The Free Ghostwriter Interview: 13 Simple Questions to Eliminate The Worst and Find The Best

You’ve finally decided it’s time to write your book! Congratulations! You have started a journey towards getting your message out there to the world. This is a dream come true for most people. Many add this to their bucket list but never get around to even getting started.

Writing a book is difficult, requiring time, effort, perseverance, writing skills and many other qualities. Sure, it sounds easy, right? But if it was easy everyone would write their own book. That being said, what steps can you take to get your book written quickly and efficiently? Well, you can hire a ghostwriter.

What is a Ghostwriter?

Let’s begin by defining the term “ghostwriter“. What does that mean?

This is a good definition:

A person who writes one or numerous speeches, books, articles, etc., for another person who is named as or presumed to be the author. – Dictionary.Com

That sounds simple enough. You’re hiring a professional writer to create your book for you. Your name appears as the author.

Let’s go into a bit more detail.

A ghostwriter is a competent writer who will help you get the ideas and concepts out of your mind into book (or other) form. They will communicate effectively with you, listen to your needs, manage the project, and make sure everything gets done with the highest quality. They are contractors or consultants that write books, blog articles, website copy, brochures, greeting cards, and anything else you can imagine. Even rap songs and the lyrics of other music are often ghostwritten. Ghostwriters write your book as a “work for hire” project, meaning you own all rights to the finished product (unless your contract states otherwise).

Is ghostwriting common? Well, according to Derek Lewis, a skilled ghostwriter in his own right, some famous ghostwritten books include:

• Casino Royale (James Bond) by Ian Fleming
• The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
• Invisible by James Patterson
• An American Life by Ronald Reagan
• Living History by Hillary Clinton
• Going Rogue by Sarah Palin
• The Autobiography of Ulysses S. Grant
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R Covey

You’d be surprised how many books have been written by ghostwriters and not the person named on the cover.

Writers take up ghostwriting to help them earn a living. However, there is far more to a creating and publishing a book than just writing.

A ghostwriting project requires:

• Project management skills,
• the ability to communicate with and manage a client,
• interview and research skills,
• and the ability to get things done on a schedule and within a budget.

Sometimes ghostwriters are not proficient in these other areas, and because of that their book projects can take longer than necessary, which can result in cost overruns and client upsets.

In my ghostwriting career, I’ve written more than 40 books for clients and have published over 60 books of my own plus a dozen more under various pen names. Most of the ghostwriters I’ve met work hard to do a good job writing books and other materials for their clients.

How do you Interview a ghostwriter?

However, as with any profession, there are some things you should understand before you hand over any money or sign contracts.

Reputable ghostwriters offer a free ghostwriter interview, generally an hour long, to discuss your project and explain their process. Just as with a job interview, the questions you ask can help you nail down a great choice or warn you away from a potential troublesome one. Don’t be afraid to ask these questions.. After all, it’s your book and you deserve the best..

Note the interview with a ghostwriter may be done using Zoom, Skype, the phone, or even in person. Here are a few ghostwriter interview questions for you to ask.

1. Has The Ghostwriter Published Anything?

Would it surprise you to find out that many of the books written by ghostwriters have never been published?

I know that seems odd. I would expect a professional writer to complete books that then moved forward to a published work.

The whole point of writing a book is to get it published, right?

Many people contact ghostwriters intending to self-publish instead of pursuing a traditional publisher. I’m often approached by business people who want a book that helps them brand themselves. These entrepreneurs use a book to establish their credibility or expertise, get speaking engagements and become noticed by the press. Because of this, they don’t  need a traditional publisher and don’t want to go through the hassle of going in that direction. These business people write a book so they can show it to their customers, give it to the press, and to have a stack of them available to sign and give away.

However, many books never reach even this stage. The books get written but never are self-published. That’s not the ghostwriter’s fault, since the client is normally responsible for publishing.

A book is not really finished until is has been published and made available to the public. Published books are available in bookstores, in libraries and/or online and can be purchased. They also tend to get professionally edited and proofread. Unpublished books sit on a computer and don’t do anyone any good.

That being said, ghostwriters are at a disadvantage. Because of non-disclosure agreements, they often cannot give you samples of their work. They also generally not responsible for editing, proofreading, cover creation, publication and promotion. Since self-publishing requires these steps be done by the client (or someone the client hires), the book often languishes on a computer and doesn’t see the light of day. These reasons are out of the control of the ghostwriter..

