If you’re on this page, then chances are, you’re seriously looking for a ghostwriter.  And let’s face it… there are a lot of them around. You may even have already found one or two that you think might be a good match to help you write your book.  (And you’ve probably disqualified several others that… well weren’t even close!)

In fact, if you’re really serious about finding a ghostwriter and getting your book finished, this site is probably not the first one you’ve been to. (One thing I can promise you though, is that after you’ve finished reading this page, it will either be the last one you visit – or you’ll know, without a doubt, that I’m not the right ghostwriter for you.) Either way, you’ll be able to make a decision.

Why do I say that?  Because, basically,  I’m in the same boat you are.

You’re looking for the ‘right’ ghostwriter for your book, and I’m looking for my ‘ideal’ next client.  Because they’re the only ones I work with.

In fact, I’ve gained the reputation of being a writer who goes out of her way to disqualify prospective clients.  Why?  Because I want to make sure that I’m only working with clients who are ready, willing and able to invest in themselves, and who are determined to getting their book written right now – not next month, or next year, or ’someday’.

And yes, this rules out a lot of potential clients.

But it also means I am able to focus my time, energy and skills working with clients who are committed to taking action – and achieving their ultimate goal – of getting their book out of their head and into a finished, marketable manuscript – within the next three to six months.

You see, the thing is, I’m not like most other ghostwriters.  And it’s my differences that set me apart from the crowd, and may make me the perfect ghostwriter for your book.

Which is why I’ve written this page.  Because before you decide to hire me, I want you to understand exactly what you’re signing up for… and what you can – and should – expect in return.

Here are just a few of the benefits you get from working with me…

Meet your ghostwriting ‘CoMentorSultant’©

First of all, yes, I’m a professional writer with over 20 years of professional writing experience.

And I specialize in ghostwriting for doctors who want to become published authors.

But I’m also a trained coach, mentor and consultant. A coach is someone who works with mindset, focus and motivation.  A mentor is someone who guides and counsels.  And a consultant develops strategies, finds solutions to problems or barriers and creates results-oriented action plans.  (And you’ll rarely find ghostwriters who have the skills to do more than put your words down on paper.)

But I approach your book project in a different way.

First of all, I only accept two or three ghostwriting clients a year, and I only work on one book project at a time.  So your book is my only priority and gets my full attention.

But as your ghostwriting ‘CoMentorSultant’ I offer a unique blend of all three skill sets – which means you also get all the help you need to get through the process of getting your book written – faster and easier than you ever thought possible.

Here’s why: No matter how long you’ve been struggling to write your book, or how frustrated you’ve felt – because even though you’re an expert in your professional life – someone who is a life-long learner and used to mastering new skills quickly…your book still isn’t finished.

And that’s why most of my clients are so excited to discover just how quickly things start to happen once we start working together…and they watch their book coming to life before their eyes… Because I understand exactly how to help them figure out the best, most efficient – and easiest way for them to give me what I need to get the book finished.  I know how to get rid of writer’s block.  Exactly how to create a compelling and complete outline. What other kinds of information, research or background needs to be included – and what can be left out.

You’re probably a very good writer – but as you’ve no doubt discovered, writing a book is a lot different than writing a paper or an article.  A book – even a non-fiction book, has to have a certain structure – it needs an ebb and flow, and consistency.  But even more than that, underneath the content of the book itself, it must be written so that it connects with the intended reader – it has to tell an interesting story – one that catches their interest and keeps their attention.

And, on a completely different level, your book has to be marketable.  Because no matter how well it’s written, if no one buys it, or reads it, what’s the point?

So it’s vital you work with a ghostwriter who understands and has mastered this process of writing.

But then, we face another problem…

You’re a doctor – a busy professional who has multiple demands on your time.  (In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if time – or the lack of it – wasn’t one of the major reasons your book hasn’t been finished yet.)

So you want a ghostwriter who can not only be flexible and work around your schedule, but you need someone who maximizes the time you do have to spend working together.

And that’s why choosing a ghostwriter who specializes in working with physicians may be ‘just what the doctor ordered’. (Sorry, couldn’t resist that one…)

Over the years of working with doctors, I’ve developed a system that uses a proven writing method, with a creative structure that’s matched with your preferred way to work and your strengths. Which means you’ll achieve the mindset you need right from the start, and no matter how many interruptions, delays or emergencies happen, you’ll be able to pick up exactly where you left off, and get back on track without losing any of your work along the way.

