Recently, a gentleman contacted me about his novel. He wanted to know about the differences between editing and ghostwriting, and how much it might cost to finish his 80,000-word novel. He had hired a ghostwriter to write the book for him, but it seemed as though the result was not what the client expected. Here is part of his message to me:

“Hello, Thomas. I am no writer, I got the ideas. I know what it needs, I can’t put it on paper. I wouldn’t even know how to start creatively writing, besides spitting ideas. I didn’t even know what my ghostwriter, who didn’t know what they we’re doing, was wrong. I could see something was wrong, but I had to hire another professional, to point it out. If I’m this dense on the subject, me writing it would be even worst. I just barley got through my English college courses! I have passion to do things, I just can’t do them myself. Its really aggravating, if you ask me. I appreciate your comment. Submitting proposal for this job. I am probably will try another attempt with a ghostwriter, and start from scratch. This time I have a little more knowledge and sense.”

Here is part of my reply to him:

“I understand. Please remember this one thing: Ghostwriters are like auto mechanics. You get what you pay for. If you want to build a car that will win the race, you have to make a substantial investment. This investment can be in the form of hard cash, or it can be an investment of your own time and education. There are no shortcuts.”

When you take your car to the shop, you’re in a better position if you know the difference between an oil change and a tire rotation. The same goes for hiring a ghostwriter. The most successful of my many valued clients are the ones who educate themselves about books and book writing, and who can effectively collaborate with me to make their book or novel the very best that it can be. My goal is always to produce the very best book possible, and having an engaged and results-focused client makes the process more rewarding and the book more powerful.

– Thomas Hauck is a leading freelance book editor and ghostwriter based near Boston, MA USA.

Thomas Hauck, Ghostwriter and Book Editor