When you hear the word “ghostwriter,” you probably think of memoirs by sports megastars or politicians on the world stage. At first glance, hiring a ghostwriter would seem to be a perk for the wealthy, like a Renaissance prince who keeps a composer around to entertain the courtiers.
While some ghostwriters do serve the elite, most are quite happy to tackle projects that will never see the bestseller list. But handing over your life story to a total stranger might give you pause.
That’s understandable. Asking for help to write your own memoir would seem to be an oxymoron, right? If you can’t transmit your own history, how can a stranger?
But telling a story in print is not like telling a story to your friends at a party. It’s an art and a science—and it’s a lot harder than it looks.
Maybe you’ve amassed the research for a family history only to see it get bogged down. Or maybe you’ve started a memoir only to find your project stalled after the first ten pages.
This can feel beyond frustrating. If you can imagine your story, why can’t you seem to get it down on paper? How do you diagnose what’s wrong? Is it time to give up? Or is it time to ask for help?
Lots of writing and editing professionals have the skills to move your book project forward. But a ghostwriter is worth seeking out for an additional, specialized skill: mastery of voice.
All good writing is clear, accurate, and engaging. But every great life story needs a great voice, a point of view that will connect with your readers. Ghostwriters are uniquely qualified to channel that voice and to make your story come alive.
Working with a ghostwriter is a partnership like no other, a uniquely intimate professional relationship. So before you commit to proceeding, ask yourself 3 serious questions. (And there are no wrong answers, so be honest!)
Top 6 questions to ask yourself to determine if working with a ghostwriter is right for you:
Are you right for a ghostwriter?
Do you have the time? Ghostwriters will want to talk to you—a lot. They’ll interview you for hours, ask wide-ranging questions, and request feedback on every draft of your story.
Do you have the raw material? A ghostwriter can’t create your story out of thin air, and the more sources you make available—documents, journals, letters, photographs, existing historical research, other family members—the easier their job will be.
Do you have the motivation? If your personal history is a personal priority, and not just a chore on your to-do list, the work will feel energizing.
Is a ghostwriter right for you?
Do you have chemistry? Before a ghostwriter interviews you, you should interview them. Credentials and experience are important—and specialized knowledge can be a plus—but your feeling at ease is the only non-negotiable prerequisite.
Do they get you talking? Your candidate should make interviews feel more like conversations: no canned questions, no judgmental pauses. Not every conversation will be fun, but every interaction should feel energizing and thought-provoking.
Do they have empathy? The spotlight should be on you, your memories, your experiences. If a ghostwriter is to write in your voice, they must be sensitive to you as a person. If you feel anything less than complete trust, move along to the next candidate.
Tips for making your ghostwriting relationship work:
Be honest: If some lines of questioning make you uncomfortable, speak up early. A ghostwriter is not a journalist, and your memoir is not a tell-all. You have the right to decide what information to keep private—and your ghost should welcome those decisions.
Be open: A ghostwriter may have some creative strategies for shaping your story—and they may surprise you. Reading the first draft of a chapter might be a bit of a jolt, but before you give feedback, set it down and read it again in a few days. If it’s not exactly what you expected, might that be a good thing?
Be patient: Understand that working with a ghostwriter is a process. Some of their storytelling gambits will work perfectly, and others will be duds. Don’t be afraid to ask for rewrites, and enjoy the creative back-and-forth.
Intrigued? Writing a life history can be a thrilling, satisfying, even life-changing endeavor, but you don’t have to go it alone. If you’d like to explore further, check out the Association of Ghostwriters, the Editorial Freelancers Association, and—of course!—search for a match here, with the Biographers Guild of Greater New York.
Editor and writer Samantha Shubert is co-founder of Manhattan–based Remarkable Life Memoirs, which specializes in preserving people’s stories in one-of-a-kind, privately published books.