Ghostwriting and collaborating on books are a lucrative income stream — and you don’t have to sacrifice your journalistic principles to do it. The market for these books has mushroomed because publishers are now looking for experts with giant platforms.
Collaborations in their various forms can be a financial and professional lifeline; busy ghostwriters and collaborators can make upwards of $100,000 a year. In this webinar, two writers and a literary agent discuss this growing market, how to get that first assignment as a ghostwriter or collaborator, what to watch out for in contracts and how to effectively work with an expert.
Barbara Mantel is AHCJ’s health beat leader for freelancing and has written about subjects such as how to find and keep an accountability partner, how to tap the rich resources at libraries and how to break into narrative journalism. Mantel, an award-winning journalist, began her journalism career as the economics reporter and then assistant managing editor of a business news program on ESPN television. She moved to NPR as its economics and business correspondent and later served as the first senior editor, senior producer and director of the public radio program “Science Friday.” Mantel’s byline has appeared in a wide range of media outlets, including CQ Researcher, AARP, Undark, Next Avenue, Medical Economics, Healthline, NBCNews.com, Today.com, NPR and The New York Times.
Susan K. Golant is a book collaborator, co-author, book doctor, ghostwriter, editor and/or writing coach. Golant has been writing nonfiction books alone and with others since 1982 and has more than 40 books to her credit. Her specialities include psychology, health and medical breakthroughs, spirituality and parenting, among others. She has collaborated with or ghostwritten for M.D.s, Ph.D.s and Rosalynn Carter.
Madeleine Morel is the head of 2M Communications, an agency that represents more than 100 ghostwriters and collaborators, matching them with experts, celebrities and public figures who need help getting their ideas into print. Morel has provided writers for more than 60 New York Times bestsellers. Each writer specializes in an area such as health, parenting, memoir/autobiography, science, sports and more.
