Many people feel they have a story to tell or an experience to share. But time is precious and not everyone can make the words sing on the page. But there are people who can make the whole experience hassle-free. A ghostwriter will do all the work while you get all the credit. Some common questions about the ghostwriting process are answered below.
What does a ghostwriter do?
A ghostwriter edits, writes, collaborates, and researches on behalf of someone else who becomes their client. Many biographies of celebrities and television personalities have been ghostwritten.
Why do I need one?
Not everyone knows how to or has the time to turn an idea into a book. A ghostwriter is a professional who has the time to turn your thoughts into a polished manuscript.
How does ghostwriting work?
You give the ghostwriter your ideas; s/he tells your story. Most people provide notes, digital recordings or audio tapes. Some may even have drafts of chapters or the whole book and ideas about characters and dialogue. The more information and material you provide, the closer the final product will be to your original idea. The ghostwriter turns your idea into something that people will enjoy reading.
Will the ghostwriter steal my idea?
No, that wouldn't be professional. Any ghostwriter who did that would soon be out of a job. A reputable ghostwriter will usually be happy to sign a non-disclosure or confidentiality agreement.
Who gets the credit for my finished book?
It's your idea, so you take the credit. Many ghostwriters work behind the scenes. Of course, in some instances, you may want to share the credit - that's why many biographies are credited like this: Major Celebrity with Ghostwriter or Major Celebrity as told to Ghostwriter. But you call the shots and can opt to take all the credit.
How much does ghostwriting cost?
Each job is unique and that makes it hard to give more than general guidelines. The length of time the project is likely to take and the amount of research the ghostwriter will be required to do will affect the final cost. Many ghostwriters will charge a small up front fee, followed by payments at each stage of completed work. Unless you're a major celebrity with an iron-clad publishing contract already signed and sealed, a ghostwriter is unlikely to work for nothing.
What does a ghostwriter's fee cover?
It covers writing, research and any communication, but not usually travel or accommodation.
How long will it take to ghostwrite my material?
That depends on the material. Anywhere from 2 to 6 months is average depending on the type of book and how much work you've already put in. A short article may only take hours while a longer research report may take a year. You'll be able to discuss this once you've hired a ghostwriter.
What about publication?
Some ghostwriters help with publication as well, by sending query letters and so on. This will probably cost you extra. Other ghostwriters see the writing as their job and leave you to find your own publisher. Consider which option you prefer before signing the contract.
How do I know the ghostwriter is experienced?
Ghostwriters generally have to keep clients' names confidential, but you can look at other examples of their writing. If you enjoy reading these, then chances are that others will enjoy reading your material too.
See you in print!
About the author:
Sharon Hurley Hall is a freelance writer, ghostwriter and editor. Sharon has been writing all her life and loves the written word. Sharon has lectured on journalism and media issues. Visit http://www.doublehdesign.comto see how Sharon can help with your writing, editing or design projects.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
GET DISCOVERED THROUGH PRESS RELEASES
Do you have a service or product that you want to get in front of the masses? Maybe you have reached
a new milestone in your existing business that you want to shout out to the world. Well, the easiest
way to get the message out is through the power of a press release.
Press releases have been around for awhile and can be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal. If you
have a little experience writing, you can create one on your own. If not, you can hire a professional to
write one for you. It is well worth the money to get a professional job done.
There are several elements that comprise a press release.
1. The contact information, this allows the press to contact you for a possible story or for potential
customers to come to your site to see your offerings.
CONTACT: www.ABCcompany.com
Joe Schmoe, President
Phone: (123) 456-7890
Boston, MA. 00000
Email: schmoe@email.com
2. The Headline, this is possibly the most important element of the press release because it must be
"newsworthy." It can't be a sales pitch but must be crafted as though you are announcing a news item.
For example:
WHERE WILL YOU GO?
Local Online Job Network Shows You the Path to Job Search Success.
Not something like, ABC Company Is Offering The Best Job Hunting Technique In Town!
3. The first paragraph of the press release needs to make the announcement. The thing to remember
throughout the press release is not to make a sales pitch, that's not what it is intended for. It is
meant to make an announcement about something that is considered news such as opening a new store, a new
division, relaunching a business and so on. For example, Sterling Heights, MI—June 20, 2004—ABC Comapny,
a new local online job network for residents of Massachusetts, is set to launch on July 1st to give job
seekers an additional outlet to aid in their job search. This is announces the date of the launch of
ABC Company.
