النص 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:28.870 --> 00:00:34.390
I heard a shocking stat the other day that said that ghostwritten books are more successful than non-ghostwritten books.
00:00:34.469 --> 00:00:35.750
Now that really surprised me.
00:00:35.910 --> 00:00:36.789
I didn't expect that.
00:00:36.950 --> 00:00:39.510
Now when I dove into the data, I found it was kind of crazy.
00:00:39.670 --> 00:00:42.070
There are two distinct classes of ghostwritten books.
00:00:42.230 --> 00:00:45.590
There's this small sliver that are wildly successful.
00:00:45.750 --> 00:00:48.950
And then there's the vast majority that totally flop.
00:00:49.269 --> 00:00:49.590
Right?
00:00:49.750 --> 00:00:57.109
So the ultra successful, you're thinking shoe dog, you're thinking open, you're thinking there's a bunch of books that you've read that you thought the author wrote that they didn't actually write.
00:00:57.269 --> 00:01:01.430
And those books went on to be create massive outcomes for the author or the business.
00:01:01.590 --> 00:01:03.269
But why do all the other ones fail?
00:01:03.349 --> 00:01:07.829
Well, there's nine specific reasons that most ghost written books flop.
00:01:07.909 --> 00:01:09.510
The first one is that there's no job.
00:01:09.590 --> 00:01:11.109
They don't give the book a job.
00:01:11.269 --> 00:01:13.430
If you miss this step, none of the rest of this matters.
00:01:13.590 --> 00:01:15.829
Sure, you could probably fail in a bunch other ways.
00:01:15.909 --> 00:01:18.310
But the first failure is the lack of a job for the book.
00:01:18.469 --> 00:01:25.510
So that's why what you should do instead is you should kind of reverse engineer what is the outcome that the book is going to create for you.
00:01:25.750 --> 00:01:28.230
Is it, hey, it's going to get me booked for speaking gigs?
00:01:28.310 --> 00:01:30.629
It's going to fill my calendar with sales calls.
00:01:30.710 --> 00:01:33.109
It's going to close a deal before the meeting starts.
00:01:33.270 --> 00:01:35.910
It's going to sell this massive high-ticket program.
00:01:36.230 --> 00:01:38.790
Whatever the thing is, the book needs a job.
00:01:38.950 --> 00:01:45.990
Because if the book has a job, that can create a six-figure income stream, a seven-figure business, a seven-figure channel inside of your business.
00:01:46.150 --> 00:01:52.150
This book has brought in over seven million dollars in the last 12 months because the book has a job and we put it to work.
00:01:52.390 --> 00:01:53.750
We put it to work all the time.
00:01:53.910 --> 00:02:00.310
So the fix here is you got to define what success looks like for the book before you start and give the book a job.
00:02:00.469 --> 00:02:02.950
Then there's the second failure, the second mistake.
00:02:03.109 --> 00:02:10.310
I see so many authors make this mistake, or so really it's so many wannabe authors make this mistake, is they shortcut the upfront work.
00:02:10.469 --> 00:02:19.509
Now, this is really counterintuitive because a lot of times people think, well, yeah, I hired a ghostwriter so that they could write the book because I don't have time to write the book.
00:02:19.669 --> 00:02:22.949
And so they say, Hey, I don't even don't talk to me, don't interview me.
00:02:23.109 --> 00:02:25.509
I don't want to be bothered with any of this upfront work.
00:02:25.669 --> 00:02:28.710
They try to save time, but they end up wasting a ton of it.
00:02:28.789 --> 00:02:30.229
Again, very counterintuitive.
00:02:30.310 --> 00:02:42.550
But what they miss here is they don't define the outline, they don't get clear on their voice, they don't get clear on the positioning, they don't get clear on how this book is going to connect with ideal customers and thus fulfill the job, right?
00:02:42.710 --> 00:02:45.670
Drive a bunch of revenue with their book for their business.
00:02:45.750 --> 00:02:48.950
And so the result is a few months later, they get a draft that sucks.
