Let’s face it…
You have a book idea you want to show the world.
Right?
And, you want to make your dream come true along with making some money?
Making money from your work is fine and the name of the game.
But as a ghostwriter, I see other companies and writers out there that, to be honest, are just out to grab your cash and not give real value.
Now, I’m not saying that every writing company or ghostwriter is just out to grab your cash. There are some great companies and ghostwriters out there who help authors get their books out to the world.
Myself, I prefer to work with my clients one-on-one and not be what I call a word-mill. It’s not my style. I enjoy working hands-on with my author clients to produce the best book possible. I work with only 4-6 authors a year.
That’s how I roll.
I don’t want you or any of my clients to have a bad book writing experience.
Let’s dive in and look at some red-flags when you are searching for a ghostwriter:
Outsourcing Ghostwriters
When you are looking to hire someone to write your book you want that person to do the actual writing. There are a lot of companies that outsource the work to other rookie ghostwriters and charge you the large fees.
Make sure that who you hire is the actual ghostwriter for your project. The reason is if they are outsourcing, a novice writer who is not skilled enough to do the work could perform the writing. Bad writing will lead you to frustration, confusion and even emptier wallet. Ensure you are hiring the direct ghostwriter.
Word Mill Syndrome
Just looking around on a search on Google will bring up many writing companies that promote having “writing teams” and multiple staff members that will work with you on your project. I see this as a big red flag. If a company has a big staff of full-time writers, chances are high they will put you off and toss you around with a few different people. This, once again, can leave you frustrated, confused and most of all putting your project at risk of not being cohesive.
With teams, the practical hands-on one-on-one approach goes out the door. I would consider any company promoting multiple teams and multiple writers as a “word-mill” and you will not receive the personal service you deserve on your book. This is not an attack on anyone. This is something I feel. Make sure you work one-on-one with your ghostwriter. The book-writing experience should be fun and exhilarating. From my experience, the only way this is achieved is by working with someone directly and not with a team.
A Finely Tuned Contract
If you find a ghostwriter, you want to work with, make sure everything you agree upon is written in a contract. Make sure your contract is with the actual ghostwriter you have spoken to and your work is not being outsourced to someone else. Ask upfront if the ghostwriter is the actual ghostwriter who will do your work.
Outline the details on every deliverable time frame on the manuscript. Put everything in writing including payment terms, confidentiality, revisions, percentages, and expectations of the ghostwriter and you as a client. This way there isn’t any doubt on what is expected, and the contract will keep everything on track.
Big Promises
As you are searching for a ghostwriter, if you find one that is promising everything under the sun to get your business this is a big red flag.
Let’s look at reality…
No one can do everything and when someone blows their horn saying that can do it all for you, in most instances, they cannot meet up to the expectations. Plus, if they say they can get your book written in two weeks or a month this might be true but how good will your book be? A well-written book takes time. At least 3-6 months depending on length and subject. My advice is to steer clear and move on.
Major Publisher Promise
If you find a ghostwriter hard-pressing you and promising they have ties to major publishers and can get your book published with a major publisher. Beware. No one can promise such a thing and even the best in the industry do not know if a book has the goods to get a traditional publishing deal.
In today’s book business climate, it takes more than a fancy title. It takes an investment of time, commitment to marketing, a large platform, along with an in-depth book proposal. Even if an author has all of those aspects in place, the need for a literary agent becomes clear to go to bat for you. Not saying all of this it can’t be done and it can. They do it every day. But any ghostwriter promising the world and telling you they can do it for you is hogwash. My advice… “Run Forest Run”-Forest Gump
If you are here and want to hire a reputable, professional ghostwriter with years of skills to get your book out into the world. You have come to the right place. I’d love to learn how I can help you make your dream come true. Schedule a FREE Book Consultation with me at ghostwriterusa1@gmail.com. I look forward to helping write your book!
www.ghostwritingusa.com