Ghostwriter worth the price

A successful entrepreneur wants to publish a book but doesn't have the time or energy to write it himself, so he hires a ghostwriter.

Then next, he will experience one of two things.

They can't find a good one, so they give up on writing a book.You hire bad people, spend a lot of money, and end up with a terrible book.

Why is this so common? When hiring a ghostwriter for the first time, it's hard to know where to look to find a good one (or how to determine if it's a good one). More importantly, you may be focusing on the wrong things, such as:

Price shopping (aka finding the cheapest option).Do you like or dislike him as a person?Whether they were recommended to you.

Good ghostwriters are expensive. When you set a price and borrow a cheap book, you (usually) get a poor-quality book. We've said this before, and I'll say it again.

The reputational damage of publishing a bad book is worse than publishing no book at all.

Just because someone you like or a friend recommended doesn't mean that person is right for you.

When hiring a ghostwriter, the fit is the most important thing. It would be better if you had someone who understands you, someone who hears your voice and has a process that works for you.

If a solid ghostwriter does a great job for your friend but can't capture your unique voice, or their working style doesn't suit you, they aren't for you. So how do you assess a ghostwriter's skill and aptitude to get a book worth the money you pay? That's what this post is about. We would cover:

where to find a ghostwriter?How can you tell if a ghostwriter is good?Here's how to decide if a ghostwriter is right for youThe process of ghostwriters for hireHow to shorten this process and get a good ghostwriter

Where to find the ghostwriter for this project

If you are looking for a ghostwriter, the first step is understanding where to look for candidates.

When I ask book agents about the best places to find ghostwriters, they always ensure I find one.

We have put together an extensive list of the many places you can find in our guide to business ghostwriting. It's the only list on the web that's based on real research by book agents and ghostwriters.

Lists are divided into three categories:

 Personal Search: Search a person and her website for their portfolio on platforms such as LinkedIn and Google.

Freelance Writer Marketplaces: Many platforms connect professional writers with people looking for writing services

Ghostwriting agencies: Third-party companies connect authors with ghostwriters and cover a portion of the fees.

Below is a quick overview of these three categories and what to watch out for. But if you want the full list of sources, click here.

1. Individual search

Searching Google and LinkedIn is one way to build a list of possible substitutes. Many of our writers say that's how people find them.

However, both platforms have drawbacks.

LinkedIn takes a lot of time and effort to sift through profiles. Search for "book ghostwriter," and you'll get thousands of results. Searching them one by one is a very inefficient process.

Search filters could be more helpful, too. You should visit each author's website to find out what they are working on and follow the process outlined below to see if they are worthy candidates.

Google also has to sift through a large number of search results. The first few pages are occupied by freelance marketplaces and ghostwriting agencies (more on that later), so you'll have to dig deep to get to the individual ghostwriter's website. It takes work to decide who is right.

Be careful with this path, as it can easily fall down the rabbit hole with no results. We recommend starting with other sources first.

2. Marketplace for freelance writers

The freelance writing marketplace is one of the richer sources for hiring ghostwriters, but finding good candidates requires sifting through different profiles.

You can view profiles and rate freelancers based on their portfolios and credentials. As with Amazon and other marketplaces, reviews help identify people you can trust.

3. Agent writing agency

There are many ghostwriting agencies, but most are scammers.

The problem is they only make money when they connect you with an author—they aren't paid based on whether the pairing is successful. So regardless of how it works, there's an incentive to connect ASAP. Agency incentives are not for ghostwriters or authors. The model has the incentive to make good connections the first time. Otherwise, it will cost you money. The amount you pay remains the same, but the cost to the second author increases.

We also work with top-notch ghostwriters and strive to make them happy. When hiring a writing agency, choose one with a proven track record. They are people who care about their reputation and have proven themselves to be doing a good job.

How verify tell if you're a good ghostwriter?

Regardless of which channel you use to search for ghostwriters, it would be best if you separated the good guys from the crowd. So, we have to start here.

 Unlike non-fiction writing coaches, you don't have to work with a ghostwriter to know if they're well. This can be determined by evaluating the following:

PriceReputation and experienceAbility to write a book

1. Price

Just as you shouldn't give your life to a cheap doctor or lawyer, don't give your book (and your reputation) to a cheap ghostwriter.

A ghostwriter is best thought of as a provider of high-end services.

Ghostwriters have a wide price range. For 100–300-page non-fiction books, price and quality are:

 $1,000 to $14,000: Users who request less than $15,000 should be automatically excluded. This is the bottom of the barrel and leads to bad books. If you can't afford more than $15,000, keep saving until you can (or consider hiring a ghostwriter). $15,000 to $75,000: This is the range to start finding a good ghostwriter with credit and reputation. However, there is a big difference in quality at this price point. $100,000-$250,000+: This is a much smaller pool of Elite Ghostwriters (many of them have written bestsellers and published books under their own name). The quality at this price point is arguably high. Typically, well-qualified and reputable ghostwriters demand at least $40,000. You can use this as a rule of thumb to judge the quality of your candidates.

2. Reputation and Experience

This part is easy. You can use the following criteria to assess a ghostwriter's reputation and experience.

 How many books have they made? The level of the books they have written (i.e., the status, reputation, and quality of the books they have written). The author level they worked at. Most ghostwriters post this information on their websites and social media profiles.

Experienced and trusted ghostwriters for hire have (usually) written at least five of his books.

They have worked with important authors (subject matter experts, thought leaders, etc.) in their industry or niche. And the books they have written have had strong reviews and are generally considered well-written.

If the ghostwriter has these things, their quality is likely to be high. If so, they're worth keeping on your list.

3. Book writing experience and ability

The final way to determine if a ghostwriter is good is to read the work and assess his writing skills.

This is especially important if your budget is on the lower end of the acceptable price range, as it leaves candidates with less standing to measure them.

When reading a ghostwriter's work, you should ask yourself the following questions:

 How well do you capture the author's voice?

The best ghostwriters know how to convey the author's ideas and voice on the page with complete fidelity. And the real test is whether the author's voice is consistent throughout the book.

For example, a ghostwriter can easily capture the author's voice while writing a story told by the author. But filling the gaps between stories with the same voice is much harder.

If the voice feels real in some parts of the book and not real in others, the author is not doing his job. If it feels authentic throughout, that's a sign of a skilled ghostwriter.

How committed are you to reading?

Evidence of good writing is: How much more do you want to read?

Good storytelling makes a book compelling. If you fall asleep while reading, the author is probably a bad storyteller (and you shouldn't hire him to write the book). If you have a hard time putting down a book and are very committed to it, the author might be a great storyteller. These are the ghostwriters you want.

Is it easy to join?

 The best books make it easy for readers to follow the story. If you're reading a ghostwriter's work and you're at a loss, it's a sign that the author didn't structure the story properly. When a great structuralist writes a book, he is never lost or confused about where he is in the story. This should not be confused with book ideas.

Here's How to Decide If a Ghostwriter Is Right for You

Once you've managed to create a list of quality ghostwriters, you can start looking for the right person for you.

 Remember: This is the most important step that people miss. But if you want your ghostwriting project to work, you must take advantage of this.

Many of the good ghostwriters out there will not be a good fit for you. To see who is right for you, look at two things:

 Do their processes and ways of working suit you?

Do they really understand you and the message you're trying to convey to your audience?

You will know if someone is right for you once you are clear about what you really want and need. Once, you can interview ghostwriters and their past clients to see if you agree with them.

If we can put you in touch with the right ghostwriter, we can show you how to self-publish and sell your own book.