6 of the Most Common Ghostwriting FAQs Answered: How to Conduct Research for Ghostwriting Your Clients' Books
This post is the second part of my current series of articles where I'll be answering the most common FAQs on ghostwriting that I am being frequently asked.
In case you missed the first one, you can catch up here.
Today's question is:
When you are ghostwriting, you have to make sure every bit of information that you have is accurate.
In case of a non-fiction book, things may be easy as most of the facts are out there already. Fiction books, on the other hand, are not as simple. They have made up stories alright, but the happenings and events must be related somehow to the real world.
In case of biographies, memoirs or historical books, things get a little bit more complicated. You may be asked to write stories that are personal to your clients. Nobody may have experienced or witnessed events that they did.
Your clients may state the facts as they know or can recall them. They may refer to events or studies carried out in the past that you know nothing about.
But are they all actually 'facts'? How do you find out?
That's where you have to play your role as a researcher and verify those facts.
You may use books and your best friend, Google, to dig out the information. Often history books may help you connect with such events. It can be hard and may require a lot of intensive research. You should, in such cases,ask your clients to pay you extra for the research you carry out.
However, in some cases, the clients do not just remember things and they just say, 'I think it was in 1933 when it first happened'. How do you know if it was actually 1933, unless you actually witnessed it back then, which I really doubt.
It may not always be easy for you to find the truth or verify the information at hand. The data you are be seeking may just not be out there.
What do you do then?
I, personally, would take my client's word for it and mention the fact that it was somewhere around the early 1930's that the event occurred. I would let the client know that I am using this information, as stated by them, but as there is a doubt here, I won't state the exact year in the manuscript.
When there is information from your client that cannot be verified through other sources, you may let the client know clearly, before even you start writing the book that you will not use it. If the clients still insist you do because it is an important piece of information, you use it but make it very clear, ideally in your contract, that you should not be held responsible for using the unverifiable information, in case it is proven wrong by someone else.
Ultimately, your goal is to get the 'ultimate' book out there- hopefully a soon-to-be best seller for your client.
You want your hands to be clean and do not want your reputation to be put at risk, even if you stay behind the scenes of your writing, as a ghostwriter.
The key to ghostwriting a successful book is that whatever you decide to do, please make sure you have communicated about it clearly with your client.
Happy ghostwriting!
In case you missed the first one, you can catch up here.
Today's question is:
Question #2:
How do I conduct research for ghostwriting my clients' books?
Answer:
When you are ghostwriting, you have to make sure every bit of information that you have is accurate.
In case of a non-fiction book, things may be easy as most of the facts are out there already. Fiction books, on the other hand, are not as simple. They have made up stories alright, but the happenings and events must be related somehow to the real world.
In case of biographies, memoirs or historical books, things get a little bit more complicated. You may be asked to write stories that are personal to your clients. Nobody may have experienced or witnessed events that they did.
Your clients may state the facts as they know or can recall them. They may refer to events or studies carried out in the past that you know nothing about.
But are they all actually 'facts'? How do you find out?
That's where you have to play your role as a researcher and verify those facts.
You may use books and your best friend, Google, to dig out the information. Often history books may help you connect with such events. It can be hard and may require a lot of intensive research. You should, in such cases,ask your clients to pay you extra for the research you carry out.
However, in some cases, the clients do not just remember things and they just say, 'I think it was in 1933 when it first happened'. How do you know if it was actually 1933, unless you actually witnessed it back then, which I really doubt.
It may not always be easy for you to find the truth or verify the information at hand. The data you are be seeking may just not be out there.
What do you do then?
I, personally, would take my client's word for it and mention the fact that it was somewhere around the early 1930's that the event occurred. I would let the client know that I am using this information, as stated by them, but as there is a doubt here, I won't state the exact year in the manuscript.
When there is information from your client that cannot be verified through other sources, you may let the client know clearly, before even you start writing the book that you will not use it. If the clients still insist you do because it is an important piece of information, you use it but make it very clear, ideally in your contract, that you should not be held responsible for using the unverifiable information, in case it is proven wrong by someone else.
Ultimately, your goal is to get the 'ultimate' book out there- hopefully a soon-to-be best seller for your client.
You want your hands to be clean and do not want your reputation to be put at risk, even if you stay behind the scenes of your writing, as a ghostwriter.
The key to ghostwriting a successful book is that whatever you decide to do, please make sure you have communicated about it clearly with your client.
Happy ghostwriting!
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