Jill Williamson here. When I was at the Mount Hermon conference this past April, I was so excited to connect with another Jill! Author Jill Osborne told me all about a middle grade series she’d been working on for Zonderkidz with former NFL running back, Rashad Jennings. I was super curious to hear all about this since I know so little about ghostwriting. The more she told me, the more I knew you all would like to hear about this too. But first, a little bit about Jill.
Jill Osborne loves writing stories that reach the hearts of today’s amazing kids. Her three-book Faithgirlz series, The Good News Shoes, was published by Zondervan in 2014. Jill has written collaboratively with Missy and Mia Robertson on their four-book Princess in Camo series and is currently working on a four-book series, The Coin Slot Chronicles, with retired NFL running back and Dancing with the Stars champion, Rashad Jennings. Jill considers each new writing project an opportunity to encourage the upcoming generation to “set its hope anew” on God. Jill loves reading, running, hiking in the mountains with her husband, and traveling to new places. When she’s not writing, she serves as the preteen director at her church in Fresno, CA. Learn more about Jill on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and on her website: www.authorjillosborne.com.
Welcome to Go Teen Writers, Jill. Thanks so much for visiting with us today. Let’s see… So many questions! Was Arcade and the Triple T Token your first ghostwriting project? If not, how long have you been ghostwriting?
My first project was a four-book fiction series for middle-grade girls. I’m currently working on another four-book fiction series for middle-grade boys and girls. This craziness all started in 2016. I had no idea ghostwriting was a thing before that!
That’s amazing. How did you get the job?
Both times, I was contacted by an editor asking if I was interested in being interviewed for a ghostwriting project. The editor already knew me since I had my own project published by her company. Both times, I participated in a phone interview with the author. But before I agreed to the interview, I made sure the project was something I could fit into my schedule (I have another job working twenty-eight hours a week) and that it was the type of project that matched my passion and calling.
Knowing people in the publishing industry is so important! (Teen writers, note that this is a good reason to attend writing conferences where you can meet editors and agents.) Jill, would you tell us about the ghostwriting process? Did they give you an idea? An outline? Did you meet the author and brainstorm? Who made up the plot and characters?
Both times, they already had an idea. I flew out to meet the authors in their home town, where we brainstormed together. Sometimes family members, agents, and people from the publishing company brainstormed with us. We discussed settings, characters, plot possibilities, etc. Even though these were fiction projects, I also asked a lot of questions about the author’s life, and listened to them tell their personal stories. They both took me on a tour of their town. Since I was tasked with writing the stories in their unique voice, I needed to get to know them! In both situations, I came home with pictures and tons of notes, and then it was time to write the books! I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer, and both authors were daring enough to let me run with the story once we had our general themes, characters, and plot ideas set in place. Before every writing session, I prayed that God would help me write a story that would honor him and bless both the author and the readers. Then I sat down at the computer, took a deep breath, and wrote. After I completed a few chapters, I sent them to the author for approval, input, changes, etc. For both projects, changes were few, and the authors loved what I had done. That just confirmed to me that God was as the center of the projects!
That sounds like an amazing adventure! How long were you given to write the stories?
Not. Much. Time. The publisher already had a timetable worked out for marketing and publication before I was contacted for the interviews. For the first project, we wrote four books in one year—about three months for each fifty-thousand word novel. For the second project, I only had five weeks to write the first book! After that, it was three months for book two, and then six months each to write the last two. The experience stretched me way past what I thought I could do.
Oh my. I can only imagine! That is some fast writing. Did you go through typical rewrites and edits with an editor?
Oh yes, several edits. The first edit is called a macro edit. This is when the editors at the publishing house can ask you and the author to make major changes. They may ask you to add content, change a plot line, or delete a character. Or they can ask you to rewrite the whole thing! Thankfully, in both cases, the editors were happy with what we had written in every book, so there were no major changes needed. Whew! The challenging part about writing a series is that you are editing one book while you are writing the next one! So, if you have to change something that happened in book one, you better account for that in future books! In order to keep track of the changes, I cover my walls with giant post-it notes. When I change something, I circle it in red, and then circle everything else that has to be changed because of the first change!
After the macro edit, there are several rounds of copy edits (grammar, making sure dialogue matches each character, timeline and other continuity adjustments, etc.) Then there are edits on the designed pages. It’s amazing what you catch when the pages are designed, and you are no longer looking at the same old Word file. In both of my projects, we had to give art direction for sketches that were included throughout the books. After the art was done, they sent those sketches to me for editing too. It’s super important for the writer to see the art! One time, the wrong character had been included in a sketch, and I was the only one who caught it.
I’m so glad they thought to send them to you! It’s fun to see illustrations done for a story you wrote. I absolutely love that. Do you get to participate in ideas for the title and book cover?
Yes! In all cases, I gave suggestions to the author and the publisher. The committee at the publishing house ultimately makes the decision, but it helps if the writer can give them the most information possible, since the writer knows the story best.
What would you say is the most important skill for a ghostwriter to have?
