What is a Memoir Ghostwriter and What Do They Do?
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When I tell people I’m a memoir ghostwriter, their first reaction is always —
“Oooh, who did you write for?”
Which is ironic, because the whole point of being a ghostwriter for hire is that I can’t tell you who I’ve written for. Memoir ghostwrtiers are like spies, but our NDAs don’t require assassinations if breached.
When I share this bit of info, sometimes people still want to know: “so… what exactly do you do?”
This blog post is for you, Steve. And for anyone else who is curious!
What is a Memoir/Autobiography Ghostwriter?
Did you think Prince Harry wrote his own life story down on paper? Definitely not. What about Paris Hilton? I would venture a guess to say she probably had some help.
In reality — every author gets help when they’re writing a book. Books are actually a very collaborative medium. One book can employ dozens of people, from editors to proofreaders to cover designers. It takes a village to make every book, even the ones you overlook at the airport!
Memoir ghostwriters offer a unique type of help, because they serve as anonymous writers who help the subject of a memoir tell their story. They usually do this by interviewing their subject about their life story and maybe even talking to their friends and family. From there, the memoir writer takes those interviews and conversations and structures them into the book.
Hiring a memoir ghostwriter is like hiring an architect. Would you draw up the architectural plans to build a house you wanted to live in? No. You would hire a skilled architect who can make sure you’ve got enough load-bearing walls to keep the roof from falling down on your head. (Watching an ungodly amount of HGTV does not stand in for a degree in architecture.) A great ghostwriter is just another professional you hire to carry out your vision for what you want to accomplish in your life.
A lot of my clients are successful entrepreneurs, and they hire memoir ghostwriters in the same way they delegate other parts of their business. It doesn’t make sense for entrepreneurs to spend a lifetime learning the craft of writing just so they can write a bestselling memoir when they can just hire someone to do it for them. Memoirs can even be tax write-offs if they’re supporting the marketing of your business, but talk to your CPA first, of course.
When you’ve achieved any level of success, you invest in buying back your time by hiring professionals to help you achieve your goals. As a memoir writer, I help people earn back their time while leaving their legacy in the form of a book.
Do Memoir/Autobiography Ghostwriters Receive Credit for Their Work?
Memoir ghostwriters don’t receive credit, hence the “ghost” part of our title.
People ask if this bothers me, but it doesn’t. As a memoir writer, I prefer being anonymous. I’m serving as a vehicle for my clients’ stories, and I have my own body of work under my own name that allows me to be creatively fulfilled. As a ghostwriter for hire, I’m here to share my gift with others.
This is also why you can expect to pay more for the services of a ghostwriter than, say, a co-author. As a ghostwriter, I don’t receive any royalties and don’t own any of the finished product. My clients own 100% of the rights, and their name is front and center. Because I’m not privy to any portion of the book’s success, I charge more upfront. I bottle lightning for my clients, and they get to reap the benefits of it. That’s how this works!
…So, What Do YOU Do Every Day as a Memoir/Autobiography Ghostwriter?
This morning, I woke up in Valencia, Spain, where I’m working remotely for this month. Next month, you can catch me in Greece!
At 9am, I made my morning espresso, sat down to do my morning pages, and now I’m at my laptop working on this blog post before I switch gears and write a chapter for a client’s book.
In the afternoon, I’m going to go hang out with some fellow digital nomads. Then, I’ll head to the gym. This evening I have a few potential client meetings as I’m wrapping up one of my book projects soon and am scheduling out my next few project slots. After that, I’ll probably go get a pizza with my partner Kyle at La Finestra which is an incredible restaurant nestled in a cute narrow street in the hipster neighborhood of Valencia called Ruzafa.
Every day I have some mix of writing memoir pages for my clients, meeting potential clients who find me on this here blog, and reading books for inspiration or traveling the world and connecting with other cool humans.
It’s my belief that writers for hire need to have a constant stream of inspiration in order to give their best work to their clients. You don’t want your ghostwriter to live a boring life, do you? If your life is made up of fun and play, it will reflect in the quality of your work.
So work with a memoir writer who has their own body of work, a life of adventure, and a talent for telling great stories.
Want to Hire Me as a Your Memoir Ghostwriter? Tell Me About Your Story.
As a memoir ghostwriter, I love working with inspiring individuals all over the world with great stories to tell. Check out my services page for more details! Or drop me a note:
What to Read Next
Want to read more of my articles on memoir ghostwriting? Check them out below!
Cheers to living a life worth writing about! 🥂
-Amy