We all have a story of our own. No two lives are exactly similar as the struggles and achievements are different. We go through news related to book launches of autobiographies and memoirs. And there is every reason to be excited about lots of celebrities and sports personalities who we adore. So, what about a book on your achievements and even failures? Sounds interesting, isn’t it?
Not everyone can write a book on himself even though he is the person who knows everything. Think of your autobiography not having the right impact on your target audience, even though you have a rollercoaster life story. Ghostwriting services is the answer for this problem and they are used even by renowned people, but of course, nobody knows.
Personal stories are always fascinating and that is why autobiographies of famous personalities sell like hot cake. We like history and want to know more about our favorite celebrity or historical figure. Such books are always in high demand and you will such a book in personal libraries for sure.
Life Story Ghost Writer
You may think that your life story is not something that is very interesting. But professional writers can do a lot for you by weaving their magic. Our existence and survival is always unique and unlike anyone else. There are people who study like us, work in the same industry and pretty much have the same existence like us. But their story and ours cannot be identically same.
A life story writer can create a story for an audience who can resonate with it, even if it looks ordinary. The narration, examples and storytelling can make a world of difference.
Job of a Professional writer
A good ghostwriter will work in your favor and will help you out in narrating your story to the world. You may help them out in narrating everything you have experienced in your life or just a brief note. If you can write your story on your own, good enough. But surely professionals can create a good story for you.
If you want to write a candid story of your life, you need to open up so that your life experiences will be clearly written. Most writers will need you to be honest and don’t beat about the bush, just in order to make it interesting or increase the word count. The track record of a writer is of great value, but more on it later.
Length of the Memoir
The ideal and/or average length is around 150-200 pages in which a person’s story can be described. There have been examples like the autobiographies of Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, both ex-US presidents, are very lengthy. And this is quite understandable. The story of a common person can be narrated inside 200 pages.
A person usually gives the credit to a co-author but not in ghostwriting. The writing samples can be another good way to gauge the experience and skills of a writer. That is why nonfiction is hard to perfect.
Emotional Aspects of your Life
This is again a touchy aspect as not everyone will be comfortable in letting everyone know what they have gone through. But for an honest and candid story, this is a requirement. Decide about this well before hiring a writer as deciding upon this after the writer has started your tale will be difficult.
Emotional aspects related to other persons will also be difficult to tell. And can be controversial, especially if you have a big social circle. The person who you will describe in your book may or may not like it. Some of them will become angry and can threat you with dire consequences, Other may immensely like it and can bring a smile on their face.
Hard to Forget Incidents
There are several incidents like a traumatic accident and the death of your parent or a sibling which is hard to forget for any person. Would you like to talk about it and be very sure that it will create the right impact or not. In your memoir, it can be a great way to get the attention of the readers.
You need to think that discussing deaths and other traumatic indents may be too tragic for some readers. Or it can make for a very serious reading. It is up to the ghost writer to come up with a good story that is not too serious. This is where the organization of the story comes into play.
Please go through the next section to learn more about this aspect.
A Well-Organized Story
The writer you have chosen need to be on song here because coming up with a well-organized story of your life is not everyone’s cup of tea. A professional writer is the requirement and who a one who can start writing exactly the way you have in mind. Get the writing samples from the ghostwriter to check if he is the right person for the job.
Again, you can guide the writer about how to put the events and ensure everything is narrated perfectly. The chronological order can be exactly the same or your memoir can be told like a flashback tale or moving back and forth. It is all up to you about choosing the writing style.
There are other factors in this regard that I would like to discuss related to writing a book on you. Please read on as there are lots of important information that can help you in finding a good writer for your memoir.
You must have heard too many cooks spoil the broth. That is why multiple writers can spoil the proceedings. Go for one writer who is expert in his field.
Job of a Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter must find the themes related to the memoir given to him. The person looking to hire a ghost writer expects that he is master on the subject and will work exceedingly well. Exemplary work is required so that the ghostwriting project is completed on time.
High level of empathy is required so that the writer can relate with all the characters, other than the central one to make things easy for him.
Let me describe how the characters can be worked out.
Characters in the Memoir
Think of a memoir in which there maybe three or four different characters. How the ghost writer will relate to them as he have to keep focus on the person which is paying for the memoir. The story must revolve around the central character so that there is everything
A memoir is not just a book. Book writing needs various skills but a biography or the tale of a person from his perspective needs to be on song right from the word go. There are
The Search for a Ghostwriter
Your search for a ghostwriter should not end in a frantic one so that you will end up paying more money that what is required. Life stories may not strip you of some handsome amount as you can find affordable ghostwriting services. Look for the track record of the writer so that you are fully convinced that this is the writer you need.
Searching professional ghostwriters can be difficult as you can come through lots of ads when you will do a simple Google search in this concern. There are several factors that you need to consider like writing experience, grasp on different genres, reputation of writer and above all the cost. Most people hire a ghostwriter just on the basis of the last aspect mentioned.
Contacting a Company or a Freelancer?
This is another key aspect that you must look into before hiring anyone. A professional company or individual should create a riveting story of yours that can gross the readers right from the word go. Even if you don’t want to monetize your memoir, it must be exceptional so that the readers will enjoy it.
