About Me
Sunday, June 9, 2019
People ask me how I became a writer and if you know many writers, all that really is, is saying, “Tell me a story.” and we will.
On a hot summer evening, with a window mounted air conditioner pumping out air so cold, you could see your breath if you blew into it, in a small frame house in Beatrice Nebraska, a television died. It was one of those big wooden console units with a tube that you may have only seen on TV shows or in a museum somewhere, with a black and white picture that was a little fuzzy at the edges.
My dad had been watching news about the Panama Canal and right in the middle of a sentence, Walter Cronkite just disappeared as a puff of black smoke rose from the back of the set. I remember my father’s sigh as he got up from his chair, grunting as he turned the big unit around and dragged it onto the porch for the junk man.
“We won’t be getting another one,” he said. We didn’t, Not until I was in the tenth grade. So, I read, incessantly, everything I could get my hands on, starting with my father’s literature collection from an English minor in college. I read until he took The Grapes of Wrath, suggested maybe seven wasn’t the best age for John Steinbeck, and got me a library card. Over the next ten years, I’ve estimated I read fifteen hundred books of every kind. And that, kids, is how I became a writer.
I became a storyteller,and if you ask anyone who’s spent much time around me, they’ll agree, Mark likes to tell stories. So, what does this have to do with ghostwriting and Linked In, and you? Everything.
You see, stories are the best form of human communication, and if you’re not telling them, you’re likely missing out on some great connections. I’m sure I’m not the first person who’s told you that stories, not sales pitches, are the best type of content to share. It’s true. And if you want the best responses, there are specific kinds of stories you can tell. Here are three.
The underdog
You’ve probably heard some old timer say, “Everyone likes to root for the underdog.”
I don’t know how true this is in real life, but it’s certainly true in our stories, so true in fact, we’ve created a cliche’ out of one of the most famous underdog stories ever. Next time you hear of some small person in an epic court battle with a mega corporation, listen for it, I’ll give you two to one odds they’ll say “David and Goliath” story.
An underdog is someone facing an impossible opponent. David and Goliath, The Karate Kid and the movie Rudy are notable examples. You can tell an underdog story because the odds are not only overwhelming against the underdog, but they’re ominously threatening. If the hero doesn’t seem about to be crushed, it’s not a very good underdog story.
These stories happen in real life a lot too. You, or someone you know, has likely lived one. You might have been on the small school team that worked hard enough to win their championship, or won a big contract against a competitor several times your size.
When telling underdog stories, here are some things to keep in mind.
- The best ones have a good outcome. Whether the underdog wins, or takes home a more valuable lesson, there needs to be a payoff.
- They’re best told in third person, if you were the underdog, don’t reveal that until the end. Your audience sees best through the narrator’s eyes.
- Tension is the key to keeping an audience glued to an underdog story. Build up the odds, make them uncertain, but make your hero just cocky enough to pull it off.
You can find examples of underdog stories in every walk of life and using them as examples in your marketing can help create a brand image that’s memorable.
Escaping the past
Whether your story is about someone surviving a harsh childhood, recovering from drugs and alcohol, or overcoming any debilitating condition, an escape from the past story can be truly inspirational. I recently completed a book with a client who suffered unspeakable abuse and trauma as a kid, but now runs a million dollar sales team, and hasn’t even reached her thirtieth birthday yet!
Escape the past stories give us hope. All of us feel that we’re disqualified from life sometimes. Sure, we landed this great job, but without that degree, will we be able to move up? Or, we got the degree, but feel like we cheated. Or, maybe, like my client, we have a past we’d just as soon forget. In any case, escape from the past stories give us courage to face our lives, if they could do it, so can we!
- Choose people whose success is relatable for the best stories. The easier it is to see yourself inside their success, the more it will mean.
- The darker the past, the more dramatic the escape. If it’s a true story, don’t lie, but paint the picture in dark colors.
- Choose heros that remained humble and accessible. Not everyone who succeeds in escaping their past is someone to look up to.
