Ghostwriting or Editing? Which One Do You REALLY Need?

"Star Wars" or "Star Trek"?

TikTok or YouTube?

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

How you answer those highly debatable questions depends largely on personal opinion — though for fans of punk rockers The Clash, the last one is somewhat of a toss-up.  

But what about this decision: When you’re ready to make your business book or memoir a reality, who should you turn to for help, a ghostwriter or editor?

The best answer has less to do with preference — after all, we’re not comparing the merits of Chewbacca’s brute strength to Mr. Spock’s keen intellect — and everything to do with how much support you’ll need to bring your book over the finish line.

Which starts by knowing the difference between a ghostwriter and an editor.

Now You See Us, Now You Don’t

At a client meeting years ago, the host told the group they couldn’t see our very present team member “because she’s a ghostwriter.”

Dad humor aside, he was onto something: Ghostwriters are meant to be read, not seen.

They create original, authentic business books and memoirs by putting your ideas into words, using your voice, not theirs, all while staying soundly in the background. Whether you’re trying to establish expertise and share hard-earned lessons with millions or bring personal histories to life for your family, ghostwriters can captivate readers and keep them engaged.  

As far as the day-to-day, ghostwriters:

• Conduct thoughtful, productive interviews.

• Dig into your notes and other background materials.

• Help you work through challenging topics or memories.

• Make sure you hit all deadlines.

• Plan and write your entire narrative.

While your ghostwriter becomes your full partner during the development and creative process, you retain full control of the final product and, unless you want to share the byline, full credit.

Different Titles, Different Tasks

Where ghostwriters are the from-scratch builders of the communication world, editors are the fixers, ensuring accuracy and completeness.

We generally refer to two types of editors, each with different tasks.

Developmental editors make “big picture” suggestions about things like flow, clarity, tone and even marketability. They’ll:

• Tell you whether your chapters appear in the most logical order.

• Point out redundancies and where content (or context) is missing.

• Flag anything that seems “off” (for example, writing for the C-suite when general consumers are your intended audience).

• Suggest ways to improve readability and make complex business ideas more engaging.

• Strengthen the case for your argument, position, or solution and amp up the value you’re providing to readers.

In short, their primary role is to strengthen the manuscript rather than write it for you.

Copy editors polish the draft at the sentence level. They cut through clunky language and jargon; ensure consistent and correct punctuation, spelling, capitalization, sentence structure and so on; flag potential factual errors; catch typos; and generally ensure your book will be readable and technically correct.

Ghostwriting or Editing: How to Choose

So, who can help you the most, a ghostwriter or editor?

This should help you decide.

You need a ghostwriter if:

• You have brilliant ideas or core concepts for a book, but you don’t know how or where to start.

• You’re strapped for time and can’t devote six months or more to writing a book.

• You’re not confident about writing, or you just plain hate doing it. You want a finished draft without the daily grind of writing.

What you’ll get: a professionally written business book or memoir based on your ideas, expertise and vision that meets your goals.

You need a developmental editor if:

• You put your thoughts on paper, but your draft seems messy and disorganized.

• You’re using the same words or phrases too often, but you can’t come up with an alternative.

• The sentences are all the same length, making the narrative choppy or static.

• You want to add impact, value and emotion.

• You can’t get the tone right. You sound like a professor in one chapter and the reader’s best friend in another.

What you’ll get: A stronger, clearer manuscript that your audience will enjoy reading.

You need a copy editor if:

• You don’t know a dangling participle from an Oxford comma. In other words, grammar and punctuation aren’t your strong suits.

• You need someone to check your timeline and facts. If your manuscript says the merger happened in 2020 on page 15, it shouldn’t say 2023 on page 84.

• You’re worried about spelling errors and inconsistencies.

• Your publisher wants you to follow a specific style guide.

What you’ll get: A polished manuscript with correct grammar, spelling and consistency throughout.

Simple, Fast and Fun

A quote often attributed to American journalist Gene Fowler says, "Writing is easy: All you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead."

It doesn’t have to be this way. Writing your business book or memoir shouldn’t feel like opening a vein. Working with a ghostwriter or editor can make the process far simpler, much faster and more fun than going it alone.

The choice is yours. With the right help, you won’t have to keep your good ideas under wraps. They’ll be between two covers instead.

About Copybrighters

Copybrighters is a Texas-based writing studio specializing in nonfiction ghostwriting and book editing. Our leadership team brings more than 70 years of combined experience in journalism, marketing and public relations.

Contact us to learn how we can support your next writing project.