There can be a lot of reasons why you want to hire a ghostwriter for your book project. Maybe you are a busy executive, an entrepreneur, or an amateur writer who is still in his learning phase.
But when searching for the perfect ghostwriter who understands your thoughts, message, vision, and style, you cannot find the best match.
One of the prominent reasons for this is that it is tricky to search for the most relevant ghostwriter that matches your niche and writing style. A ghostwriter should just get you, meaning he or she should match your style in the most authentic way.
Following is the ultimate guide to finding a book ghostwriter.
In This Article:
Detailed Guide to Hire a Ghostwriter for Your Books
Credible Sources to Find Ghostwriters
- Fiverr
- Personal Connections
- Indeed
- Upwork
- Ghostwriting Agencies
- General Web Searches
Qualities to Look For in a Ghostwriter Or Books Writer
- Confidence
- Reputation or Work Experience
- A slightly expensive pricing
- Publication Knowledge
- Creativity and Adaptability to the Tone of Voice
The Most Effective Ghost Books Writers Hiring Process in the USA
- Set The Goals or Expectations
- Clearly Mention The Milestones or Deliverables
- Set The Clear Deadlines or Submission Dates
- Sign The Necessary Agreements
- Mutually Decide The Preferred Mode Of Communication
- Discuss The Timeline of The Project
- Discuss Pricing
- Explore The Publication options
Some Bonus Tips to Hire the Best Talent for Ghostwriting Project
Detailed Guide on How to Hire a Ghostwriter for Your Book
Following is the detailed, step-by-step guide so you can get the intricate details and tips and tricks of finding and hiring the most suitable and professional ghostwriter for yourself.
Credible Sources to Find Ghostwriters
There are already a lot of sources to find moderate-level ghost books writers, but if you do not want to write a subpar book, you must utilize these credible sources or marketplaces to hire the best ghostwriters.
If you are confused about how to find a ghostwriter, the following are some widely used sources.
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Fiverr
Fiverr is the easiest and largest platform to hire a top-notch ghostwriter for your project. The pricing starts from just $5 and can go up to several thousand dollars depending on the expertise and quality of the writer.
You just have to post your project requirements and details to attract suitable ghostwriters. Once you get relevant profiles, you can scan the best ones and discuss further details with them.
If you do not have an ad copy, you can manually search for the ghostwriters and apply several filters to select the best ones.
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LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the most professional social network where experts from several industries interact and hang out. They have professional profiles with their expertise showcased.
What you have to do is just post a well-described ad for your job or book writing project. With every major detail mentioned, you can potentially attract experienced and top-quality ghostwriters. And just like any other platform, you will get applications to pick the best one.
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Personal Connections
If you have someone in your intimate connections, and you consider them as ghostwriting experts who understand your vision and goals, consider hiring them. Generally, we have the most credible and efficient people in our circle.
You can contact your friends or move in writing circles to get in touch with the professional ghostwriters and meet them personally to get their persona.
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Indeed
Indeed is another professional job portal where millions of users post and secure jobs daily. Posting a detailed project outline and goals regarding your book writing can increase your chances of getting experienced applications.
You can collect the applications and sort them to hire a books writer. Consider scheduling an interview with them to analyze their work ethic, writing style, and understanding of the matter.
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Upwork
Upwork is the most professional marketplace to hire the best talent pool in any niche. With their strict policies and strong evaluation systems, most of the ghostwriter are extremely professional.
Plus, you can pick the ghostwriters from specific niches as well. If you want to write a book specific to any business-related topic or hire someone to write your autobiography in your style, Upwork has thousands of specialized profiles.
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Ghostwriting Agencies
Third-party agencies and companies always have the most professional and skilled writers. You can get in touch with a few of them to hire the best talent.
However, it is to be noted that these agencies are responsible for just connecting you to the writer. To trust the writer with the quality of work is on you.
A Professional book writing firm can also help you in connecting you to the most credible and skilled ghost books writers who really know their craft.
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General Web Searches
It is somewhat a time taking and tedious work. You would need to web search the profiles of the most suitable and professional people and sort them down yourself. Plus, when you get millions of results, it gets tough to dive into each one of them to analyze their credibility.
This process has a much higher chance of scamming, fraud, and mistrust. And there is no check and balance on the quality of work and payment methods as well.
Pro Tip: If you want to meet the ghostwriter regarding your book project frequently, consider searching for the “ghostwriters near me” on the web. It will show the profiles only from your area.
Qualities to Look For in a Ghostwriter Or Book Writer
After you have sorted the extensive list of applications or candidates for your books writing project, you must have a screening process or some metrics to judge their knowledge or qualities.
Below are some key qualities that set the experienced ghostwriter apart from an average one. So when you are in a conversation with any writer or candidate, check how many boxes of the following list they check.
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Confidence
The ghost writers who really know their craft and have worked with several clients have a whole new level of confidence in their quality of work. They would often suggest some edits to the basic structure of the book or guide you to polish the main theme of the book.
When you hire someone with a lot of experience and knowledge, you should listen to their advice as well, as they know more than anyone what it takes to write a best-selling book.
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Reputation or Work Experience
They must have a solid portfolio with 2-3 books published by credible publishers. If they have just a few prominent names in their portfolio or experience, they should get preference over others.
Another important tip is to look for published books that match your genre. If they do not have to show books in the genre you are hiring them for, ask them to write a sample for you. String chances are that they write some paid samples. And you can analyze their tone and skills.
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Slightly Expensive Pricing Than Other
When you want to get a seasoned expert on board, you must have a budget to afford them. The writer who really knows what it takes to write a fully researched best-selling book always sets his price higher than others. It can astonish you to some extent, but it is better to extend your budget to hire the best writer rather than save a few dollars.
