Two takeaways from Gathering of the Ghosts ghostwriting convention earlier this year:
- It’s common for writers new to the genre to be overwhelmed by the business side of ghostwriting.
- The current industry isn’t as equitable or inclusive as it should be.
Convention cosponsors ASJA and Gotham Ghostwriters are teaming up again to address both points.
Gotham Ghostwriters, the New York-based ghostwriting matchmaker, is launching a professional development program called Ghostmasters this fall to help writers learn the business side of ghostwriting.
To increase diversity among ghostwriters, Gotham Ghostwriters is offering five scholarships to qualified ASJA professional and associate members from historically underrepresented populations to the initial 10-day course in the Ghostmasters program, “Ghostmasters 101: How to Break Into the Business of Ghostwriting.”
The latest Lee & Low Books publishing industry diversity survey shows virtually no growth in the number of Black people working in publishing from 2019 to 2023. The same study found that the portion of people with Latine identities is decreasing, so scholarships such as this are crucial, said Gabrielle Gayagoy Gonzalez, ASJA’s DEAI Task Force co-chair.
“Providing access to knowledge that can help you break into ghostwriting is one way to even the playing field for those who come from historically marginalized backgrounds,” Gayagoy Gonzalez said.
The Gotham Ghostwriters Ghostmasters course
Ghostmasters 101: How to Break Into the Business of Ghostwriting takes place live online Sept. 30 to Oct. 11.
The introductory course is tailored to writers who want to break into ghostwriting. It focuses on such basics as creating a business plan, setting fees, finding clients, and negotiating deals.
Gotham Ghostwriters created the course in collaboration with Toni Robino, a bestselling ghostwriter with 25 years of experience. It runs one to two hours a day, and includes instruction from expert ghostwriters and Q&A sessions. All sessions will be recorded so registered participants can also view them on demand.
“ASJA appreciates the long working relationship with Gotham that has resulted in wonderful programming like the Gathering of the Ghosts and the Andy Awards for book collaborations,” said ASJA President Emily Paulsen. “This scholarship fits so well with our efforts to increase diversity and inclusion in the freelance writing community.”
Watch a 30-minute trailer for the Ghostmasters 101 course featuring Robino and Gotham Ghostwriters CEO Dan Gerstein here.
ASJA’s Ghostmasters scholarships
Fees for the Ghostmasters 101 course are $795 before July 9 and $1,095 after. However, Gotham is coordinating with ASJA to offer five full scholarships to allow qualified ASJA professional or associate members who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, or from other historically underrepresented populations to attend for free.
ASJA’s DEAI task force will oversee the process of selecting scholarship recipients. The task force created the Ghostmasters scholarship application based on scholarships the organization has offered to its past educational events, including annual ASJA conferences.
Apply for the Ghostmasters scholarship here. The deadline for applying is Aug. 1. The DEAI task force will notify recipients by Sept. 1.
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