And I’ll set our working schedule around your timeline, so we continue to make progress.

No other ghostwriter that I know of uses this type of holistic approach to help you become a successful published author.

Too many so-called ‘ghostwriters’ simply don’t have the credentials, experience or ability to back up their promises of being able to sit down and write an entire book.  I’ve been working as a writer and ghostwriter for over twenty years.  Prior to that, I worked in the nonprofit field writing grants and developing programs for nonprofit organizations across the western United States.  I’m also constantly learning, keeping on top of the latest trends and best practices when it comes to writing, book marketing and promotion.

Whether I’m working on writing your book, or having my team doing research into the top books in your topic, gathering demographic information about your target market and what kind of information they’re looking for, we’ll be doing all the heavy lifting for you – in fact, we’ve raised the bar with this one. (In fact, I challenge you to find another ghostwriter who is willing or able to match the gold level services you’ll get from working with me.)

Because while you and I are working on your book, you’ll also be getting priceless competitive intelligence so you’ll know exactly what needs to be done to create the kind platform that ultimately increases your name recognition, strengthens your credibility and positions you as an expert in your field to the people who matter the most – your prospective readers.

You’ll have a list of the right keywords to use, the topics to write about, and the places your target market hangs out – and their most burning questions or biggest problems – so you can start marketing your book before it’s even published, and begin collecting a growing base of fans who are eagerly waiting for the time they’ll be able to actually buy your book and read it for themselves! (This is what ultimately makes your book marketable and increases your chances of ending up on the best-seller list!)  We’ll also provide you with information about potential joint venture partners, who will promote your book to their lists… We’ll tell you which citizen journalists, book reviewers and bloggers you might want to connect with.  And we’ll even investigate which social media networking sites might be best for you. Your success is my top priority.

There’s a lot more to being a successful, published author than just writing a book.  And as your ghostwriting ‘CoMentorSultant’, I walk you through the entire process – including the strategies that will help you achieve the kind of success and recognition that you want and deserve.  (Not to mention avoiding the costly and embarrassing mistakes that can kill your chances of success.)

So there you have it.  If I’m not the right ghostwriter for you, I wish you all the best!  And if you think I am the one you want to work with, send me an email now, so we can set up a free no-obligation consultation, where we can talk about your book, and you becoming a published author.

Are you a doctor who wants to write a book, but you’ve decided you need a ghostwriter to help you organize your manuscript and get the writing done?

Maybe you’ve started your book, but don’t have the time to devote to it that’s needed… Or you’re not confident of  your writing skills…Or you don’t really know the process involved in created a full-length manuscript. Or  you find yourself constantly second-guessing yourself and rewriting what you’ve already written… (These are all real and valid reasons why other doctors have hired professional ghostwriters to help them get their books written.)

Are you starting to look around to get a feel for who’s who and what’s what – and you’re beginning to realize that finding the right ghostwriter for your project is more complicated than you thought?

Perhaps you’ve got questions about the difference between a professional ghostwriter and a freelance ghostwriter or writer?

If that’s the case, then I hope you’ll find this article both interesting and informative, because I’m going to give you my definitions of the terms, and talk about the differences, and also walk you through the process of finding the right ghostwriter for your book.

In this corner, we have the professional ghostwriters… And in that corner, we have freelance writers… Which one is right for you?

It doesn’t need to come to a knockdown, dragged-out fight to figure it out, or even to decide when you need a freelance writer and when you want the services of a professional ghostwriter.

My definition of “freelance writers”

A freelance  writer is a writer for hire… And like other professions, there are many different rungs on the ladder of success and professionalism.  So when you’re talking about a freelance writer, you may be talking about someone who is just starting out, all the way up to someone who is a professional, published writer with vast experience and expertise.

Freelance writers may write articles, blog posts, special reports, white papers and other marketing or sales materials. They may or may not have had any professional writing training. And they’re often what you might call a commodity product – because many freelance writers today – especially those who are just starting out and trying to find clients – are often caught in a bidding war for projects.  You can go to freelance writing for hire sites such as ‘elance’, ‘guru.com’, ‘rent-a-coder’, and ‘o-desk’ to see what I mean.  Basically, these sites are set up for providers (that’s the writer) to bid on projects listed by clients (that’s you).

