How to Start a Career in Ghostwriting, Sylvia Edward Davis

Ivan

Sylvia, ghost writing is one of the services that you offer. Could you explain to us what's involved in ghost writing?
　

Sylvia

I like to think of ghostwriting as a collaboration between an author and a writer. The author has a story or an idea that he is unable to flesh out for lack of time, patience, or other reasons. The ghostwriter becomes the catalyst to bring the idea into fruition. 

Recommended - Clean, Well-Lighted Sentences: A Guide to Avoiding the Most Common Errors in Grammar and Punctuation
　

Ivan

What advice would you give to someone starting out? For example, what interested you most about this field?

Sylvia

What interested me most about ghostwriting is the idea of working on longer projects, on which I could go a little deeper. Every project stretches my skills and forces me to keep researching and learning about subjects that I might not have gone into on my own. As a bonus, you meet interesting people who have something to say.
　

Ivan

Long v short. The debate about long versus short copy still rages. On the web, it s short and getting shorter. Where and when do you use long copy for maximum effect?
　

Sylvia

Short copy is the store window. Once the reader decides to come inside, then you can indulge in longer copy to provide fuller detail.
　

Ivan

What is the single most unforgivable mistake that a ghostwriter can make?
　

Sylvia

I don't know if it is unforgivable, but writing about a subject matter that goes against your core values is not a good idea.

When you are writing for a living it is painful to turn down a project, but it is even greater agony to write against your inner voice.

Ivan

As regards copywriting, another area where you specialize­ as readers are barraged with advertising every day, what techniques do you use to get their attention?
　

Sylvia

The main technique that I am aware of is very basic: translate features into benefits.

The client will usually provide a description of the features of the product that is being offered, but what the reader is interested in is: what does it do for me?

I Love It When You Talk Retro: Hoochie Coochie, Double Whammy, Drop a Dime, and the Forgotten Origins of American Speech
　

Ivan

USP. This is probably one of the most hackneyed acronyms in the business world.

Can you explain what a well-crafted USP can add to a marketing drive?

Sylvia

There are some products that are generic and don't really have a USP. My advice is that if there is no USP, the writer shouldn't try to force one into being. There needs to be substance behind the words. Otherwise I would rather go with an identification strategy.

On the other hand, through the process of crafting a well-worded USP the writer can help clients better understand their own product positioning.
　

Ivan

and, what's so different about writing for the web? Would you agree that the web has changed the way we write?
　

Sylvia

Whenever I am writing for the web I work in layers. The first layer is concise and flavorful but superficial. As the reader keeps clicking, drilling down into deeper layers, the copy becomes richer and more specific.