Reaching the Summit
In a summit story, the hero achieves something that is not merely unthinkable for them, but for mankind. It’s a rare feat. Edmund Hillary summiting Mount Everest in 1953 as the first confirmed climber to reach it, or Neal Armstrong stepping onto the face of the moon in 1969. Both of these men had incredible journeys to arrive at those moments.
There are more “down to earth” examples, of course, Jeff Bezos, starting Amazon and just over a decade later, being declared the richest man in the world comes to mind, but smaller things like achieving a huge fund raising goal, or helping solve a long time social crisis are summit stories as well.
- The hero is not just beating an enemy, or escaping something, but shooting for a very specific, narrowly defined goal that presents obstacles to achieving it.
- The story is in how they prepare, what they have to overcome, their courage to continue and finally succeed. The summit moment, ironically, becomes almost an anticlimax.
- What their achievement inspires in others is also a big part of the story. Literally thousands of climbers have followed Hillary, and following Armstrong’s mission with Buzz Aldrin, ten more US astronauts have landed safely on the moon’s surface.
The potential is limitless
Once you start thinking of stories that inspire, educate and inform you, you’ll find so many to share you won’t run out of ideas. Not only that, but your content will suddenly become sharable, and relatable. That’s not to say you become a master storyteller overnight. I’m still honing my skills and I’ve been an intentional storyteller for most of my life.
The biggest benefit, in my view, is that it keeps you from just adding more noise to the content soup that is the internet. It gives you something to say that’s worth saying, and if you need help telling your stories, there are always guys like me to help you figure it out. Message me for a free consultation.
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
When you made your last best move, how did you find out about the place you bought that special item, the service provider that changed the game for you, or the tool you needed to get the job done? It’s more than likely, in one way or another, you allowed yourself to be influenced by other users.
Whether you read online reviews, posted a poll on your own social media, or asked within your personal circle for recommendations, for anything more than a quick lunch ( and who hasn’t asked for new dining recommendations?) you probably did a little crowd based research to gain wisdom as to what worked for real people.
Although we seem to instinctively understand that anyone who will gain from our buying choices may not be the best person to recommend options, we tend to think our potential clients should trust us, based on our say so. So, how do you overcome this?
With platforms like Linked In, it’s pretty easy. We give each other recommendations. For example, you don’t have to trust me that I know what I’m doing in the creative writing department, because dozens of people in my network have vouched for me. This is great when it comes to inbound marketing, such as social media profiles, where we can ask for reviews, and the like, but what about in our outbound content? How do you make sure your client facing marketing doesn’t assume they’ll trust you, but makes use of the influence of others?
Enter the “Micro influencers”: you’ve all heard the rumors that some Instagram users (typically celebrities, or content producers with their own built in audience) get paid the big bucks just to suggest things to their watchers. Sure, why not? After all, a big name is often all you need to launch a new brand. But if that’s not quite in your budget, or won’t work for your brand, what then?
Well, you may be overlooking a valuable source of influencer marketing that’s already “baked in” to your platform. If you’ve been in business any time at all, you’ve likely got dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of satisfied customers, and current and former employees who love your brand, and among them are some “microinfluencers” that could really turn up the heat on your content game. Here are three kinds to look for and how to engage with them.
Content producers
They may not be all star mommy bloggers, but some of your customers have followings, trust me. Building audience is the new making friends, and buried in your contacts are literally hundreds of people who have their own blogs, podcasts and YouTube channels. Sure, they may not have millions of followers yet, but some of them have a loyal fan base that would also be interested in your offerings, and it might not cost you anything at all to get it in front of them.
- First, do a little research and find customers who are content producers
- Next, check into their content and see if their channels would be a good place to promote your business.
- Finally, offer them a proposal. It could be as easy as sending them a thank you gift that they will then mention in their content, or a promotion trade, you bump their blog, they return the favor
Content Curators
This denizen of the social media realms is a consummate sharer. By this I don’t meant to suggest they are indiscriminate. Far from it. In fact, they typically stick to a few topics and they’re following is loyal because of it. They like links to new and wonderful things and Ideas, so your content will need to appeal to them.
