Every successful ghostwriting experience begins with a creative partnership. One common misconception authors have about collaborating with a ghostwriter is that an experienced writer should be able to sound exactly like the author on the first attempt.

Every ghostwriter has their own way of working. Many projects are completed entirely over the phone and via video conference.

People often imagine ghostwriting as a writing exercise. I don’t. Long before I begin writing, I’m trying to solve a mystery. My job is to discover how another person thinks, how they see the world, and ultimately how they would have written the book if they possessed the time and ability to do it themselves.

Many prospective authors assume the success of a ghostwriting project depends primarily on the talent and experience of the ghostwriter. Talent and experience certainly matter, but they don’t encompass the whole story. Over the years, I’ve come to believe that the quality of a project depends upon three things: skill, relationship, and time.

Most people think hiring a ghostwriter begins by comparing writing samples. It doesn’t. It begins by deciding who you want to spend the next several months working with. A strong book is the product of a successful collaboration, and that partnership begins long before the first page is written.