{"id":42233,"date":"2019-05-09T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-05-09T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/resources\/hiring-a-ghostwriter-secrets-from-a-ghostwriting-professional\/"},"modified":"2025-06-12T14:16:27","modified_gmt":"2025-06-12T21:16:27","slug":"hiring-a-ghostwriter-secrets-from-a-ghostwriting-professional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/resources\/hiring-a-ghostwriter-secrets-from-a-ghostwriting-professional\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiring a Ghostwriter: Secrets From a Ghostwriting Professional"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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It may seem like a minor miracle that athletes, actors, and other celebrities find time in their hectic schedules to also write bestselling books. In fact, it can be downright daunting to think that a single person can be such a multi-talented multi-tasker.<\/span><\/p>\n

But the story behind the story just might be that the author had a little help. In fact, it was probably a lot of help. By some estimates, as many as 60 percent of the nonfiction books<\/a> on bestsellers lists are ghostwritten.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"By<\/span><\/p>\n

As a ghostwriter of nearly two dozen books, I\u2019m often asked what exactly the job title means. To which I reply: \u201cI get paid to write other people\u2019s stories, and they get the credit for my work.\u201d Many of my clients are actually decent writers, but their busy schedules don\u2019t allow for them to write a book, speech, or magazine column. A recent client hired me to write a single chapter of her book, simply because her publisher\u2019s deadline was right around the corner and the material required more research than she originally anticipated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Things to Consider When Hiring a Ghostwriter <\/span><\/h2>

Understand your editorial needs<\/span><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s not just books that get ghostwritten. I\u2019ve been hired by entrepreneurs, billionaires, and celebrities to ghostwrite everything from blog posts to magazine articles. In most of these cases, the CEOs and entrepreneurs sought a ghostwriter as a means of building their brands, rather than of lining their bookshelves with literary awards. That\u2019s why knowing why you want to write can be just as important as what you want to write about. So relay that reason to any prospective ghosts you might hire.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also consider the different tasks that might fall to the ghostwriter. If there\u2019s a great deal of research involved, you\u2019ll need someone who can do more than punch out pretty prose.<\/span><\/p>\n

For those of you lucky enough to already have a contract with a big-name publishing house, you most likely already have a lot of resources available to you, including copy editors. So even if grammar and punctuation aren\u2019t the ghost\u2019s forte, those skills won\u2019t be as important for you as they would for someone who\u2019s self-publishing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Consider<\/span><\/h3>\n

Consider the chemistry<\/span><\/h3>\n

When it comes to the client\/ghostwriter relationship, it all boils down to chemistry. This doesn\u2019t mean you have to be BFFs and share wardrobes. But it does mean there has to be a certain degree of comfort and trust, particularly if your project is of a personal nature, such as an autobiography, that requires you to be completely open with the ghost.<\/span><\/p>\n

That trust goes well beyond discretion with sensitive material. You need to feel that the ghostwriter understands you and can reproduce your unique voice in the writing. This can be a difficult skill to master, so be sure to test-drive your ghost with some short-form assignments before committing to a long-term project.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also keep in mind that, because of the confidential nature of the ghostwriting industry, non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) might make it difficult, if not impossible, for a prospective ghostwriter to provide references or writing samples. I\u2019ve been fortunate that the first half dozen books I ghostwrote were (I\u2019m not kidding) for a ghostwriter, so I\u2019ve been able to use him as a reference with potential clients. Although he is unable to say which specific books I\u2019ve written, he can at least attest to my professionalism, work ethic, and the ability to write on topics as diverse as sports, politics, and Jewish mysticism. Most ghostwriters would be lucky to be able to disclose the genres they\u2019ve worked on, so don\u2019t assume they\u2019re being cagey if they won’t provide references or samples. It’s probably not that they won’t, they legally can’t<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Understand your time commitment<\/span><\/h3>\n

Just because you hire a ghostwriter<\/a> doesn\u2019t mean you don\u2019t have to commit any time to the project. A ghostwriter is merely taking your ideas and putting them to paper (or pixel, as the case may be). That means you still have to determine the best way to download that info to your ghost, which is most often done through interviews and the sharing of documents. You also need to make time to review the written material to ensure it\u2019s accurate and aligns with your ideals and voice. The revision process alone can require a good deal of review time on your part.<\/span><\/p>\n

Let me give you some examples. For some projects, I set up regular client calls, which are recorded while I interview them to make sure I understand their angle on the topic. Another client of mine, whose business is highly technical, loves to multi-task, so while he\u2019s running errands or sitting in traffic, he records his latest idea for a blog post, sends the file to a transcriber, and then sends the transcription to me.<\/span><\/p>\n

In each case, I then take the transcription and turn the stream-of-consciousness conversation into a piece that is coherent and accessible. The client then reviews the draft and provides feedback, which might necessitate another editorial pass. Usually two drafts are all that\u2019s needed, unless it\u2019s a particularly sticky topic, but even the simplest subjects require a time commitment from the client. The good news is that it\u2019s far less time than if you were writing the piece yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rates for ghostwriters<\/span><\/h3>\n

Most ghosts, particularly those who have earned a name in the business, charge a flat fee, which generally includes the gathering of material, writing the manuscript, and a set number of revisions. Others, myself included, charge hourly rates. I do so because I\u2019ve found that a flat rate can scare off potential clients, particularly since I pad the rate in case the project ends up being more time-consuming than expected. So I view an hourly rate as more beneficial \u2014 and honest \u2014 for both the client and me.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ghostwriting rates vary just as much as rates for freelance writers but are often higher due to the fact the writer doesn\u2019t get credit for the work. That means they can\u2019t use it in their portfolio or even as a confidential sample of their work for future clients.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most seasoned ghostwriters who bill flat rates will charge a minimum of $25,000 for a 200-page book. A colleague of mine, who has ghostwritten more than 70 books, now charges a minimum of six figures, and the most sought-after ghosts in the industry can command three times that. Hourly rates can range from $50 to $400+. It all depends on the ghost\u2019s experience \u2014 and how in demand they are.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"How<\/span><\/p>\n

Ghostwriter or co-author?<\/span><\/h2>\n

If your budget doesn\u2019t allow for a ghostwriter, consider hiring a co-author, which can cost considerably less. Even though the two essentially perform the same job (i.e., transforming your burgeoning ideas into literary glory), a co-author gets the benefit of having their name on the finished work, often in the form of a \u201cwith\u201d credit on the cover. And that credit has value, which the writer might be willing to bargain for.<\/span><\/p>\n

So weigh how much it means to have your name \u2014 and solely your name \u2014 on your work. But also consider whether or not your personal brand might be diminished if you had to share the limelight. If you’re open to sharing the credit, you might be able to save a chunk of change by upgrading your ghostwriter to a co-author.<\/span><\/p>\n

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