ASJA’S two-day Chicago conference is almost here! “Spotlight on Ghostwriting” on Friday, Nov. 17 is for writers who want to ghostwrite books as well as experienced nonfiction writers looking to cultivate their ghostwriting practices.“Boosting Your Content IQ” on Saturday, Nov. 18 offers up a full day of inspiration and information about content marketing and freelancing with tracks for both experienced freelancers and those looking to break in. There’s still plenty of time to register for one or both days.
Tara Richter, president of Richter Publishing, is one presenter for our Chicago conference’s “Spotlight on Ghostwriting.” Her journey from obscurity to top-selling author to publishing mogul has certainly been unique. Along with being featured on CNN, ABC, Daytime TV, FOX, SSN, Channel 10 News, USA TODAY, and more for her Dating Jungle books, her company has published books from clients all over the world, most notably How to Catch a Shark from entrepreneurs Anthony Amos and Kevin Harrington. In January 2014, she started Richter Publishing in Tampa, through which she hires freelance ghostwriters to write books for clients.
Your company’s website claims that clients can “write their non-fiction story in 4 weeks.” Can you bottle that?
Actually, I have book out, “Write a Book in 4 Weeks,” that has done very well. The first part talks about getting over the mental hurdle that, in order for it to be any good, you have to work on a nonfiction book for a lengthy period of time. The second is part is about getting organized—breaking the process down into small, simple steps. It takes discipline to stay on track. While sitting down and letting the words flow is vital, other factors—editing, the cover, production, promotion—are equally important.
At Richter Publishing, we’ve published 60 titles in four years, and it’s not uncommon to have 10 manuscripts in the pipeline at once. Our team of writers, editors, social media experts, and freelancers keep things moving forward and on schedule. You also need to be able to market yourself as an expert; what we do is provide a platform for business and other people to promote their ideas and skills.
Finally, your book needs to be about something concrete and relatable; if the topic is inappropriate or boring—or if it’s a vampire romance novel—it’s not for us. And while some books may initially be complete disasters in terms of writing and organization, if I decide to take them on, they have a 95 percent chance of coming to fruition. But the author must be willing to stick to the schedule and work with us. It’s a team effort.
How did you make the leap to owning your own company?
I went to school for graphic design in Nebraska. After graduation I moved to the Silicon Valley where I worked in the copy and print industry for many years learning to do layout and design. I always loved to write but didn’t really tap into my creative writing talents until I got divorced at 32. As a way of healing, wrote a book on how to survive the dating jungle. After I wrote, designed and published my own book, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. So I went to a writer’s meetup to get advice and starting digging into my marketing skills. I soon found myself on daytime TV and being interviewed by print and other media all over the world.
People started coming to me and asking, “How did you do this?” I joined a high-powered entrepreneurial boot camp where I started helping aspiring authors get their works published. Entrepreneur Kevin Harrington was a mentor in the group. When he and Anthony Amos wanted me to write their co-authored book How to Catch a Shark—without actually getting on the “Shark Tank” TV show—that’s when Richter Publishing was born.
I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t easy. There were naysayers and I got a lot of pushback. But I’ve always marched to the beat of my own drummer. So I had to trust my gut instinct. I knew what I was doing felt right, so I pushed forward anyway.
In addition to solid writing ability, what other skills does a ghostwriter need?
You need to be able to crawl into someone’s mind and create the story from their point of view, using their words to express their innermost emotions and feelings. I believe this is something you are born with; I’ve had it all my life. In ghostwriting you should not be able to tell their words from yours. That’s the synergy you are looking for.
One client, a male fundamentalist Christian told me that he didn’t know where his thoughts ended and mine began. That’s the highest compliment for a ghostwriter.
What qualities do you look for when taking on authors? And also when hiring freelancers?
For both my authors and writers, it’s all about relationships. As an author, if you’re going to make my life hell during a project, it’s not worth whatever amount of money you may be offering. Life’s too short if we’re not going to mesh. With freelancers, I expect them to handle just about anything that’s thrown their way. I remember one freelancer came to me and said, “What do you expect me to do with this? It’s a mess!” Well, would I have hired her if it was well written? In addition to having published books before, I also match freelancers with author skill sets; for example, having a retired attorney edit a book written by a lawyer. Freelancers need to have a deep-seated knowledge of or empathy with the subject.
Our job is to take crap and turn it into a diamond. That’s why ghostwriters get paid the big bucks.
Any last words of wisdom?
Do what you say you are going to do and then some. Do not promise something you cannot deliver. I’m a no-BS kind of person. If I’m going to do a job, I do it with integrity and always deliver what I promise. That earns respect. Know your strengths and your weaknesses. Promote your good features and sub out your weak points to skilled freelancers to get the job done. Kevin Harrington and I still have a great relationship to this day, and he refers clients to me. That is the best compliment to any business.
It’s that time of year: Join or renew your ASJA membership! The dues renewal period for 2018 runs from October 1st to February 28th. Renew before November 30th and automatically be entered into our raffle that includes prizes such as free registration to a regional conference or a guaranteed VCC slot with an editor. New to ASJA and want to apply as member or associate member? Click here for details and benefits.