Many of the books that you see on the bestseller charts and the bookshop shelves are concealing a big secret. They weren’t written by the person whose name is on the cover.
They were the work of ghost-writers—professional authors for hire.
These authors may never be seen or acknowledged, but they are earning good money and are an essential part of the publishing ecosystem.
Why would you write a book you can never take the credit for?
- You get saleable book ideas
- You’re paid up front, and if a publisher is involved the advances are usually good
- You have no marketing responsibilities—unless you want them
- You work in a team—the client and maybe a literary agent, editor or publisher
- Research is much quicker, so you can produce books more swiftly
- You can broaden your writing horizons and repertoire—slip into another person’s world, voice and style
- You can make valuable contacts in the publishing industry for projects of your own
In this course you’ll learn:
- how the ghost-writing world works
- how writers get started
- how your professional and personal contacts might be a fruitful source of ghost-writing commissions
- how to pitch successfully to a ghost-writing client, literary agent or publisher
- what to ask for in a fair publishing arrangement and what price to charge
- how to collaborate and do justice to the client
- how to keep control of a project so that it finishes on time
- how to avoid projects that are too risky.
You won’t have to:
- wonder how much work to do on spec
- hesitate about discussing money or other terms
- work with time-wasters
- get derailed by common collaborating pitfalls
- find yourself shackled to a book that puts excessive demands on you or is never finished.
Is this course for you?
It’s not for beginners! This course isn’t writing advice, although it will cover points that are specific to this discipline. To ghost-write you must be thoroughly established in your craft and preferably able to build a portfolio to demonstrate this. You should be one of the following:
- a writer of fiction or nonfiction who has published books to professional standard (indie or traditionally)
- a professional in another branch of writing—copywriting, journalism, translation, scripts, drama
- a book editor who wishes to cross over into writing
You should also be:
- business minded
- able to meet deadlines
- versatile
- eager for new writing challenges
Do any of these sound like you? Ghost-writing could be a worthwhile career move. And if you’re a fiction writer, there are just as many ghost-writing opportunities as there are for writers of memoir or instruction manuals. (Many people are surprised to hear that.)
Will the course suit your experience level and needs? Still unsure? Email me with your questions at [email protected] ! I want you to be satisfied with the content and to get valuable new skills. If you're unhappy with the content, email me within the first 30 days of purchase and I'll give you a full refund.
About the instructor
Roz Morris is an author, editor, writing coach and ghost-writer. She’s sold more than 4 million copies of books written as other people. You’ll definitely have seen them in the charts and in bookstores. You might have some of them on your shelves. Nobody knows they were nurtured on her hard drive, but they’ve helped her fund her own writing, introduced her to useful and remarkable people—and built up to a satisfying stack of widely-read work.
Morris teaches writing masterclasses for The Guardian newspaper in London and is a longtime blogger on writing craft, writing productivity and the publishing world (Nail Your Novel). A lot of authors seek her advice about ghost-writing work, which is why she created this course.
She’s taking the mask off as much as she dares—to help you make ghost-writing a viable career.
Testimonials
'Roz Morris's ghost-writing course is phenomenal. She provides valuable information in concise, bite-sized chunks.
'I've taken several online courses and find most to be overpriced or lacking in useful information - or both. Roz's course stands out as the best of the best. She provides immense value: essential information at an affordable price and tailored for today's busy writers.'
Peter de Haan, content writer, ghost-writer, commercial freelance writer, periodical publisher, author, blogger.
'I have just completed your course, Roz, which has given me so much valuable information. Thank you for sharing your experience and insights so generously.'
Cassandra Farren, author, author mentor, ghost-writer.
'I decided to seek private coaching as I took my first steps in ghost-writing. Although I’m not new to writing or publishing, ghost-writing was all new to me, and Roz’s breadth of knowledge and astute coaching style left me feeling empowered and informed. I regularly recommend her to writers, regardless of how long they’ve been in the game.'
Libby O'Loghlin, author, editor, co-founder The Woolf Literary Quarterly
'Roz has the ability to get to the heart of what I was trying to convey … as if she was inside my head and knew what I was attempting to put across. A rare gift.'