- It’s more about lifestyle than consumerism, so you’ll need to showcase the benefits of your product or service, in relationship to their everyday existence.
- They are typically upbeat so, positive pieces will catch their eye first, although in politics, or art, it can also take a dark turn.
- Since they rarely want to sell your stuff, avoid salesy posting to attract these microinfluencers.
The Meme Warriors
This clan is plentiful. You know a few. Their feeds are cluttered with laugh,or rage inducing imagery. They like pop culture and current themes. If you can tie into trending items, and create highly visual content that doubles as social commentary, or humor, you can count on them to do one of two things, share it, or make fun of it. Either can be good.
- Your content needs to be familiar, without duplicating existing content to keep your brand relevant. Use original images whenever possible.
- Two good examples of meme warrior campaigns are Old Spice and the Dos Equis smartest man in the world campaigns
- You need neutral territory to launch these from, you might want to recruit some of your customers, or employees to share them from personal profiles.
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
You've probably heard the term before, but unless you've hired one, you probably don't even know what we do. So, here's a little primer on Ghostwriters. We write. For you. We get paid. You put your name on it. The end.
Yes, it really is that simple. Of course there are more steps to the writing, but the idea behind is this, we are writers that specialize in getting your voice right, communicating with your audience in a way that is seamless, so that they never know it's not you, and you get to spend less than 1/4 of the time on your content creation.
So, why do I say you need someone like me? Well there are likely a few reasons that apply to you. Here is a list of people that may want to consider hiring a ghostwriter.
- If you started a blog, but just don't seem to have the time to share all of your great ideas, even though you know you get better response across all channels when you keep it updated, you need a ghostwriter.
- If you've been talking about updating your company's website content to include changes you've made, freshen the content, or just replace the "filler" copy you typed in when the site was new, you need a ghostwriter.
- If you know you need more marketing content, but never have time to write it. You need a ghostwriter.
- If you never started your content marketing, after investing all of that time putting together a great plan that you are certain would work, if only you'd get the courage, the time, the skills, whatever, you need a ghost writer.
- If you think, gee, I really should be posting articles to up my profile and gain industry credentials, but they sit there as half finished outlines in a forgotten folder on your computer, you need a ghostwriter.
- Finally, if you're that person who went to a seminar, watched a webinar, listened to a podcast, audio book, or motivational speaker tell you that writing book is the single greatest thing you could do to forward your career, and you still haven't done it, you need a ghostwriter.
So, how does all of this work, anyhow? It sounds complicated.
I get that, before I'd penned my first twenty volumes for hire, it sounded that way to me to. But, after working with CEOs, sales people, entrepreneurs, politicians and travelling public speakers over four continents to produce content that is out in the world making them money, I think I've got it down. Every ghostwriter works a little differently, so here is my preferred method.
It's a complicated five step process that I've developed over time.
- You talk, I listen, record and take notes.
- I write.
- You read, or listen to what we've created, making note of what needs changing.
- We place the work with a professional editor to check for other things we've missed.
- I revise the work until we're happy with the finished product. ( I say we, because often my standards are higher than the client's)
Yeah, it really is that simple.
Most people are prepared to clear their calendars and devote their lives to producing a book, but it's really not that hard. In fact, most of my work gets done on down time, dashboard time, while clients are in hotels, airports and waiting rooms. Anywhere you've got time that your attention is not directed elsewhere.
You probably already know what you want to say, but you may not. Either way, it's okay. My clients tell me that as the interview process unfolds, they often find that what they wanted to say wasn't the most important message they could convey and I've helped them to realize new things about themselves, their business, and how to connect with their audience.
So, what happens after the writing?
Well, it depends in part on the type of content we're producing. If, for example, I'm writing your weekly blog posts for you, after an hour or so monthly meeting, I submit your posts for approval and they get added to your blog, released on the dates you choose. Then, you just respond to your audience.
