The number one mistake new authors make when they write the actual content for their books is to include too much content.

Think about what you’d like to include in your book. Right now, call to mind, let’s say, three concrete ideas you’d want to share with people in your book.

Now, does that feel like enough content? Too much? Too little?

You will probably have a hard time accepting what I’m about to tell you (almost every client I’ve ever worked with struggles with this). But here goes:

You are already trying to include WAY too much in your book.

Many of the most successful books out there are so basic that if you were the author, you’d be riddled with self-doubt before publishing. Let me show you a couple of examples.

The Four Agreementsby Miguel Ruiz is only 138 small pages. The author created a chapter for each agreement, plus an introduction. The agreements are:

1. Be impeccable with your word.
2. Don’t take anything personally.
3. Don’t...

One of my recent ghostwriting clients didn’t actually become a ghostwriting client. Let me explain.

He wanted to write a book about his incredible invention—something that revolutionized his industry. He was passionate about his field, had firsthand experience with the transformation possible, and was well-connected to others who could add stories and expertise to his book.

But he wasn’t a writer. He was an expert in his own work but not in the work of writing.

He reached out to me on a referral from another client, for whom I’d ghostwritten blogs and articles and white papers. He hoped I’d be willing and available to ghostwrite his entire book.

We talked. I listened to his findings, his personal transformation, and his description of the life he was now leading thanks to this work. He told me he had already been writing down ideas and pages of content.

And it got me thinking: When should someone who’s not a writer hire a pro and when should they...