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Top 10
Questions about Ghostwriting Services
 If you are interested in
working with me as your ghostwriter or collaborative writing partner, here's
some of the information you may need to know before contacting
me.
Take a moment to look over the material below. Then, if you
think I might be the writer for you, contact me for a free initial consultation so we can
discuss your writing project in detail!
- How does
ghostwriting work? What should I look for in a ghostwriter?
- What subject
matter do you specialize in? Do you write fiction? Are there any types of books
you won't write?
- What about
intellectual property? Who gets the credit or "owns" the rights to the book:
you or me?
- What books have
you written? Have any of them been published?
- If I hire you to
help me with my book, can you guarantee me that my book will get
published?
- How long would it
take for you to write my book?
- Can you help me
find a literary agent or publisher for my book?
- Do you help
clients with advice on getting published? Do you write query letters or book
proposals? What if I already wrote my own book and just want you to edit
it?
- What's an
"e-book", and what is "self-publishing"?
- What are your
fees for ghostwriting a book? How do you accept payment?
- (1) How does ghostwriting work? What should I look for in a
ghostwriter?
- Ghostwriting is when one person
writes a book (or even an article) on behalf of another person or organization.
The hiring client is known to the world as the "author" of the book; the
ghostwriter's name might be credited after the author's name with "as told to"
or "with", or the ghostwriter's identity might remain a secret, depending upon
the agreement between the two parties.
Among professional writers who
ghostwrite books, there may be many different models for how each writer
prefers to work. Some may be willing to do all the research and all the work.
Others may want the client to provide his or her own research and notes, and
the writer will then put the book together from those notes. And sometimes it's
a combination of collaborative efforts between the client and the
ghostwriter.
The fee range will also vary from writer to writer.
The more experienced the writer, the more the writer will charge.
If
you are thinking of hiring a ghostwriter, it would pay to interview two or
three different people. Don't just choose on price alone... remember that you
will be working with this person for many months, and relying on him or her to
translate YOUR vision and idea into a book that still has to "feel" and "sound"
like you, even though you didn't write it. For that reason, you will want to
choose a writer who you believe is sympathetic to your subject matter and point
of view, someone you believe you can trust to be dependable and to communicate
regularly with you, and someone who seems to write in a style you personally
enjoy. (Ask to see some writing samples.)
Writing a book is never a
small task, and writing a book for someone else is actually more difficult than
writing your own book, because the writer has to try and "get inside" his or
her client's head to really understand how best to express what that client
wants to convey in the book. For that reason, you should choose a
ghostwriter based on compatibility and experience first, and price
second.
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- (2) What subject matter do you specialize in? Do you write
fiction? Are there any types of books you won't write?
- I specialize in these NON-FICTION
genres: travel narrative, personal essay, personal memoir/biography,
inspirational/spiritual, how-to, self-help and personal development, business,
and computer/technical books. These are all areas in which I either have
real-world experience or in which I simply have a strong personal interest or
passion. But as a general rule, I am open to working on just about any
non-fiction project that is interesting, informative, educational,
inspirational, or entertaining.
WHAT I DON'T WRITE: fiction
(including fictionalized personal memoirs); adult material, pornography and
erotica; children's books; medical, scientific or academic textbooks; or any
book that is designed to capitalize on the pain and suffering of others, or
that is intended to intentionally exploit or damage someone
else.
However, I am open to editing
fiction, children's books, or technical how-to guides.
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- (3) What about intellectual property? Who gets the credit or
"owns" the book: you or me?
- In most cases, if you are hiring me as a
confidential ghostwriter, you will get the credit and own the rights to your
book. In other words, your name will appear as the book's author, and my
name will not appear on the cover.
If you agree to give me a "byline"
for the book, in the form of my name appearing after yours with an "as told
to", "with" or "and" credit, you will normally still own the rights to the book
and I will typically be able to work for a slightly reduced rate in exchange
for receiving that credit for my involvement.
If we are doing a
co-authoring or collaborative writing project together, it is assumed we
would share equally in the credits and rights to the material.
Any
arrangement for credits, bylines and rights will be mutually agreed upon and
included in our formal contract.
It is worth nothing that I do include
a clause in my ghostwriting contract that states that I do retain the copyright
on the book until full payment has been received under the terms of the
contract. Believe it or not, I have encountered clients who do not have the
integrity to honor the financial terms of our written agreement (fortunately,
this is a rare occurence, but it does happen). Since the client typically makes
the final payment AFTER I have delivered the finished manuscript, this clause
provides me some measure of leverage and protection to ensure that payment is
received in full. Once I have received the final payment for all services
rendered and any out-of-pocket expenses incurred, the copyright automatically
transfers to you under the terms as outlined in the contract. If the client
refuses to pay in full, I then own the copyright on the material and am free to
do with it as I please, including publishing it under my own name. This may
seem harsh but it is only fair considering the hundreds of hours I typically
will spend working on a client's book, and I expect all clients to honor the
contract, just as I do.
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- (4) What books have you written or edited? Have any of your
clients been published?
- To date, my ghostwriting and editing
credits include:
-- two motivational personal development books for
African-American women (both published);
-- a how-to software user's
tutorial (published);
-- two books for a life coach and motivational
speaker, based on his signature coaching techniques (in progress);
-- a
memoir for a female motorcycle racer (in progress).