00:02:49.189 --> 00:02:51.909
This is like entrepreneurial ghostwriting therapy.
00:02:52.069 --> 00:02:56.550
I've taken plenty of these calls from people who said, Yeah, a year ago I hired a ghostwriter.
00:02:56.629 --> 00:02:57.430
I got the draft.
00:02:57.509 --> 00:02:58.870
The draft totally sucked.
00:02:58.950 --> 00:03:01.270
It doesn't sound like me, it's not my concepts.
00:03:01.430 --> 00:03:04.069
We had to scrap the whole thing, and then I had to write it.
00:03:04.230 --> 00:03:05.909
That's because they skipped the prep.
00:03:05.990 --> 00:03:11.590
So the fix here is don't start the ghostwriting process without two things, your outline and your voice.
00:03:11.750 --> 00:03:15.030
And I would say maybe even a third thing, which is the stories that you want to tell.
00:03:15.110 --> 00:03:23.110
So you got to have the outline, you got to get clear on that with your ghostwriter, you got to get clear on your voice, and then hopefully bonus points if you've got stories to sprinkle throughout.
00:03:23.270 --> 00:03:27.590
Now you can do both of those things, and if you skip the third step, honestly, you're screwed.
00:03:27.750 --> 00:03:31.110
The third big mistake, they hire the cheapest ghostwriter they can find.
00:03:31.270 --> 00:03:41.830
A cheap ghostwriter is often the most expensive choice you can make because you just say, oh, I'm gonna just use AI, or oh, you know, I've got some overseas ghostwriter that they're gonna do a great job.
00:03:41.990 --> 00:03:42.950
You get what you pay for.
00:03:43.030 --> 00:03:45.270
If you're a business owner, you're successful, you know that.
00:03:45.430 --> 00:03:46.870
You spend money for quality.
00:03:46.950 --> 00:03:55.670
And so the fix here is you need to price the book against what it's supposed to earn you and then justify the upfront cost to create a great book.
00:03:55.750 --> 00:04:01.030
Now that might be one client, that might be one speaking gig, that might be one deal that pays for the whole thing.
00:04:01.189 --> 00:04:02.069
Load full transcript
You get what you pay for.
00:04:02.150 --> 00:04:04.870
So invest in a great ghostwriter up front.
00:04:05.030 --> 00:04:05.909
Hire the best.
00:04:05.990 --> 00:04:10.150
I would argue that you should have a process over a person, but we'll talk about that later.
00:04:10.310 --> 00:04:12.629
The fourth mistake no sample chapter.
00:04:12.789 --> 00:04:21.670
So I think a lot of times people get into the ghostwriting process, and again, they just think, hey, show up in a few months with 60,000 words and I'll review your work and we'll be good to go.
00:04:21.829 --> 00:04:23.670
That doesn't happen most of the time.
00:04:23.750 --> 00:04:24.069
Okay.
00:04:24.310 --> 00:04:30.550
Voice mismatch, that's the number one reason that drafts get thrown out and that processes get abandoned.
00:04:30.629 --> 00:04:34.389
And the tragedy here is that it's detectable in the first 10 pages.
00:04:34.550 --> 00:04:39.349
And most people don't just either don't know to do the work or they work with someone who doesn't have a good process.
00:04:39.509 --> 00:04:50.629
And so they just skip the feedback loop to until they're at 60,000 words, and then the author's upset, the writer's defensive, and the only options are to start over or to choose somebody else.
00:04:50.709 --> 00:04:54.149
So the fix here is you need to have an approval process early on.
00:04:54.310 --> 00:04:57.910
I would argue you need to get clear on the outline, you need to approve the outline.
00:04:58.069 --> 00:05:00.069
Then you need to approve the first chapter.
00:05:00.230 --> 00:05:02.389
That's kind of and that's where you can give some really good feedback.
00:05:02.470 --> 00:05:03.509
Hey, this doesn't sound like me.
00:05:03.670 --> 00:05:06.310
Whoa, this is totally off base or this is really close.
