Active Vs. Passive Editing
As a professional book editor, clients often send me manuscripts which have gone through an initial round of editing by another editor. The evidence of this is revealed by Word Track Edits, which, if you activate it, records every change … Continue reading
Should You Cite ChatGPT as a Primary Source?
Recently, I’ve participated in discussions among writers and clients alike as to whether, in a non-fiction book that provides footnotes, ChatGPT should be cited if information or text from the algorithm has been included in the manuscript. Generally, in a … Continue reading
How to Use ChatGPT for Budget Book Projects
Let’s face it: In the world of commercial writing, large language models such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, Jasper AI, and others are here to stay. In the low-end, mass-market, non-fiction book marketplace, their use has become nearly ubiquitous. I sometimes find … Continue reading
Every Novel Needs a Dynamic Opening
If you read “how to” guides on writing novels, they all agree that your story should open with some sort of action that represents a change for your protagonist. The scene should be dynamic, not static. There should be a … Continue reading
How Long Should Your Book Be?
Many of my valued clients ask me, “How long should my book be?” My answer is, “Your book is like your legs. Your legs should be long enough to reach the ground. Your book is no different.” They think for … Continue reading
Your 3 Choices: Self-Publish, Subsidy Publisher, or Book Deal
When I work with a client as their ghostwriter or book developer, one of the first questions they ask me is how they should publish and market their book. I explain to them that many artists and creators, including musicians, … Continue reading
What Does It Mean to Be “Happy”? Hedonism vs Eudaimonism
People talk a lot about happiness. It’s even enshrined in the United States Constitution: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among … Continue reading
Why I’m a Happy Ghostwriter
There seems to be a lot of interest in ghostwriters these days, perhaps spurred by the recent “Gathering of the Ghosts,” a one-day convocation in New York of around 140 successful ghostwriters. They came together, it seems, mostly to complain … Continue reading
Your Novel May Not Be Real, But It Must Be Believable!
In storytelling and novel writing, there is a big difference between what is objectively real and what is believable. This is the two-part rule: 1. Nothing in your story needs to be real. 2. Everything in your story must be … Continue reading
Best Selling Business and Leadership Books Often Tell Stories
If you’re thinking about writing a business book (or hiring a ghostwriter to do it for you), you might assume that you want either expository writing or persuasive writing. Expository writing is when you explain a concept or share information, … Continue reading