4. The rest of the press release should give background on the company, the product development or the
service improvement etc. For instance, ABC Company offers numerous benefits to both those seeking a job
and employers looking for local talent to fill positions. The benefits to job seekers includes the ability
to search for jobs by location, date range, categories, job type and keywords. It will give a person the
ability to view all jobs posted by a specific local employer.
5. Add at least two quotes from an executive in the company. For instance, "We're very excited about the
launch of ABC Company. Being able to provide both job seekers and employers with direct access to local
jobs and candidates, respectively, is the best possible solution for both," offers Joe Schmoe, President
and founder of ABC Company. Further down in the press release, add another quote like, According to Schmoe,
“The benefits to local employers besides finding qualified candidates for positions, includes a reduction
in time and effort in regards to recruiting new talent."
6. Finish with something like, ABC Company is a local online job bank serving residents and employers of
Massachusetts. They are based in Boston, MA. and can be reached by calling (123) 456-7890, by contacting
Joe Schmoe via email at schmoe@email.com or visiting www.ABCcompany.com for more information.
That's about it. Easy, simple and quick to whip up.
Once you have the press release completed, you will need to distribute it. The best place to so that is
at http://wwwPRweb.com because they offer a low cost solution to distributing your press release.
If you need a professional to write a press release for you, please contact me at writetouch4u@verizon.net
My press releases have netted press interviews and stories for many of my clients. I would love to help you
"get your message out."
Until next time, take care.
Lorraine
Copyright 2005 Lorraine Cote
This article may be freely reprinted as long as the author’s information and copyright notice remain intact.
[ Submitted with ArticleSubmitter Pro - http://www.articlesubmitterpro.com]
by: Lorraine Cote
About the author:
Lorraine Cote is the CEO and Owner of The Write Touch 4U, Copywriting Service. She is also a published
freelance writer who has written over 100 ebooks on various topics for clients as well as all types of
other written materials. She also has 16 years experience in the corporate world as a Trainer and Business
Writer and is an Internet Marketer as well. Visit her at http://www.thewritetouch4u.comor visit her blog
at http://writetouch4u.blogspot.com
a new milestone in your existing business that you want to shout out to the world. Well, the easiest
way to get the message out is through the power of a press release.
Press releases have been around for awhile and can be a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal. If you
have a little experience writing, you can create one on your own. If not, you can hire a professional to
write one for you. It is well worth the money to get a professional job done.
There are several elements that comprise a press release.
1. The contact information, this allows the press to contact you for a possible story or for potential
customers to come to your site to see your offerings.
CONTACT: www.ABCcompany.com
Joe Schmoe, President
Phone: (123) 456-7890
Boston, MA. 00000
Email: schmoe@email.com
2. The Headline, this is possibly the most important element of the press release because it must be
"newsworthy." It can't be a sales pitch but must be crafted as though you are announcing a news item.
For example:
WHERE WILL YOU GO?
Local Online Job Network Shows You the Path to Job Search Success.
Not something like, ABC Company Is Offering The Best Job Hunting Technique In Town!
3. The first paragraph of the press release needs to make the announcement. The thing to remember
throughout the press release is not to make a sales pitch, that's not what it is intended for. It is
meant to make an announcement about something that is considered news such as opening a new store, a new
division, relaunching a business and so on. For example, Sterling Heights, MI—June 20, 2004—ABC Comapny,
a new local online job network for residents of Massachusetts, is set to launch on July 1st to give job
seekers an additional outlet to aid in their job search. This is announces the date of the launch of
ABC Company.
4. The rest of the press release should give background on the company, the product development or the
service improvement etc. For instance, ABC Company offers numerous benefits to both those seeking a job
and employers looking for local talent to fill positions. The benefits to job seekers includes the ability
to search for jobs by location, date range, categories, job type and keywords. It will give a person the
ability to view all jobs posted by a specific local employer.
5. Add at least two quotes from an executive in the company. For instance, "We're very excited about the
launch of ABC Company. Being able to provide both job seekers and employers with direct access to local
jobs and candidates, respectively, is the best possible solution for both," offers Joe Schmoe, President
and founder of ABC Company. Further down in the press release, add another quote like, According to Schmoe,
“The benefits to local employers besides finding qualified candidates for positions, includes a reduction
in time and effort in regards to recruiting new talent."
6. Finish with something like, ABC Company is a local online job bank serving residents and employers of
Massachusetts. They are based in Boston, MA. and can be reached by calling (123) 456-7890, by contacting
Joe Schmoe via email at schmoe@email.com or visiting www.ABCcompany.com for more information.
