The Copywriter Club Podcast: Episode #440 Title: Ghostwriting for Clients with Allison Evelyn
Host: Rob Marsh
Release Date: March 25, 2025

Introduction

In Episode #440 of The Copywriter Club Podcast, host Rob Marsh welcomes back Allison Evelyn—commonly known as Allie—to delve deep into the multifaceted world of ghostwriting. Allie, with her extensive experience spanning over a decade, shares invaluable insights on ghostwriting beyond the conventional scope of books, offering a comprehensive guide for copywriters looking to expand their services and refine their craft.

Redefining Ghostwriting

Allie challenges the traditional perception of ghostwriting, emphasizing that it's not limited to authoring books. She broadens the definition, encompassing various forms such as blog posts, online articles, emails, webinar scripts, and more. This expanded view opens up a vast array of opportunities for ghostwriters to collaborate with high-level clients like CEOs and founders.

“Ghostwriting is any project where a writer steps into the shoes of their client to write something in their name. It could be blog posts, articles published online, emails, webinar scripts, and a lot more.”
— Allie (02:15)

Capturing the Client’s Voice

A pivotal aspect of successful ghostwriting is authentically capturing the client’s voice. Allie discusses the importance of understanding the nuances of a client's personality and communication style to ensure the content resonates with their true self.

Rob raises a critical concern about maintaining the client’s voice without infusing the writer's own style, to which Allie responds with strategies to mitigate this challenge.

“It's not that their voice matters and yours does not. Your voice still matters. You as a person, like, you are created, like, so special, right. All of our voices matter.”
— Allie (59:58)

Techniques for Authentic Voice Representation

Allie shares practical methods to help ghostwriters immerse themselves in their clients' personas:

1. Deep Conversations and Tangents: Allocating significant time during initial meetings allows clients to share comprehensive stories, revealing authentic aspects of their personalities.

   “One, I get them on tangents. I also love to get voice memos or to talk to people while they are walking. This is so game changing.”
   — Allie (17:18)

2. Voice Memos During Natural Activities: Encouraging clients to speak while walking or engaging in other activities can capture a more relaxed and genuine tone.

3. Extensive Research: Delving into clients' social media, past publications, and other online footprints helps uncover unique phrases and recurring themes that define their voice.

4. Analyzing Repeated Phrases and Patterns: Identifying and incorporating clients' habitual expressions ensures the content remains true to their speaking style.

“I noticed that when she talks about a memory, she always says whenever I was blank. So I would write that down. And like those like capturing the experience, exact phrases people use that honestly, they probably don't even know that they use.”
— Allie (37:35)

Engaging with High-Level Clients

Ghostwriting for founders and CEOs requires a tailored approach. Allie emphasizes the necessity of positioning oneself as a thought leader to attract and retain such clients. She discusses the importance of demonstrating deep understanding and providing strategic insights that elevate the client's stature in their industry.

“Landing work with ghostwriting clients means you need to show up and be recognized at this higher level.”
— Rob Marsh (03:05)

Allie further explains how to initiate conversations with companies to shift content creation from a generic brand voice to a more personalized, leader-centric narrative.

“Your voice, your story, your perspective. It means something. It creates the human experience, the human touch.”
— Allie (28:26)

Incorporating AI in Ghostwriting

While Allie acknowledges the growing role of AI in content creation, she asserts that human insight remains irreplaceable in capturing authentic voices.

“AI is like the mannequin in a shop. It’s a great way to prompt suggestions, but we are humans with insight.”
— Allie (41:27)

She utilizes AI tools for tasks like synonym generation and structural mapping, allowing her to focus more on the emotional and narrative depth required for ghostwriting.

Transitioning to Book Ghostwriting

Allie discusses her transition from writing smaller projects to ghostwriting full-length books. This shift allowed her to engage more deeply with clients' stories, providing a richer and more comprehensive representation of their experiences and insights.

“With a book, you have this opportunity, you're actually supposed to go that deep. You can't know too much about them.”
— Allie (46:49)

She outlines the importance of understanding the book's purpose—whether it's to establish thought leadership, serve as a personal legacy, or function as a marketing tool—and how this influences the writing process and structure.

Advice for Aspiring Ghostwriters

Allie imparts essential advice for those venturing into ghostwriting:

1. Embrace the Client’s Narrative: Understand that ghostwriting is about highlighting the client's story, not diminishing your own.

2. Maintain Your Value: Recognize that your expertise and unique skills are invaluable, even as you serve your clients.

3. Effective Communication: Overcommunicate with clients to ensure clarity and alignment throughout the writing process.

4. Continuous Learning: Stay passionate about storytelling and continuously refine your methods to better serve your clients.

“Your voice still matters. You as a person, you are not smaller than anybody else. You have an authority and ownership role that really matters.”
— Allie (59:58)

Conclusion

Episode #440 serves as an extensive exploration of ghostwriting, offering both theoretical frameworks and actionable strategies. Allison Evelyn’s experience and methodologies provide a roadmap for copywriters seeking to specialize in ghostwriting, especially for high-profile clients. Her emphasis on authentic voice capture, strategic client engagement, and the balanced use of AI tools underscores the nuanced nature of effective ghostwriting.

For those inspired by Allie's insights, she encourages connecting through her website or Instagram to access her free resources, including her relaunched podcast Holy F, which focuses on inspiring and faith-based storytelling.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

1. Allie (02:15): “Ghostwriting is any project where a writer steps into the shoes of their client to write something in their name. It could be blog posts, articles published online, emails, webinar scripts, and a lot more.”

2. Allie (17:18): “One, I get them on tangents. I also love to get voice memos or to talk to people while they are walking. This is so game changing.”

3. Allie (28:26): “Your voice, your story, your perspective. It means something. It creates the human experience, the human touch.”

4. Allie (37:35): “I noticed that when she talks about a memory, she always says whenever I was blank. So I would write that down. And like those like capturing the experience, exact phrases people use that honestly, they probably don't even know that they use.”

5. Allie (41:27): “AI is like the mannequin in a shop. It’s a great way to prompt suggestions, but we are humans with insight.”

6. Allie (46:49): “With a book, you have this opportunity, you're actually supposed to go that deep. You can't know too much about them.”

7. Allie (59:58): “Your voice still matters. You as a person, you are not smaller than anybody else. You have an authority and ownership role that really matters.”

Additional Resources

• Allison Evelyn’s Website: allisonevillin.com
• Instagram: @allisonevillin
• Free Resource: Five favorite ghostwriting methods (available in show notes)
• Allie’s Podcast: Holy F – Focused on stories from faith, freedom, and fatherhood.

For more insights and episodes, visit TheCopyWriterClub.com.