To address this, ask prospective ghostwriters how many of their works (ghostwritten or not) have been published, either traditionally or self-published.

If a ghostwriter has written books without any making it to print, then they have failed at the final, most important test of writing a book: making it available to the public. That’s one factor that you should consider when choosing a ghostwriter to write your book. This should not be a deal-killer by any means; consider it one variable among many as you evaluate ghostwriters for your project.

If a ghostwriter has written and published their own books, then they’ve got enough confidence in their abilities as a writer to make their works public. Additionally, the ghostwriter can certainly give you samples of their own works to give you an idea of their style of writing.

2. Does The Ghostwriter Like Your Idea?

Many ghostwriters will take on books or writing projects even though they disagree with the subject matter. This can lead to unnecessary conflicts and a substandard product.

For example, a ghostwriter firmly believing in gun rights may have a difficult time writing a detailed book about gun control. They might accept the project anyway for reasons of their own, but the ethical problems with their choice can show up in the quality of their work.

Demand that your ghostwriter be honest with you. By encouraging honesty and being able to have heated discussions and differences of opinion, you’ll get a better book.

Believe me, the last thing you want is a ghostwriter who swallows their pride and does whatever you tell them to do. In those cases, you’re not likely to get a very good book.

Ensure your ghostwriter is aligned with your subject matter and doesn’t have any lingering or serious ethical concerns. Your ghostwriter should be willing to discuss these logically and rationally.

3. How Difficult Is Ghostwriting?

Writing a book, whether it be a brochure or a multi-volume epic fantasy, is not an easy task. A ghostwriter who wants your business may make it appear they have the whole process down pat; and this may be true, but take the time to question them to ensure they are being honest. Anyone can talk the talk. They have to be able to walk the walk.

Writing a book consists of several specialties. A ghostwriting project consists of more than just writing, and includes project management, meeting deadlines, setting goals and so forth.

Think about what needs to be done to write your book:

• Interviews must be performed, either in person or over the Internet,
• Research has to get done.
• The information gathered needs to be compiled, and interpreted, and used intelligently in the writing.
• All sources must be cited.
• The writing must be done using good and consistent formatting.
• Once the book is complete, it must be revised, edited, and made ready for proofreading and finally publication.

When you’re interviewing a ghostwriter, ask questions to ensure that they understand the full scope of work that they need to perform. Are they good communicators? Are they asking the right questions and taking notes? Are they actively engaging in conversation with you or just agreeing with everything you say? Does it appear they are interested in your subject or do they look or sound bored?

Additionally, ask to see a sample of their past work, even a few pages.

For example, as if your ghostwriter will be formatting the manuscript using standard and consistent styles. By this I’m referring to styles within Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or other word processors. When you format your book for self-publishing, the use of styles makes the task easy. Changing the formatting of a book can become a major headache If styles are not used consistently. One of my nightmares is formatting a book which was written without any styles at all. Styles make this job much easier.

4. Is the Writing Going to be Outsourced?

Sometimes a ghostwriter will subcontract the work out to another writer to save time. This is called outsourcing.

There is nothing wrong with this practice, as long as it is clearly communicated and agreed upon, and the subcontractor delivers quality written materials.

Occasionally, I run across ghostwriters who don’t know how to write. Instead, they accept money from clients and then hire other writers to do the writing for them. These writers may not be fluent in the language of the book or they may not be experienced or skilled at the craft of writing.

In fact, there are training courses available from several sources that encourage this practice. The idea is to be able to take on a lot more work, thus making more money.

In the case of ghostwriting firms or agencies, you may find that the person you’re speaking to is not a writer and may not be the person who is going to write your book. The book will be assigned to someone else to complete. If this is the case, make sure you interview the actual writer before you sign the contract, and that the contract specifies the name of the person who will do the work. Obviously, things can change (writers can quit, for example) but you should always reserve the right to interview and approve any writer assigned to your project.

Many ghostwriters are freelancers and work alone, and in those cases you can be relatively confident that they’re going to do the work themselves. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee that you will get good work, but at least it has a better chance of being consistent.

