Save time, effort, frustration: Hire a ghostwriter

It's been said that everyone has a story inside him (or her), but not everyone has the time, skill, or inclination to write it. It's also been observed that many people want to have written a book, but few actually want to write a book.

The solution to both circumstances is to hire a ghostwriter.

Where can I find a ghostwriter?
Ghostwriters operate in behind the scenes, so finding one may take a little digging. They come in all shapes, sizes, nationalities, and backgrounds. Many stay busy through referral: happy clients refer them to new clients. Others rely on inbound marketing and proposals. Still others lurk on freelance platforms and pounce on projects as they come up for bid. Some use a combination of all three tactics. However, that doesn't answer the question, does it?

Start with an internet search (Google, Yahoo, etc.) for freelance writers and ghostwriters. You can find ghostwriters on just about any freelance platform, from All Freelance Writing to Write Jobs. You can even find ghostwriters through Facebook and LinkedIn and even Craigslist. Some services  like Gotham Ghostwriters cater to top of the market, others like Fiverr and Upwork to low-bid vendors. I shouldn't need to say this, but I will: low-bid vendors deliver low quality work.

What does a ghostwriter do?
A ghostwriter writes for you. This effort may entail extensive interviews with the author and other select individuals whose contributions are needed to complete the story. It may require literature research. The work may include working with the client to develop an outline, a book proposal, a query letter, and/or a synopsis. Some ghostwriters offer limited rounds of revision, and some offer editing of the manuscripts they produce. The contract between the client and ghostwriter should describe the scope of work. Anything beyond the scope of work commands additional compensation.

How much does a ghostwriter charge?
How much the writer charges often depends upon the material to be written. Will it require full-time attention? Will it require travel? Research? Interviews? Does the client require a specific deadline for completion? A certain number of revisions? Other documents, such as the aforementioned query letter, proposal, etc.? A good guide to professional rates for writing (and editing) is posted by the Editorial Freelancers Association: www.efa.org/rates. According to Reddit communities, the minimum rate for writing projects is 5 cents per word, a rate many new writers just starting their careers are happy to accept.

How can I keep people from knowing a ghostwriter wrote my book?
Ghostwriting has a long and illustrious history. Scribes wrote for Egyptian royalty centuries before Julius Caesar was born. Besides that, people seeking a book to read won't do digging for information on who really wrote it. They accept the author as the author. The ghostwriter, however, does need to retain the right to claim the project in his or her resume and portfolio. After all, you want to see evidence of the ghostwriter's previous work, don't you? Well, once the project is completed, other clients will want to see the ghostwriter's previou work. Fair's fair.

Isn't ghostwriting cheating?
In short, no. Your life story or story idea isn't something the ghostwriter would have written on his or her own. It's unique to the client. Think of is this way: You may have an idea for a house, but the architect creates the blueprints that guide the contractors who build it. The architect and contractors both refer to the project in their portfolio, but neither claims ownership of the house. It's the same with ghostwriting.

How long does ghostwriting take?
There's no answer for this, except to say that larger projects take longer than smaller projects. The ghostwriter controls his or her own time and effort, but cannot control the client's. Therefore, completion depends mainly on the client. Especially with ghostwriters serving multiple clients, it's best not to expect the ghostwriter to devote full-time effort to your project. Other clients have a legitimate claim to the ghostwriter's service as well, so demanding an unreasonably high word count in an unreasonably short amount of time will get you nowhere. Ask the ghostwriter for an estimated production rate and be prepared to accept both more and less, depending on your efficiency and changing circumstances within the writer's life.

Why else should I hire a ghostwriter?
Perhaps your company needs to produce a blog. Or you need someone on call to write proposals. Or maybe you want to produce a small book to serve as marketing collateral or a lead magnet. Or you have a story to tell and the thought of writing a book seems overwhelming. Perhaps you write well, but lack that creative spark to bring the story to life and make it engaging. Ghostwriters tackle all sorts of content needs for individual persons as well as corporations. They relieve executives and administrative staff of the burden of producing content they have not the time, skill, or inclination to write.

What does Hen House Publishing offer?
Hen House Publishing offers over 30 years of professional writing experience encompassing fiction and nonfiction and spanning diverse business interests, topics, genres, and document types. Rates vary based on project length and complexity as well as the scope of service required by the client. Hen House Publishing promises that all referenced and quoted material will be properly cited and/or hyperlinked to their sources: we don't plagiarize.

You have a story inside you. Let's bring it to life.

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