What does it take to write a book? What’s it like to work with a ghostwriter—and why would you consider hiring one in the first place? My amazing client, Erin Weed, sat down with me to share her answers to those questions.
I worked with Erin on her new book, Just One Word: The Surprisingly Simple Method to Discover Your Purpose and Unleash Your Power. It’s coming out next May, and I cannot way to see it out in the world! This was one of the most personally transformative books I’ve ever worked on, and when you pick up your copy you’ll see why.
Just One Word is out in May. Learn more about the book here!
Watch the highlights of our interview, or read on for the full Q&A version.
Jessie Kwak: Thank you for chatting with me! First question: Why did you decide to hire a ghostwriter?
Erin Weed: First of all, I feel like you’re so much more than that. You’re very un-ghosty.
I feel like what I was looking for was more of a thought partner—someone to help me capture and really crank out that first draft, which I think a lot of first-time authors have a hard time with.
I’ve actually written a book before, so I’m talking as a second-time author. I knew what I didn’t like, and that is turning everything into that first draft.
There’s a format to it. There’s a flow to it. It’s not about being a good writer or a bad writer. Somebody really has to understand the strategy, the flow, the process, and how things string together. I really needed support with that.
I’m also an active coach, speaker, single parent, so sitting down and writing for hours is not my bag. I don’t like it. I like being with people.
So that’s why I wanted to work with someone. But I was definitely only wanting to work with somebody who was recommended by someone I knew. I got your name from someone I trust a whole lot. After our initial chat, I was like, I would be crazy to not hire Jessie. And so I did.
Learn more: Ghostwriter vs. Book Coach—what’s the difference?
JK: Was there anything working with me that was different than you thought it was going to be?
EW: Well, that’s why I say you’re not “ghosty.”
I have a lot of clients and friends who have hired a ghostwriter. They might send them a recording or talk for an hour and then have no more involvement in the book. That was kind of my take on what a ghostwriter was.
You and I collectively have spent so many hours on Zoom. We met up in person once. I Dug you—which, the Dig is my method that we wrote the book about. Together, we Dug an editor who we also worked with. There was just so much of a experiential aspect to us working together.
I knew this was going to be a transformational process for me because it would help me experience my method for myself. It’s like I almost had to go into it more than was comfortable.
I think you’re so great at turning really ideas and stories into very book-friendly formats. I just can’t emphasize that enough.
There is a certain format to how people need to read books and how people receive information in a longer-form medium like a book. I think you’re really brilliant at capturing the soul of everything and then turning it into a format that’s highly readable.
JK: What was the impetus behind writing the book? What does having this book mean for your business?
EW: I kind of took on this project kicking and screaming a bit because I specialize in short form. I mean, the irony of having to write 70,000 words to explain a method that helps people get everything down to just one word—I just think it’s kind of hysterical.
The kicking and screaming was because I just didn’t want it to be so long and drawn out and such a huge thing, taking my time away from what I really love to do, which is be with my clients or to speak and teach.
But what the book is going to do for the business is to increase the work I have been able to do for people. I’ve worked with over 1,000 people, but in the grand scheme of the world, that’s just a few. I want the methods that we cover in this book to reach millions.
Ultimately, I just want a more impactful world and a more authentic world, and I hope to just be a small contributor through this book.
JK: What would you want aspiring authors to know about this process?
EW: This is a stance I’ve had through the whole process: authors or aspiring authors need to know that this process takes a village.
I would challenge more authors to be more public about that fact.
I think a lot of people either think they have to just suffer and struggle and do this all by themselves, or if they do bring people on to help, there’s some kind of weird shame around it.
Even the term ghostwriter—I think it’s because the writer was intended to be hidden, or there’s some kind of shame in working with somebody to get your book written. I don’t compute. I don’t understand that.
In fact, usually when I talk about the book in public, it’s like our book. I often will use those as my chosen pronouns.
But between you, Jen—the editor—and my partner Dann, who’s also a professional writer and has been pretty critical for all the permissions, this has been a team. On top of that, there’s the publisher in the United States, and then the book rights got sold to a publisher in the UK, and my agent—I mean, I’m now working on the audiobook, too.
It’s such a huge thing. I think authors need to be more embracing of that fact and treat it like a group project versus your baby.
JK: Anything else you’d add?
EW: This is especially for authors who are writing about methods, like mine—we actually ended up writing about multiple methods that I teach all in one book. I learned a lot from the questions that my team was asking me at different parts of whatever phase we were in.
There’s something really powerful about that kind of discovery that you do naturally through this process.
So I’m a huge advocate for everybody doing this stuff as a group.
Learn more about working with me here.
Get the book!
Just One Word is out May 19th. Get your copy today!