If you are working with an agency, be on your guard against a writer switch. There are many legitimate reasons your project may be assigned a new writer. They quit, pass away, or get reassigned to other projects. The problem is that any switch can result in a change of writing style. I’ve personally witnessed horror stories of books that had three or four different writers, and it was quite obvious where each writer took over. These books can have a schizophrenic feel to them.

However, all this being said, there are instances where it’s completely valid for a ghostwriter to outsource work to another person.

Of course, tasks other than writing are prime targets to be outsourced:

• Proofreading
• Editing
• Cover artist
• Illustrator
• Indexer
• Depending on the subject, researchers
• Marketing
• Promotion
• Publishing

During the initial conversation with your ghostwriter, feel free to ask if they are going to do the work themselves. If not, understand their reasoning and make sure you agree with their process.

5. Will Your Ghostwriter Maintain Confidentiality?

Putting together a quality portfolio is one of the biggest problems faced by ghostwriters. Most ghostwriting projects are performed under a nondisclosure agreement, meaning the ghostwriter cannot disclose that he or she was the real author of your book.

By the very nature of the business, the work must be kept secret unless you specifically give permission to make it public. The whole idea of hiring a ghostwriter is they are going to do the writing and get paid up front, while you receive the credit and recognition for the finished product – as well as any royalties.

Make sure the contract that you sign includes a nondisclosure clause (or that you have a separate nondisclosure agreement) which is also signed by your ghostwriter.

Additionally, any subcontractors should also be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement. This includes people being interviewed, editors, proofreaders and so forth.

Of course, the exception is when the ghostwriter is listed as a contributor to the book.This can be done on the cover, an acknowledgement page or the copyright page.

It’s common for a ghostwriter to ask clients to include a few paragraphs or even a page or two from your manuscript in their portfolio. Your ghostwriter should ask your permission to do this.

Any ghostwriter who violates your confidentiality without your permission is not a professional. Additionally, they should not disclose details of other clients during your interviews. If they do, think twice about using their services (unless they have permission from those clients).

Of course, it’s okay for a ghostwriter to talk in generalities about a book that they’ve written. For example, they might explain that they wrote a book about retirement or dentistry or computer safety. It’s acceptable to use general statements as long as the book or author cannot be identified.

6. Does the Ghostwriter Understand the Legalities of Writing?

Writing a book can have many legal ramifications, depending upon the subject matter and how it’s written.

Nonfiction books must be factual, well cited and avoid plagiarism. Fiction can run into legal issues by slandering people who are recognizable. Overuse of trademarks, especially on the book cover or in the book title, can result in a lawsuit.

Low-end and inexperienced ghostwriters are generally unaware of the legalities introduced by publishing a book. I remember one ghostwriter who took on a contract to write a book for a person who had been in prison. The idea was to expose everyone who had a hand in putting him behind bars, and to go into detail about all of their negative qualities. In the book, he exposed a woman is a prostitute, a man as a drug dealer, another as a pimp, and a fourth as a smuggler. Needless to say, there were a large number of legal liability issues introduced by the book’s publication, and the author (not the ghostwriter) faced several lawsuits from people who had been slandered. The ghostwriter didn’t even change the names!

Experienced ghostwriters charge higher rates for good reason; they’ve been at it a while to learn the ropes. They probably have gained a good understanding of the legalities associated with publishing a book.

Consider engaging the services of a lawyer specialized in these matters to get advice on what you can and can’t write about to stay out of trouble.

7. Does Your Ghostwriter Understand the Subject?

Except in rare circumstances, your ghostwriter probably won’t have a deep understanding the subject matter of your book. Of course, a ghostwriter is expected to perform research to become knowledgeable enough about a subject in order to write about it, and to interview you, the expert, for details. However, even with that, you will need to double-check what is written to ensure that it is factual and accurate to the subject.

Good ghostwriters will be upfront about their knowledge, or lack of it, on the subject of your book. Keep in mind that it’s normal for a ghostwriter to be ignorant about the details of the topic. Rather than spending the time to find out if they are knowledgeable about it, ask them about their research and interview skills.

8. Does the Ghostwriter Have a Contract and is it Well Written and Comprehensive?

Never enter into a ghostwriting relationship without a clearly written, understandable and balanced written agreement.

