My Sarah Palin dream: how to ghostwrite for celebrities

Sarah Palin doesn't speak to me, even though I have been hired to write her next book. Without communication, the project fails. She must know this, but she just stares warily at me and makes sure I don't hear her secret discussions with others.

Yes, this was a dream, but it made me recall a ghostwriting experience I had years ago. I was hired by a PTB publisher to ghostwrite the autobiography of a famous celebrity. In accordance with the ghostwriter's code, I won't mention names.


Now I've been able to forgive low down dirty men who hurt me, but not this celebrity. The thought of what I went through still pisses me off. Get over it? Maybe writing about my horror story of a ghostwriting job will prove a cautionary tale for writers who are interested in this line of work -- and help me send this ghost into the Light.


This celebrity has a life people gossip about, but what excited the PTB publisher was this person's awesome brand and marketing platform. In addition to an outline, my proposal for the book included a scheme of metaphors and symbols that would play off the celebrity's brand. (See, I was thinking about branding even before I knew what it was!) I got the job.


I flew to Los Angeles to meet and interview this star. Contractually we were obligated to meet 10 times. I'd call the assistant every morning to try and get on the celebrity's calendar, but every time there was an excuse. Ultimately we met 2 or 3 times in all. So instead of interviewing this person, I went shopping, hung out with my cousin, and drove to Mexico. At every stage I let my agent and publisher know what was going on. 


At the end of the 3 weeks all I had to show was a bad case of food poisoning and a lot of miles on my rental car.


I was mad. The publisher was mad. My agent was mad. With no access to the celebrity, there was no communication. With no communication, there was no information. With no information, there was no book -- at least not by me.


The book was eventually written by someone who had access, someone in the celebrity's inner circle. I went on to ghostwrite several books for stars you may never have heard about but who are respected in their fields.


Lessons
Ghostwriting can be a lucrative way to earn a living, and good writers are always in demand. Self-publishing and the public's fascination with celebrities have opened up many opportunities for writers. If you're interested in this line of work, here are some things to keep in mind.


1. Don't be star struck. Celebrities are people too. If you go into a project goo goo eyed, you lose respect. Come to the project as a peer, an equal. 


2. Expect ego explosions. 


3. Make your ego invisible.


4. Respect the client's creative input. You're the expert, but still, clients will have ideas, and rightfully so. It's their book. Your job is to shape their ideas if good. If the ideas are not workable, you'll have to be straight with them, but be respectful. Ultimately however, if they insist, you'll have to make it work.


5. Insist on open, honest, and ongoing communication. If information is not forthcoming, consider exiting the project. It's your reputation on the line.


6. Creatively incorporate the client's brand into the book.


7. Keep secrets, and honor the celebrity's privacy.


UPDATE: I'm happy to report that I've finally sent this ghost into the Light. In writing this post I realized I learned what I needed to learn from the experience. R.I.P.!


Donna Marie

A writer's quest for balance

Nonwriters may think the writer's life is dull, with all its reading and writing, but never judge a profession by how it looks.  We writers are always chasing ideas and dreams. We're always rushing to capture thoughts into books and articles. We live and breathe by our deadlines. 

In fact, the writing profession is a stressful one. Now stress is not all bad. It can make a positive contribution to our creative output, but to live on the edge all the time? Not so good.

Yesterday was a travel day for me. I promised my cousin, who recently adopted a baby boy, that I would come and help out. While here in lovely California I hope to meet a potential client as well, but the main purpose for my visit is to help a little boy adjust to his new life.

Flying to my final destination, I had a lot of time to obsess about my projects and commitment to this blog. In the midst of all this obsessing about things I couldn't control, something strange caught my attention. Babies and toddlers, they were everywhere! That's odd, I thought. Where the heck did all these babies come from? They were laughing, babbling, bawling, and playing up and down the aisles. Oddly I wasn't bothered by any of it. It was if a mysterious force was preparing me for my imminent visit with my new cousin -- or distracting me from my work obsessions.

Kids always have something better to do!

Babies are so demanding. It's hard to write at home and care for one properly. I had to train mine when they were young because if I didn't write, they wouldn't eat. We established a rhythm. My son would read or do homework in my bedroom office while I wrote. His younger sister would sometimes curl up like a kitten on my lap or under my desk. They forced balance into my life.

Now that the nest is empty and the little birdies have flown away, I've been working without distraction -- until now.

Tired of being tired?

The quest for balance also shows up when we're overstressed and tired. Sometimes you need to take a break from the hustle and grind. Or like my mother the English teacher says, "You need to get some rest."

My mother is a big fan of rest. Her ongoing narratives extolling the wonders of her own rest periods are the stuff of legend in our family. Comments such as "I'm going to bed" and "Boy, I was really sleeping" and "That was some hard sleeping I was doing" and "Was I snoring?" make us roll our eyes -- but she has a point.

Researchers recently found that a lack of rest can lead to obesity. Maybe that's why my weight is too damn high. Not enough rest. 

I get up early and go to bed late whenever I'm working on a project. How can you expect to feel good or be at your best creatively when you're burning the candle at both ends?

Imbalance occurs when we neglect some sort of a spiritual practice that steers attention within, that calms thoughts down, that reconnects us to God.

So I must thank my new baby cousin for forcing me to slow down and think about something else. Work is important, but so are other things that bring joy, love, and fun.

Take time today to attend to those other things you've been neglecting, and if you have a unique way of dealing with stress and imbalance in your writer's life, we need to know right now!

Donna Marie

Tim Ferriss' amazing new book trailer

If you've been following The Celebrity Editor, you know that I tend to go on and on about boring book promotions. See here and here. 

Well, what do you think about this book trailer promoting Tim Ferriss' new book, The 4-Hour Body? 

I love a good book trailer, but how can the book ever live up to this hype? 

If I took a flying leap like the last guy, I'd end up in at least 2 or 3 pieces. But I have to admit, watching it made me feel good, like I could do something amazing with this middle-aged body.

The trailer sold me. I'm going to buy!

Ferriss has a strong brand, which was launched with his first book, The 4-Hour Workweek. Folks who loved that book will definitely buy his second. Body hasn't even been released yet, but it's already #78 on Amazon.

The important question for self-publishers is, How can we produce exciting book trailers like Ferriss' on a budget? Here's one idea, but obviously this doesn't come close to Ferriss' masterpiece. On the other hand, like my mother the English teacher says, "Do what you can" (which is why we always had mismatched furniture in the living room).

Any ideas? Please share with the Celebrity community!

Donna Marie