Do I Need a Ghostwriter, an Editor, or a Writing Coach?

Editors, ghostwriters, and writing coaches traffic in the same general field of professional writing services, and more specifically, working with clients/authors to develop a book. At Oceanside Writing, we offer all three services. But distinguishing among them, and figuring out what you need, can be confusing for clients, who are sometimes looking for one thing when in fact they need another. This post clarifies what each service entails, outlines their pros and cons, and can point you in the right direction if you need assistance with a book project.

Ghostwriting:

Ghostwriters collaborate with clients/authors to conceive, plan, and write a complete manuscript. The ghostwriter does the heavy lifting of research and writing – actually arranging words on the page – but that doesn’t mean the client/author is sidelined. The book is the output of the client’s voice and ideas. The ghostwriter takes that “raw material,” structures it effectively, and draws on their skills with the written word to make it something people actually want to publish and read.

               You should hire a ghostwriter if:

–         you want a professionally written book relatively quickly (within 4-6 months).

–        if your book writing skills are not excellent (to be blunt, this is 98% of the population, including very bright individuals)

–        if you don’t have an abundance of free time

–        if your objective is to write the best book possible.

–        If you have the budget and seek a return on your investment

               Pros: Faster and more efficient than writing your own book; Yields a higher quality product; Thorough and insightful planning of the book rather than “going it alone”

               Cons: Pricier than other options

Editing:

An essential step to publishing a book. Everyone will need their book to be edited, whether you are self-publishing or looking for a book deal.

At Oceanside, editing is including in the ghostwriting fee. If you’ve taken the DIY route and have written your own manuscript, you’ll have to budget for editing.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that there are multiple kinds of editing and they really don’t have a hard and fast definition. The boundaries separating them are fuzzy, and editors define the scope of their editing differently. Sometimes sometimes refer to a given service by different names (content editing, line editing, comprehensive editing – it’s generally the same thing.)

If you have finished writing your manuscript, you need both content/line editing and copy editing. Some editors separate these services (and charge accordingly). Others combine both in one service.

With line/content editing, the editor will revise and make changes at the sentence and paragraph level to improve content; alter word choice and sentence structure and add stylistic improvements; reorganize text as needed; rewrite sentences as needed; and delete redundant or repetitive text; correct awkward or incorrect word usage. Our content editing service also includes comments in the margin of the document, both to highlight strong passages/offer praise, and to raise questions, suggest sentences or paragraphs that can be improved, or highlight points that require clarification or elaboration.

Copy editing focuses more on “mechanics,” such as fixing errors of grammar, punctuation, and spelling. A copy editor might address incorrect word choice or awkward, clunky sentences.

               You need a content/line editor if:

–        You are on at least your second draft, after getting feedback on and revising the first, and you need someone to scrutinize every line in the book, improving the text at the level of sentences and paragraphs as well as “the big picture” elements (plot, characterization, style, structure, etc.)

Some manuscripts need several rounds of content editing.

               You need a copy editor if:

–        your book has been revised for content already, by a professional (not your bookworm friend who worked on the high school newspaper and “really knows grammar”). A manuscript is ready for copy editing if it’s already been tweaked, refined, and polished to a high level.

               Pros: More affordable than ghostwriting. Takes less time, obviously, than writing a book from scratch.

              Cons: There is a limit to what an editor can do. An editor will make content changes but won’t rewrite the document – that’s ghostwriting. Some authors would be better served by hiring a ghostwriter rather than trying to write the book on their own.

Writing Coach:

A writing coach is your literary consigliere who stands by your side throughout the writing journey, advising at every stage of the process, from the initial idea, to creating an outline, to the first draft, to subsequent drafts, to the final product.

There are three benefits to working with a writing coach:

1) they provide detailed, thorough feedback that allows you to write a book well, avoiding the mistakes you would inevitably make without professional guidance;

2) they serve as an accountability partner who cracks the whip when needed and makes sure you adhere to your own deadlines (sometimes hard to do when you’re writing solo),

3) more broadly, they’re a teacher who helps you improve your writing skills, a benefit that extends long beyond the life of the project.  This third advantage is especially appealing for those who plan to make writing a lifelong pursuit, whether as a passion or a profession.

At Oceanside, writing coaching is a combination of reading and giving detailed notes on drafts, and conducting a series of consultations (on the phone or Zoom).

Ideally, you should hire a writing coach at the very start of the project, before the first word goes on the page, since a writing coach’s insight and expertise is most useful during the all-important planning/brainstorming/outlining stage, when the creative foundation for the work (whether fiction, nonfiction, memoir, self-help, or another genre) is set down.

A writing coach can also parachute into a project in progress—the sooner the better, but it’s never too late. Many clients come to me having written a few chapters, recognizing that they are stuck or that they need assurance that they are doing it right.

Sometimes, clients ask for writing coaching once they’ve written the draft of the manuscript. This is okay too. In that case I produce a manuscript critique (a lengthy “editorial letter” addressing strengths and weaknesses along with notes in the margin of the manuscript) that serves as a road map for the next draft.

A writing coach’s work is similar to that of a “developmental editor”; the roles are basically interchangeable. “Developmental editor” is confusing for some clients since this person doesn’t really do any “editing,” per se, in the way it is conventionally understood as “revising or making changes to the text.”

You need a writing coach/developmental editor if:

       you are writing a book. Seriously. Everyone, even the professionals, can benefit from a second brain. It makes the process easier and more       enjoyable and the investment will show in the final product.

      The best time to hire a writing coach is early in the writing process, before any actual writing has started. You can also recruit one if you’re halfway through a draft, or if you have a finished draft and you need feedback – and a guide – to help you revise subsequent drafts until the book is pristine and polished and ready to self-publish or solicit publishers/agents.

Pros: professional guidance; an accountability partner; candid feedback at every stage of the process; a source of moral/emotional support to push you through the tough parts of the writing process

Cons: more expensive than undertaking the project alone