Date: Monday, March 10, 2014
Time: 11am-12pm
Location: Omni Downtown, Lone Star, 700 San Jacinto

Almost everyone at some point has thought to themselves, “I should write a book”. It also seems that every other celebrity out there is either in the midst of or has already published a biography or memoir of their own. What you may not know is that a lot of these celebrities use a Ghostwriter.

So what is a Ghostwriter? And is it really possible to make a living as a writer in this fast-paced, digital world where people’s attention spans seemed to be getting shorter? Freelance editor Jerusha Rodgers and her mother, celebrity ghostwriter Joni Rodgers answer these questions with a resounding ‘yes’.

“The fast-paced, digital age is precisely why the book business is so thrilling right now,” said Jerusha. “There are no rules to follow or structures to fit into. We’re seeing totally new ideas come forward and publishing taking a new form. Stories written one tweet at a time, books that interact with us in ways the ’70s couldn’t dream of. As the economy remains uneasy (in both publishing and a larger sense), people are less afraid to try things that they’ve put off and swept under the rug because there’s less to lose. It’s a time for innovation and a time for a new generation of minds to come forward and say ‘can’t wait’ instead of ‘can’t happen’.”

So before we get excited and ahead of ourselves, what exactly is a Ghostwriter? “A ghostwriter is the person who brings the mountain to Mohammed,” Joni explained. “I meet my clients in their natural habitats, interview them at length and supply the craft skills to turn their intentions into a polished manuscript.”

There is a saying though, ‘write what you know’. So how would this apply to a Ghostwriter? “Total Candor Alert: I hate that saying, “warns Joni. “If you were a landscape artist, would you sit at home and paint your living room over and over? No! You’d be scaling fences, tromping meadows, sailing oceans blue. Forget ‘write what you know’—write what you feel, what you imagine, what you’re afraid of! Write what baffles and offends you and forces you to walk the proverbial mile in someone else’s shoes. That’s how you grow as an artist and a human being. Truly the greatest thing about my job is that it continually takes me far beyond my geographical, professional, and social comfort zones.”

Joni and Jerusha will be holding a discussion on the art and economics of ghostwriting at

this year’s SXSW Interactive Festival. “Writers who are interested in this offbeat but potentially lucrative line of work should attend this panel,” said Joni. “Also people who are considering hiring a ghostwriter for a book project, and anyone who’s fascinated by the dynamics of creative collaboration. I just want it to be a fun hour of healthy hive mind. But it would be great if someone brings donuts!”