How does ghostwriting work?
The key to a brilliant ghostwriting collaboration is a ghost who will write in your ‘voice’. Your book needs to sound as though you wrote it and, if you wish, no one will ever know that this is not the case.
The process is relatively simple. It begins with an initial interview where the ghost will work closely with an author to create an outline of everything that needs to be included in the book. The material from this in-depth interview is then used to map out the best narrative structure in a chapter-by-chapter plan. Here, one of the big benefits of an experienced ghost will come into its own, because they are able to advise an author on what will most interest publishers and, of course, the all-important reader.
Once the plan has been agreed, a number of interviews will follow. This is where the author and their ghost will take a deep dive into the chapter-by-chapter plan, tackling each section in more depth. Here, Teena will use interviewing skills learned through more than a decade on national newspapers, where she quizzed celebrities, business leaders and commentators, in order to draw out the best story. Questions are professionally structured to uncover the important facts, prompt the memory and properly understand the author’s point of view. All these details are invaluable in capturing the author’s voice to create a book that no reader wants to put down. These interviews will be taped, transcribed and then crafted into the most compelling form, which will be the basis of the main manuscript.
Chapters are shared with authors as they are completed, so they can be discussed during subsequent interviews and, if necessary, edited for accuracy and tone. Once the interview stage is over, a completed first draft of the manuscript will be presented for approval. This is an author’s final opportunity to make any revisions and ensure that everything is consistent and in order before the manuscript proceeds to the publishing stage.