It’s not so much a skill, but a character trait. You must be flexible! “Can we fly you out to Virginia next week on Mother’s Day?” The answer is “Sure!” “Can you take a look at this art and get it back to us in two days, even though you’re on vacation?” “Yep!” “Can you write this story in five weeks?” “I’ve never done it before, but there’s always a first time. Yes, I’m sure I’ll be able to do it. I can sleep after it’s all done.”
Wow. Flexible, indeed. I am in awe of you! Was it hard to let someone else put their name on the story you wrote?
For both my projects, I was a “with” writer. That means that my name does appear in places like the title page and in the acknowledgements, but most people won’t ever notice it. When I signed the contract, I agreed to let someone else have the credit as the author, and whenever that starts to bother me even a little bit, I remind myself that without the celebrity author, these particular stories would not exist. You can’t be a ghostwriter and want the glory for yourself. When you read positive reviews and you hear that the story you worked on has impacted a life, you smile and thank God for giving you the talent and the opportunity to honor him in this way. It’s like your secret reward from your creator.
That is a beautiful way to look at it, Jill. Any advice for writers interested in ghostwriting?
Be willing to keep things secret. No posting pictures of yourself and the celebrity on social media. No revealing inside information or telling their stories (except in the books, with their permission). You have the privilege of hanging out with them, sometimes visiting them at their house, texting back and forth, praying with them, traveling with them, etc., but you must approach it all with a professional attitude. My co-workers at my other job, who have to know where I’m going when I travel for a project, joke with me that I live a double-life. I think it’s a blast. I like being that mysterious-lady-nobody-knows who is shadowing an actor on-set, or having dinner with the famous football player in Beverly Hills. Then I return home, and I’m just that “quiet-lady-named-Jill who lives next door. I think she writes books or something.”
That’s awesome. Are you working on any books of your own?
Always. God has called me to write stories to encourage his kids to grow in their faith, and he’s given me more ideas than I will probably ever have time to write! I’m currently working on a three-book series for middle-graders with a boy as the main character. It’s being looked at by a publisher now. We’ll see what happens!
I hope they love it, Jill. Thanks so much for visiting us today and sharing your story. I learned so much!
To thank Jill for her time and wisdom, I’m giving away a copy of Arcade and the Triple T Token (Book one in the Coin Slot Chronicles). To enter, leave a comment or question for Jill below. I’ll announce the winner next week.
Very interesting! I didn’t know ghostwriting existed before I read this post.
Hi Kristianne,
I didn’t know about it for a long time. Next time you’re in a book store, browse the non-fiction and fiction new-release areas, and look for books by well-known people. Then peek inside on the title page and see if there is another name there. Or read the acknowledgements. Sometimes you’ll see a “special thanks to __________ who helped bring my story to life.” Ta-da! That’s usually the ghostwriter!
I should try that next time I’m in a bookstore. Thanks for the tip. 🙂
Doesn’t sound boring. 😉
Have you ever struggled with pressure to fulfill the author’s expectation when you sit down to write? Or do you find it similar to your own writing projects when handling readers’ expectations?
Thanks for sharing! It was a fun look inside the process.
I admire Ghost writers a lot. They are willing to put so much hard work into something they won’t get recognised for! You guys are amazing!
Hey T.L.,
Thanks for the encouragement! Since you’re a writer, you know that writers LOVE to write! So we get a lot of satisfaction out of finishing any project, ghost or not. And we do get recognized–maybe not by millions, but let’s just say that my husband, kids, my grandkids, and especially my MOM thinks I’m the bomb!
You’re right, Samantha, it’s anything but boring! Since I get to know the author pretty well, I know their expectations before I even start to write. But after that, I always tell them to let me know if ANYTHING needs to be changed or tweaked. I tell them it won’t hurt my feelings at all–that this is their story, and they need to love it every time they read it in the future. That eliminates the pressure for me. Once again, it brings into play that flexible character trait.
Jill,
It’s awesome that you three ladies run this site and share so much information – thank you! I’ve been meaning to say that for a while now. Cheers and good writing!
Aww, thanks, Jack. You are very welcome. 🙂 ~Jill W.
Jill, would it be possible to become a ghostwriter without having published a book already? Or would it be a better idea to wait until I’ve already published a book or two?
Sure, everything is possible! Somehow, though, you have to be able to prove that you can deliver a complete manuscript. It’s like any job you would apply for. The person hiring you will want to know if you have the talent and experience to get the job done. So, if you don’t have a published book yet, what do you have? Do you have writing samples? Articles? Specific experience in writing about the topic that matches the author’s book idea? Ghostwriting also takes people skills. So if you’ve worked well on teams to get a project done, I’d include that in your resume!
Love this! Jill Osborne has been an amazing inspiration and mentor to me. So cool to see her on GTW!
Hi Natalie!
I LOVE your enthusiasm! Keep writing, girl!
I have never heard of ghostwriting before, but it sounds really interesting. Thank you for giveaway.