Ghostwriters are not lawyers, and in many cases they don’t make enough money to engage the services of an attorney. Ghostwriting contracts are often pieced together from examples and templates found all over the Internet. Because of this, sometimes they tend to be a hodgepodge of unrelated clauses protecting the ghostwriter. This is especially true of inexperienced ghostwriters.

That’s assuming the ghostwriter even gives you a contract to sign. Amateurs tend to work without a contract. That’s a sign that you should steer clear of them.

I’ve seen some very poor contracts throughout my career. The worst simply stated the cost and payment terms – that kind of agreement doesn’t help very much.

Treat ghostwriting jobs just like you would any other type of business relationship. Would you hire a contractor to remodel your house without a clearly written, understandable contract?

Demanding a well-written, equitable contract doesn’t mean that you don’t trust your ghostwriter. A written agreement clarifies how the relationship is to operate, what is expected from each party, and what happens in the event the project is abandoned before the end.

If you get into a ghostwriting contract without a written agreement, both you and the ghostwriter are asking for trouble. Negotiate fair agreements regardless of the pressure to get started.

9. Will Your Ghostwriter Negotiate?

A ghostwriter is a businessperson, and they need to be able to make a living or earn an fair income from their work. Since most ghostwriters are independent contractors, even if they come through an agency or one of those “book in a box” type businesses, they are always hungry for business. Finding new clients is a challenge for all independent consultants, and understanding this fact can help you during the negotiation phase of a project.

Keep in mind while you’re negotiating that you want your ghostwriter to be highly motivated to finish your book with high quality on the schedule you both agree on. You might be able to negotiate them down far below their asking price, but if you do that will they have their full attention on your book? Avoid “low ball” ghostwriting rates. Writing a book is hard work, and it cannot be done with high quality for a few thousand dollars. If a book takes 500 hours to write and you paid $10 an hour, that’s $5,000. Obviously, ghostwriters should be able to make a living at their profession, and you are much more likely to get a quality product if you are willing to pay better rates.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with negotiating rates. You shouldn’t hesitate to discuss the price with your ghostwriter. If you feel it’s appropriate ask if they’ll do the same work for a little bit less money.

But always keep that idea of fairness in mind. The ghostwriter depends on you, and other clients like you, to make a living.

Build in a series of payments based on milestones being met throughout the project. Most ghostwriters will ask for a nonrefundable down payment, and it’s common to schedule the remainder of payments throughout a project. Base those payments on deliverables, not dates, if possible.

For a typical project, you can expect to pay 25% or so before any work is done. The remaining 75% should be split up based upon the completion of a certain percentage of work. Let’s say the book is intended to be 12 chapters long; you might schedule a payment upon completion of chapter 4, chapter 8, and chapter 12. This gives your ghostwriter motivation to get the work completed in a timely manner. Remember, they need the money, so define the project to give them incentive to finish on schedule.

10. Are the Rates for Ghostwriting High Enough?

I know, that’s a weird question. However, your ghostwriter needs to earn a living just like anyone else. Be suspicious if their rates seem “too low” or “too good to be true”.

Ghostwriting books is a very competitive field, especially when the prices are low. There are many thousands of ghostwriters who will a book for you for $5,000, $3,000 or even $1,000. These writers are not confident in their abilities because if they were confident, they would understand that writing a book of high quality cannot be done for those low prices. They may also be “hungry for business”, and be willing to accept anything that comes their way regardless of how they feel about the material.

Beware of the cheap ghostwriter. A 200-page book of between 20,000 and 30,000 words should cost $10,000 to $20,000 at a bare minimum. If that seems too expensive to you, then perhaps you should reconsider the need for a book.

Ghostwriting rates per word generally are between 25 cents and $2.00 or more. Of course, some ghostwriters will work for less and some will charge higher per word rates.

Writing a book is a complex task, requiring project management as well as interview, research and writing skills at a minimum. There is far more involved than just putting words on paper.

Let’s say you are remodeling your home, and you’ve received three bids on the project, One for $20,000, another at $21,000, and a third at $17,000. You continue your search for contractors, and you find one who will do the job for $2,000. Sure, he doesn’t have a contractors license, but he sounds like he knows what he’s doing and you find yourself impressed by the way he talks about building houses.

