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For the Best Results, Hire a Professional Ghostwriter or Book Editor – Advice from Thomas Hauck

For a Better Book, Hire the Best Ghostwriter

Many of my valued clients approach me with very little knowledge of how to hire a ghostwriter or book editor. This is perfectly fine; most people don’t know much about the ghostwriting business and there’s no reason why they should. I always counsel them to hire the very best ghostwriter they can afford. Why? Here are just a few reasons.

  1. Your book is your public calling card. Whether it’s a novel, a business book, or a self-help book, the book that I help you create will have your name on the cover! Anyone picking up your book and reading it will think they know you and what kind of person you are. If your book is boring or contains only cut-rate rehashed content, your readers will form the same opinion of you. You only get one shot at impressing and captivating your reader. Make sure you’re on target!
  2. A book can have a very long shelf life. The title you publish under your name today may still be on Amazon years from now. You owe it to yourself to make your book the very best it can be so that it will provide real value to your readers for years to come.
  3. Cut-rate ghostwriters are like cut-rate auto mechanics. They may be able to slap your car together and make it run long enough to clear the parking lot, but days or weeks later you’ll see the shoddy work. It’s just not worth it to spend good money on a lousy product.
  4. Many of my clients’ books are self-published. Self-publishing is a powerful new marketing tool that can produce amazing results. The flip side is that self-published books are often judged more harshly than books from big publishers. They are assumed to be inferior. Consequently, if your self-published book has even one typo or grammatical error on the first page, the reader will conclude that your book is just another mediocre self-published title. You don’t want this! There’s no reason why a self-published book can’t be competitive with a title from a big publisher. It just takes diligence and the assistance of an expert.
  5. Why not make the experience of reading your book as pleasurable as possible? Why not deliver real value that will pay you back in sales and an enhanced reputation? With a book ghostwritten or edited by Thomas Hauck, you’re assured of the very highest professional quality.

Thomas Hauck ghostwriter, book editor, author

 

 

 

 

 

Have questions about the ghostwriting or book editing process? Contact Thomas Hauck today and learn more.

 

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“Stragile” by Shawn Jean, edited by Thomas Hauck

Congratulations to Shawn Jean on the publication of “Stragile,” his bold new guide to business survival. The word “stragile” simply means a strategy that is agile. To be stragile means to be aware, responsive, and willing to do what’s necessary to meet your organization’s goals.

In a time of unparalleled—and accelerating—rate of change, this book is your business survival guide. When your margin for error is nonexistent, a small miscalculation in the form of a tiny gap between your target and reality can quickly widen into a chasm that will threaten your company’s existence.

Through its use of revealing examples – including an amazing analysis of the sinking of the RMS Titanic from the point of view of a business case study – this powerful and eye-opening book shows you how to prevent your organization or project from ending up at the bottom of the sea. In “Stragile,” Shawn Jean provides you with the strategies and tools to identify and close dangerous gaps so you can keep your organization thriving and profitable.

For twenty years, the author has helped organizations determine how technology can help move the strategies and metrics on which their core valuation and business are based. His academic credentials include Harvard Business School, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Penn State University.
edited by Thomas Hauck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Thomas Hauck is a leading professional ghostwriter and book editor serving authors of both fiction and non-fiction. Contact Thomas today!

 

 

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Former CIA Director Porter Goss Praises “Deadly Pages” by Dr. Leslie Norins with Thomas Hauck

Here’s a quote from Porter Goss, former CIA director (2004-2006), praising the new Leslie Norins/Thomas Hauck thriller “Deadly Pages,” now available on Amazon.com:

“This assessment of the danger of smallpox seems credible to me, and the means of delivery through the New York Times is creative. Chem/bio warfare is a serious threat that requires constant attention.”

Porter Goss
Former Director, Central Intelligence Agency
Former Chair, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Deadly Pages

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas Hauck is a leading ghostwriter and book editor. To learn more, contact Thomas today.

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Fair Use: When Can You Use Quotes or Excerpts from Other Authors? Advice from Thomas Hauck, Ghostwriter and Book Editor

Many of my clients who have written non-fiction self-help books (business, health, politics) have used quotes from other authors in their own text. These quotes can be just a few sentences or entire paragraphs (which makes them excerpts). My clients often ask me, “Is this okay to do? Can I use a quote or an excerpt without getting accused of plagiarism?”

