My fav genre to write honestly changes all the time. One of the reason ghosting is so perfect for me! Right now, I love cozy mysteries, and I can't say why haha. I don't even read cozies. But writing them and getting into these cute little towns with mystique is just... Fun. Makes me wanna curl up by a fire. It has a real classic writer vibe. It just puts me in a really fun headspace.

I don't think of any genre as so challenging I can't write it, but I find some genres more boring and that does make them more difficult. Business books are a real slog for me. They're just very impersonal and that doesn't appeal to me. But I'll do them when I need to.

Just answered how I got started in another comment! And I've technically written my own novels back when I did self publishing. But do I ever plan to try and write my own novel and get it traditionally published? Never say never, I guess, but my privacy is pretty sacred to me so it's hard to imagine doing that right now. On the off chance I became a real big best-seller (small chance) I really wouldn't want to be a famous author. Fame would be stressful.

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How did you get started ghostwriting, and do you plan to pen your own novels at some point?

Honestly, I had no plans to be a ghostwriter. I actually started in self-publishing many years ago when you could make pretty good money as a kindle author. Which was fine, I usually puled 50-70k a year doing that but it a huge grind and the marketing is exhausting.

I needed to take a break from the marketing and other indie authors utilized ghosts so I decided I'd do that "temporarily." Obviously, jokes on me. At that level, I didn't get paid a ton, but it was enough to make a living.

This will sound ridiculous and it is, but one day I just googled what ghostwriters made and google was like 20,000-100,000 a book. And I was like, no way. But at the higher level, that was absolutely true. I'd already written a ton by that point and made it my absolute mission to be a ghostwriter at that level, focusing on traditionally published books.

How did you choose this position? How did it start?

I really wish I could say yes to this haha. I do have one passion project in my head that has been in my head for years, but it just stays in the planning phase.

It is really true, in my experience, that when you make a passion your job it becomes hard to do it for the joy of it. I get paid to write now. My motivation to just sit and write has dwindled so much. I do want to make it my goal in the new year to write one book just for fun, no plans for it, no financial motivation... But we shall see...

What are the pedigrees of the reviewers?

<edited to correct grammar bc I'm tired>

Well, obviously, I can't say names. I can't say anyone has shocked me, though. I haven't really worked with tons and tons of celebs either to make a ton of comparisons. Mostly, I've been pleasantly surprised how down to earth my clients are for having notoriety. I haven't had any divas.

Nothing in particular I want to double back to, but tons of clients that I'd happily write another book for because we worked well together. Most of my clients, actually.

I do not! With a big caveat that ghostwriters need to be paid what they're worth. Tons of people doing gigs on Fiverr for pennies and in any industry, when someone is underpaid that is obviously unfair. So I rally for ghosts getting proper compensation.

But for me, and for colleagues making five to six figures a book, no. We get compensated pretty well to not get the credit. Some ghosts might still prefer some credit, and we do sometimes get acknowledged on the front cover or the acknowledgements of a book, but I see it like anything else. In most industries, you never know who designed a product.

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In almost every way, I'd say it's the harder writing gig. As a writer writing their own stuff, you get to aim to be proficient in your writing style and your chosen genre. As a ghostwriter, you need to be proficient in a multitude of genres, be able to do any voice, bring the voice of your client into the work. It takes a ton of analysis and people-skills. Because my clients have often not written a book, they come to me with a vague idea of what they want and most of the time I'm reading between the lines to get that tone down. Then obviously you often do a lot more research because it may be a new topic to you or you'll research things from the life of your client. Even something as small as a hotel lobby, I'd go look that up and add in those details.

I'm trying to think of how it is easier and mostly I just don't think it is haha. I guess the one easy part is, and the reason I chose this career, is I get money in my pocket as soon as I'm done. Zero marketing, zero wondering if it's going to get published. But that doesn't really pertain to the writing aspect.

Who have you worked with that had a personality that surprised you (compared to their public persona)? Is there anyone you'd like to revisit and write more about?

Are you currently working on the Great American Novel? Do you have an idea for a book you'd like to write for your own fulfillment?

Do you ever feel like it's unfair that a ghostwriter does the work and doesn't get credit?

Oooh, no, not yet! Hopefully one day because that would be a great selling point for me.

What are some things that make ghostwriting easier and harder than "regular" writing?

Has any of your books been turned into films or tv shows?

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Favorite sheets for hot sleepers?

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You can find our guide to holiday tipping here. But that's a great question, which I have to admit, we didn't think to address. I think a lot of people approach holiday tipping with anxiety because they feel that tips are expected of them by this or that person.

But the idea of tipping someone who is not on the regular list of people you are told to tip is intriguing. It raises the prospect you could really show gratitude to someone who might not expect it and will therefore appreciate it all the more.

I am not sure there is a certain type of professional I can point to. My kids' teachers come to mind as extra deserving, but there are rules in place to govern these gifts.

I would say a lot of us have a person in our lives that isn't on the regular holiday list, but whom we deal with all the time--someone who regularly brings you food from your favorite restaurant, the cashier at your supermarket. I think this person might appreciate a tip (or if more appropriate a gift), and the fact that you went out of your way to remember them.

How will you differentiate from Wirecutter at the NYT?

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