Your friends and family members will read it anyway but what about strangers going through it? Will they be able to find it compelling enough to read? The initial few pages need to be on song and the storytelling factor should be top-notch. That is why hiring a freelancer may not be a god idea. Hiring professional ghostwriting companies having years of experience will be a good bet.
More on process of searching the writer will continue, but how the writer will know about your life story in detail depends upon interviews. Before this, you need to interview the person who are about to hire to confirm he is the right person for the job.
Let me discuss this factor before moving forward.
The Interview Process
Meeting the deadlines is the first step. The cost of getting a memoir is high and if you will not get it within the required time, it is frustrating to say the least. Ask about how much your writer has experience in ghost writing and if he belongs to a well-known ghostwriting agency. Interviews by the clients should clear any such confusion.
Secondly, the writer must be in touch throughout the process. As you are paying the person, you are entitled to ask this as your input counts and knowing about the progress of the project is important. Please ensure this during the interview or else in the end, you may not get what you paid for.
Thirdly, the ghostwriter should be a good listener. Only if he will listen to your queries quietly and how you narrate your story to turn it into an engaging memoir, then he can be trusted.
Fourthly, the curiosity factor must be there so that ghostwriters will come up with a memoir that looks great. Good writers will ask numerous questions related to different aspects that even you not have thought about. And that is a hall mark of good memoir writing.
The fifth and the last point is related to the personality of writers. If it is pleasant, then you will have a great time interacting with him. Otherwise, it will turn out to be a sore one that you will rue.
Job of a Ghostwriter Interviewing the Client
This is what your ghostwriter wants to know concerning your memoir. If he is not cent percent sure as what he has to write in the book, surely the end result will not be according to your requirement. That is why the following questions for the interviews is important.
First of all, your ghostwriter will be interested to know about why do you think is the right time to present your memoir to the world. Anytime is right time as the final product must be immaculate so that it will garner good response. Then the writer would like to know how much time you have to answer his questions about different aspects of your memoir.
The theme is another important question during such interviews. Do you want a memoir just for the sake of it, or do you want to write a book to showcase some important message? If you are a professional in any field or a war veteran, your story can resonate with so many people. But the story of a common man can also be a compelling read if it is written perfectly.
The target audience of your memoir and if you want quick monetization is also important. A professional memoir and a mediocre one can be easily distinguished. Of course, no one will say I want a mediocre memoir, your interaction with the ghostwriters will determine this.
And if you want to for a professional editor, then you have to find one. The role of an editor and his track record can enhance the role of a ghost writer to a great extent. Even if you will have multiple writers, a professional editor will offer you something entirely different and exquisite.
Contract
If you want to make a great case for your biography or memoir, then you have to be on your toes when dealing with the contract. Professional writers need to be compensated early in the process. A standard contract may be of little importance to you but there can be many factors and aspects that you need to take care of.
If you want to ensure that your memoir is delivered to you on time, read all the clauses in the contract thoroughly. Never sign without going through every point and ask for any ambiguity. Even a seemingly simple clause can delay the delivery of the memoir, so do not give a chance.
Time and Payment
Ghostwriters need to be paid handsomely if you want a compelling memoir. The cost of a good memoir can be anywhere between 5,000 dollars to 10,000 dollars on the lower end to up to 50,000 dollars for high-end and complex projects.
If you want to hire professional writers for ghost writing your memoir, the estimate time will be minimum four to nine months. You may think that it is too much but for a professional work, this is the standard time. If a writer or ghost writing agency is promising a timeframe of two months or less, your memoir may be sub-standard or have some serious issues.
Payment Schedule
Never think of late payment or else the writing process will be seriously jeopardized. Professional writers always look for a smooth payment schedule. No one wants delayed payments. Writing non fiction and a memoir can be a difficult ask for many writers. That is hiring someone to write for what has happened to you during your lifetime is not easy.
Paying writer upfront is a good ploy so that he can work with full dedication and commitment. Right from the first draft to the final one, regular and prompt payments will ensure your ghostwriting project will be completed on time. Hire a professional and pay him handsomely to get the desired result.
What to Expect from the Ghostwriter?
The professional ghostwriter will work according to the required schedule. The following is the standard procedure most ghostwriters follow.
Interview and research to know your story and start writing the initial draft.
Planning and outlining your book by breaking into different chapters. Only after your approval, the writer will start writing.
The process of ghostwriting starts as it is now all up to the writer to show his skills and knowledge in the field to ensure a great memoir for you.
Revision and editing. As mentioned earlier, editing may be done by another person who is the expert in this field.
Who Owns the Right for the Work?
It is without any ambiguity that you will have the full rights to everything that will be delivered to you. Ghostwriting is work-for-hire and as the client, you get all the credits. And you can proudly put our name on the title of the book, create a great cover design, and present it to everyone.
Final Word
I am certain that all my readers will benefit from this article. Book writers are not that hard to locate but writers who are expert in ghost writing a life story and memoir are a bit hard to find. The writing style is one of the main reasons. But I hope after reading this blog, you will be better off.
If you still need some assistance in finding the right writer for your memoir, please leave a reply and I will get back to you. You can also offer your valuable feedback for this article so that I can improve this in the future.