Podcast: How Ghostwriting Works (with Nick Pavlidis)
Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a ghostwriter? It’s a mysterious part of the writing industry that, by definition, remains hidden from view much of the time.
Fortunately, our guest today helps shed some light on the world of ghostwriting. His name is Nick Pavlidis, and he is a ghostwriter who specializes in creating professionally-written and designed books to help entrepreneurs, speakers, consultants, and professionals expand their influence and enhance their market positioning. Nick also writes under his own name, most recently with the book Confessions of a Terrible Husband: Lessons Learned from a Lumpy Couch.
Nick also hosts three podcasts:
- Confessions of a Terrible Husband
- Attorney Marketing Institute
- Five Minutes with Dad (hosted with his two kids)
On this episode, you’ll learn how ghostwriting actually works and how a book can help build your career and increase your business. Nick also shares practical tips for being more successful and connecting with influencers.
Key Takeaways
1. Take control of your life. Nick was not happy with his life, so he made a shift. He took control and created the life he wanted to live. Are you a passive observer to your own life, watching it go by year after year while your dreams slip away? If so, maybe it’s time to take back control and make a plan to work toward your dreams.
2. It’s OK to not focus on just one business niche. This goes against a lot of conventional business wisdom today. Of course, there is a balance and you need to have a primary focus. But you can be involved in more than one thing, particularly if you are the creative type (and you are!). I love how Nick’s various pursuits all inform and sharpen one another. Plus, there are interesting cross-promotional strategies (for example, he promotes one podcast on another).
3. The goal of any business or organization is to serve people, no matter what type of work you do. This is particularly true of ghostwriting because the nature of that role demands confidentiality and not usually getting the credit for work you have done. However, this service mentality is key no matter what type of work we do. We create art (books, music, painting, dance, etc.) ultimately in service to other people.
4. Use Nick’s strategy for reaching out to influencers. I loved Nick’s ideas about asking influencers for quotes that you can use in a book or other types of writing. This way, they receive value because it promotes their work, but you also receive value because it helps build a new relationship. I love those types of win-win strategies where everyone benefits.
5. The power of getting up early and blocking your time. I am trying to become more and more of a morning … but it’s hard for we night owls to change! Nick reminds us that it’s do-able, and how it can impact your life. I also love his thoughts on blocking out your time and focusing on one thing. This is a powerful strategy that can help you get a lot more creative work done.
6. A book does not sell well based on content alone. The marketing elements of a book are crucial if you want to make sales. This includes a great cover, title, sub-title, back cover copy, endorsements, table of contents.
7. Writing a book can give you authority and credibility. When you put yourself out there as an author, people begin to view you as an expert, as someone who knows what you’re talking about. The fact that you are an author can help lead to increased business.
8. You don’t have to be the world’s greatest writer to create a book. This is perhaps the greatest lesson of this interview. If you want to write books, you can get help from others who specialize in creating books. Whether that’s a ghostwriter, co-author, or simply friends who are giving feedback … bringing a book to life is truly a community effort. Don’t let the fact that you don’t consider yourself a “writer” stand in the way of making an impact by getting a book out into the world.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode
Confessions of a Terrible Husband by Nick Pavlidis
Attorney Marketing Institute Podcast
Confessions of a Terrible Husband Podcast
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
Mindset by Carol S. Dweck
The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly
Thanks so much for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe to the “Born to Create” podcast. I’d also appreciate it if you can rate and review the show.
For more great resources to help unleash your creative powers, visit my site at KentSanders.net.
Want to rise to your true creative potential? Check out my book The Artist’s Suitcase: 26 Essentials for the Creative Journey.
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