Ghost writing has always fascinated me, though I don’t know if I could ever do it. It might be fun to do it a couple times though.
I’m was recently telling an older lady about ghostwriting and she thought it was horrible and deceitful, and wrong. I’d always seen it as s smart business maneuver, not as s ripoff to the actual writer or a lie to the general public. But I couldn’t answer that lady’s questions about how it wasn’t wrong … what world you tell her?
keturahskorner.blogspot.com
That’s a great question, Keturah, and I’ve had this discussion with many writers. We all have different points of view on it, too! There are a couple different ways to ghostwrite. There is the total ghost, where the writer cannot say anything about being part of the project. Then there are “with” writers, like what I do, where my name is on the book somewhere. If someone flat-out asks the author how they wrote the book, like on a talk show, they usually say that they worked “with” a writer. They are obviously not trying to deceive anyone. This is how I choose to do my ghostwriting. Since I have a ministry to middle-grade kids, and I speak a lot to groups, I want to be able to mention these great books. So for me, I would turn down projects that were total ghost projects.
But some writers love being total ghosts–they want to write, write, write, and not be bothered with anything else. They choose to let someone else take the credit. So in this instance, a helpful, possibly life-changing book gets out to the public by a well-known author with the help of a ghostwriter. Is that deception? I would tell anyone who is considering being a total ghost to really search their heart and only take a total ghost job if it doesn’t go against their conscience.
I have been told by an agent in the business that I would be surprised just how many books I love have been written by ghostwriters! Crazy, huh?
Thanks for your answer … makes a lot of sense, and yeah I’ve heard the same thing about being surprised about just how many books are ghostwritten. Kinda a freaky, but fascinating thought ;D
Thank you for this peek inside the process! I learned about ghostwriting just a bit in school last year, but I never realized it was so fascinating.
When you write, do you feel good about using your talents to help other people, or do you struggle with that?
Hi Amelie,
I actually love it. Once when I was journaling, I asked God to use the talents that he gave me to get his stories out to as many readers as possible. That’s when I started getting asked to ghostwrite! How creative is that? Celebrities can sell more books, since they have a larger platform than I do. So, I’d say God answered my prayer. More stories in more readers’ hands!
Thanks for your answer! And that’s amazing the way God worked that out. ?
I’ve heard about ghostwriting from my mom before, but this sounds really cool!
What do you think is a good way for someone interested in ghostwriting to practice?
Hi Aster,
Hmmm. How would you practice ghostwriting? Do you know someone who has lived through something scary (like an accident or cancer) or interesting (adopting from another culture or rags to riches)? You could interview them and then ask them if you could try writing their story as if it came from them! Listen for their unique voice–what words and phrases do they use? What part of the country are they from? Rashad Jennings always says “that’s dope!” I had to learn how to use that phrase correctly when Arcade says that in the book. I couldn’t figure it out at first. We had some good laughs over that.
That cracks me up, Jill. (About the “That’s dope.”) Ha ha ha. I can totally imagine there would be some stuff to learn about another person.
Thanks, that helps! I totally get having to learn how to use a phrase correctly!! ;P
Thanks, that helps!
So interesting! How does one become a ghost writer?
Hi Isabel,
You can become a ghost writer many different ways. It could happen like it did for me, where someone who knows you are a writer contacts you with an opportunity. If you are interested in ghost writing, spread the word! You will be surprised what God opens up for you!
Thank you so much for sharing your talent with us!
I do have to ask, is it hard to feel positive when you aren’t given even an ounce of credit after the story is written (aside from the occasional name on the cover)?
When you write a story, I know from experience, that you can get attached to your characters, and after you finish the story, you feel this sense of pride, like “I did this!”. I love the way you mentioned Mathew 6:4 (“…that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly”). It must make Ghostwriting easier to know that not only do you do it in secret, but God sees it in secret and will bless you for it! Anyway, thanks so much for what you do it. You’re truly an inspiration, and keep meeting those crazy writing due dates! 😉
Hi LHE,
I forgot to mention–you do get paid when you ghost write! Woohoo! So there is some physical blessing for your efforts 🙂
PLUS–you get the satisfaction of creating something amazing that wasn’t there before! I DO get connected to all my characters. And in the case of ghostwriting characters, the author has a big part in creating them too,so I don’t do it all myself. That makes it fun, because you have that in common with another person.
One thing I always do after I finish a project is I write a prayer of thanksgiving to God. Because when you think about it, HE’s the one who did it through me. He’s the source of all creativity, and I’m thankful he shares it! I also write a prayer of dedication to the author and all the people who will read the story as it goes out into the world. And then I let it go do it’s thing. I can’t hold onto it for myself. It was never meant for me.
I do the same with all my own projects, too.
Wow! I’d never heard of ghostwriting before this!
And I love your perspective on writing for the Lord. This is something I have to constantly keep at the forefront of my mind.
Yes, Sophia! Keeping God at the forefront is important no matter what you do! Writing requires patience, self-control, peace, joy, love …. well, you know, all that fruit. And God is the source.