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I'm ghostauthor of over 70 books.
My perspective on writing has changed a lot over the past 11 years since I began ghostwriting.
Here are 5 lessons I'm taking into my next 70 books:
My perspective on writing has changed a lot over the past 11 years since I began ghostwriting.
Here are 5 lessons I'm taking into my next 70 books:
Lesson #1: Grammar Is Irrelevant
11 years ago I believed spelling and grammar matter. 🤣
Why do editors at big publishing houses not care about grammar?
Because they care about ease of reading more.
If following a rule of grammar makes a sentence clunky, disobey that rule.
11 years ago I believed spelling and grammar matter. 🤣
Why do editors at big publishing houses not care about grammar?
Because they care about ease of reading more.
If following a rule of grammar makes a sentence clunky, disobey that rule.
Lesson #2: Style Is Mandatory
How should I structure my chapters?
How should I cite my sources?
Which rules can I break?
There's only one right answer to these questions.
That answer is The Chicago Manual of Style.
How should I structure my chapters?
How should I cite my sources?
Which rules can I break?
There's only one right answer to these questions.
That answer is The Chicago Manual of Style.
Nobody knows this.
Self-published authors don't know this.
Self publishing companies don't know this.
Even independent authors who you've heard of and have verified badges on social media don't know this.
Self-published authors don't know this.
Self publishing companies don't know this.
Even independent authors who you've heard of and have verified badges on social media don't know this.
This is why their books look like they were formatted in Microsoft Word 1997.
A disturbing number of them were.🤮
"That looks good enough to print. The title doesn't run over in to the margins. Good enough!"
A disturbing number of them were.🤮
"That looks good enough to print. The title doesn't run over in to the margins. Good enough!"
My clients' books are in the biggest bookstores in the world.
They stay there year after year because books I ghostpublish are indistinguishable from international bestsellers published by the big five publishers.
That's because I follow The Chicago Manual of Style to the T.
They stay there year after year because books I ghostpublish are indistinguishable from international bestsellers published by the big five publishers.
That's because I follow The Chicago Manual of Style to the T.
https://twitter.com/1074753618/status/1402650493030178822
Lesson #3: No One Cares About You
The earliest niche of clients I wrote for was memoirs.
People who wanted an autobiography would pour their heart out to me.
I would meet them at their lake house or at their cottage.
They told me everything.
The earliest niche of clients I wrote for was memoirs.
People who wanted an autobiography would pour their heart out to me.
I would meet them at their lake house or at their cottage.
They told me everything.
Harsh truth:
I cared about their story because I was their ghostwriter.
No one else cared.
Kids 🥱
Grandkids 🥱
Great grandkids 🥱
This book that meant the world to the author would not sell more than 10 copies.
I don't do memoirs any more- for any price.
I cared about their story because I was their ghostwriter.
No one else cared.
Kids 🥱
Grandkids 🥱
Great grandkids 🥱
This book that meant the world to the author would not sell more than 10 copies.
I don't do memoirs any more- for any price.
Lesson #4: Genre Mashups Are Everything
So many early authors wanted to write in one single genre.
"This is a book on consumer psychology." 🤢
That's all. 😴
It's going to be a consumer psychology textbook.
But textbooks don't work anymore.
You need genre mashups.
So many early authors wanted to write in one single genre.
"This is a book on consumer psychology." 🤢
That's all. 😴
It's going to be a consumer psychology textbook.
But textbooks don't work anymore.
You need genre mashups.
What popular fiction sells best?
It's all genre mashups.
It's not teen, or romance, or paranormal.
It's Paranormal Teen Romance.
It's all genre mashups.
It's not teen, or romance, or paranormal.
It's Paranormal Teen Romance.
How do you build a genre mashup?
You get a primary category, secondary category and tertiary category.
I wrote a genre mashup for Dr. Philip Ovadia in his Stay Off My Operating Table.
Heart health + nutrition + ketogenic diet.
cc @ifixhearts
You get a primary category, secondary category and tertiary category.
I wrote a genre mashup for Dr. Philip Ovadia in his Stay Off My Operating Table.
Heart health + nutrition + ketogenic diet.
cc @ifixhearts
@ifixhearts How many books do you know in all 3 categories?
Just 1.
How many books do you know in all 3 categories written by a heart surgeon?
Still just 1.
👏 The mashup amplifies the authority 100x. 👏
Just 1.
How many books do you know in all 3 categories written by a heart surgeon?
Still just 1.
👏 The mashup amplifies the authority 100x. 👏
@ifixhearts This is the way of the future.
To win big you must mash up at least two if not three categories in to your book.
To win big you must mash up at least two if not three categories in to your book.
@ifixhearts Lesson #5: Every Book Is A Funnel
If you want your book to make money, it must be a funnel.
The job of a book is demand generation.
Your book must educate, entertain and cultivate desire amongst your readers to buy your products and your services.
If you want your book to make money, it must be a funnel.
The job of a book is demand generation.
Your book must educate, entertain and cultivate desire amongst your readers to buy your products and your services.
@ifixhearts After a reader pays you $19.99 they are 2000% more likely to buy from you again.
Your book exists to cultivate desire for those other products + services.
Your reader: "I need someone to help me apply what's in this book to my life."
You:
Your book exists to cultivate desire for those other products + services.
Your reader: "I need someone to help me apply what's in this book to my life."
You:
@ifixhearts Now you know the 5 lessons I learned in my first 70 books.
If you want to be my next success story, let's talk here:
entrepreneurswordsmith.com/book/
If you want to be my next success story, let's talk here:
entrepreneurswordsmith.com/book/
@ifixhearts ~Bonus~
Lesson #6: NDAs Are For Chumps
For my first 50 books I signed NDAs like every other ghostwriter on the planet.
Then my clients started noticing that sharing that I wrote their book made them more sales.
Lesson #6: NDAs Are For Chumps
For my first 50 books I signed NDAs like every other ghostwriter on the planet.
Then my clients started noticing that sharing that I wrote their book made them more sales.
https://twitter.com/1074753618/status/1551556162776072193
@ifixhearts My brand is now so strong that saying "Joshua Lisec wrote my book" will increase your book sales.
Most of my clients now choose not to do NDAs.
Here's how I monetize on this new post-70-book reality:
Most of my clients now choose not to do NDAs.
Here's how I monetize on this new post-70-book reality:
@ifixhearts After a client's book launches, I record a 20 minute case study with them.
We talk all about their experience working with me as their ghostwriter.
Here's 17 of my happy clients:
youtube.com/playlist?list=…
We talk all about their experience working with me as their ghostwriter.
Here's 17 of my happy clients:
youtube.com/playlist?list=…
@ifixhearts Share this thread if you are a better writer because of it.
https://twitter.com/1074753618/status/1732551666811953637
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