Experience. Quality. Fit. Budget. These are the four factors that should most influence your choice of ghostwriter.
Let’s talk about fees first. Because experience and quality can cover a dramatic range (ie, from no experience to vast experience), so can ghostwriting fees. But when thinking about what hiring a ghostwriter is worth to you, consider the fact that writing a good book takes time—a lot of time, even for professionals. If a ghostwriter is only charging $20,000, you have to wonder how much time he or she really plans to devote to the project. A book is also not a great way to become a millionaire. It isn’t a sure-bet investment. So if the writer is asking for an astronomical fee, you have to decide if you’re okay with losing money on your investment—unless you are a guaranteed bestselling author due to a massive platform or celebrity status. That said, it that fee seems appropriate to you because the book is part of a much larger marketing or business growth strategy, then go for it if you find the right writer.
For most nonfiction books, I think a reasonable range to anticipate is somewhere between $45,000 and $90,000, or an average of $1 per word. That said, I know some amazing writers who charge outside of that range or average. Consequently, although budget is an important factor, you should first think carefully about the type of writer you should be working with and why.
So how do you find the right writer?
Experience
The level of experience you need in your writer depends first on your own experience and preparation.
The level of experience you need in your writer depends first on your own experience and preparation. For instance, is your book based on information that you have been developing over time and implementing as a process in your business, say as a speaker or consultant? Do you already have it organized into a logical flow? Have you already developed a proposal with a clear message and promise, market and audience analysis, and proposed outline? Has a publisher already bought your book? Are you already working on a first draft? All of these elements make the writer’s job a bit easier and make the type of experience you need in your writer a bit different. If a writer isn’t required to define the message, figure out the market, write a proposal to help the project sell, etc., the project takes less time and requires a good writer but maybe somebody who doesn’t have deep experience in those other tasks. In fact, some writers only work with authors who arrive with a fully developed proposal in hand.
However, if you know you want to write a book, believe you have a compelling idea or story to share, but don’t have the slightest idea about how it should be developed, you need a much more experienced writer. Look for somebody who has worked with authors from point 0 and has helped them develop their message, promise, market position, content approach, and so on. Idea and message development requires a different skill set than writing alone. The benefit of working with writers who have these skills is that they can also help you refine your brand, your speeches, your consulting approach, your thought leadership platform, and much more. I have had clients tell me that because of our work together, their brand or company is more focused and more compelling to their target audience or customers. The financial worth of that broader clarity and brand strength feeds into the return on the investment.
Do not hire a writer who has never written a book before.
On the opposite end of the experience scale are writers who have never written books. You should not hire such a writer for your project. Writing a book is not the same thing as writing newspaper or magazine articles, marketing materials, white papers, annual reports, or blogs. Long-form writing is an entirely different animal and most writers find it difficult to make the shift at first, especially if they are being asked to start without an outline already developed.
Finally, you want to work with somebody who has ghostwritten books. Ghostwriting requires a writer to adopt the author’s voice, style, and persona. It isn’t easy. If you are considering writers who have only ever published their own work, you may want to find a different group, unless some of them happen to have a style and voice that you believe is very similar to your own.
Quality
More important than anything else: hire a writer who writes well.
Quality of writing seems like an obvious element of choosing the right ghostwriter. However, I have seen at least three authors spend tens of thousands of dollars on books that were literally unpublishable. Now, the quality of the book, and even the writing, isn’t the sole responsibility of the writer. You, as the author, have to give a writer great content to work with. If you don’t think you have it, don’t hire somebody until you do. I know a writer who was hired by a person who seemed to be an expert in his or her space. As the writer asked for research and supporting ideas, though, all the author sent was Wikipedia page after Wikipedia page.
How do you know if the person is a high quality writer? Most ghostwriters have the ability to share some of the books they have worked on. Not all, of course, because some projects are covered by strict confidentiality clauses. Read samples from the books that the writer lists. Look at the reviews in publications like Kirkus or Publisher’s Weekly or Library Journal (these are often on a book’s Amazon page). Look at endorsements of the writer from authors, editors, and agents, often displayed on writers’ websites. I know a writer who has put together a document of samples of different types of writing she has done, or writing that tackles different content challenges. You can ask for a sample based on your content, but be prepared for most writers to say no. A writer you’ve just met doesn’t yet know enough about you or your content to write well for you, so why do a sample that they know won’t reflect their actual talent as a writer?
Again, look at experience. If the writer has a long list of published books under his or her belt, it’s unlikely you’re looking at a bad writer.
Fit
It can be helpful for the writer to have experience in your genre, but don’t make experience with your topic a priority.
Lots of writers write far and wide, in many different genres and on an incredible array of topics, but lots have niches. If a writer has only or mostly written nonfiction, you probably wouldn’t hire that person to write a novel, and vice versa. If a writer has mostly written business books, you may need to think carefully about whether that person is a good fit for your cookbook or your diet book. To some degree, good writing is good writing. I’ve written in a host of genres and the essentials are always the same: tell good stories, engage the reader logically and emotionally, make the ideas accessible and compelling, and fulfill the promise you made to the reader on every page. But I probably wouldn’t even pitch myself for a middle grade biography, for instance.
These three factors, plus budget, will help you narrow your list of possible writers and choose the one that will give your content the best shot possible in the market.
Featured image: © Yuttana2003