A ghost-writer is   … ? It is the perfect question for television game shows so in case you are ever asked it might not be the person you imagine. Here are some interesting facts about ghosts, sometimes known as co-authors.

It is estimated that 80 percent of celebrity memoirs are written by a professional ghost-writer. Some celebrities don’t even read their own life stories. When the subject of his memoirs was raised former U.S. President Ronald Reagan grinned: “I hear it’s a terrific book. One of these days I am going to read it myself.”

Interviewed by Vanity Fair about her life story, Ivana Trump squealed: “It’s not just about the beautiful people and the gorgeous yachts and the fabulous homes and lots of sex. I tried to put in more the feelings.”

GREAT SALES SPIN

It was great sales spin but she reportedly paid ghost writer Camille Marchetta $350,000 to write For Love Alone. Big Brother personality Pete Bennett messed up by publicly expressing surprise at the content of his life story. His publicist commented: “You really should have read it, Pete.”

It isn’t necessarily true that people who use ghost-writers are interested in seeing their story published. According to professional ghost-writer Michael Walsh half his clients are not interested in being published.

So why do they do it? “For the same reason people have a portrait painted, go on holiday or decorate their home. It is a personal indulgence.”

FANTASY AND FICTION

Based in Spain he says his clients are of mixed nationality but the one thing they have in common is seeing their story reading like a bestseller. “I bring a story or situation to life,” Mike says. “They are usually badly written. They need not only correction; most need sexing up.”

Some are autobiographical and can be passed along the family tree branches and kept as a written heirloom. Others want to see their life experience, trauma or romance written by a professional storyteller. Many want to see a deeply personal experience well written.

“People have great imaginations even if their writing skills don’t match up,” Mike says. “If it is fantasy or fiction, fine: They want it just the way they imagine it and I can make it real for them.

Do you have to be famous? Mike Walsh says the famous tend to lead boring lives. Far more interesting are the real life experiences or imaginations of real people. If only we knew. He does.

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The focus of each will be to provide essential components of Spanish prosperity and economic security; real estate and the hospitality industry.

The University’s Swiss founder, Dr. Edward Schellhammer, firmly believes that graduation should be based on an education that embraces learning reflective of shifting world values. Nothing better illustrates the revolutionary aspects of the noted academic’s approach than his scholastic career to date.

MEETING THE NEEDS OF A CHANGING WORLD

The university partnership’s courses open up prospects of significant career advancement through national and regional government positions. These are complementary to lucrative status-based careers in real estate and the hospitality service industries.

Each of the university’s screening, introduction and learning programs are based on a changing world reliant on innovation, understanding, and application.

The privately funded academies offer three educational programs; Diploma, Bachelor and Further Education.

The Bachelor Program complies fully with the Treaty of Bologna’s educational requirements and curriculum standards. The belief is that the cutting edge of education is to see ‘crisis’ as the challenge to confront change and to adapt in order to provide an appropriate response to a forward looking world.

SPAIN’S WEAKNESSES CONFRONTED

Spain will benefit primarily as each university’s focus is on the hitherto neglected real estate and hospitality industries. Spain, proven to be the continent’s burgeoning California of Europe, has not kept pace with competing world regions. It has a plethora of unsold properties, a poor reputation in regard to compliance with EU directives; and weakness in infrastructure accountability and management.

It is now better recognised that these crucial industries are vulnerable to more futuristic competing destinations.

Addressing Spain’s most pressing needs and timed to fill the vacuum of skills knowledge, courses include: future lifestyle and climate change, hunger, famine, and global catastrophe; addressing population growth related problems such as the acquisition of sustainable water and food production.

AGRICULTURE AND HEALTH

Agriculture and food production is yet another area in which Spain’s response has been patchy in application. In addition healthcare educational opportunity is intended to meet the sharp edge of medical service standards.

Benidorm University’s Business link-up will ensure a commercial identity partnership that will benefit students, graduates and ‘mother’ industries.

For further information on the educational programs at MARBELLA UNIVERSITY and its satellite campuses in BENIDORM and MALLORCA fill out the following form:

Yes, why not? Until fairly recently only the rich and famous could have their portraits painted or their autobiographies written. The chances of getting your book published unless you were an established author, was remote. The digital camera now allows us to take virtually free photographs of ourselves, our family and friends. With your camera you can record your lifestyle, work routine, your holidays. It is your story; your life. It will be read and enjoyed long after you are kicking up the daisies.

Now, thanks to your PC you can write and publish your own book. If you are not prepared to have 1,000 copies printed the conventional way, which would mean having to sell them, then you can publish your book online for the world to read.

You are not necessarily going to make money out of doing so but believe me; household name authors no longer make much money either. They receive only 10 percent of the cover price and many will see sales of just a few thousand, if they are lucky.

Interestingly, about half of my clients have no intention of seeing their book published. They are happy to see their story professionally set out for online publication and for posterity. Furthermore, this is where size really doesn’t matter. It can be 10,000 to 100,000 words in length. It is your story. That is the long and short of it.

There is only one hurdle to overcome. You are unable to write to retail standards. This is what ghost-writers are for. Sometimes called co-authors, they take your rough copy and edit, correct and add flair to your story. Their polish brings your story to life.

Did you know, 80 percent of celebrity related books are not written by the celebrity; all they have done is provide notes. The same applies to ordinary novels and autobiographies; here the figure for those co-authored is 40 percent.

So what is stopping you? Get on that keyboard right now and start telling your story. Keeping returning to my blog and I will give you the tips that will make it the most thrilling challenge of your life.