Who leads your book project: your publisher, your editor, your ghostwriter, or you?
Nonfiction books tend to be complex projects, including planning, research, writing, editing, and marketing. Every complex project needs a project manager. Who’s in that role for your book?
I’ve seen and participated in book projects that were publisher-led, editor-led, author-led, and ghostwriter-led. All can work. But if you don’t decide who’s the project leader, you’re in for conflict, wasted effort, and unnecessary costs.
This post is a quick overview of the four types of projects and when each makes sense.
Publisher-led book projects
Most traditional publishers don’t really want to run your book project, at least during the creation, research, and writing phases. Editing resources at traditional publishers are scarce. They generally just want you to deliver a publishable manuscript.
The same is true of many hybrid publishers, even though you’re paying them for service. They don’t really want to be heavily involved in content either. They’ll be happy to charge you for a cursory job of developmental editing, or to hire an editorial freelancer to do that work. But if you want real guidance and coaching, you’re often better off hiring your own editor and asking them to lead the project.
But there are exceptions: publishers that specialize in a publisher-led processes. The ones I’ve encountered include Page Two, Ideapress, and Damn Gravity. This also applies to some assisted self-publishing services like Endeavor Ink. If your publisher is like that they’ll coach you throughout the process. They’ll also charge a significant premium for project management and editing services.
Editor-led book projects
Some developmental editors function as book coaches. They’ll work with you develop the content and manage the process. This is my specialty, although there are many other developmental editors who can do a good job of this.
In an editor-led project, the editor will often help you pitch and select the publisher. They’ll help you refine the idea, create a book proposal (if you’re pitching traditional publishers), define the work plan, coach you through creating drafts, and edit those drafts.
An editor-led project can succeed, but only if the developmental editor/coach is experienced in your genre and skilled at working with different author types. Those types of editors tend to charge a lot: Expect a cost in the tens of thousands of dollars.
If you’re working with an editor like that, your publisher will often be pleased that you’ve invested in creating a quality product. That works fine, but only if the publisher isn’t attempting to run the project as well. So make it clear to the publisher that this is an editor-led project.
Author-led book projects
Experienced authors often have a clear idea of what they’re creating and how the writing project will go. If they have time, they can manage everything about the project themselves, hiring freelancers to help with editing, graphics, or research.
This is not a task for first-time authors; there are simply too many arcane things about the publishing industry that they don’t know yet. And it’s also not for super-busy people. If you’re trying to balance running a startup with writing a book, for example, you won’t also be effective managing the whole project.
Ghostwriter-led projects
Ghostwriters are often pressed into service as project managers. They’re adept at navigating research and publishing processes and can guide their author clients through the whole process.
I’ve done this kind of work under contract to publishers, authors, and ghostwriting agencies. It’s a natural role for the freelance writer who’s the primary content creator for a project. At my primary ghostwriting agency, Gotham Ghostwriters, it’s typical for the agency to expect the writer to manage the project.
At some other ghostwriting agencies like KAA, staffers at the agency manage the project as well as the work of the ghostwriter.
All these methods can work. Just don’t try to mix them.
These are the keys to success in managing any book project:
- Decide who you want to lead the project: the publisher, the editor/coach, the author, or a ghostwriter.
- Be certain that the project leader you choose is experienced at book projects like yours and willing to take on the project management work. Expect to pay for their additional project services.
- Be clear with everyone else in the project who’s leading it.
- Avoid situations where more than one participant thinks they’re in charge; that leads not just to confusion, but delays, additional costs, and muddled content.