With book length content, it takes a little longer and once it's complete, we have several options.
- You can create a printed version for a limited audience through a "print on demand" publisher where you only pay for the copies you need.
- We can publish your book for public consumption on platforms such as Amazon and Lulu.com for ebook and print order by readers at no extra cost to you.
- We can look for an agent and together, you can submit the manuscript to publishers in hopes of getting a traditional publishing deal. (this has happened with several of my authors)
The way you choose to publish your content is entirely up to you. There are successful people who choose all of these options. The key thing to remember is this, I do the heavy lifting. Once the manuscript is ready for public consumption, the opportunities are wide open.
How do we get started?
First, let me point out, I'm not the only professional ghostwriter in the world, or even on Linked In. I'm not a good fit for everyone. This is where it starts. We talk. You tell me about your project, I tell you about my process, if it seems like a good fit, we proceed from there.
This type of writing is typically "work for hire" meaning, you pay for my services then own the work and all proceeds that come from it, without sharing royalties. I don't typically take on "spec" projects (write it and get paid if it makes money) or collaborations (write it and get a cut of any profit) because it is simpler for me to allow you to do what you want with the work once I'm done. I'm happy to consult on publishing and marketing, and often work with the client to get their book available.
Once we have an agreement, we sign a contract outlining the expectations of both parties, payment schedule, delivery schedule, non-disclosure agreement, etc. I want you to know you and your ideas are protected. You are the author, I am the scribe.
Other benefits from ghost writing
My authors often tell me that the content is far from the only thing they get out of the process. Having someone else walk through your experiences with you helps you see it in a whole new light. They often say they see themselves and their work from a new perspective and it gives them a lot of insight into what they do, why, and how they might do it better.
Of course, the most direct benefit is the work itself. I've had clients earn double, triple, or more, from their marketing once they have established good editorial practices. One client in particular, used the book we wrote together, to launch his speaking career to the next level and booked an entire eighteen month circuit of appearances within a month of releasing his first book. We're currently working on the second.
Others have done away with other marketing, finding that regular blog content, released through multiple channels, is the best way to share their business, without selling, to an audience that is hungry to learn more about them, their services, products and industry.
Isn't it horribly expensive?
I'm not cheap. Let's just clear that up. That being said, I'm cheaper than most others who write at my level. I find my pricing suits me fine. I can work cheaper and a bit faster than some after twelve years at it, which means I can offer a good deal, and still earn a really good living.
But, here's the biggest key. I pay for myself. Seriously. If I didn't, I wouldn't still be in this business. What do I mean? Simple. My clients earn more from my work than they spend on me. The marketing content I provide works. The books pay for themselves, sometimes many times over.
For example, the young public speaker sold his first batch of a thousand books (enough to double his money) in the first month through social media and back of the room sales at his events. From there, the book funded his travel for the next twelve months, which helped him get to conferences where he could explode his exposure, and his book went with him, paving the way.
If you'd like to learn more, I'm always open to consulting. I'm going to do something here that many won't. I'll give you my personal email. Reach out, let's talk. I always give initial consultations for free. MarkRMorris2@gmail.com
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
I tend to think of myself in terms of how many people show up for me in daily life. This is probably my fault, as I keep a tight circle, so a lot of people don't engage with me. From time to time, however, I'm reminded there are people out there watching me who appreciate what I'm doing, if from a distance.
So, what is it that I do? I share my mind. Yeah, sometimes it is obnoxious as hell. Sometimes I get angry and treat someone like a jerk because I think their ideas are garbage. Not the person, their ideas. All people are equally valuable. Think about it.
When you hear the price of gold is currently $1300 an ounce, or that Bitcoin is just over $4000, it sounds impressive, right? If you look closer, you'll realize the price of both commodities is based on their potential, not intrinsic value.
What do I mean.
