Newsletter #6: Working with a ghostwriter shouldn’t be like sous-cheffing prairie oysters
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A while back, my aunt and I visited a bison farm and left with some home-grown bison and elk. The farmer threw in a couple prairie oysters which got lost in my freezer until recently.
Once they were thawed and unveiled on my countertop, I was tempted to chuck them right into the green bin. Instead, I read a lengthy thread on a bow-hunting forum to get an idea about what to do with these things. Advice included “pan-fry like a scallop” and “nuts & guts stay in the woods.”
Too late for the second option so I prepared to pan fry.
Except the prep took a while.
And it was disgusting.
These things don’t look appetizing from the get-go. Then, when you do what needs to be done before it’s time to put them in the egg wash, they become even less appetizing.
Though the call of the green bin got stronger, I kept going until the finished product looked like 7 breaded scallops.
Then I gave the first one to my husband who declared, “Tastes like a tender pork chop.”
He was right—but I still couldn’t bring myself to eat more than one. Memories of my sous-chef experience kept surfacing. Goopy, squishy, yucky memories.
Logically, it doesn’t make sense. Those things were pleasant in taste and texture.
And if someone else made them—behind closed doors—I would’ve eaten the whole plate.
Thinking about it further, I realized it was important to have a process for turning something gruesome into a delicious snack. But in this case, the final product would be more enjoyable if I’d been ignorant about many of the details.
This is similar to working with an executive ghostwriter.
You want to know she has a process that works and where you and your people need to get involved—but the rest of the details? You shouldn’t have to worry about those.
Because knowing what goes on behind the curtain won’t likely increase your enjoyment of the final product or even the process itself.
For example, if you found out there were 14 sticky notes on the north-west corner of my desk right now, would that help you with anything? Or would it make you a little queasy?
Maybe you’d lose confidence if you saw something that didn’t adhere to your own personal working style. You’d get to wondering, “How’s she gonna find the perfect story arc for my case study in that stack of papers?”
Uh-oh.
As a ghostwriter, my job is half about writing effective sales and marketing materials that please you.
The other half is taking care of the process—so you don’t worry. Because what you need (and probably want) is an easy and pleasant experience, untainted by gory details.
That’s what I want for you anyway.
I’ve put some details—the helpful ones—in a short article about what to expect during a copywriting project, for whenever you need them.
The rest of the details? Top secret, like prairie oyster prepping.
Until next time, keep on truckin’,
Andrea
PS: What’s your favourite food that might not be so popular at a potluck?
**********The quote of the month**********
Step by step and the thing is done.
- Charles Atlas
**********Marketing tip of the month**********
Create job postings that attract top talent
Publishing a haphazardly written job posting gives you a candidate pool that’s all over the place. Instead, create a pool of qualified candidates suited for the job and your organization.
4 quick tips for creating better job postings:
Give people a sense of what it would be like to work with your organization: size, culture, etc.
Don’t ask for hard-to-define skills like attention to detail. Instead, describe what the new employee will do in the role. For example: fill out complicated forms with some phone interruptions.
Make sure requirements align to the job. Ability to lift 25 pounds regularly likely doesn’t align to an office job.
Avoid encouraging or discouraging any group of people from applying so you don’t imply you’re looking for younger/older/male/female candidates.
Source: Mammoth HR
**********Good vibes**********
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch meets its match
There’s a spot between California and Hawaii where 1.8 trillion pieces of plastic float on the surface of the ocean.
Just over half a decade ago, Boyan Slat—an 18-year-old Dutch kid—decided to do something about it and founded a non-profit organization called The Ocean Cleanup.
And in September 2018, they launched the floating system designed to passively collect trash from this garbage patch—which was discovered in the 1980s.
This system is set to remove 50% of the garbage patch, every 5 years. Here’s a 2-minute video showing how the Ocean Cleanup technology works.
**********My 60-second commercial**********
I'm an executive ghostwriter, specializing in benefits, leadership coaching, corporate wellness and employee assistance programs (EAPs).
I work with executives and executive coaches who have big hearts, are driven to help others and never open a conversation they're not willing to close.
My clients are straightforward, ambitious, humble, hilarious and I never have to wonder what they're thinking because they say what they mean and mean what they say.
If you're a tough-love executive or executive coach who would benefit from the kind of work I do, please get in touch:
andrea@redsailwriters.com | 647-502-3187 | ca.linkedin.com/in/andreabassett
Let's talk about these thought leadership projects in 2021:
Newsletters | White papers + e-books | Ghostwritten articles
Workbooks to supplement corporate training
Business book ghostwriting (fall 2021, early 2022)