For the Love of Bringing Books to Life: Write, Publish, and Be Known
How to Choose a Literary Agent: Red Flags
A couple of questions came up about literary agents today and I realized it would be a good topic to share with you. It’s easy to get taken advantage of it you don’t know what to look for or even aren’t quite clear on a literary agent’s role. A student from my most recent Bring Your Book to Life Program is just putting the finishing touches on her self-help book, which has quickly gone from rough idea to a powerful manuscript. She e-mailed me today asking about a particular literary agency I had never heard of. I looked them up[...]
Should I Hire a Ghostwriter or Write My Book Myself?
Easy answer: 9.5 times out of 10 you should write your book yourself. My first year on the faculty of Harvard Medical School’s publishing course, a doctor told me his horror story on landing a top publisher who recommended hiring a ghostwriter. Sadly, the ghostwriter’s version took him far afield from his vision. He took his name off the book altogether, though the publisher still published it (and, I believe, he paid for the ghostwriter). He came to Harvard to regain his voice and start over with the book he originally wanted to write. It’s your story. Do you really[...]
More Ghostwriting Advice: 10 Things You Need to Know
Yesterday, Jeannie shared in this writing blog that she’d been asked to ghostwrite a memoir and asked some advice about what to charge and what she might negotiate. Ghostwriting is a great way to write books and get paid right away. But it’s also easy to get burned when ghostwriting a book. Here are 10 things you need to know. Almost all my points revolve around good communication and setting clear expectations from the get-go. Discuss everything you can think of ahead of time and you are much more likely to have a mutually satisfying experience. 1. Discuss whether your[...]
Ghostwriting Advice: What to charge?
In a comment to one of last week’s posts, Jeannie asked several questions that I thought might be of interest to many followers of this blog: 1. I’ve been asked to ghostwrite a memoir. How much can I reasonably ask to be paid? 2. Can I expect royalties if the book is made into a movie (the author is already in talks with a producer) 3. Would you advise me to engage an entertainment lawyer? 4. Do you have any suggestions for getting an agent? Here are my answers: 1. Ghostwriting fees vary, but $12,000 – $15,000 are usually the[...]
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