Q & A
What exactly is a ghostwriter, and how is that different from an editor?
How do people find you for this type of work?
How does the financial arrangement work?
Do you accept future royalties as payment?
How does the writing process work?
What types of books do you work on?
Do you ever ghostwrite proposals?
What exactly is a ghostwriter, and how is that different from an editor?
In a nutshell, the difference is this:
A ghostwriter starts with a blank page (or computer screen) and lots of background material. An editor starts with draft text.
There is a third category as well, which usually falls somewhere in between those two: collaborator, an experienced writer who starts with very rough text material and reworks it, tearing it apart and putting it back together in a different form, and including substantial new writing.
For a longer description of these three functions, click here.
How do people find you for this type of work?
Usually I am contacted by a senior editor at a publishing house, or by a literary agent representing an author. They know me from previous projects, or know my work from a trusted colleague. Sometimes, I am approached directly by an author, and in most cases it is someone with whom I have worked in the past.