It's simple, really, think of it like this. If you found yourself on a desert island, with a thousand ounces of gold, but you knew you had to float your ass off that island, what value would it have? None, or maybe even a negative value to you in that moment, because taking on extra 62 lbs of weight you can't eat, drink or even shelter yourself from the sun with makes no sense, does it? Of course not.
Dig a hole and bury it, and now it has value again. How? Well, if things go well, you can return and claim your million in gold, right? I mean, even if you have to split it with some skipper to sail you back out, it still has potential value.
So, what are you worth?
So, what about you? What are you worth? What can you do? What do you know, what do you bring to the table right now? Not in some ideal world, but right here in this one. You'd probably start with your marketable skills, diplomas, certifications, investments. But I'm asking about you. The intrinsic value of YOU. Just you.
If all you had was the information stored in the gray matter behind your ears, what would it be worth? I have a rough idea of myself, I have some pretty decent skills. I can build things. That's almost always of value, I'm fairly strong, even though I'm getting older, I've spent time in some extreme conditions, so I acclimate well.
But, we're not on a desert island, are we? Out here in the real world, what sets us apart? What makes you you? It's not your education, or your skills, there are plenty of people who have those. It's not your face, or your body, even if they're damn near perfect, plenty of people have those too. It's your experience, your memories, your stories, your connections, the intangible things of life are what you'd have to rely on if the whole system just went belly up over night.
Sad thought, though, we don't put much value on those things when life is good, do we? Instead, we use some list that everyone seems to have a copy of. We match up to others and compare ourselves to derive our value from our position in the food chain of people we perceive as valuable.
Friday, February 8, 2019
There are a lot of options out there if you are looking for a ghostwriter. I’m not the only one. I’m probably not the best, or the fastest, or the cheapest. If those are the things you’re looking for, let me save you the trouble, it’s probably not me. But if you’re looking for a good writer, who specializes in getting your voice down so the book sounds like you on your best day of writing, done on time, for the agreed upon price, then I’m your guy!
Ghostwriters are not one-size-fits-all though, and there are definitely some things to keep in mind when searching the world wide web for that just right ghostwriter. So, from my own business practices I’ve put together a few tips I think can save you time, money and heartache. They’re things I’ve heard from clients and other ghostwriters, and things I’ve also experienced as a self published author. Take it for what it’s worth, here is what I recommend.
Find someone who cares about your story!
Sure, there are a lot of well credentialed ghostwriting teams out there. They’ve all got some guy from Harvard, or a New York Times bestselling editor. But, do they really care about your book? The reasons to write a book are so personal. Can you trust them with your story, or will they turn it into another pop-culture, literary fast food piece of junk that will be on the bargain table in a month?
The big firms are like any other big company. They operate on volume. They have a deep bench of writers. They crank out books like Ford cranks out cars, it’s an assembly line. They build formulas and models and templates. Sometimes this can even get you to the top of the charts, but those books frequently don’t have staying power. Are you looking for a flash in the pan, or a well written book that will stand the test of time?
A sure fire way to tell who cares is how long they’ll talk before asking for money. If that’s the first thing, before they even know who you are, or what your story is about, please, do yourself a favor, and disconnect. Block that email, hang up the phone, whatever you have to do but please don’t go down that road.
Find someone who will build a relationship with you.
Ghostwriting is an incredibly intimate profession. There’s a reason that we sign Non-Disclosure Agreements and contracts and it’s not because everyone is out to steal your story. In the course of helping authors craft their books, I’ve literally been told, “I haven’t even shared that with my therapist,” more than once. In fact, I just had a client share potentially incriminating evidence about an event long ago that harmed no one, but still…
To really write a book, you’ve got to bare your soul a bit. You’ve got to be willing to spill a little blood on the paper, and even if you’re not the one holding the pen, it gets real. It’s up to you who you want knowing those intimate details of your story. Make sure you trust them on a personal level.
