Blog - News and Updates from the World of Ghostwriting and Self-publishing

How to write a How-To book that people will read

This wonderful self-help book on teaching horsemanship to children with autism is a collaboration between Nacon Wilde and Mark Graham Communications.

This wonderful self-help book on teaching horsemanship to children with autism is a collaboration between Nacon Wilde and Mark Graham Communications.

There are many ways to write a book. Not all of them will achieve the success envisioned by the author. To make sure that your target market will get past the cover of your book and delve into its contents, here are a few tips from the experts.

Put some cats in danger. Not literally, of course. This refers to the old adage, “curiosity killed the cat”, and the timeless advice to writers to begin with a strong hook; one surefire way to keep readers turning your pages is to ask questions, directly or indirectly. If you can spark their curiosity, your readers will be compelled to read until they get some answers. You wanted to know what was going to happen to those cats, didn’t you?

Don’t waste time. People want to know how you can help them, so be straightforward with your details. The title of your book and the first paragraph are of the utmost importance. First impressions are everything. If you’re going to include any long, personal anecdotes, save them for later on in your book. Continue reading

What to look for in a ghostwriter: a personal connection

This wonderful self-help book on re-partnering is a collaboration between Deborah Potashnik Hecker PhD and Mark Graham Communications.

This wonderful self-help book on re-partnering is a collaboration between Deborah Potashnik Hecker PhD and Mark Graham Communications.

Hiring a professional ghostwriter is a popular choice these days for people with a story to tell or personal experience to share.  It often seems that the more personal your story, the more difficult it is to share the writing process. Ironically, this is often the time when you need the best possible collaborator. Allowing a ghostwriter into your story calls for an extraordinary degree of trust.  Ghostwriting is, first and foremost, a partnership, and a personal connection is essential to the success of this partnership.

When you are passionate about your story or your experience, the ghostwriter, as your collaborator, will naturally tap into your passion and bring that passion into his or her writing or editing. If a ghostwriter isn’t moved by your passion, he or she is not the right fit for your writing journey.  Continue reading

What to look for in a ghostwriter: talent vs. experience

What to look for in a ghostwriter: talent vs. experience

It’s easy to understand how someone can hold their writing projects and ideas near and dear to their hearts. Letting a professional ghostwriter get involved is a big step. How can you be certain you’ve chosen the right ghostwriter to help you accomplish your goals? Two valuable traits of a ghostwriter are talent and experience, but what if you have to choose? Investing your time and money is important, so a decision like this shouldn’t be made lightly, especially when the success of your writing project may be dependent on the help that you choose.

A talented writer can be a tempting choice, but relying on talent alone is a risky strategy.  Continue reading

Everyone can write the book of their dreams…

Everyone can write the book of their dreams...Writing books isn’t just for the literary-inclined. The old saying may go “if you want something done right, do it yourself,” but in today’s world, if you want to publish a book, you’ve got more options than chaining yourself to a computer. By collaborating with a ghostwriting service, your ideas, visions, or dreams can be shared with the world in a polished, professional book, giving you an air of credibility as an expert in your field. From business books to biographies, self-help books to screenplays, Mark Graham Communications offers a variety of ghostwriting services to help you transform your intangible ideas into the real deal. Continue reading

What does it mean to create a great voice when you’re writing?

What does it mean to create a great voice when you’re writing?  Creating a specific voice for any writing project is a great strategy for successful writing. What is a voice? In writing terms, it means choosing your words carefully to create a distinctive personality. You want your readers to feel like they are interacting with a real live person, with a rich history and even personality quirks.

The voice that you choose for your writing project can lead your readers to feel differently about your story, characters and even your style. Consider the following two examples of text, both describing the same scene. Continue reading

Who is my audience?

Who is my audience?When you embark on your writing adventure, one of the key factors to consider is your audience. Who will be reading what you have written? Who are you addressing? Depending on the type of project you have in mind, the answers to these questions may be different. Every piece of writing has an audience; you may be writing for a general group of readers, a select few individuals, or even just for yourself. Continue reading

Passion is the key to a great story

Passion is the key to a great storyEvery endeavor worth pursuing begins with passion. Writing is no different. If you are passionate about your story, it translates into all aspects of your writing. Without passion, a story is merely a collection of words, and your reader will know it within a matter of pages.  Passion is what grabs hold of a reader’s imagination and runs with it all the way to the end of the tale. It’s an element that simply cannot be imitated. You either have it or you don’t. Continue reading

What makes a great self-help book?

Books can serve a wide variety of purposes from entertainment to education. Self-help books are a specific type of educational book that aims to help the reader solve problems in his or her everyday life.  Common topics include weight loss, social skills, professional advice, and much more. However, just because your book talks about the technique that helped you won’t guarantee the same success for your readers. Remember, you’re writing the self-help book for your readers, not just to document your experience. Here are some suggestions on ways to maximize the effect of your words.

Hook your readers.
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What is the difference between a biography and a memoir?

Are you writing your memoirs or an autobiography?While there are a great many similarities between biographies and memoirs, there are a few subtle yet distinctive variances between the two categories of literature. Both tell the tale of an individual, but the difference between them lies in the parameters and style of the narrative.

Typically, biographies span the entire lifetime of the subject, from infancy through childhood to all the adventures experienced during adulthood. Much like documentaries on film, events covered in a biography will most likely unfold in chronological order. Autobiographies follow the same rules as biographies with one provision: that the author is also the subject. Quite simply, a biography is a chronicle documenting an individual’s history. There are no hard and fast rules for biographical accounts, as one person’s lifetime can vary wildly from another’s, but in general Continue reading

Do I need a ghost writer?

"Do I need a ghost writer?" she wondered.The written word is very powerful. Whether you consider yourself a writer or not, there are many ways to take advantage of the written form. Communication in today’s world is quicker than ever before, which means you have a potentially vast audience. The services of a ghost writer can come in handy for companies whose employees are too busy to craft a top flight presentation or individuals who aren’t quite sure how to get their messages across. Experienced ghost writers know all the right questions to ask in figuring out how best to present your message. They know about setting the appropriate tone and using the right vocabulary to fit your industry. They understand the importance of deadlines. If you are considering working with a ghost writer on any project, here are some good questions to ask yourself first. Continue reading