That's about it. Easy, simple and quick to whip up.
Once you have the press release completed, you will need to distribute it. The best place to so that is
at http://wwwPRweb.com because they offer a low cost solution to distributing your press release.
If you need a professional to write a press release for you, please contact me at writetouch4u@verizon.net
My press releases have netted press interviews and stories for many of my clients. I would love to help you
"get your message out."
Until next time, take care.
Lorraine
Copyright 2005 Lorraine Cote
This article may be freely reprinted as long as the author’s information and copyright notice remain intact.
[ Submitted with ArticleSubmitter Pro - http://www.articlesubmitterpro.com]
by: Lorraine Cote
About the author:
Lorraine Cote is the CEO and Owner of The Write Touch 4U, Copywriting Service. She is also a published
freelance writer who has written over 100 ebooks on various topics for clients as well as all types of
other written materials. She also has 16 years experience in the corporate world as a Trainer and Business
Writer and is an Internet Marketer as well. Visit her at http://www.thewritetouch4u.comor visit her blog
at http://writetouch4u.blogspot.com
Steps to a Writing an Effective Press Releases
Want to get the most media attention and spotlight for your business? Then the first place
to start is with a GREAT press release. Now I can almost see half of you leaving now,
dreading the thought of having to write one of these. But wait!! I’m going to show you
easy methods to make your press release work for you and get the attention it deserves.
Ready? Let’s go.
We’ll briefly go over the basics because of their importance. Editors want to see things
done the RIGHT way. I would bet that a lot of good releases simply get tossed out just
because they aren’t set up properly. To a busy editor, that all too familiar “10 second
glance” says a lot for you and your business; it let’s them know if you’ve done your
research enough to warrant that release to be placed in their newspaper or magazine.
Here are your essentials:
"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" on the top left of the page.
Your contact name, phone number, e-mail address, and website follows.
Headline is next, normally in bold and centered on the page. Summarize what the release
is about and capture their attention. Spend almost as much time on your headline as you
do writing the release. It’s that important.
The press release body starts with the location of the release and the date (Margate,
Florida, May 5, 2005.)
Most press releases are between 200-500 words, and no more than a page. The first paragraph
has the most important information. Don’t save the best for last, it won’t get read. In this
paragraph answer the questions, who, what, when, where and why?
It is recommended that you write press releases in the 3rd person and use short sentences and
paragraphs. Do not go over board, trying to dazzle the editor, it won’t work.
Target your release. You will be sending your release to a specific audience so make sure that
in your release you keep to what would appeal to that audience. What don’t they know that you
can add? Nothing works better than getting an “AAH HAA” when an editor is reviewing your release.
Provide statistics. Do some research and find some relevant information that applies. You can
easily do this through Google. Once you find your quote, do a Google search or Yahoo quote on
that particular topic. However, don’t stop on the first Google link and take that for gospel.
Research it a bit further. Have it come from a respectable company or magazine.
Include relevant quotes from experts in your field that will reinforce what you are saying. Approach
authors, leaders in your Industry, and other experts that back up the facts you are stating in your
release. They will normally appreciate the added publicity and you get the quote you’re looking for.
For example, as an author I’ll often get asked to provide a quote for an article on home-based
businesses or the virtual assistant industry. I welcome the opportunity as it provides me more publicity.
Also, if you have a satisfied client that you feel will add credibility to your Release, add a quote
from them as well. The first time you mention the expert, write out their full name. Then list them by
last name or Mr. and Mrs. Smith only. I normally prefer the last name.
The last paragraph should be your call to action. You’ve talked the whole release about your business
or product, now tell them what to do with the knowledge they just acquired.
At the bottom of the release include ### to indicate you are done, followed by a short bio. Make sure
if you include your website that you include http:// in front of it for search engine recognition.
Your bio should include your information, any books authored, etc. Double check this for accuracy. At this
point, you’re tired and done with the Release. But if it goes out to the world with the wrong web address,
the valuable time spent even writing the Release has been wasted.
That’s it; the basics for writing a press release! Now one other thing I’d like to add in, they work!
