It’s only the third official time I’ve met with Joseph Valente in my capacity as his ghostwriter, but the conversation is as easy and free-flowing as it promised to be when we first got put in touch with each other a little over a month ago. The meet-ups are friendly, fun and focused from the orders of the first drinks at the bars we set up our camps within. The relationship feels, and no doubt looks, like I’m chatting with an old friend and simply helping him with his next big idea – and as the upcoming book will show, Joe Valente has a lot of those to offer.
I can never stress enough just how important it is to have a good relationship with any client you take on as you prepare to put their thoughts into words as their ghostwriter. It is 100% a two-way interactive process, and given the time and intensity such a project can warrant, you both need to be able to fully engage and enjoy it.
It would be understandable for potential clients to choose the most local, convenient, or inexpensive professional writer available in order to carry out their project. From a business point of view I can understand this, but it could end up being a false economy. A ghostwriter isn’t just a professional hire; they are someone who, if the relationship is right, will become a confidant, an advisor, and a friend. They are there to bring your story to life, but also to reign you in when the ideas start flowing a little too freely and the point is at risk of being lost. Your trust in your ghostwriter to do you both justice is of immense importance.
As a ghostwriter, I’ve got a responsibility to make sure that any client I work with is represented fairly and justly, and to make sure that their story comes across to readers in a way that shows their true virtue, achievement and professionalism. In the case of working with Joseph Valente, the 2015 winner of hit BBC TV show, ‘The Apprentice’, this is especially the case, as his social media posts of late – promoting the good work going into his upcoming autobiography/business book – have attracted one or two negative comments. The main point of attack aimed at Joe is the fact that it is well-known he was expelled from school aged 15. Instantly, this conjures up negative assumptions and connotations regarding Joe’s attitude to education. These assumptions could not be more inaccurate. As Joe regales me with the tales of his education, his attitude to learning, and the ways in which he showed accountability for his future both prior to and immediately following that infamous moment, the former teacher within me is thinking that she just cannot wait for young people to read this book.
Honestly, when I first got involved with Joe, there was a worry that his expulsion from school leading to his undeniable present success may fly in the face of everything I believe in as a former educator, but right now, having learned so much about his pathway, I actually can’t think of anyone I know who is a bigger advocate for education, accountability and resilience in learning than this man. Still don’t buy it? Buy the book.
After quickly being able to forge a relationship that actively embraces openness, honesty and often a free pass to taunt each other for the character flaws we’ve already both felt comfortable to display in front of each other, we’re already firing through the subject matter that will fill the pages of Joe’s book come September this year. Joe knows exactly what he wants in this book, so he really is a dream client. What makes it even better, though, is the fact that he is always willing to take on board and talk through any ideas or alternatives that I put to him during the process. He wants the best for his book and so his response in this manner is key, because a good ghostwriter will always offer advice and options, as opposed to just sitting there making silent notes on a laptop.
Due to busy calendars and tight timescales on both of our parts, Joe and I are working intensively on his book right now; almost double the rate that would usually emerge in this process. This is not always something I’d advocate, as the writing of a book should unfold organically, but, as I’ve already alluded to, Joseph Valente is the very definition of a hard worker, and knows exactly what he wants to drive this project forward. His pathway to get where he is now has by no means been easy, but thankfully, writing the book about it all most certainly is.
