How to Hire a Professional Ghostwriter — And Why You Need One

Hiring a ghostwriter … Famous authors and successful global CEOs around the globe do it — so why aren't you?

I’ve worked in book publishing for one of the world’s largest publishing houses for many years. And I could spill a ghostwriting bean or two about big names writing crime fiction, memoir-bestsellers and anything in between. Many of them used ghostwriters regularly. Names you’d instantly recognise. But I’d have to kill you (or at least go into hiding myself), so I won’t.

Suffice to say that these authors were neither out of ideas nor lazy, quite to the contrary. They knew their stuff. They are just in such high demand — writing books, going on tour, speaking at festivals, judging book prizes, etc.; essentially working on their business brands — that pumping out all their written work on time became either too stressful or nigh on impossible. Enter the ghostwriter.

Starting with the author, and on to their editor and publicist, often, you could hear a collective sigh of relief waft through the office. That moment when the author decided to not simply work with a researcher but hire a trusted ghostwriter to faithfully record their ideas.

In their style, voice and mood.

So, What Exactly is a Ghostwriter?

Many people don’t know that the new book or insightful newspaper article by that renowned chef, politician or business guru is not actually written by them. But that instead they’ve had the smarts to hire a ghostwriter who did the work for them, saved them oodles of time — and made them look exceptionally clever!

I know many business greats and published writers who attract huge kudos for their prose when they haven’t been responsible for writing down a single word on their ideas. Often the actual author of said piece will be standing right beside them, utterly unnoticed. We are not called ‘ghosts’ for nothing.

It may seem unfair to the poor sod of a ghostwriter who has actually done the work — but it’s actually the highest of compliments to us. This is the moment any ghostwriter relishes, because it means we have done our job well: we so perfectly emulated a style, tone and every other detail, that our writing is indistinguishable from the original author’s voice.

We’ve perfectly captured their and their ideas’ essence.

Who’s Using a Ghostwriter?

Hiring a ghostwriter has become a popular option for people who have valuable ideas to share — but can’t spare the time or energy, or lack the skill, to put them into written form exactly as they want to. Whether you want to write a book to enhance your profile, have an opportunity to publish an article in a magazine, have a speech to deliver, a tender to piece together, or … the options are endless. Hiring a ghostwriter can save your bacon getting these things done for you perfectly and on time — while you beaver away elsewhere.

Some of the biggest names in business and history have used ghostwriters, and some have acknowledged them, amongst them Richard Branson. Which is a nice touch, but not expected by your ghostwriter. As ghostwriters we write, and your name goes on the work; that’s understood and expected by us.

If you have a head for figures or smooth salesman-skills but don’t necessarily have the writing chops, finding a ghostwriter that will perfectly reflect your point of view, style and writing tone is a legitimate option. It’s why savvy companies are able to publish so many successful blogs that meet the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) requirement of fresh, quality content to pull up their search rankings. And why celebrity-chefs and -trainers find the time to write a book or two each year in between all the TV appearances and events they attend.

Me, Hiring A Ghostwriter?

Now that you know that ghostwriting is a thing, a good thing at that, how can you assess whether you need one — and find the one for you? Glad you asked!

Start by asking yourself the following questions, answer them honestly, and trust your gut.

#1. Will it be a good investment?

If publishing a book, opinion article, white paper, blogs or social media postings under your name will assist you in promoting your brand and complement your business and marketing strategy, then hiring a ghostwriter is the way to go. Anything with your name on it needs to be engaging, interesting and well written overall so if you DIY and the quality is below par, then it will do more damage than good. Experienced ghostwriters will understand quickly what you want, need and will also be able to mimic your personal nuances and voice tone.

#2. Will it really make my life easier?

I’m going to answer this one for you: You bloody betcha! Having quality writing magically appearing in your inbox to simply read and sign off on is the answer to many a busy exec’s dreams. Often people will push aside their writing commitments because of lack of time. If you know that writing a book or a regular blog will improve your business, but you can’t get around to it, it can weigh heavily on you — a little niggle or itch that never goes away. A ghostwriter is the ‘Stop Itch’ for that mozzie bite. Hire one and feel at least some of your stress slink away.

#3. Are you a confident writer?

Some people love to write, get a thrill out of writing their own copy and are quite skilled at it. But if Johnny Cash’s ‘It ain’t me babe’ just started playing in your head, then it’s time to start thinking about hiring someone else to do it for you. If it’s important for you to share your unique ideas and experience but you don’t feel like you have the writing nous than outsource it to someone who does.

#4. Do you need to convince customers?

If the answer is ‘very’, ‘vitally’ or ‘crucial’ — and I was kind of hoping it would be — then a professional ghostwriter can not only write powerful prose under your name but help you develop a communications strategy that will allow you to better connect with those that matter. Most ghostwriters have a background in marketing, editing, journalism and/or public relations so can assist you in a variety of ways depending on your communication needs. We can do in-depth research on the latest market news, trends, and come up with hot topics that your clients and customers will want to read.

