By Debra Christian and David Leonhardt
Everyone has a story to tell. But getting those stories written and published can be daunting. Choosing a topic, anticipating reader questions, developing a critical main point, and creating a unique style are just some of the challenges you will face.
An experienced ghostwriter can tackle these problems for you and turn your exciting idea into a publishable book. Working with a ghostwriter to complete your project is ethical, inspiring, and educational. You can learn enough about the business of writing to go on and completely write your next book on your own. Ghostwriters provide guidance and assistance that can bring your creative talent to fruition.
A word on ethics:
Remember, it is your story, your expertise in the subject and your message that is being written. The ghostwriter adds his or her writing expertise to help you communicate your message. This is completely ethical. However, a reputable freelance writer agency such as The Happy Guy Marketing does NOT ghostwrite educational assignments. Period.
Generally, authors can choose from two basic types of books to write: fiction and non-fiction. The fictional type includes stories that may be based on real life or are simply imagined. There are many fictional categories, with some stories blending more than one style, or genre, such as contemporary romance/historical romance, fantasy/science fiction, suspense/thriller, action/adventure, character/epic, and many more.
On the other hand, non-fiction writing comprises practical or self-help topics by experts or professionals, and may include cookbooks, how-to guides, relationships, child discipline, spirituality and religion, reference, history, biography, business and finance, etc.
In both the fiction and non-fiction areas, books can be geared toward children, teens, and adults of various levels of understanding, from novices to professionals in a given niche.
Although most people search ghostwriters for books, people seek ghostwriters for other texts, such as speeches, website copy, articles and other documents that they simply do not have the time, skill or patience to write themselves.
Maybe you have the nucleus of an idea that needs further development. A ghostwriter can help you brainstorm the topic to see if a book thesis, or main point, will emerge. Some people just want to publish a book on a topic that is dear to them, like religious faith or raising children, and they hand over the idea to a ghostwriter who will develop an outline of possible chapter topics and submit them to the client for negotiation or approval, after which the ghostwriter goes on to complete the book with some (or no) input from the client. Actually, a number of scenarios can play out between author and ghostwriter:
The more you have prepared in advance, the lower the cost will be for you. Ideally, the writer does not have to do any outside research, because you have done it all. If you provide your information in a complete and organized fashion, it saves time and money. Make sure all your information is provided, so that the writer has everything you want in the book. But don't just dump ten crates of newspaper clippings and scribbled notes on the writer's desk, because that will take a lot of time to sort through. Ideally, you can provide the following information:
Of course, the writer is a skilled artist who can create as much of this for you as you wish...and that is the key. How much of the details are important to you, and how much do you want the author to fill in. The more specific you are about anything important to you, the better job the writer will do delivering precisely the book you would have written yourself – your very own manuscript!
The author and ghostwriter, after discussing the state of the information and the expectations of the author, will agree on the work that is to be performed, resulting in a written contract that specifies some or all of the following:
An author may want to guide the process carefully and closely from the starting point. Or the author may choose to relinquish control to the ghostwriter, claiming sole authorship by the project’s conclusion. Most agreements fall somewhere between these two extremes, but it is the author's responsibility to make sure the project is proceeding along the lines he or she wants. It should also be remembered that the timeline is always an estimate, because the author might choose to delay things while considering options and direction. This is critical if the author is going to ensure his own satisfaction of the completed manuscript.
When you are ready to consult a ghostwriter, you have two options. You can hire one yourself, which means doing a lot of research into prices, services, and credentials. Ask about a free consultation with the ghostwriter, and you may wish to request published samples of the writer’s work.
The other option is to go through an agency such as The Happy Guy Marketing, which has already done much of this work for you. It is still a good idea to ask to see samples of the writer's work, and it is vital that you speak to him or her and decide if the two of you can work together to achieve the results you are looking for.
In crafting an agreement to work with a ghostwriter, be prepared to discuss your availability for consulting on the project, your special goals for the book, and your objectives for choosing a ghostwriter instead of writing the book yourself. Many times, experienced authors seek help from ghostwriters simply because they are too busy to write a book or business document that they could handle very well on their own.
Here are a few reasons you might want to work with a ghostwriter
Feel free to contact us for more information. We have worked with dozens of satisfied clients to bring their dreams to life. We will be happy to discuss your book idea and help guide you in the right direction for getting it into print.
Debra Christian and David Leonhardt are freelance writers with The Happy Guy Marketing. See their freelance ghostwriter services. For a free quote, call 613-448-3931, or send us an email.