Saying No

An author approached me to write their story after they were diagnosed with a terminal disease. They wanted to leave a legacy.

I turned them down.

For one thing, they were planning to spend their savings to hire me. That didn't sit well with me. I offered to put them in touch with cheaper ghostwriters.

But as we spoke, there was something else. The author did not seem to know what they wanted to say. The clue was when they asked what I thought they should write about.

Eventually, I told them I didn't see the point in writing a book unless they really wanted to write it. It's not something to do just because you think you should.

I said that, if I had limited time left, I don't think I'd spend my money writing a book that wasn't screaming out to be written. I'd spend it with my family and friends, traveling, and having as many good times as I can.

I never heard back. But in the same circumstances, I'd say the same again.

Every now and then, a ghostwriter's best service to an author is to say, "Don't write this book."