Goals and Involvement

If you have answered the first four questions, you are now in a position to determine if hiring a ghostwriter is for you. Following from there, you actually now need to really knuckle down and outline what you want them to do, how often, a budget and most importantly, how much you actually want to be involved. A talented ghostwriter can perform miracles with a couple of vague references and dot points, but you need to put some effort into finding such a writer. Their efforts will also cost more in accordance with the expertise and time required. Or perhaps, you are happy to be a little more hands-on in terms of writing your book, blogs or materials and require more of an editor. Some thought into establishing how you want to work with your ghostwriter up-front is well recommended to save any angst further down the track.

How to Find Your Perfect Ghostwriter Match

Ah, lovely, so you want to hire a ghostwriter, great! But you don’t know where to start selecting the one for you? No problem.

Remember that you will have to trust, and gel with, your ghostwriter. And what they write will be adding (or distracting) from your reputation. So, you want someone who is mature, experienced, empathic, and a good researcher and listener; just for starters. Here are some other things to look out for. In the end, you’ll know instinctively whom you’ll entrust your reputation and knowledge to.

#1. First Impressions Count

Your first contact with your potential ghostwriter should leave a good impression, and a feeling of clear and easy communication with them. You’ll be spending a lot of time talking about important things with each other in future, so if you don’t like or understand each other, this thing ain’t gonna work out well.

#2. Quality Checking Recommended

Googling ‘ghostwriting services’ will bring up a wealth of options, and it may be tempting to go for the cheapest one. We all like to save money. And you might strike gold this way, but do ensure you always have a have spoken conversation with your shortlisted ghostwriter. Written prose can be faked, and a deep-enough connection can only be forged when you speak to each other. Do get some examples of previous works and testimonials / referee names you can contact, if possible.

#3. Discuss Budget

A professional ghostwriter will be able to either give you a fixed fee proposal for the work or at least a ball park when you give them concrete deliverables (e.g. ghostwrite a 50,000-word book on subject x for y audience from z source materials; or write 1 weekly 800-word blog post from a short interview for the next year). They will also be able to come up with process options to match a budget you have (if realistic) by involving you more or less in the actual prep, research or writing work.

#4. Constructive Feedback

Hiring a ghostwriter who will make you look good, involves being willing to hear and take on feedback. You don’t want someone without any opinion (or experience to voice opinions). If your work might be controversial, having a critical thinker by your side will be especially beneficial, even necessary.

#5. Established Process

You will provide the seeds for the work your ghostwriter will expand on, but they will need to have the ability to research, ask the right questions, follow themes and thoughts; develop ideas to best represent your material and test those ideas. They need to be highly organised and logical, yet able to connect with you and the reader on an emotional level. Ask your ghostwriting candidates about their process, see whether they can articulate one, and can offer one that suits you.

#6. Confidentiality + Contract

Especially for a book project, or a newsworthy topic, your ghostwriter should be willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement if you ask them to. And your project should be covered by a detailed fee proposal or contract that clearly states what you can expect, and what’s expected of you, to enable your ghostwriter to deliver exceptional, exact work for you.

#7. Claiming Copyright

A very important bit! Ensure that you’ll have a written agreement in place that will assign to you the copyright for the work your ghostwriter produces.

#8. Collaboration Needed

Even when hiring a ghostwriter, you will need to edit the work. Beware the ghostwriter who does not include rounds of edits in their proposal or process or reassures you that “you won’t have to lift a finger!” Hiring a ghostwriter will save you time, but it doesn’t mean you will not have any say or involvement in the project. Of course you’ll have to — you will need to check and sign off the work, ensure it’s truly representing you and your views.

#9. Trust is Essential

Now, if you still find it really hard to choose your ghostwriter after all this, do ask them about something that reveals more about them as a person. Can you bond on a personal level; do you have things in common? A good starting point is their favourite project to date, because their choice and story might tell you a lot about them, and give you a better understanding of who they are.

Work with these tips to ensure you’ll end up with your dream match — rather than a ghostwriting nightmare that will haunt you for years to come.

Hiring a Ghostwriter: Meeting Your Mini Me

So there you have it; you’re all set now to find the ghostwriter that best fits your topic, style and personality. Just think of them as your very own Mini Me, Word-Nerd Edition.

Because who says you have to slave over writing something when you don’t want to or don’t have the time yourself?

Get your very own ghostwriting mini-me … and you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.

About the author:

Daniela Cavalletti is an accomplished copywriter, editor and ghostwriter who heads the international tribe of wordsmiths at Cavalletti Communications ('CavaCom'). They create marketing and business content that helps clients grow their business. Whether through a website, blog, brochure, book or sales pitch, Daniela and her team help reach, engage and win your perfect clients.