Making the most of the ghost!

I want to write my life story because I think people will find it interesting but will a publisher be interested enough to buy it from me?

You'll never know until you try, but obviously writing a book is a time consuming and skilled undertaking. Apart from the actual writing there's research and discussion, phone calls, emails, travel and so on, and all of that can add-up to quite an expense and of course, you've no guarantee that you'll ever recoup your outgoings through a publishing deal. So, I always recommend to my clients that they initially engage me to write a 'treatment' of their idea and perhaps a sample chapter. This is very affordable, helps to get your ideas into shape and gives you a document to send out to an agent or a publisher to get their feed-back. If they're interested you can then decide to go ahead and contract me to produce the actual book.

Can you suggest agents and publishers for my project?

Yes. All that information is readily available to you in books like The Writers' and Artists' Year Book but I can help you choose an agent or publisher to whom you can send your treatment or completed book.

Will you send the book or treatment out on my behalf and write covering letters for me?

Yes. I charge an hourly rate for this work and I also charge you for postage and other consumables but I'll take the whole thing off your hands. The letters I send will be discussed with you first and we'll discuss who we are going to send your material to. BUT I cannot guarantee you success. I usually suggest we try to find an agent for your work first of all (who will then approach an appropriate publisher) but please remember, most agents are swamped by aspiring writers and piles of manuscripts to look through and very few of them are looking for new books to represent. It's always wise to think of the pleasure you, your family and friends or business colleagues will get from your work first, rather than aiming at or hoping to be the next best selling author. There's more to getting your idea in print, than being published by one of the large publishers - have you considered self-publishing as an option?

I've an idea for a novel. I'm going to need a ghostwriter to put my plot into words but will you listen to the idea first and tell me honestly if it is worth my while bothering with it and paying you money to write it?

Yes. If I think your idea won't work, I'll tell you so. Of course, it's only my opinion and you should really ask other people as well. But I only take on commissions I think I can do justice to, so rather than struggle with an idea I don't get excited by, I will tell you so and suggest that you try another ghostwriter or I may be really blunt and tell you to forget the whole thing! It's your right to ignore me, of course...!

Do you only write novels and fiction. I've got an idea for a business book?

I write in all kinds of genres. This year I've written a book for the autoparts industry and another for a motivational 'guru' and I've just been commissioned to write a contemporary novel. I've written for The Bill on TV and I've been commissioned by BBC TV. I've written about technical, medical, health and IT matters as well as audio books and documentaries. I've had plays performed on the stage and I've written family musicals and Christmas shows. I've also written hundreds of radio commercials, brochures, adverts and web sites. There aren't many subjects I won't take on and my style is completely adaptable to any genre.

I'm not interested in publishing my book. I'm a lifestyle counsellor and I want to sell my book at the door after my seminars. I don't need a publisher but after you've written my book I do need a printer and some advice on production. Can you help?

Of course. I can give you the names of printers who specialise in self-printing and publishing and if you want them I can even suggest designers and illustrators. I publish a free e-book, 'Who Needs Publishers?' which has invaluable advice on all things to do with self-publishing and links to some useful sites.

I work for the PR department of a large construction company situated in the Scotland. We're thinking about producing a book to give to our staff and customers to celebrate 50 years in the business but we know nothing about book writing or production and we're not sure just what the book should say about us.

No problem. I'll meet you, look at your company, ask you questions, meet members of your staff and put together a proposal for you to consider. As long as you can give me access to your records, staff past and present and any press or other literature that may exist about you I can write you a book and help to get it into print to make your 50th a celebration to remember.

Isn't getting a book written very expensive?

Pretty well any idea can be adapted to suit your budget and remember, as I say above, if it's an idea you want to send to a publisher, it may well be better to employ me to write a treatment and a short chapter or scene or two in the first place - just to test the water and to keep the initial cost down! I can't really price a project without discussing it first, but if you want to aim at being published or if you want a book to entertain your family and friends or to promote your business or to sell as part of what you do, then you'll probably find employing a professional writer is a very good investment - if only because I will complete the commission quicker than a non-professional and I know how to use words to make your venture really work. It also means you're free to do other things with your valuable time. Remember the better you know your subject and the more you can give me in the way of notes, reference material, existing brochures, leaflets, printed material etc. and the more of your time you can spare me (either over the phone, face to face or by exchanging emails) the lower I can keep my costs.