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You do not have to be a writer to be an author.

According to a popular New York Times article, “On any given week, up to a half of the books on any non-fiction best-seller list are written by someone other than the name on the book.” The reason is simple: being an expert, an eyewitness, or a celebrity does not necessarily mean that one is also a skilled writer/communicator. Enter the ghostwriter.

Ghosts typically work for four kinds of clients. One is the expert, who writes to preserve and share his or her knowledge. Another has an extraordinary first-person experience to relate. The third is a celebrity or aspiring celebrity, who wants a book to memorialize or launch a career. The fourth has a fictional story to tell, but not the necessary storytelling skills.

You don’t think Lee Iacocca wrote those two best-selling books all by himself? Iacocca is the author; it is his information, but he does not have time to be a writer.

“Writing is the toughest thing I’ve ever done.” —Richard M. Nixon, 37th president of the United States.

The ghostwriter fills in for any skill or knowledge that the author lacks. In return for their expertise, ghosts are typically paid a cash fee plus a percentage of the author’s royalties. In return, the ghost takes a vow of perpetual silence.

If you are not a fully-skilled writer, but have expert knowledge or an extraordinary experience to share, or seek to launch or enhance your image, that’s when you should call a ghostwriter.

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Experience counts. You must have expertise or experience to be a credible nonfiction author. Expertise could mean you have an advanced degree in the field. Experience means you have lived it. You do not need a Ph.D. if you have personal experience, dedication to do research, and a deep desire to spread the word. The most important question is “Have you been there?”

“You must have experience to write a good nonfiction book, so
please do not write a book on how to get rich unless you are
already rich.”
—Patricia Clay, actor.

His engineering firm told Bob Bly he would have to relocate from New York City to the headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. His fiancée did not want to leave Manhattan so he resigned and started a new career as a self-employed industrial writer, producing brochures and data sheets for chemical companies and industrial equipment manufacturers.

The transition from employee to freelancer was an educational experience, one he knew many others would go through (or hope to some day). The experience became the topic of his book, Out on Your Own; From Corporate to Self-Employment, published by John Wiley and Sons.

http://www.bly.com

A fresh outlook can be an asset. When you are beginning in a new field, you have the same questions your readers will have. Write as you learn, record as you study and blossom as you grow. Then run your manuscript by other experts on your subject matter to make sure you have not left anything out or written something you misunderstood. That is your third draft and it is called peer review.

Write from experience plus research.

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Here’s a great idea for celebrating National Punctuation Day this year. Write a haiku poem and enter a Haiku Contest. Winning entries will receive a plethora of punctuation goodies from the day’s founder, Jeff Rubin.

How do you enter the contest?

Send your best Haiku 5-7-5 (syllables, that is) poetry to Jeff@NationalPunctuationDay.com by September 30 to be included for prizes.

These three Haiku examples came from Craig Harrison, one of the best trainers and prolific writers around.

• Which colon to use? Colon or semi-colon? I’ll use a comma.
• Exclamation points. Some people just love to shout, In print and in speech.
• Serial comma. What is your philosophy? To use or not to? Continue Reading

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Everywhere we turn, someone’s doing an Extreme Makeover—a house, a wardrobe, an image, a website—enough to make your head spin.

I joined that “makeover spin” after reviewing Nancy Juetten’s Bye-Bye Boring Bio guide and “re-spun” my own bio (see end of this ezine). Her templates and examples guided my process and their instant “ease of use” quickly won me over.

When you try to do your own makeover—of any kind—it’s easy to get stuck and feel, well, self-conscious. (I’m not sure which comes first!) But I didn’t feel that way at all because the guide’s paint-by-number instructions sucked me right in before I could moan, “Writing about myself is tough.” Continue Reading

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In a recent teleseminar, I shared lots of info about working with an editor plus 10 ways to improve your writing with host Dr. Sandra Haymon on blogtalkradio.com. What a fun experience! You can hear these teleclass free by going to  www.BlogTalkRadio.com/sandra-haymon

You’ll see Top 10 Techniques title in the box on the right. Just press play.

I keep focusing on what I consider the Top 10 ways to improve your writing, but I suspect you have a few “gems” to add to my list. Mostly, I’d love to hear from you. You can: Continue Reading

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In today’s competitive arena, entrepreneurs and leaders of organizations can’t rely on onlyconveying facts and figures to call people to action.

People need to feel moved to act. They have to get the message deep in their bones why you or your organization merits investing precious resources.

Giving a strong emotional appeal strengthens your chances to rise above the crowd. This is true whether you’re speaking to a single person or a roomful, whether you’re writing website copy, press releases, articles, or pitch letters.

But how can you do it effectively? Continue Reading

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“Writings are useless unless they are read, and they cannot be read unless they are readable.” – Theodore Roosevelt

After encouraging writers to quit rambling when crafting their paragraphs and chapters, I want to make sure you don’t stall out.

What techniques can keep your motor running smoothly? Take these four tips to heart. Continue Reading

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This is the second part of a 3-part series on how to Whack Wordiness. Your comments and questions are greatly appreciated.

“Make every word work like a galley slave.” – William Zinsser

Rambling in your writing often stems from muddy thinking—that is, not having a clear idea of what you want to say. When analyzing a piece of your writing that rambles on, ask, “Exactly what was I trying to say?” Challenge yourself to state its purpose in one simple sentence. Then once you have your intended point in mind, ask: Continue Reading

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