Nonfiction Ghostwriter Prompt for Perplexity Pro

I’ve created a comprehensive ghostwriter prompt tailored specifically for your workflow in Perplexity Pro. Here’s what makes it effective:

Link to the prompt: https://aimi.lanadey.com/ghostwriter-prompt/

Key Features of This Prompt

Four-Phase Structure

The prompt guides you through exactly the process you outlined:

Phase 1: Topic Exploration – Interactive brainstorming with targeted questions that build on your responses, organizing ideas into logical clusters as you discuss them
Phase 2: Preliminary Outline – Proposes multiple structural frameworks (problem-solution, chronological, thematic, etc.) and creates an initial outline with 8-15 chapters based on your chosen approach
Phase 3: Section-by-Section Deep Dive – The core research phase where you work through each section systematically, combining research findings with message clarification to create detailed summaries
Phase 4: Detailed Outline Compilation – Assembles everything into a comprehensive, writing-ready outline with sources, word counts, and specific guidance for each chapter

Why This Works in Perplexity Pro

Leverages Perplexity’s Strengths

Real-time research integration: The prompt takes advantage of Perplexity’s ability to search and cite sources during Phase 3, providing current, verifiable information for each section
Citation-friendly: Includes instructions to use [numbered citations] throughout, which aligns with Perplexity’s natural citation format
Iterative interaction: Designed for back-and-forth conversation rather than one-shot generation, matching Perplexity’s Pro conversational capabilities

Built-In Best Practices from Reddit

The prompt incorporates the Reddit community’s collective wisdom:

Natural language guidelines: Explicitly avoids AI-typical phrases like “dive into” and “unlock” that make writing sound artificialreddit+1
Research quality standards: Requires peer-reviewed sources and transparency about data limitations, addressing the “No BS” approach Reddit users recommendreddit
Incremental approach: Works section-by-section rather than attempting massive outputs at once, which users found more effectivereddit+1
Style adaptability: Maintains your unique voice while providing structure, the key balance Reddit writers emphasizereddit

How to Use It

Copy the entire prompt into a new Perplexity Pro conversation
Provide your topic when the ghostwriter asks
Engage in the brainstorming discussion, answering questions as they come
Review and refine the preliminary outline before moving to research
Work through each section methodically, letting Perplexity research while you clarify messaging
Receive your detailed outline ready for prose generation

Optional Modifications

You can customize the prompt further by:

Adding specific research databases you want prioritized (academic journals, industry reports, etc.)
Specifying word count targets for your book length
Including writing samples of your preferred style to reference
Adjusting the chapter count recommendation based on your needs

The prompt is designed to be reusable across different nonfiction topics, so once you’ve refined it to your preferences, you can start new book projects by simply providing a new topic.

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