This is what I tell my clients. I’m not a copyright lawyer, so I can’t provide the nuances of the law. To my non-legal mind, the key conceptual difference between stealing and rightful use is this: If you’re quoting something to comment on it and discuss it, then it’s fair use. If you’re simply lifting a section of text from someone else because you’re too lazy to write it yourself and you want to use it to fill out your book, then you’ve crossed the line into unlicensed use.

Look at it this way: How would you respond if someone used a quote or an excerpt from your book in theirs? If they were analyzing or discussing it, you couldn’t complain. It would be protected by the concept of fair use. But if they used the excerpt as a way to augment their own writing, you’d be annoyed and you might call your lawyer.

Generally, if you give full credit to the author, you’re on safe ground for short passages that are part of a larger discussion. If you’re in doubt, consult a lawyer – or just wait and see if anyone sends you notice to cease and desist! This will probably never happen unless your book is a best seller, in which case you’ll have enough cash to pay a lawyer to sort it out.

Thomas Hauck ghostwriter, book editor, author

 

 

 

 

 

  • Thomas Hauck is a leading freelance ghostwriter and book editor serving global clients. Contact Thomas for more information.
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“Deadly Pages” by Leslie Norins, MD, with Thomas Hauck

Deadly Pages” is a new thriller co-authored by myself and Leslie Norins, MD. When a Syrian refugee arrives in New York with a fatal case of smallpox – a disease that medical science had declared eradicated from the face of the earth – ace virologist Martin Riker is called in to track down the source of the deadly disease. In a thrilling journey that takes him to the dangerous streets of war-torn Syria, Riker uncovers a breathtaking plot to kill thousands of innocent Americans using a devious method that experts would never suspect! Now available on Amazon.com.
Deadly Pages

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Thomas Hauck is a nationally recognized author, ghostwriter, and book editor.

 

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“Crisis Investor” by James Hobart, edited by Thomas Hauck

In “Crisis Investor: Turning Financial Calamities Into Profitable Opportunities Successfully,” James Hobart makes economics understandable, presents historical background information, shows you his (as well as others?) investing principles and concepts, and then creates a formatted step-by-step guide as a tool to protect yourself and your family. He talks directly and honestly, makes a point, moves straight to the next point, and brings the economy, business, investing, and personal finances all together. This book is for anyone who wants to learn how to protect themselves, generate generational wealth, and become a blessing for their families, communities, and the world by accomplishing their personal and entrepreneurial dreams and activities.

The young author was fourteen years old when the Financial Crisis of 2008 unfolded. He?s an Eagle Scout, an entrepreneur, and a straight-A college student with a double major in accounting and business information systems. James, who was elected by Boy Scout Troop 108 to hold the office of senior patrol leader, is on track to graduate with his master of business administration, master of accounting, and become a certified public accountant. His life?s dream is to operate a successful real estate development company that builds ranch and farm estates. One of his favorite pastimes is studying financial and monetary history.

Crisis Investor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Thomas Hauck is an award-winning ghostwriter and book editor serving authors of both fiction and nonfiction.
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“The Death of the Public School” by Dr. Wendolyn Bouie, edited by Thomas Hauck

Are America?s public schools really broken? Are our public schools putting us in danger of being overtaken by foreign counties? Is it true that Johnny can?t read?

In “The Death of the Public School: Why so much money and good intentions have failed our children’s education – and what to do about it,” Dr. Wendolyn Bouie, a veteran public school principal and administrator, explodes many of the myths that have driven public education policy in the United States for over sixty years. Ever since Sputnik soared overhead in 1957, we have experienced wave after wave of cries to “do something” to fix our public schools. As Dr. Bouie reveals, time after time the impulse to act has led to a failure to identify the real problems that affect schools in low-income neighborhoods. We spend billions of dollars trying to “fix” our schools when in fact the real problems lie beyond the schoolyard, in the communities where students live and work. While it may be politically expedient to send billions of federal dollars to the states and into schools, experience and studies have shown over and over again that these efforts do not improve performance at low-income schools.

We’ve been missing the mark and solving the wrong problems.

Edited by Thomas Hauck, this hard-hitting book shows why. Our focus should not be on the schools – studies repeatedly show that America’s public school system is very successful. Our efforts should be aimed at the low-income students, their families, and their communities. We need to prepare our children before they walk through the door of the schoolhouse. To do anything else is to continue down the same ineffectual path we?ve been on since the days of Sputnik. It’s time for a real change, and this book shows the new path to school success.