Shhh! Highly secret ghost-writing client
What's included in the course
- 2 hours of video instruction with downloadable audio versions and bonus audio of FAQs
- Worksheets of tasks to help you find ghost-writing opportunities, assess your skills, plan your continuing professional education—presented on PDF and Word documents you can print or fill in electronically
- Printable crib sheet for the essentials to cover in your initial discussions with a prospective ghost-writing client
- A voice profiler tool to capture your client’s distinctive style so the book sounds like it was written by them
- A quick reference guide to the entire course for handy revision, including terms for a collaboration deal
Example Curriculum
FYI. I use Teachable, based in the USA, to deliver the course and process the payments. Tax may be added depending on where you are based.
Roz here! Why I made this course!
It’s easy to find writing advice. But it’s not easy to get good guidance about how to ghost-write, what’s expected of a ghost-writer and how to avoid the inevitable hazards. It’s one of the most frequent reasons that writers contact me for personal consultations.
Maybe you want to break into this kind of work. Or you’ve been offered your first collaboration and aren’t sure how to handle the client or what to charge. Or you’re already involved in a project and it’s not going well.
I've had good and bad ghost-writing experiences. I've made good and bad decisions—and had some great adventures. I've learned the effective ways to pitch for books, weigh up whether a project is worth the time and how to work with clients and publishing folk. Above all, I've learned how to give my best while protecting my energy.
In this course, I’ll share my secrets with you in the following lessons.
Module 1: A business and an art: your first steps
- Understand the ghost-writing world: glamour and fame!
- Understand the ghost-writing world: bread-and-butter work and your first project
- Understand what the client needs: general principles
- How much to do on spec and when to discuss money
Module 2: Craft for ghost-writers
- How to be a good surrogate: writing a book that isn’t yours
- You are the pilot: landing the book on time
- Wobbly moments: take them in your stride
Module 3: Business brains for ghost-writers
- Warning signs: learn when to say no
- Talk terms with confidence: what goes in a collaboration deal
- Money: what should you be paid?
Module 4: Go forth and ghost! Further advice and resources
- Audio: Welcome to your new secret identity! Tasks to do now and FAQs
- Cribsheets and worksheets
- Audio bonus - 47-minute Q&A with first students
Most of the video lectures are brief, 14 minutes max. The bonus audio is 47 minutes. If you have questions about the course or its content, email me on [email protected]
FAQs
When does the course start and finish?
As soon as you enroll! Take it at your own pace, deciding when to start and finish.
Is there coursework or assessment?
There isn't! But there are downloadable worksheets for you to use at your own pace as reminders of the course content, and also to put your learning into action.
How long do I have access to the course?
After enrolling on the course you have unlimited access for as long as you like. The audio versions are downloadable if you prefer to listen off line or store them.
I'm a beginner writer, is this course suitable for me?
It’s not for beginners! This course isn’t writing advice, although it will cover points that are specific to this discipline. To ghost-write you must be thoroughly established in your craft and preferably able to build a portfolio to demonstrate this. You should be one of the following:
- a writer of fiction or nonfiction who has published books to professional standard (indie or traditionally)
- a professional in another branch of writing—copywriting, journalism, translation, scripts, drama
- a book editor who wishes to cross over into writing
You should also be:
- business minded
- able to meet deadlines
- versatile
- eager for new writing challenges
Do any of these sound like you? Ghost-writing could be a worthwhile career move. And if you’re a fiction writer, there are just as many opportunities as there are for writers of memoir or instruction manuals. (Many people are surprised to hear that.)
What if I'm unhappy with the course? I want you to be satisfied with the content and to get valuable new skills. If you're unhappy with the content, email me within the first 30 days of purchase and I'll give you a full refund. [email protected]
Have you come for general writing advice?
My Nail Your Novel books are full of tips for fiction writers. There's a book on the writing and revising process, a book on characters, a book on plot and a workbook. Find out about the series here. https://nailyournovel.wordpress.com/nail-your-novel-books/
Testimonials
'Our students love Roz’s courses, her teaching methodology and her energy. Attendees are always challenged by the content and inspired by her delivery.'
Matt Buttell and Emma Cummins, The Guardian Masterclasses.
'I REALLY enjoyed the class. You took the time to teach us so much. Ghost-writing was a mysterious area of writing to me—it is now a niche that I feel is within my scope. Thanks.'
Deb Curtis, freelance writer and copywriter