00:05:06.470 --> 00:05:07.030
Do more of that.
00:05:07.110 --> 00:05:10.069
And then you're gonna improve the process with your ghostwriter.
00:05:10.230 --> 00:05:12.069
Then they're gonna bring back the first three chapters.
00:05:12.149 --> 00:05:15.509
And you say, okay, cool, this is really going in the right direction.
00:05:15.750 --> 00:05:22.550
And then you can decide whether you go from there to the full draft, or maybe it's the you know, 10 chapters and then 15 chapters, whatever.
00:05:22.709 --> 00:05:28.389
But you need to have checkpoints along the way to align on voice, messaging, and where the book is going.
00:05:28.550 --> 00:05:33.750
Hey, quick interruption: if what you're hearing right now is making you think about your own book, don't let that feeling pass.
00:05:33.910 --> 00:05:39.670
We've helped thousands of authors turn that exact feeling into a published book that builds their authority in their business.
00:05:39.750 --> 00:05:45.750
If you want to be next, come find us on Instagram at selfpublishing.com and send us a DM with the word ready.
00:05:46.069 --> 00:05:51.670
Our team will reach out, we'll learn about your book, we'll map out exactly the path forward and what it looks like for you.
00:05:51.750 --> 00:05:56.389
We'll create a custom plan, DM us ready, find us on Instagram, and let's get back into the episode.
00:05:56.550 --> 00:06:00.149
Here's the fifth mistake this is the polish this turd trap.
00:06:00.389 --> 00:06:01.829
Especially in today's world.
00:06:01.990 --> 00:06:03.430
Hey, you prompted AI.
00:06:03.509 --> 00:06:11.269
You've got 50,000 AI slop words and an AI slop draft that has no plot, that has no structure, and you think this is gonna be helpful.
00:06:11.350 --> 00:06:12.069
It's not, right?
00:06:12.310 --> 00:06:19.269
Giving a ghostwriter a really crappy draft is actually just gonna waste their time and they're trying to polish and look for and all this stuff.
00:06:19.350 --> 00:06:20.629
It's not gonna save time.
00:06:20.790 --> 00:06:21.750
It's just not, right?
00:06:21.829 --> 00:06:27.350
They can't edit their way or polish their way into making this turd a good book.
00:06:27.509 --> 00:06:32.550
So the fix here is that AI is really good in the beginning and the end of the process and not in the middle.
00:06:32.709 --> 00:06:33.509
What do I mean by that?
00:06:33.670 --> 00:06:37.590
Well, it's not good in the beginning if you use it to write a crappy draft, right?
00:06:37.750 --> 00:06:43.990
So, what I mean by that is it's good to help distill key concepts, stories, outline, all that stuff.
00:06:44.069 --> 00:06:46.949
And maybe that will help, but you gotta get really clear on that.
00:06:47.110 --> 00:06:53.910
And then you need to work with a ghostwriter or a ghostwriting team, ghostwriting process to do the hard work of the middle.
00:06:54.069 --> 00:06:58.149
That's you know, distilling it, making it in your voice, the key concepts, all that stuff.
00:06:58.230 --> 00:07:03.750
The structure and stories that comes from the human who has likely interviewed you, distilled your work, all that stuff.
00:07:03.829 --> 00:07:07.110
So don't just hand them an AI slop draft.
00:07:07.269 --> 00:07:13.430
Mistake number six, I've been alluding to this the whole time, is relying on a person and not a team or not a process.
00:07:13.509 --> 00:07:17.829
So if you just hire a singular person to ghostwrite your book, that's a horrible decision.
00:07:17.910 --> 00:07:18.709
They might suck.
00:07:18.790 --> 00:07:27.269
They might not know your voice, they might have only done three or four books, they're flaky, they can't write in your voice, they're slow, maybe they've got other projects that are more important than you.
00:07:27.509 --> 00:07:34.949
The list goes on maybe they get sick, maybe they have a baby, maybe there's all these things that can keep them from getting your book done in a quality way and on time.
