These people might have taken the
occasional writing course or joined a critique group just long enough to sense
how daunting writing a book can be, never mind selling and promoting it. Sometimes,
the wannabe author is someone I’ve met socially, or while selling my books, or
through a friend.
I call this the lazy way to getting
published. Now, let’s be clear. I have nothing against someone wanting to hire
a ghostwriter, and I often recommend reputable publishing services to others,
but I would never take on the project myself. In fact, I’m highly suspicious of
people who want to get from point A to Z without doing a shred of the leg work required,
or who refuse to spend a single penny on a good editor, or writer, for that
matter.
I’ve given workshops that outline the importance
of having a social media presence, and offer simple how-to tips, only to have
the occasional attendee say at the end, “I don’t really have to do all that, do
I?” Of course not, provided they don’t want to sell any copies. My answer is a
bit more diplomatic than that in person, but it amounts to the same thing. If
you don’t invest in your idea without doing your homework and spending some dollars,
then you won’t get far.
There’s a lot of nice people out there with
great stories to tell, but it’s a slippery road to hell to commit your time and
skill to someone who doesn’t understand what it takes to write, publish, and
promote a book.