Make sure your writer really “gets” you
Sure, a cold, calculated professional can do an adequate job. But, tell the truth, can any surgeon ever approach the beauty of a Michelangelo in their work? Or a Davinci? In my own practice, I choose clients I want to spend time with, because your stories become a part of my life. They haunt me. I’ll be living with the knowledge of your life long past the point your book goes to press. That’s why my first interaction with any potential client is an interview, in which I decide whether to offer my services or not. Yes, I am for hire, but I am not for sale, and I don’t write for people that I do not feel will make the world a better place with their work.
Does that mean I have to be moved on a deep level? No, but I need to like you and believe in what you’re doing enough to take on your imagination, see through your eyes, and tell your story with my fingers, using your words and style. And, I’m told I’m really good at that. One reason is likely my background as a theatrical director and actor. I take on each client in a similar way to preparing for a role. I need to embody your story on some level.
Get the contract right
Beyond just finding a writer you click with, you’ll need to know exactly what you’re getting. With a solo ghostwriter like myself, you’re probably getting a straight “work for hire”. That means I own nothing. I generally request the right to share untitled samples with future clients for marketing purposes, but once we’ve completed your book, it is yours.
Here are some things to watch out for. Some agencies ask for a percentage of sales, or royalties, in addition to their fee. They may also hold a claim over your work, story, or ideas if you decide not to complete the book with them. A true “ghostwriter” will sell you their sword. That’s it. We write, you publish (with our help if you choose) you reap the profit and royalties, we cash the check and find our next project. It’s as simple as that.
Pay as you go
This should go without saying, but never pay in full up front, and don’t pay anything until you have a signed contract outlining your responsibilities and rights as an author, and the services, schedule and methods the writer is agreeing to abide by. In most cases, one third down is fairly standard. You shouldn’t pay the final installment until you have at least the first draft, depending on what services your ghostwriter is providing.
I often work with solopreneurs and people starting out in new careers, or expanding into fields such as public speaking. Be sure your contract is flexible enough to fit your ability to pay and availability for the workload. I allow changes with appropriate notice, many ghostwriters and ghostwriting agencies do not.
Read their samples and ask questions
Any freelancer who’s been at it long enough has likely had their work presented by another “writer” as their own. I’ve been sent articles and blog posts that I know damn well I wrote, from people who were looking for a writer and ended up with a scam artist who sent them my work as samples. Read the samples. Go with your gut. Do you like the writing style and energy? Did the writer provide several samples, of differing style to show use of multiple voices? How did it feel to you?
Never feel pressured to use a writer just because they are with a great company, or have an amazing resume. If the samples don’t feel right, ask for more, or politely decline, but this is your book, not theirs, no matter how many bestsellers they’ve published. Ask them to explain the samples, and if they seem unsure, move on. There are plenty of writers available.
Take a little time, but not too long
I suggest clients at least think about it overnight. It’s a big commitment. You’re going to spend a lot of money (for most people) on this, and you’re committing a lot of time and energy, even though we ghostwriters do the heavy lifting. But, remember, if your writer is good, they’re also in demand. Once you’ve decided to write, it’s best to start, and a good ghostwriter won’t be available for long.
So, why does it matter if you wait? Waiting a little while is a good idea. See if your writer can wait a day. If they seem desperate or anxious, ask why. If you wait too long, it’s likely you’ll lose the urge. Yes, I know you’ve wanted to do this forever, that’s precisely why it can wait. It’s waited before, but once committed, I’ve never had an author not complete their project with me.
Ask questions, educate yourself and be comfortable before you pull the trigger
Ghostwriting is a tough job, not everyone can do it, but, Iike I said, I’m not the only one, and neither is that agency telling you they are. Be sure you’re reasonably comfortable before signing a contract. Read it thoroughly and know your way out if you decide it’s not a good fit. There is always more than one way to get your book written, and although you’ll probably be nervous, you should also be excited.
When you find the right fit, go for it. I’ve never had a single client ever say they regretted writing a book. The process is so revealing and enlightening and the outcome brings rewards in ways you’re not imagining now. So, make a smart choice and then jump. You won’t be sorry you did.
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