Why You Should Start Small With Your Ghostwriter
A post on the benefits of dating before getting married.
In early 2020, I agreed to ghostwrite a 220-page book for a C-level exec. I mistakenly accepted the gig for a below-market flat rate. Long story short: The project didn't go well because my client kept moving the goalposts and reneging on past decisions. After three increasingly frustrating months, I walked away and left a good chunk of change on the table. I figured that my sanity was worth more than I was losing. (If you want to read the whole account, click here.)
I learned a great deal from that experience. As someone who prides himself on self-improvement (cue Homer Simpson quote), I vowed to revamp how I worked with future ghostwriting clients. In this post, I explain how and why I now date before I get married.
The how is simple: Before agreeing to take ghostwriting projects over the past four-plus years, I insist that my clients and I conduct a book brainstorming session. Clients walk away with a book title, subtitle, synopsis, and reader personas that excite them. After that period, either one or both of us can call it a day. So far, though, all of my them have opted to proceed with the whole kit and kaboodle.
The Benefits of Starting Small
If I ask a potential client the following questions before we begin working together in earnest, what do you think their responses will be?
