewarding—even when it takes more time than they’d anticipated, which it usually does, because the process is extremely collaborative. One of the reasons authors wind up enjoying working with us so much is because it often provides them with insights about their lives or business philosophy that they're too close to—or too busy running their companies—to see.

If you’re imagining spending a few hours with us and then shooing us away to write your book, that’s not how the process works. We need material to start writing, it takes a lot to fill a book, and it’s your job to provide it. So most of the heavy lifting happens in the interviewing stage. How much time you’ll have to devote depends on the nature of the project, but generally speaking there will be a few intensive interview sessions up front and follow-up interviews along the way. You'll also have to review drafts. But once you’re holding a beautifully packaged book in your hands,the time invested is worth it.

Navigating What to Include

When it comes to personal and professional material, knowing what’s appropriate to include in a book requires careful judgment. An author may have a story or anecdote that is personally meaningful to them, but we professionally know it lacks narrative punch. So besides conveying ideas and capturing voices, our job is to make sure that authors are relatable—and sometimes the people we have to protect authors from most are themselves.

There are always debates about what to keep and what to drop. Sometimes authors shy away from expressing controversial opinions or ask us not to include a story they fear will make them look weak or foolish. Maybe they pulled a rookie move as a leader or mishandled a situation with an employee. We lobby to include that material not only because we believe it will humanize the author, but also because we know it will make for a much richer read. We don’t just protect the author—we fight for the reader too.

Authors don’t always agree with our recommendations, but by building a good working relationship, we can work through those moments in the story's best interests. Ultimately, it’s the author’s call what winds up in the book, but we’re not shy about telling authors that if they only want to talk about the pretty stuff, they’re going to have a very boring book.

Capturing the Author’s Voice

There are lots of storytellers out there with strong interviewing and writing skills, but a good ghostwriter also has to have the ability to get inside the head of the author in the same way that a Method actor gets inside the head of a character they’re playing. They have to know how the author sees himself and how he sees the world. They also have to be keen observers because they’re not just conveying the author’s thoughts and ideas—they’re channelling their voice, expressions and speech rhythms.

Some people swear a lot. Some have a folksy manner. An Australian pitch consultant we worked with used a lot of Aussie expressions that were colourful, funny, and absolutely integral to his voice. Ghostwriters pick up on details like that. They have to become a bit of a ventriloquist. It’s not about mimicry—it’s about empathy and perception. But having a good eye and ear aren’t enough. They have to be able to translate what they observe to the page.

Breaking Through Marketing-Speak

Ghostwriters often have to push authors to let go of generalizations or marketing-speak. Often the author is so close to their story that they can’t see it clearly. They’re used to expressing their ideas in a big picture way. Or they’ve repeated their message so many times they’ve completely internalized it. Since their business philosophy makes perfect sense to them—and they’re not in the habit of being questioned about it—they assume it makes perfect sense to everyone else. But that’s not necessarily the case. Sometimes they use so much jargon they might as well be speaking in tongues. In that case, ghostwriters have to wean them off the corporate speak so they can figure out what they’re trying to say. Once the ghostwriter starts probing their ideas, authors are forced to parse and clarify them so they can be expressed in a way that’s accessible to all.

This process can require some persistence. The New York Times reported that the collaboration between world champion tennis player Andre Agassi and Pulitzer Prize-winning author J.R. Moehringer for Agassi’s memoir “Open” was so intense that their taping sessions sometimes resembled psychoanalysis.

Moehringer told the Times that their first few interviews were “just painful” because Agassi was “completely locked—stilted, resistant, halting.” He had “crystalline” memory about his matches but not about his relationships. Gradually, though, Agassi “loosened up.” He said that during the interviews and later, when the two pored over transcripts together, he sometimes felt as if he was in an intense tennis match. “I have a lot of capacity for pain,” he said. “But I didn’t understand how hard this process would be. I was being asked to talk about the subject I know least about: me.?”

Most people who work with a ghostwriter don’t have a story like Agassi’s. Still, even if they’re not inclined to clam up, many have honed their story into a set piece, which is a problem, because the real (and inevitably more interesting) story is always operating at a deeper level. So a good ghostwriter doesn’t just take dictation. They know how to dig beneath the surface and draw that story out.

The Unique Satisfaction of Ghostwriting

Professional ghostwriters often discover unexpected satisfactions in their work. Many have strong voices as writers in their own right, so they may initially wonder whether they’d be any good at ghostwriting or whether they’d be able to sublimate their ego in the service of the author’s vision—which is essential for successful ghostwriting.

But many discover they really enjoy the work. They get to meet interesting people, learn about worlds they would otherwise never encounter, and draw upon their own life experience to help elucidate others’ stories. They also get to play psychologist and live in someone else’s head for a while, which can be fascinating for those interested in the nuances of human behaviour—and it provides a welcome break from being stuck in their own perspective.

Additionally, ghostwriting allows writers to use their journalism skills in a different forum and learn some of the tools of the fiction writer’s trade in the bargain. Even though they’re writing about a real person, they’re also creating a character, a persona. Finally, many ghostwriters enjoy the collaborative nature of the work. A lot of a writer’s life is spent sitting alone in a room, so the meeting of minds that ghostwriting requires can be refreshing and energizing.

If you have a story worth telling but lack the time or skills to tell it yourself, a ghostwriter might be exactly what you need to turn your expertise into your next marketing asset. ■