Would you accept the $2,000 bid? If you did so, you’d be asking for trouble and you’d probably wind up hiring one of the other contractors to complete the job anyway – and to fix the mistakes made by the first one.

Cheap ghostwriters are, as a rule, not confident in their abilities. They may be entry-level writers who have been unable to get their own work published, or they could be based in other countries and not speak or write well in the language of your book. Additionally, these inexpensive writers may not understand there is far more ghostwriting than just words. Because of that, your project may be late, the quality might be low, and you have a greater chance of being disappointed in the final product.

Pay a decent rate to your ghostwriter in order to receive the highest-quality product. After all, publishing your book is probably one of the biggest and most important projects of your entire life. Why would you want to risk that by hiring a substandard, inexperienced ghostwriter?

Look for professional ghostwriting services or skilled freelance ghostwriters. One criteria is professionals understand their value and charge accordingly.

Of course, the price is not the only criteria when choosing a ghostwriter. Just because someone charges a high rate doesn’t mean they’re good at their job. But it is an indicator of their experience and confidence in their abilities.

11. What are the Rules for Ghostwriting?

Believe it or not, there are no rules for ghostwriting. There’s no union, no training is required, no standards are enforced, and there’s very little, if any, coordination between different ghostwriters. With many occupations you’ll find a certificate hanging on a wall or listed on the website, but that’s not true for ghostwriting.

There are a few ghostwriting classes and at least one Ghostwriting Certification, but what does that really mean? It’s not like hiring a doctor, engaging with a lawyer or seeing a pharmacist, where there are clearly defined standards, a common curriculum and levels of achievement. Ghostwriting classes are typically created by a writer or teacher based on their own experiences and knowledge. These classes certainly have value, but the “school of hard knocks” teaches far more relevant information.

Additionally, there are no standard ghostwriting fees. None at all. I’ve given you some guidelines earlier in this article, but don’t be surprised to find some that charge hundreds of thousands of dollars for a book.

12. Is the Ghostwriter a Fluent Speaker of the Language of Your Book?

Be cautious when sourcing a ghostwriter online, especially from content mills such as Contently, eLance, and eByline. You may find that the writers and ghostwriters responding to your request for bids do not fluently speak and write the language that applies that to your book. This is especially true for writers that bid low on your projects.

Don’t get me wrong, just because a person is not native to your country doesn’t mean they’re not going to create a good ghostwritten book.There are many great writers from all over the world. However, good writers don’t typically come cheap, regardless of where they are from. They are confident in their experience and skills and understand the value that they provide.

It’s usually best to find a writer who is fluent – or even native – to the language in which your book will be written. That way you don’t have to worry about someone who may not understand the subtleties and obscurities of writing in your language of choice.

Additionally, it can be very difficult to work with a ghostwriter who does not speak your language. One of my first ghostwriting projects was to write a memoir for an Afghan politician. His English was poor and he was from an entirely different culture. Torturous interviews and difficult translations were the result. I produced good work for him, but the effort required was an order of magnitude more than a “normal” ghostwriting project.

The difference in time zones can also be an issue with people from other countries. Make sure you understand where they are located and the hours, in your time zone, when they are available.

13. Ghostwriting is a thankless career

Ghostwriters get paid up front for their talents, but don’t receive credit or even recognition for the book in most cases. Their work tends to be secret and they can’t use it in their promotions, their portfolio, or as references without explicit permission from you.

For creative people, not being able to tell others about work that you’ve poured your heart and soul into can be torturous. Imagine an artist or sculptor who couldn’t sign their work or even let anyone know they created those art objects.

On the other hand, ghostwriters should be paid well for their efforts – and if they are any good, they should be earning enough to make a good living at it. Thus, there are compensations for the secrecy.

The book that they’ve written may never be published – which means the author (the client) will never receive any money for their expenditure. Even if the book does make it to print, it probably won’t make enough money from book sales to break even on costs. For this reason, understand that often the main reason for a ghostwritten nonfiction book is not to sell copies on Amazon but to use the book to get press recognition, speaking engagements, and to be perceived as an expert.

Whether or not a book sells well has more to do with how well they are promoted and marketed then with the quality of the writing. All you need to do is take a look at the Twilight series or the 50 Shades of Gray books to understand that poor quality doesn’t mean a book won’t sell.