They truly work. I’ve had a recent release get accepted by PRWeb (and yes they do reject bad ones!),
and then go on to hit several other major newspapers and media outlines and the Google alert, which
resulted in our paper in the area contacting me. You want to set up a Google news alert for your name
so that you can follow the path and see when you make the news so you can follow up. Also, PRWeb
at http://www.prweb.com has complete guidelines for setting up a good press release. Go with the extra
money and spend $20.00. It’s worth it to get the additional exposure.
by: Diana Ennen
About The Author
Diana Ennen is the author of numerous books including Virtual Assistant: the Series, Become a Highly
Successful, Sought After VA, Words From Home, Start, Run and Profit from a Home-Based Word Processing
Business & the Home Office Recovery Plan. She specializes in publicity and book marketing and is
president of Virtual Word Publishing http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com and http://www.Publicity-VA.com.
Articles are free to be reprinted as long as the author’s bio remains intact
to start is with a GREAT press release. Now I can almost see half of you leaving now,
dreading the thought of having to write one of these. But wait!! I’m going to show you
easy methods to make your press release work for you and get the attention it deserves.
Ready? Let’s go.
We’ll briefly go over the basics because of their importance. Editors want to see things
done the RIGHT way. I would bet that a lot of good releases simply get tossed out just
because they aren’t set up properly. To a busy editor, that all too familiar “10 second
glance” says a lot for you and your business; it let’s them know if you’ve done your
research enough to warrant that release to be placed in their newspaper or magazine.
Here are your essentials:
"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" on the top left of the page.
Your contact name, phone number, e-mail address, and website follows.
Headline is next, normally in bold and centered on the page. Summarize what the release
is about and capture their attention. Spend almost as much time on your headline as you
do writing the release. It’s that important.
The press release body starts with the location of the release and the date (Margate,
Florida, May 5, 2005.)
Most press releases are between 200-500 words, and no more than a page. The first paragraph
has the most important information. Don’t save the best for last, it won’t get read. In this
paragraph answer the questions, who, what, when, where and why?
It is recommended that you write press releases in the 3rd person and use short sentences and
paragraphs. Do not go over board, trying to dazzle the editor, it won’t work.
Target your release. You will be sending your release to a specific audience so make sure that
in your release you keep to what would appeal to that audience. What don’t they know that you
can add? Nothing works better than getting an “AAH HAA” when an editor is reviewing your release.
Provide statistics. Do some research and find some relevant information that applies. You can
easily do this through Google. Once you find your quote, do a Google search or Yahoo quote on
that particular topic. However, don’t stop on the first Google link and take that for gospel.
Research it a bit further. Have it come from a respectable company or magazine.
Include relevant quotes from experts in your field that will reinforce what you are saying. Approach
authors, leaders in your Industry, and other experts that back up the facts you are stating in your
release. They will normally appreciate the added publicity and you get the quote you’re looking for.
For example, as an author I’ll often get asked to provide a quote for an article on home-based
businesses or the virtual assistant industry. I welcome the opportunity as it provides me more publicity.
Also, if you have a satisfied client that you feel will add credibility to your Release, add a quote
from them as well. The first time you mention the expert, write out their full name. Then list them by
last name or Mr. and Mrs. Smith only. I normally prefer the last name.
The last paragraph should be your call to action. You’ve talked the whole release about your business
or product, now tell them what to do with the knowledge they just acquired.
At the bottom of the release include ### to indicate you are done, followed by a short bio. Make sure
if you include your website that you include http:// in front of it for search engine recognition.
Your bio should include your information, any books authored, etc. Double check this for accuracy. At this
point, you’re tired and done with the Release. But if it goes out to the world with the wrong web address,
the valuable time spent even writing the Release has been wasted.
That’s it; the basics for writing a press release! Now one other thing I’d like to add in, they work!
They truly work. I’ve had a recent release get accepted by PRWeb (and yes they do reject bad ones!),
and then go on to hit several other major newspapers and media outlines and the Google alert, which
resulted in our paper in the area contacting me. You want to set up a Google news alert for your name
so that you can follow the path and see when you make the news so you can follow up. Also, PRWeb
at http://www.prweb.com has complete guidelines for setting up a good press release. Go with the extra
money and spend $20.00. It’s worth it to get the additional exposure.
by: Diana Ennen
About The Author
Diana Ennen is the author of numerous books including Virtual Assistant: the Series, Become a Highly
Successful, Sought After VA, Words From Home, Start, Run and Profit from a Home-Based Word Processing
Business & the Home Office Recovery Plan. She specializes in publicity and book marketing and is
president of Virtual Word Publishing http://www.virtualwordpublishing.com and http://www.Publicity-VA.com.
Articles are free to be reprinted as long as the author’s bio remains intact
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