I'm presently
working on a very exciting personal memoir book concerning a high-profile legal
case spanning two generations and two countries, that is anticipated to achieve
high publication sales and in which Hollywood has already expressed interest. I
have just started working on an another memoir for a woman who was a
professional motorcycle racer.
In order to honor the confidentiality
agreements I have made with my clients as a ghostwriter, in many instances I
cannot disclose the titles of some of the books I have written or the names of
the clients. Please see my complete portfolio for additional writing credits.
I have
also completed my own first book, entitled The Writing Coach's Guide to FINALLY
Writing Your Book. The book is currently available in paperback and
as an e-book. In addition to this book, I am working on several personal travel
narratives and essay collections based on my own experiences in moving to
France as a single woman (and finding love), my travels in Europe, and on my
personal blog.
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- (5) If I hire you to help me with my book, can you guarantee
me that my book will get published?
- No, nor can ANY ghostwriter, editor or
writer-for-hire make such a guarantee unless he or she owns a publishing
house and is willing to personally publish your book! The publishing industry
is not easy to break into for a first-time author; it's not impossible, but
it's not easy, and you must prepare yourself. Any author who is seeking
publication must have patience and persistance, and must be able to handle
frustration and rejection - LOTS of rejection. Even the best-written book may
take months or years to get published -- or it may never get published. That's
probably not what you want to hear, but that's the reality.
So, no
matter how wonderful the work I do in ghostwriting or editing your book
manuscript, I cannot promise you when, or even if, your book will be
accepted for publication. However, you should not let that discourage you
from trying. And, in the end, if you can't get a "real" publisher to take
notice of your book, you always have the option to self-publish your book. More
and more people are successfully self-publishing, and although it means
spending some money up front to have the book printed and to market your book
by yourself, for many aspiring authors it is will worth it to get their ideas
out there in print.
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- (6) How long would it take for you to write my
book?
- Books do take a long time to create. If it
were possible to write them super-quickly, more people would be doing it, and
doing it faster! In most cases I will need at least 4-6 months to write a
book, working on a part-time basis. Some books may take several months
longer than that, depending upon the scope of the project and the amount of
research I need to do on your behalf. When I know more about the details of
your book project I can provide you with an estimated target date for your
book.
In the event you want to "fast-track" your book in a shorter
time-frame, I may be able to make myself available on virtually a full-time
basis provided you are willing to pay a premium rate for my time. However,
even under the best of conditions, it will take a minimum of three months to
develop a finished book manuscript.
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- (7) Can you help me find a literary agent or publisher for my
book?
- No. I do not provide referrals to agents
or publishers. And I do not do the work of helping my clients get
published, because that would be a full-time job -- and that's what literary
agents are for. I recommend that you get a copy of the latest annual Guide
to Literary Agents and follow the advice in that book as you seek an agent
or publisher.
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- (8) Do you help clients with strategy on getting published?
Do you write query letters or book proposals? What if I already wrote my own
book and just want you to edit it?
- Yes! I am available to work with you
as your writing/publication
coach for anywhere from a one-hour coaching session to three full
months of coaching, where I will help you understand what you need to do,
create a strategy to seek publication, and provide ongoing support as you work
through the process. Learn
more about Coaching for Aspiring Authors.
And, if you have
already written your manuscript, but want a professional to edit and polish it
for you, or rewrite it, I also offer editing services.
Although at one time I did provide
proposal and query writing services, I no longer offer these services effective
May 2008.
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- (9) What's an "e-book"? And what is
"self-publishing"?
- An e-book is no different from a
paperback or hardcover book in terms of the writing effort involved. The
main difference between an e-book and a regular book is that the e-book is an
electronic file that can be downloaded over the internet into your computer or
any hand-held device that is compatible with e-book files.
There are
several different e-book formats, but one of the most common is Adobe Acrobat
(.pdf) format, which can be read on any computer or on some hand-held devices
that have a copy of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader Software.
Some books
are made available in both print and e-book format; and some are only available
as an e-book. Some traditional publishers are now making their paper books
available as e-books; other times, e-books are created by anyone who wants to
self-publish their own book without paying for the cost of having paper books
printed.
Self-published books also come in paper format. There
are many different ways to 'self-publish' a book; some authors will use a POD
or print-on-demand publisher, where books are only printed out as needed, and
others will use a self-publisher who prints off a certain number of books in
advance (which usually means the price per book can be lower).
So, for
authors who are having trouble getting a traditional publisher to take notice,
or for authors who prefer retaining complete creative control over their books,
self-publishing (whether in print or in e-book format) is now a viable option
to explore.
If you hire me as your ghostwriter, I will ask you about how
you plan to publish your book, so that I know how to format the finished
manuscript and I can factor that into the project fee.
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- (10) What are your fees for ghostwriting a book? How do you
accept payment?
- My minimum fee for ghostwriting any book
is $10,000, which usually covers a small book of under 200 pages on
average. Larger books and books requiring substantial research will probably be
somewhere in the $20,000-$50,000 range or higher. If you are willing to offer
me a byline (i.e., an "as told to" or "with" credit) I can arrange for a 15%
discount off the estimated project fee.
See Fees and Payment Policies for more details
about fees, payment schedules and policies.
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The Writing Coach's
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