Sometimes, a “no” is the best deliverable.
So, recently I was approached by a client who was finishing up a non-fiction book. He had a very short deadline — ten days — to get the manuscript to his publisher. And he was up against the wall.
He’d already worked with a couple of capable ghostwriters, he said… in fact, one was still on the job. But because they’d contributed to different parts of the book at different times the chapters had different voices. The tone was inconsistent… more conversational here, more clinical there.
He was looking for someone who could do a final pass on the book in the last ten days, and instill a more accessible, conversational tone across all the content in time for the publisher’s deadline
“Sure,” I said. “Depending on the disposition of your last draft, we can probably make that happen. You just need to be willing to let me move fast and break things.”
He agreed, and sent me the book.
What I Discovered
I reviewed the manuscript, and in my opinion there was actually a lot more work to do on structure before a final tone pass… I’d be trying to polish while he and his other ghost were still sorting out the order of chapters, teaching content, and frameworks.
My time — and therefore his money — would not have been well spent.
So I let him know what I thought; I said he and his ghostwriter would be better served by focusing on refining the structure and organizing the teaching content, even if the tone was a little inconsistent. Then, maybe, the voice could get polished after delivery but before publication.
And I freely shared a page of my thoughts on some of the high-level issues I saw.
He appreciated my frankness. Then he asked if he could engage me for a 24-hour job… could I make actionable recommendations on the order of chapters, and clarify the structure of the teaching content, to help guide him and his ghostwriter to an organized deliverable?
What I Did
So I read the manuscript more closely and gave him 10 or 12 pages of notes. I delivered a revamped outline for the book that defined the target theme of each chapter, and even rearranged the order of some chapters to be more effective. I also pitched a more consistent vocabulary and naming conventions for his core business concepts that might make it all easier to follow.
Now, he and his ghostwriter can use whatever they find valuable in my notes, and hopefully arrive at a more refined manuscript in time for the publisher’s deadline.
And he seems happy with the results.
“Chip did an awesome job and came in clutch with some exceptional ideas for my book. He’s a pro and will definitely contribute valuable insights for your project. Highly recommend!”
Why I Said No
This isn’t the first time I’ve said no.
As ghostwriters, we need to do our best to take the time to assess a potential project, and understand what’s in the client’s best interest. Sometimes we might end up with less work… but it ensures the client gets what they really need to succeed.
I’m committed to making sure that clients get real value from my participation. And if that means letting them know that I’m not the best fit at that time I’m totally okay with doing that.
Because client satisfaction is job one!
Think you might like to have me look over your project? Let’s chat!
Chip Street - Writey Guy 