In other words, if you go to one of those sites, create an account and write out a project description – sometimes within minutes you’ll have a gaggle of freelance writers bidding on your project – often for pennies on the dollar.

More often than not these days, you’ll find the freelancers who respond and bid on your project are from developing countries, and English may or may not be their first language. They also maybe be just starting out and have very little or no experience writing.  (They’ve bought into the idea that anyone can be a writer, and that writing is a lucrative field to go into and an easy ‘online business’ to start.)  And by the way, I’m not knocking this – as a business owner, I have some fabulous outsourcers who work with me on Website design, transcription, promotion and VA work and I couldn’t imagine running my business without them – they’re valued members of my team, who allow me to focus on the writing side of my business and working with my clients.  After all, everyone has to start somewhere, and there is definitely a market for this type of freelance writer’s work.  But writing articles or blog posts, or even special reports is very different from writing an entire book…

Now, let’s talk about Professional ghostwriters…

My Definition of a ‘Professional Ghostwriter’

A professional ghostwriter is someone who has moved beyond the bottom rung of the ‘freelance’ stage. although they still work for themselves, may be the owner of their own business or work as part of a team of different writers and as such, do not become your employee. (This is important for tax and IRS purposes).

Probably one of the biggest differences between many freelance writers and professional ghostwriters is that professional ghostwriters have set fees, and provide professional services designed to help their clients achieve their goals and protect their rights – including nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements.  The work they do is EXCLUSIVE to you – you receive all copyrights to the work, and you have the security of knowing it won’t be repurposed, sold again or rewritten for other clients at a later date.

In addition to being excellent writers, professional ghostwriters also have real writing experience under their belts, either being published authors themselves, or having written manuscripts for clients that were then published. And most of the time, when we’re talking about professional ghostwriters, they write books. (Although you can find professional ghostwriters who specialize in other areas such as copywriting and writing marketing or promotional materials, such as speeches or video scripts for their clients’ companies.)

Another difference between a professional ghostwriter and a freelance writer

A good professional ghostwriter may only accept a limited number of clients a year, in order to be able to focus on the project at hand, and give it the full attention it deserves. And because their services are highly prized, you may need to plan ahead in order to hire the one you want, because chances are, they’re booked  ahead.  (For myself, my policy is to only work on one ghostwriting project at a time, and depending on my clients’ needs, type of book and the project scope, I only accept two or three ghostwriting projects a year.)

Freelance writers on the other hand, may accept 3 or more clients at a time, and attempt to work on all the projects at the same time.  For many of these writers, their main concern is getting you to sign a contract, and start paying them. (So obviously, an important question to ask prospective ghostwriters is how many projects they work on at one time.  If this is an issue for you and you’re concerned about the quality of the work being done, you might want to make sure that they are only writing your book during the term of your contract.)

Another way you can tell you’re dealing with a professional ghostwriter and not a freelancer is that most professionals will specialize – either in the type of writing they do, or in a particular niche or genre of books. So for example, you might find a professional ghostwriter who only writes fiction novels for their clients, or only writes science fiction or romance or thrillers. Or you might find professional ghostwriters who only write non-fiction, or specialize in the health and wellness markets, or self-help, or business-to-business. However, this doesn’t mean they don’t have the skills to write other types of books – most professional ghostwriters have the ability to write about many different topics and in different genres.  They simply choose the ones they prefer and enjoy the most.  So if you find a professional ghostwriter whose work you admire but your book project is in a different genre, by all means get in touch with them and ask them if they take on your type of project.

A professional ghostwriter is usually invisible – their client is the one whose name will be listed as author, although not always. in some cases, the ghostwriter is acknowledged for their work, either through a ‘as told to’ or ‘with’ listed either on the cover or in the acknowledgments somewhere. (This happens more often when the ghostwriter is considered a celebrity in their own right or is hired by the publisher, because it’s felt that the marketability of the book may be enhanced by having the writer’s name on the book as well as the author.) In some cases, it depends on the genre of the book as well and the ethics involved.

And these days, especially for celebrities, politicians and business moguls, it’s become something of a status symbol to openly acknowledge that they used the services of a professional ghostwriter for their book, because it shows that they were too busy to write it themselves – and could afford to hire a ghost.

If you’d like to know more about how to find, hire and work with a ghostwriter, please check out my squidoo page.  And if you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me.