Confession: I thought I would hate book coaching. Joke's on me, because I absolutely love it. Getting chapters from the authors I work with feels like unwrapping a gift from a good friend—I have some idea of what to expect, but in the end, it's always a surprise. As a book coach, while I'm not creating the work myself, I know I'm helping to create the conditions for it to be borne into the world. And that has its own rewards.

Capturing an author's unique voice on the page can be tough. Here are some common hangups and how to get around them.

"A blend of magic and logic." These words were used to describe a successful ghostwriter-author collaboration at this year's Gathering of the Ghosts conference, and I think they capture the essence of a successful writing partnership beautifully.

Ghostwriters often joke that the job is similar to a therapist's—and I've had plenty of clients tell me, mid-call, "I feel like I'm in therapy right now!" It makes sense: Just like (successful) therapy, writing a (successful) book often requires vulnerability.