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FAQ
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 How can I explore the possibilities of using your ghostwriting services?
Contact me for free, 24 hours a day, from anywhere in the world
at: author@karenmitura.com.
What does a ghostwriter do?
A ghostwriter edits, writes, collaborates, and researches on
behalf of another writer, who becomes their client. In some cases the person
who is named as the writer does no writing at all. In others, they may do
all of the writing and simply have it polished by the ghost. Some writers,
particularly celebrities, do nothing more than lend their name to the project.
Others provide a glimmering of a story idea, or rough notes which may be
outlined, taped, or provided in person. A ghostwriter may also serve a role
in coaching more accomplished writers in the areas in which they are weakest,
helping the author to bring forth their best work, rather than actually
completing it for them.
I'm not a beginner. Why would I need a ghost?
Some of the highest paid and most commercial writers on the
best- seller list use other writers to help create their work. Those best
selling authors have a commercial name. The more they can produce, the more
product they can create, which gives them more products on the shelves and
more income.
My writing is a deep artistic expression, why make it sound like
a product?
If you want to have an audience for your work that extends beyond
your immediate family and friends, you have to find your way into and through
the marketplace. Publishers and producers may be interested in promoting
art but they are first and foremost businesses that must make money. That
is why books and scripts are referred to as "properties."
How do I learn about marketing?
The fastest most practical way is to rely upon an expert. An
experienced ghostwriter can provide marketing advice. Because I know that
reaching an audience requires knowledgeable marketing, advice of that nature
is included in my services.
What if I need help, but don't want to share my project?
The ultimate aim is to share your writing with an audience.
Therefore, anyone who intends to do more with their writing than file it
a desk drawer, plans to share it. At the least, a writer should get one
professional assessment of their work before trying to market it.
Does using a ghost mean that I share the credit?
This varies with the wishes of the author. If the owner of the
work wants full credit for sole authorship, the ghostwriter receives no
credit at all. That is why we are called "ghosts" - - we work
invisibly behind the scenes.
Who gets paid when the work is produced or published?
Unless specified as part of the original working agreement,
the owner of the work does, not the ghost. By arrangement with the owner,
the ghostwriter may work on speculation.
What is "writing on speculation"?
Writing on speculation means writing on the speculative chance
of a sale. The ghost is paid when the piece sells. Unless the payment to
the ghostwriter is all or part "on spec" the owner receives all
payments from publication, film-rights, adaptation, spin-offs, etc. upon
the sale. The rights you retain or sell would be negotiated in your sales
agreement with a production company or publisher. The ghost would not be
involved in the sales agreement, unless being used as a marketing consultant
to advise the client, or having written on spec by agreement with the client.
Do you do ghostwriting on spec?
No full-time, professional writer can afford to write on spec
unless the piece has extraordinary commercial potential. This is generally
only true of books in which a major celebrity will be credited as author.
Even in those instances, only a portion of the payment is normally speculative.
What is a "work for hire"?
A work for hire is a piece written for pay on someone's behalf.
The ghostwriter is paid for their work outright: the client retains ownership,
full copyright, and control over sale of the work.
I am a talented writer. Why do I need another writer?
Even experienced professional writers find it hard to see all
of their own errors or possibilities for improvement. It requires an outsider's
eye. Given the highly competitive nature of the market place, wasting a
valuable contact with a producer or publisher by having them consider less
than accomplished material is foolish.
Why can't my Aunt Tilly comment for me?
If your Aunt Tilly is a professional writer with experience
in the market place, she can!
When you edit a piece, are you just proof reading?
Although proof reading is important, it is only the minimum
level at which a piece should be reviewed. A critique includes checking
continuity, consistency of style, and plausibility along with all of the
many factors that can make your product literature and an enduring work
of art.
Should I finish writing before I contact a ghostwriter?
I can provide more thorough service if a client involves me
early in the process. Clients are wise to seek professional services when
they are formulating the concept for their work. Collaboration often shortens
the road to success.
What kind of adaptations do you do?
I work in three forms: stage, film, and novels. If you have
an existing work in one of these forms, I can transform it for you into
one of the others. If you have an idea for a work, I can help you determine
which form is best suited to bringing out and realize your vision.
Don't you need the author's permission for an adaptation?
As the client it is presumably your own work that I would be
adapting. You own the rights and would be commissioning the adaptation.
A writer who wishes to write an adaptation of someone else's work does need
to obtain the rights to that piece. Sometimes writers will sell adaptation
rights for as little as one dollar.
Why should I adapt my work?
Adaptations give you the ability to sell the same product three
times. While some works are uniquely suited to only one of these media,
most can be successfully rewritten in the other forms.
How can I tell if my work can be successfully adapted?