Naturally, since the book will have your name on the cover, you’ll want to ensure it is of the highest quality. After all, it will reflect directly on you since you will be known as the author.

Ghostwriting is a demanding career, and some writers have a difficult time with it because of the lack of recognition, and because they don’t understand that it’s a different kind of writing which requires unique skills. And you know the old saying, “if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen.” Many ghostwriters move on to other careers or forms of writing because they can’t take the pressure and the lack of recognition.

14. Does the Ghostwriter Have Good Interviewing Skills?

Here’s a bonus tip: The goal of ghostwriting is to get the information that lives in your head out and to translate it into world-class writing. The key to this transformation taking place is an effective interview.

There are a lot of people who will advertise themselves as ghostwriters, who are really just English majors looking to make a bit of side cash. They may have a quick phone call with you, take your ideas, spit out a few thousands words, and send you back something that looks approximately like a book—but you won’t get you the quality you need.

A good ghostwriter will interview you many times and dig deeply into your subject material. They’ll ask pointed questions, force you to rephrase things until your ideas are crystal clear, and push you for more elaboration—oftentimes leading you to have revelations.

All of those interview skills are critical to getting high-quality, accurate information out of your mind and onto the page. If you’re hiring a ghostwriter, don’t settle for one that can’t interview well.

How do you find a good ghostwriter?

All right, given everything that we’ve talked about in this article, how do you find a good ghostwriter? Is there even such a thing or should you give up on the idea? Is it so difficult to find a writer of this nature that you shouldn’t even try?

There are many good ghostwriters who will do an excellent job creating a book that you will be proud of with your name on the cover.

But how do you know?

First off, treat them like professionals and be willing to pay them a good rate. Don’t look for a cheap ghostwriter – if you insist on hiring a ghostwriter at the low-end of cost, you’re more-than-likely going to get poor quality, and it’s possible your project may not be completed at all. You should expect to pay upwards of $10,000 to $30,000 for a ghostwritten book of between 20,000 and 30,000 words.

Second, get samples of their work. If they can’t show you work that they’ve done for their customers, insist on being able to see things they’ve published under their own name. Look for published works as samples – even self-published books or blog articles will work.

Interview your prospective ghost writer, asking some of the questions outlined in this article. Make sure they understand not just how to write, but how to manage a project as well as all the other skills needed to deliver a successful, completed book.

Insist on a well-written, equitable contract (which may be called a Statement of Work). The contract should include payment terms, contract amount, termination clause, an indemnity clause, an arbitration clause, and an outline of the overall project with deliverables.

Virtually all ghostwriters will ask for a nonrefundable deposit upfront before they begin work. The amount of this will be around 25% of the project. Split the remaining amount up into payments, and include an option for either party to terminate at any point. If the project is terminated, you won’t get a refund but at least you won’t be on the hook for any additional money. Why continue a project where things aren’t working out?

Any competent ghostwriter will be willing to give you an initial consultation at no cost to discuss your book. Take as much time as you need to go over your goals, limitations, and anything else that’s on your mind. Ask lots of questions and listen to the answers. The ghostwriter should be confident in their abilities without being arrogant, rude or cocky.

Given all that, you’ll be able to find a good ghostwriter who will deliver you an excellent book of high quality.

Getting the Most From Your Ghostwriter Interview

Writing a book is one of the most rewarding things you can ever do. The feeling you’ll have when your book is published and when you hold a copy in your hands is indescribable.For many, this is a bucket list item that never gets checked off.

Don’t be one of those people who dream of a book but never get started. You can get it done even if you don’t have the time or writing skills by hiring a competent ghostwriter.

As with any professional, look closely at  your ghostwriter before signing on the bottom line. Use the free ghostwriter consultation to get the answers to important questions first. Have they been published? Do they care about your project? Are they easy to deal with? Are they able to write competently?

Besides the obvious need for writing and interviewing skills, the most important factor to success is the relationship between you and your ghostwriter. Ensure you both work well together, and follow up and resolve any “bad vibes”.

Finally, remember to enjoy the process. Writing a book is something that most people cannot or will not do. You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment when the book is finally in your hands.

Richard Lowe Jr

Richard is the Owner and Senior Writer for The Writing King, a bestselling author, and ghostwriter. He’s written and published 63 books, ghostwritten 40+ books, as well as hundreds of blog articles.