The Death of the Public School

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Thomas Hauck is a leading freelance ghostwriter and book editor.
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What Literary Agents Want from New Authors, by Thomas Hauck, Ghostwriter and Book Editor

The process for submitting a novel to a literary agent is very different from submitting a non-fiction memoir, business book, or self-help book. Non-fiction books require a full proposal, which is essentially a marketing plan: Your credentials, your platform, the intended market for your book, the need you are filling in the market. With your proposal you also attach two or three sample chapters. You typically do not attach the entire manuscript.

If you have written a novel, when you seek a literary agent who does not already know you, there are generally three steps:

1. You send a one-page query letter or email. Very rarely, an agent will want a “partial” or the entire manuscript. Again, this is extremely rare.

2. The agent may then ask you for a “partial.” This will be the first one or two chapters of your book, or the first fifty pages, or whatever the agent asks for. It will always be the first pages. The agent believes that if a book cannot be sold on the basis of the first few pages, it will never sell. This is an ironclad rule in fiction. The first few pages must grab the reader–not necessarily with a violent scene, like in a James Patterson thriller, but with the quality of your writing and your ability to set up an intriguing premise.

3. The agent may then ask for your full manuscript.

Literary agents expect that when you offer a novel, it has been completed to the very best of your ability. It is not a “work in progress.” In contrast, when you submit a non-fiction project, it’s assumed that the book is not yet complete. It may be complete, but this is not exThomas Hauck ghostwriter, book editor, authorpected.

 

 

 

 

  • Thomas Hauck is a leading freelance book editor and ghostwriter. Questions? Contact Thomas today!

 

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Should You Publish Your Memoir? Advice from Thomas Hauck, Ghostwriter and Book Editor

Advice From a Professional Author and Ghostwriter

Many of my valued clients who are writing their memoirs ask me if they should seek a literary agent or a publisher. In fact, here’s an actual exchange I had with a valued client:

Client: I need to finish my memoir; I still have a lot more to do and to tie it all together, and then I can get back to you with a finished product. But in your professional opinion, do you think this is worth trying to find an agent / publisher? Will it sell? Thanks!

Thomas Hauck: You’ve got a very good book, and the subject of the Middle East wars is topical. But the question of whether it will sell in any quantity cannot be predicted. Any editor who tells you that you’ve got a sure-fire bestseller is just trying to get your money. Your decision to complete it and publish it, or seek a literary agent, must be yours alone. Remember also that you can self-publish on Createspace for virtually no cost. If you seek my services, I will help you to make your book the very best that it can be, and something you’ll be proud to put your name on. That’s the very best anyone can do.

Sincerely, Thomas.

Have a question about your book project? Contact Thomas today for a free consultation.

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“How to Make a Skinny Book Seem Fatter” by Thomas Hauck, Ghostwriter and Book Editor

Advice from a Professional Ghostwriter and Book Editor

Many of my valued clients want to publish their books in paperback form, which is good, but they worry that their book will seem too skinny. They ask me if there are ways to “pump up” the page count, because more pages means a fatter book.

Typically, you need 30,000 words to create a paperback book that feels substantial in your hand. For a 5″ x 8″ paperback, this would give you a spine width of roughly 3/8″. You can boost the page count (and make a thicker book) by:

1) Increase the size of the font. For my clients, I format the original Word file in a serif font like Georgia, with a size of 10 point, which is standard for literary books. Bumping the size up to 11 or even 12 point will increase the page count. The big bestseller “Who Moved My Cheese?” by Dr. Spencer Johnson is a very short book – maybe 20,000 words – and the font size looks like 14 point Times New Roman. Plus, they left plenty of empty space on the pages, and by doing so they managed to pump up the page count of the book to 96 pages.

2) Increase the size of the margins on the pages. The more white space around the text, the more pages you’ll have, and a fatter book.

3) Make the size of the book smaller (i.e., 7 x 4″ rather than 9 x 6″). Smaller pages = more pages.

4) Use cream paper, not white. It looks much better and it’s slightly thicker.

I do not recommend putting a space between each paragraph, because this is unprofessional and cumbersome, and creates big problems. Always stay with indented paragraphs. Of course, in a Kindle book many of these considerations are moot – the reader never sees the entire book at once, only a single electronic “page” at a time.

Thomas Hauck ghostwriter, book editor, author

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Thomas Hauck is a professional ghostwriter and book editor of both fiction and non-fiction books. Contact Thomas for your free consultation.
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