When you hire a writer for a book who has higher rates, strong chances are that you are getting a person who can write really well. When writers do not have an in-depth understanding of their work, they can not price themselves higher.
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Publication Knowledge
Ghostwriting professionals who have strong knowledge of the publication industry always have the upper hand. The writer who has knowledge of all 3 major formats of books publishing (traditional publishing, self-publishing, and E-book) is a golden candidate that you should not ignore.
The plus point of hiring a skilled book manuscript writer with an extensive background in publishing is that it helps you in formatting and designing the book in a way that is optimized for publishing. Moreover, they can assist you in navigating the publishing market as well.
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Creativity and Adaptability to the Tone of Voice
When hiring professional book publishing services, check that the writer understands how you talk, think, and formulate sentences or arguments. Plus, the adaptability of the writer is more important than any other.
If the person you are hiring has the creative skills to craft an engaging outline using your vision and thoughts but is also adaptive enough to mold the narrative as your style, the combination is lethal. These skilled books writers are a must to be hired.
When you conduct an interview or discussion session with them, look for these key attributes. The seasoned author for hire will always have these qualities, and you should give preference to them over others.
The Most Effective Ghost Books Writers Hiring Process in the USA
Once you figure out the best book author for hire on your end, it’s time to communicate with them and have a discussion about necessary stuff like book details, payments, and agreements.
Following are some tips to make the hiring process encompassing, making sure you do not leave anything important to discuss.
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Set The Goals or Expectations
It’s time to communicate the expectations and goals for the book. Explain to them in detail what type of content you want them to write, the word count, tone, and other intricate details. Tell them the main theme and ideas you have regarding the book.
You can get their advice on several matters, like what should be the best approach for the book in terms of the outline and writing. If you have hired the expert, put your trust in his opinions and give him space to instill his creativity as well.
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Clearly Mention The Milestones or Deliverables
If you have the specific word count and number of chapters clearly thought out, mention them clearly for the writer. Plus, the length of the book and revisions and writing, too.
Giving clear milestones to the writer keeps the process streamlined, and both parties would know in what direction the project is going. Moreover, you can keep everything in check.
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Set Clear Deadlines or Submission Dates
If you want to get updated about the status of the book or manuscript at every step, you can set tentative deadlines for each chapter or section. But, it is preferred that you discuss it with the ghostwriter hire as well. He would know exactly how much time it would take to write each section of the book.
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Sign The Necessary Agreements
Sign up for professional books promotion services of the writer by clearly stating the necessary details in the agreement paper. Mention in what conditions or circumstances the contract would be terminated.
Making everything clear will lay the foundation for trust and loyalty that will eventually make the writer comfortable enough to work on your project.
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Mutually Decide The Preferred Mode Of Communication
Many writers love to work in isolation with the minimum invasion of the client. Others prefer to get clients involved in every phase of the books writers project. So, you both should agree on what should be the frequency of communication. Plus, decide on the mode of communication. Ask the writers what would be feasible for them because some prefer in-person discussions while others prefer to communicate via Skype or Zoom.
You can mutually decide on this aspect and carve out the path that helps maintain the work quality and trust level.
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Discuss The Timeline of the Project
Designing the overall timeline of the project would help both parties complete it on time. Discuss with the writer how much time he would take to complete a section or write of the book and how long would the editing phase take.
It will keep you in the loop so you will know at what stage your project is at any time. Generally, ghostwriters juggle with different writing projects. So, you should keep the timeline flexible as it will foster creativity and ease for both parties.
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Discuss Pricing and Budget
Since you have invested so much time and effort in conceiving the book idea and selecting the best writer for it, you should prefer quality work over pricing. Hiring a professional writer can be expensive, but it sort of guarantees a fruitful outcome in the form of a best-selling book. Do not think about saving a few thousand dollars and hiring a ghostwriter offering cheap services because a badly written book would give a serious hit to your reputation.
No doubt that you would have a defined budget to spend on ghostwriting services, but you should not refrain from expanding it for a good deal. Many professional authors also lower their charges a bit if they get the bulk work. You can consider that route as well.
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Explore the Publication Options
The Final step is to get your book published. Discuss the possible options with the writer and ask him for advice if you have little to no idea. Writers can either guide you or even help you in getting your book published. Many seasoned writers have connections on the publishing side of the work, and they can connect them with you. Or you can hand it over entirely to the writer.
Getting these important topics discussed with the writer will help you start your dream books writing project on a good note. Moreover, it will build a trusted and lasting partnership with the ghostwriter.
Some Bonus Tips to Hire the Best Talent for Your Ghostwriting Project
- Look for the one with exceptional storytelling skills if your project is related to fiction, memoir or autobiography. Ghostwriting, for this genre, should be able to craft a compelling narrative that keeps readers engaged.
- A good ghostwriter should be an adept researcher. Check if they have experience conducting in-depth research to ensure accuracy and credibility in the content they produce.
- If your project involves diverse cultural elements or requires sensitivity to certain cultural nuances, choose a ghostwriter who can navigate these aspects with respect and accuracy.
- A well-connected ghostwriter may have access to additional resources, subject matter experts, or publishing opportunities that can benefit your project. So choose one if the project requires it.
- If you prefer using specific project management or collaboration tools (e.g., Trello, Slack, Google Docs), make sure your ghostwriter is comfortable using them.
Wrap Up
Hiring an experienced ghostwriter can be a hassle because there are millions of people turning to this niche. So, finding the one that suits your persona and understands your vision can be tricky. However, if you are equipped with the right tools and understand how they work, you can easily filter out the mediocre profiles to pick the best one. Ensure that you communicate your demands and requirements clearly at the earliest and get every other essential discussion done before finalizing any ghostwriter.