Having a professional evaluate the material is the best choice.
Here is a brief description of what fits into each form best:
Screenplays: Information must be presented visually. Work
that focusses on internal thoughts is not well-suited to mainstream film.
Additionally, if you want your film developed as a commercial Hollywood
feature, it must follow a specifically structured narrative story line.
Dialog and scene length are extremely short: these are MOVING pictures.
Stageplays: Information is primarily presented through
dialog. This does not however mean that people talk directly about the things
that concern them or the issues dealt with by the author. The presentation
may be highly abstract and symbolic. Production costs limit the number of
characters and scene locations.
Novels: Information is narrative. The story line must be
strong enough to carry a reader through at least 75,00O words for a hardcover
book. Unlike stage or screen works, novels have no cost limitations in terms
of setting or characters. Internal thoughts of both the character and the
narrator may be explored in detail.
How can I get an agent?
This is a question most writers ask prematurely. Other than
considering what kind of audience will be interested in your material, you
should not focus on selling it until you have actually finished writing
something. Writers who try to get an agent on the basis of an idea are being
unrealistic and unprofessional.
The INSIDER'S GUIDE TO BOOK EDITORS, PUBLISHERS, AND LITERARY AGENTS by
Jeff Herman, is an excellent source of information on this subject. (ISBN
0-7615-0128-2) WRITERS' DIGEST annual marketing directories are also useful.
My book isn't geared to a large audience. Does that mean I should
forget about it?
Books may be extremely well-written and contain valuable information,
yet be unsuited to mass marketing. Often major publishing houses will not
consider some works unless they have first proven themselves in self-publishing.
Self-publishing does not mean your book was not "good" enough
for a commercial publisher: it means it was not "commercial" enough.
THE ECONOMICAL GUIDE TO SELF-PUBLISHING, by Linda Foster Radke, provides
guidance in this area. (ISBN 1-877749-16-8)
What is the best advice you have for a new writer?
Three things:
1. Here is the ages-old magic formula for success as a writer: "apply
seat of pants to seat of chair."
2. Get and make use of the highest quality professional advice you can obtain.
3. When you think you have finished writing something and it is perfect,
go back and cut it in half, then rewrite it again. When you learn to delight
in this process, you will be nearing success.
What if I can't stand to cut my own material?
The saying goes that to succeed as a writer, "First you
must murder all your darlings." That means you have to let go of some
of your favorite scenes or passages. A terrific joke that doesn't fit the
context, a delightful scene that means the world to you but slows the action,
whatever your pet is, you have to cut it out. If you cannot be fierce about
this process, you need the services of an editor or ghostwriter who can
do this for you.
I'm a newcomer. Where can I learn more?
If you have questions about a specific project contact me at
author@karenmitura.com. Other useful sources
follow.
General Information:
THE BEGINNING WRITER'S ANSWER BOOK, by the editors of Writer's Digest (ISBN
0-911654-50-X)
National Writers Association (303) 751-7844 NWA 1450 S. Havana St. Suite
424 Aurora, CO 80012
Writer's Digest
Books for Screenwriters and Playwrights:
Aristotle's Poetics; Egri; William Goldman; Syd Field; Wells Root; J. Michael
Straczynski; Writer's Market; The Movie Business; John Brady, The Craft
of the Screenwriter; Eugene Vale, The Technique of Screen and Television
Writing; Sergei Eisenstein, Film Form and The Film Sense; and Sanford Meisner,
On Acting
Seminars for screenwriters: David Trottier, "Advanced Screenwriting
Workshop" and "Structure, Plot and Character;" Madeline DiMaggio,
"Advanced Screenwriting"; Jurgen Wolff, "How to Write and
Sell a Screenplay"; Robert Fisher, "Write to Sell!"
Useful audio tapes for screenwriters: Richard Walter, Linda Seger, Dave
Trottier, and Michael Hague
Books for Novelists:
HOW TO WRITE AND SELL YOUR FIRST NOVEL, by Oscar Colliet with Frances Spatz
Leighton (ISBN 0-89879-404-8); Make Every Word Count, Gary Provost; William
Noble, Conflict, Action & Suspense
How can I hire a ghostwriter?
Contact me for free, 24 hours a day, from anywhere in the world
at: author@karenmitura.com.
Where can I learn more about your credentials?
Write me for more references at author@karenmitura.com
Can I copy this information?
Please do. But, if you share it with others, please credit me
as the source of this information. Karen Mitura - author@karenmitura.com.
To download in Netscape, click on "file" in the top
left corner. Then click "save as." Click on the appropriate file
and directory. Click "okay." You will now have saved the information
on the Net into your word processing program.
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Karen
Mitura