Acknowledging your ghostwriter

Your ghostwriter is going to do a lot more for you than you originally thought.

They’re going to critically assess your idea, then work with you until it’s strong enough to live in the world.

They’re going to calm you down and boost your spirits.

They’re going to untangle your twisted logic and make it seem brilliant.

They’re going to be project managers for something you haven’t even realized yet is a big and complex project.

They’ll tell you which other folks to work with — like graphic designers, copy editors, and publicists — and what to expect from them.

They’re going to maintain quality throughout a process you can’t even conceive right now.

Let’s be clear. You pay your ghost. It’s a commercial relationship. But if they’re any good at all, you’ll probably feel like you owe them more than money at the end of the process. And you probably do.

Two things to do

First recommend them. Refer them. They put most of a year into your project, it’s the least you can do.

And second, thank them. Publicly.

Here’s what it says at the end of the acknowledgments for one of the books I ghostwrote:

Finally, we would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to all of the people who have supported us through the writing process, including Josh Bernoff; our family, friends, and colleagues; and the team at our publisher.

Like all the projects, that was a challenging project. I got paid, the book is done, and I guess that’s it. You’re welcome.

Here’s what it says in the acknowledgements of another.

We owe a particular debt of gratitude to Josh Bernoff, whose contribution cannot be overstated — or sufficiently acknowledged. When we first reached out to Josh, he freely gave his advice and input. Once he climbed on board the project, he continuously delivered on his billing as the “book whisperer.” He challenged and shaped our ideas, project-managed our production process (we’re sorry!), and helped bring our ideas to life in engaging prose.

That was a challenging project, too. But it was worth it, and I love those clients. Reading that made a lot of difference.

I know this sounds like sour grapes. But I’m not writing this for me. I’m writing it for all the other ghostwriters who are committed to hard, worthwhile projects with brilliant authors.

At the end of a year of work, your ghostwriter deserves a few kind sentences. Be generous. It’s easy, and it costs nothing.