00:07:35.110 --> 00:07:39.829
So instead, the fix here is you need to hire a team with a process.
00:07:39.990 --> 00:07:40.310
Okay.
00:07:40.550 --> 00:07:44.389
And that process, you know, they need to know about these
landmines that I already talked about.
00:07:44.550 --> 00:07:49.189
Hey, we're gonna interview you, we're gonna still this into an outline, we're gonna then have you approve this.
00:07:49.269 --> 00:07:52.709
Like they need to have a process and have done it at the highest level.
00:07:52.870 --> 00:07:55.269
And then they've got multiple people that can work with you.
00:07:55.350 --> 00:07:59.750
Like it just all the landmines that you might hit three months in, six months in.
00:07:59.829 --> 00:08:01.110
This helps to mitigate those.
00:08:01.189 --> 00:08:07.590
It's still not perfect, but that is at least mitigates those and help you be more likely to succeed in the process.
00:08:07.829 --> 00:08:11.269
Mistake number seven, the author disappears after writing the check.
00:08:11.430 --> 00:08:15.590
They treat ghostwriting like ordering a product instead of running a process.
00:08:15.670 --> 00:08:22.230
So, sure, they they show up for the first couple interviews, then it's just radio silence for months, and then they're shocked at the draft.
00:08:22.310 --> 00:08:24.709
And they they want to be totally hands-off, which I get it.
00:08:24.790 --> 00:08:27.590
It's smart and I'm a business owner, and so I like that too.
00:08:27.829 --> 00:08:33.269
But just the littlest touch points early on, it's like think about it like front loading work.
00:08:33.350 --> 00:08:36.149
So then on the back half of that, you can be way less involved.
00:08:36.230 --> 00:08:41.350
And so don't just uh, you know, spray and pray or just you know, pay and disappear.
00:08:41.509 --> 00:08:42.470
Be involved up front.
00:08:42.629 --> 00:08:47.429
The stories that make the book worth reading, the failures, the numbers, the specific stuff.
00:08:47.590 --> 00:08:48.949
That's what makes the book good.
00:08:49.110 --> 00:08:50.709
And so give that input up front.
00:08:50.870 --> 00:08:52.149
Your writer is gonna love you.
00:08:52.309 --> 00:08:55.269
Your future self is gonna love you because the book's gonna be way better.
00:08:55.350 --> 00:08:58.149
Don't skip the interviews, don't skip that early input.
00:08:58.309 --> 00:09:04.389
Budget the hours, whether it's weekly, whether it's bi-weekly, whether it's a big chunk up front, do that.
00:09:04.549 --> 00:09:06.549
The whole rest of the process is gonna be easier.
00:09:06.710 --> 00:09:10.789
Mistake number eight, they spend the entire budget on the writing and nothing on launch.
00:09:10.950 --> 00:09:11.590
This is huge.
00:09:11.669 --> 00:09:21.909
So you could dodge all of these landmines, and I see so many authors take the ghostwritten path and then they stop right here, and then they wonder why their book did nothing for their business.
00:09:22.070 --> 00:09:30.149
A finished manuscript, I know it feels like the finish line, but it's really about the halfway point to a book that sells and to a book that grows your business.
00:09:30.389 --> 00:09:38.230
Positioning, cover, categories, keywords, launch team, reviews, promos, the one-year launch, not the one-week launch.
00:09:38.310 --> 00:09:39.750
All of these things are really important.
00:09:39.830 --> 00:09:42.950
And so you might spend 50 grand, you might spend 100 grand to get right here.
00:09:43.029 --> 00:09:49.429
And then if you used your whole budget and you don't think about time, money, and energy into the launch, you've just got an expensive PDF.
00:09:49.909 --> 00:09:53.909
Amazon doesn't care how good the book is if nobody buys it when it comes out.
00:09:53.990 --> 00:09:59.190
And if you want this to be an asset for your business, well, you need to spend time, money, and energy into the launch of the book.
