People often ask me what type of books I write. After responding with “non-fiction,” I’m usually hesitant to expand upon my answer. I decided along time ago that the best way to succeed as a writer, and especially, as a ghostwriter, is to be versatile and open to writing books on a wide range of subjects. After all, there are numerous experts who have valuable insights to share in their fields.

I’ve worked with doctors, financial planners, Broadway producers, professional coaches, business owners and others in formulating their book proposals and/or writing their books. They provide the know how and I put my fingers to the keyboard on their behalf. Yes, that’s what ghostwriting is all about, being the hidden writer, nearly invisible, except of course on Halloween, of course, when we type under white sheets.

Even while writing books under my own name, I have always left the door open to a number of topics, ranging from adoption to golf to starting a business to the history of the mob. I once even wrote a book on the many buffoons who have held the “esteemed” office of Vice of the United States. What a motley group that was.

Now you may be thinking that I am a sell-out, a hack or even worse a “generalist.” Yet, I find one of the joys of writing professionally is variety which is, after all, considered to be “the spice of life.” I find it stimulating and educational as I work with many different experts and personalities. It’s not really that different from the variety that most people seek in life. After all, we travel to exotic parts of the world to learn about other cultures and we eat at a variety of restaurants to enjoy diverse culinary styles. We also change our wardrobe and hairstyles to alter our appearance, or evade the police.

So for me, while sitting in the same office at the same computer and typically having lunch at the same place day after day, researching and writing about a wide array of topics is both challenging and enjoyable. Believe me, having spent a year in the marketing division of a major insurance company writing about variable annuities and the “joy” of death benefits, I can assure you that there can be far more tedious alternatives for us writers. A little variety is a good thing, and I usually get quite caught up in the topics I write about.

Of course I won’t take on every job offered. I steer clear of the very high tech computer books and manuals because I cannot compete with bona fide techies nor do I write fiction (only non-fiction). People have asked me if I’ve ever written fiction and I usually say “only on my resume.”

So, what does all of this mean? It basically means that some ghostwriters focus on specific topics, while many of us are more than happy to jump aboard a project and accept the challenge. I listen, learn, ask a lot of questions and shape the book proposal or manuscript so that it meets the needs and goals of the expert, who is the real author. That’s why I called my company Your Book Your Way.