You want to publish a book, but don't know where to start? Literary agent, Chip MacGregor is cool enough to answer your questions on his blog.He represents some of the best Christian Writers on the planet, and I personally know he is passionate about this industry. Moreover he's funny, quite bright, and is very honest. You want people to honestly tell you if your idea sucks rocks. Yet, be encouraging enough to guide you. :)
Some bloglights from Thinking about Collaborative Writing...
If you're asked to ghostwrite something, ask for a reason. I've been at this for years, and I've yet to hear a reasonable explanation why a writer should not be credited. So if you're asked to ghost something, ask them why. It's been proven that listing a collaborative author doesn't hurt book sales. Look at any celebrity or sports star who authors a book, and the collaborator is always listed. Why the change when it comes to pastors, politicians, and speakers? Let's face it, there's only one basic reason for requesting the collaborative writer's name not be on the book or title page: To stroke the author's ego. (Success and money aren't enough -- they also need to pretend they wrote a book.) And to that I can only say "rot." (Another true tale: I once worked with a woman who had a huge TV ministry. She would always ask for a collaborative writer, tell them they'd get credit, then try to back out of that commitment at the last moment. Apparently she couldn't live with the idea of her followers thinking she would stoop so low as to let someone help her write coherent sentences. There's a lesson: if you're going to get credit, get the commitment in writing.)Dee
4 comments:
Hey Dee! Sorry it has taken so long to get back to ya. I'll let you know when AMG contacts me. Keep praying! I'd love to be a guest speaker about my FAIRIES. Thank you so much for asking! Hopefully, it will be in the process of getting published come the holidays. :-)
And a Pixie named Davidae? Hmmmm....
Hmmmmm...:)
I think people should get credit for their work, but I can also understand some people wanting a ghostwriter. Some people are very busy doing other things and they really don't have time to sit down and write a book. Pastors and public speakers of other kinds have said enough over the years to fill a book. In the past, it has been common to publish books of sermons. A ghostwriter who is working from the source material may be little more than a glorified editor. The idea is that of the pastor. The words are that of the pastor. The only thing the ghostwriter has to do is to sort through this stuff, put it in a meaningful order and present it to the pastor for approval. Putting the ghostwriter's name on the book could give the impression that even less of the book is the work of the pastor than what it was. That is not to say that there are not some pastors on an ego trip, but I do not think that is always the case when a ghostwriter is used.
hi, timothy.
thanks for stopping over.
I'm a ghostwriter for many pastors here in Atlanta. I am working on a project right now. So let me add some incite based on my experience
the words are not of the pastors; they are of God. a minister recognizes that and will gratefully acknowledge the person who helped him or her pull that book together.
the master's artists be it editors, writers, researchers do not do this work just for money, else we would edit celebrities books, which are more profitable.
we do what we do to edify the body of Christ.
moreover, many sermons are products of past sermons if not verbatim copies of sermons from other pastors.
The only thing the ghostwriter has to do is to sort through this stuff, put it in a meaningful order and present it to the pastor for approval.
i strongly disagree with this statement. we do more than sort through stuff and put it order. oftentimes we are presented with sermon tapes and notes and asked to write a chapter based on that sermon. we must research the sermon and cite any sources that this sermon is derived from. we must make these sermons grammatically sound. a good editor has to go back to said pastor and explain why they can't publish a certain passage, because it is not APA sound. this work takes a great deal of time, prayer and expertise. why shouldn't we afterall that work be thanked for it. didn't paul thank timothy and whoever else helped him get his words to fruition? why do we have to be different? why can't a book truly be a collaborative effort?
i agree that most ministers who seek ghostwriters don't have ego trips. but in my experience those ministers are the ones who have no problem giving the writer a byline.
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