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What you should know before working with a ghostwriter

working with a ghostwriter

What happens if you have a fantastic book idea, but you don’t have the time or the skills to write the book? That’s where a ghostwriter can help you. Ghostwriters anonymously write books for people who can’t write them for whatever reason. They do the writing, but it’s your name or pseudonym that goes on the front cover.

Lots of people use ghostwriters to help them bring their book ideas to fruition. If you’ve ever read a book by a major celebrity, famous musician, or sports star, there is a good chance that person did not actually write the book themselves. But, it’s not just famous people who use the services of ghostwriters. A lot of non-famous people who want to create a book hire them, as well.

Before you hire a ghostwriter to help you craft your book, though, there are some things you should be prepared for.

Money

We’ll start with the money because this is likely what will turn most people off of working with a ghostwriter if they are not prepared for it.

Every ghostwriter is different and charges different fees based on skills and experience, but as a general guideline the budget for hiring a competent ghostwriter is the same as buying a new vehicle. Whether that new vehicle is a Hyundai or a Mercedes is where the ghostwriter’s skills and experience come into play.

Also similar to purchasing a new vehicle is the way you pay a ghostwriter. Again, everyone has their own way of doing things, but generally ghostwriters will take an upfront deposit and then charge you on a monthly basis for the duration of the project. Most of them will take payment at the beginning of the month before any work is done for that month, so the payment basically acts as a retainer.

Unlike paying for a new vehicle, where you can take several years to pay it off, you will have to pay your ghostwriter in larger payments over a shorter time period. If you don’t have access to enough money to pay off the equivalent of a new vehicle in a handful of months, then you likely don’t have the budget to hire a competent ghostwriter. You’ll still be able to find ghostwriters for less than this, but keep in mind that the old adage “you get what you pay for” also applies to ghostwriting services.

Vetting

When you are getting ready to spend this much money, you will of course want to vet the ghostwriters you meet with to make sure you find the right one. Keep in mind that while you are vetting ghostwriters, they are also vetting you. If you come across as difficult to work with or uncommitted to the project, your preferred ghostwriter may choose not to work with you.

It may be tempting to think of yourself as an employer who is filling a job opening where all the writers you approach are vying for the project and are happy to work with you. This is not the case. What is really happening is you and the ghostwriter are vetting each other to ascertain whether you will be able to work together. Even if you have the budget and you like a particular ghostwriter, they still may turn you down when you approach them if they’ve gotten a bad vibe from you.

Remember; it’s a working partnership, not a job.

Commitment

One of the most common reasons a ghostwriter will turn down a potential client is because the client doesn’t seem like they are committed to the project. If a ghostwriter agrees to work with you, you are obligated to make yourself available for:

  • interviews,
  • manuscript reviews,
  • general meetings,
  • whatever else the ghostwriter asks of you.

If you have any doubt that you won’t have the time for these activities, or you have any inkling that you may run out of momentum during the project, you are not ready to approach a ghostwriter with your idea.

Writing a book is a major undertaking that involves a lot of mental energy, especially when you are tasked with writing it in another person’s voice. Respect this. The ghostwriter is committed because this is how they make their living. The least you can do is be equally as committed.

Contracts

When you and a ghostwriter have agreed to work together on a project, you will need to sign a binding contract with them. Each writer has a different contract. Read it carefully. Have a lawyer peruse it if you have one. If you see something in the contract that you don’t agree with, you can ask to have it changed, but keep in mind that the ghostwriter is under no obligation to make the change, and they may just decide to move on from the project rather than negotiate with you.

But, ghostwriters are human, and you can always request a change. They may deem it worthwhile to make some changes to their contract if you and they have a good rapport.

Contracts are usually set up to protect the ghostwriter from clients abandoning projects or being overly difficult to work with and they are developed over years of trial and error. Ghostwriters learn from all of their client relationships both good and bad, and it’s the bad ones that have the most profound effect on the binding agreements they develop.

So, don’t be shocked about anything you see in a ghostwriter’s contract. It’s been included for a reason and the reason is almost certainly because the writer has had a bad experience with a previous client that has caused them to include a given clause. For example, a contract may include a clause that states if you abandon the project by failing to respond to a ghostwriter’s attempts to contact you for a given amount of time, like three months, that will render the current contract null and void and you will have to renegotiate a new agreement to start the project back up again. This clause would likely be included because that ghostwriter has had that exact scenario happen to them in the past. (Or, they’ve heard about that scenario happening from other ghostwriters and have been advised to include it.)

As long as you’re a good client, you make your payments on time, and you commit to the project, you should have no problems.

Where to find competent ghostwriters

An easy way to find a good ghostwriter to work with is to visit the Association of Ghostwriters (AOG) website, which has a directory of ghostwriters you can peruse to help you find ones to approach. Alternatively, it also has a form you can fill out with details of your project. Your answers will be forwarded to AOG members and any ghostwriters who are interested in your project will approach you.

Conclusion

Whether you want to write a personal memoir to share with your family, or you think you have the next Harry Potter series gestating in your brain and you want to see it put on paper, working with a ghostwriter can be the best way to see your book idea get turned into an actual book. Just remember that you will need access to a budget that is in the ballpark of buying a new car, you will need to make yourself available to the writer, you will both need to feel comfortable working with each other, and you will be required to sign a binding contract and abide by that contract.

Rob Swystun is a freelance writer, journalist, content marketing strategist, fiction author, and ghostwriter with nearly 20 years of professional writing experience. He has worked with C-suite executives, entrepreneurs, and authors to bring their book ideas to life. If you are interested in speaking with him about a potential book project, you can visit robswystun.com.

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