Questions from LinkedIn writers after I posted info about Ghostwriter Certification Training:
Q: Just out of curiosity who is it that makes this course “certified”? Used to be only recognised educational institutions could offer courses that would leave you with a recognised qualification. Who recognises this?
A: Good question, thank you. I make no bones about the fact that this course is not yet accredited; in fact, I am not seeking accreditation. Although it’s comparable to a 3 unit 500-level class, they are not transferable credits. The certification is private, as so many business certifications are these days. As one of my more recent students (a McNair Program director for Cal-Poly University Pomona) put it: the certificate represents the hours and work she had to put in to earn it. It’s not a “bird” course; you have to already know how to write and copy edit beforehand, must attend and participate in every session, and must complete an intense load of homework.
I received my Trainers Certification from a private organization; Microsoft gives out certifications for taking online classes in their own software. It’s a new world, isn’t it? From a business perspective, being able to say you’ve taken training in something often gives one the edge over a competitor.
Thanks for asking this very pertinent question!
Questions? Post them here, write to me at claudiasuzanne@gmail.com, or call 1-800-641-3936.
One of the more interesting aspects of the curriculum was the rigor it included around the ability to conform to someone else’s voice. I thought that gave you (along with much of the other copy!) a lot of “street cred”. You clearly and comprehensively understand the business and what anyone who aspires to do ghostwriting would need to know and be able to do. [Questions below]
Q According to my daughter and her friends, all established writers and screenwriters in L.A., the clarity and uniqueness of my voice is a real asset. In ghostwriting I might lose that voice, scary when it’s such a tough business to begin with…
A: Ghostwriting requires a solid ego and confidence in one’s writing ability. I’ve never come close to losing my unique voice; the hard part is making sure it does not crop up in my clients’ books, and swiftly editing it out if it does. Clarity, on the other hand, is part of why authors hire ghosts. With out disinterested eye (helped along with specific tools and learned skills), we can determine where the author’s work is confusing or tangled and rectify the problem.
Q: I love writing because I love the story, my story. Would I find joy in telling someone else’s story?
A: Ghostwriting is definitely not for everyone. Many writers would undoubtedly have problems subsuming their own creative ideas in favor of the client’s needs and desires. Those who enjoy ghostwriting, on the other hand, get a deep sense of satisfaction from bringing someone else’s story to life. While some writers occasionally ghost because they need the money (it can be quite a lucrative endeavor) the decision to identify oneself as a ghostwriter is very personal.
Questions? Post them here, write to me at claudiasuzanne@gmail.com, or call 1-800-641-3936.
Q: I’m a far better storyteller than editor. Wouldn’t people who are really good at editing be better ghostwriters?
Editing is a learned skill; Ghostwriter Certification Training includes modules on line editing nonfiction and fiction that not only explicate and simplify the process for ghostwriters, but have helped hundreds of authors tighten up and polish their own manuscripts. Ghostwriters need to be good writers, first and foremost. I can teach a good writer to edit, but cannot necessarily teach a good editor to write.
4. Writers have to write and write and write to master their craft. I see this as a plus and a minus when evaluating your service, depending on how one answers this question, “Is all of the value of honing your writing skills in writing what you want to say or is there also value in writing what someone else wants to say?”
No question about it: my own writing has improved 100-fold by working on other people’s manuscripts. Why? Because I’m not invested in their work. My guts aren’t on the line. My soul isn’t poured into the prose. Ergo, I can identify and manipulate and extrapolate and “spin” my clients’ work in ways that have given me incredible insight into my own creative output. And I’ve acquired that on-the-job training while making money!
Questions? Post them here, write to me at claudiasuzanne@gmail.com, or call 1-800-641-3936.
5. I guess a fifth objection from the more cynical people who check out your service is the old saw, “if you can make so much money doing this, then why are you wasting your time offering training instead of doing more of it?”
I don’t consider passing on knowledge a waste of time! Nor do I teach instead of ghostwriting–I always have clients; in fact, I customarily work on 2-3 manuscripts at the same time. I’ve only taken off time lately to finish SECRETS OF A GHOSTWRITER, 2nd Edition so that my students would have the best material possible, and to update THIS BUSINESS OF BOOKS, which is used as a text across the country and around the world. But this is not an either-or situation. I write books for people who have wonderful ideas for a living; I teach because I’m passionate about ghostwriting, about helping launch new careers–and, frankly, because I need people I’m sure know what they’re doing for referrals. In the music business, it’s called building an army of subs (substitutes).
Of course, from a more mercenary perpective, teaching keeps me constantly learning, helps spread my brand, introduces me to new people, and provides an additional revenue stream. Could there possibly be a more win-win situation?
I will be offering a Teach the Teacher program anon so that other experienced and professional writers and ghostwriters can also augment their revenue streams by teaching Ghostwriter Training. It’s one of the best ways I can think of to help other people–just part of my own strange brand of Momosity.
Which brings me to the last, Don Quixote-ish reason I offer this training: in my own small way, I’m trying to raise the literacy bar of the American book industry, one author and one ghostwriter at a time. Truth is, the majority of my students decide to NOT ghostwrite when they finish my class, but are nonetheless thrilled with the tools they learned for improving their own writing.
I can live with that.
Questions? Post them here, write to me at claudiasuzanne@gmail.com, or call 1-800-641-3936.
