Five Tips for Working with a Ghostwriter

So you’ve taken the leap and decided to get your message out to the world via the written word. But what if you don’t have the time or the writing expertise to take that idea from concept to completion?

No sweat. That’s where professional ghostwriters come in. In exchange for a fee and few hours of your time hammering out your message and the angle for the book or article, you can offload the task and have it completed in a fast, professional manner.

Before you outsource your important project to a stranger, consider these five tips for success:

1. Consider compatibility
You don’t have to be best friends with your writer, but this person does need to “get” you and understand the message that you want to convey to your audience. Choose someone who you can feasibly work with over a 3- to 6-month period, depending on your time frame.

2. Don’t shop on price
There are literally thousands of unknown writers out there who will work for cheap, and who would love to get their paws on your project. You wouldn’t go to the cheapest dentist or doctor, so why would you trust your project to the person who boasts the lowest fees?

3. Pick someone who knows your subject matter
Some subjects can be picked up quickly by a professional writer, but others will require intensive research and education. Do yourself a favor by choosing a writer who already has at least a cursory knowledge of what you’re writing about.

4. Be straight about your expectations
If you need a book written within 30 days or if the bylined article you’re looking to publish was supposed to be in the magazine editor’s hands last week, let the writer know well in advance. That way your writer can adjust his or her schedule accordingly, or point you in the direction of someone who can better meet your needs.

5. Shop around
Most ghostwriters have web sites and many of them advertise their services on various job boards and writer sites. Punch the keyword “ghostwriter” into Google and see what you come up with. Approach a few with a short summary of your project and what you’re looking for, and pick the best match.