00:09:59.350 --> 00:10:00.549
So the fix here is two things.
00:10:00.629 --> 00:10:03.509
Number one, you got to reserve a real budget for the launch process.
00:10:03.669 --> 00:10:06.389
You got to have a plan for the launch process.
00:10:06.549 --> 00:10:09.190
And then you need to work with someone who knows how to do this.
00:10:09.350 --> 00:10:10.629
Who, not how, right?
00:10:10.789 --> 00:10:13.029
So if you find the who, well then they know the how.
00:10:13.190 --> 00:10:15.909
A good ghostwriting company helps with the launch.
00:10:16.070 --> 00:10:20.629
If you just have a good ghostwriter and they're like, yeah, I don't really do anything with the launch, that's not gonna work.
00:10:20.710 --> 00:10:23.110
It's called best-selling author, not best written author.
00:10:23.190 --> 00:10:30.870
So they can write you the best book in the world, but if they don't understand and plan for the launch and the launch being successful, your book's not gonna do well.
00:10:31.029 --> 00:10:36.230
So that leads me into mistake number nine, which is thinking that publishing is the finish line.
00:10:36.389 --> 00:10:39.669
The mega hits that you see, there it's not because they're better written.
00:10:39.750 --> 00:10:40.629
Sure, they're good books.
00:10:40.710 --> 00:10:43.509
They're better sold and they're better marketed for years.
00:10:43.669 --> 00:10:48.870
And behind those big hits is an author who treats launch day as day one.
00:10:49.029 --> 00:10:54.549
They keep talking about the book on podcast, they run ads, they integrate it in their business, they make sure that they get reviews.
00:10:54.710 --> 00:10:57.269
Again, I know that the launch feels like the finish line.
00:10:57.429 --> 00:11:04.629
It's not the the whole flop pile of all these ghostwritten books, it's full of good books whose authors quit on launch day.
00:11:04.870 --> 00:11:09.190
They give up and then they wonder why it's not driving revenue in their business.
00:11:09.350 --> 00:11:12.789
This book right here I published five years ago, six years ago.
00:11:12.950 --> 00:11:19.830
It brought in seven million dollars over the last 12 months because I keep talking about it, I keep marketing it, I integrate it into my business.
00:11:19.909 --> 00:11:24.470
So the fix is you need to follow the one-year launch, not the one-week launch.
00:11:24.629 --> 00:11:28.389
If you want to avoid these mistakes, I've got two things that'll be helpful for you.
00:11:28.549 --> 00:11:30.070
First off, watch this video.
00:11:30.310 --> 00:11:37.190
You've got a video, it's a secret training on our ghostwriting process, how to create a seven-figure asset from a book, and how we can help you.
00:11:37.350 --> 00:11:38.710
So, watch that video next.
00:11:38.870 --> 00:11:44.710
Secondly, if you're an overachiever, if you're serious about this, click the link in the description, book a call with my team.
00:11:44.870 --> 00:11:49.190
This is not for everyone, spots are extremely limited, so it may or may not be a fit for you.
00:11:49.350 --> 00:11:54.389
But on that call, we can map out a plan, we can help you create a plan to avoid a bunch of these mistakes.
00:11:54.470 --> 00:11:58.629
And if it's a fit and if we have spots available, we can see what it looks like to work together.
00:11:58.710 --> 00:12:00.230
So click the link, book a call.
00:12:00.310 --> 00:12:01.429
I hope you enjoyed this video.
00:12:01.590 --> 00:12:06.310
Comment below what was your biggest takeaway or what mistakes have you made in the ghostwriting process.
00:12:06.470 --> 00:12:09.110
Subscribe to the channel, the channel's growing like crazy right now.
00:12:09.190 --> 00:12:10.870
We just passed 100,000 subscribers.
00:12:10.950 --> 00:12:14.950
So thank you guys for watching, engaging, and I'm glad that you're enjoying these videos.
00:12:15.029 --> 00:12:17.269
I will see you in the next one.