Gotham Ghostwriters Presents. . .
The Ghost Life
A discussion with recovering ghostwriter Barbara Feinman Todd, author of the revealing new memoir, Pretend I’m Not Here
APRIL 24/NYC
What’s it like to be a ghostwriter? That’s naturally the first thing writers-for-hire get asked when they disclose what they do. But it’s not just a matter of cocktail party curiosity any more. With a growing number of journalists, authors, and other editorial pros looking to diversify their workload and income sources, it’s increasingly a question of professional relevance — and sustenance.
Indeed, most ghost-wannabes immediately want to know, can I make a living at it? But in time they will inevitably have to confront the trickier challenges of this opaque practice — namely, can I live with the invisibility and indignities that often come with going without your own byline.
In her recently-released memoir, Pretend I’m Not Here, former ghostwriter to the political stars Barbara Feinman Todd leans into many of these questions as she provides a rare inside and insightful account of the ghost life — and explains why it’s not for everyone.
Picking up where the book leaves off, we at Gotham Ghostwriters — along with our friends at the Writers Room — are thrilled to welcome Feinman Todd to New York for a candid conversation about her experiences working with brand name authors like Hillary Clinton and the larger pros and cons of being a ghosting pro.
WHO: Author Barbara Feinman Todd
in conversation with Gotham Ghostwriters President Dan Gerstein
WHEN: Monday, April 24
6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
WHERE: The Writers Room
740 Broadway at Astor Place, 12th Floor
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Barbara Feinman Todd is the founding Journalism Director at Georgetown University. She has worked for more than three decades in the nation’s capital as a ghostwriter, editor or researcher for politicians, journalists, and business leaders on several high-profile books including Hillary Clinton’s It Takes a Village. Cofounder of the Pearl Project, she coauthored the e-book The Truth Left Behind: Inside the Kidnapping and Murder of Daniel Pearl. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Glamour, the Writer’s Chronicle, the Huffington Post, the Daily Beast, Newsweek, and on NPR. She lives just outside of Washington, D.C.
ABOUT GOTHAM GHOSTWRITERS
Gotham Ghostwriters is the country’s premier ghostwriting agency — a one-stop solution for any author or speaker looking for help telling and selling a story. Have a brilliant idea for a book to grow your platform, but don’t know where to start? Need to give a high-stakes speech at a major conference, but don’t have a speechwriting pro on your team? Want to publish a delicately worded op-ed to explain a controversial argument, but can’t find a writer you trust? With 1,800 editorial specialists in our network — and connections to a larger universe of 20,000 freelance pros — we have the unparalleled ability to find the right writing partner for your priorities. And through our extensive industry relationships with literary agents, publishers, media outlets, and PR and marketing consultants, we can also help you find the right publishing path for your stories and get the most impact for your ideas.You can find out more about Gotham at: gothamghostwriters.com
ABOUT THE WRITERS ROOM
The Writers Room is the nation’s oldest and largest shared work space for writers. Founded in 1978 by writers for writers in New York City, The Writers Room provides clean, quiet, affordable work space for up to 300 writers annually. Emerging and established writers work side by side in a penthouse floor loft with commanding views of the city’s skyline. More than 1,300 books have been written in The Writers Room since its founding, as well as hundreds of screenplays, plays, poems, articles and other published and produced works. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, The Writers Room is New York’s only non profit shared writers work space entirely dedicated to supporting the lonely act of writing. For information about joining The Writers Room, please visit www.writersroom.org.
