Here are some typical questions I get about what ghostwriting services I provide.  If you don’t see your question here, or you’d like more clarification on an answer, click the ‘contact us’ link at the top of the page.

Professional Book Ghostwriter Services and FAQs:

Q.  I found an agent who likes my book manuscript, but she’s made several recommendations for changing and expanding it that I need to make before she will start looking for a publisher. Can you help me with this and how long will it take?

A. Yes, of course. This is actually a good sign – your agent believes your work has a high potential for being seen as a viable commercial property for a publisher. And because you only get one shot at a publishing house, she wants to give you the best possible chance of finding the right publisher.

As for the length of time it will take, if I’ve got an opening in my schedule, I’ll need to take a look at your manuscript and the changes your agent wants you to make. Then we’ll need to take a look at your upcoming schedule.  In  most cases, if your manuscript is mostly written, and your schedule has some open times where we can get together over the phone, we should be able to hammer out the changes in only 3 to 4 months. Of course, that’s actual writing time for me.  If I send you a chapter and it takes you two or three weeks to look at it, and another two weeks to send me your feedback, it’s going to take longer.

However, having worked with many doctors, I understand your crazy busy schedule and am willing to work around it as much as possible. The majority of the work we’ll need to do together comes at the beginning of a book project, when I’m trying to familiarize myself with the book, your ideas and vision for it and your ‘voice’.  And the second chunk of time will come at the end, when you will be reviewing the final draft, and we do the final editing and polishing. During the time I’m actually writing, we may only need to keep in touch once a week or once every two weeks, for minor questions and details.

Q. I’ve already written my first book and had it published, but it took me two years of writing at night and on weekends. I’ve got a great idea for a second book, but I’m not willing to wait that long to get the next book written.  Can you tell me how long should it take to ghostwrite a book?

A. Sure, happy to help.  First of all, it depends on what type of book you’re writing, if you’ve got an outline, any sample chapters, and if any of the research has already been done. It also depends on the type of book you’re writing – fiction or nonfiction and how long your book is going to be.  Click here to get an idea of book length and word count.  And finally, it’s going to depend on your schedule for the next four to six months.  In general you can expect your book to take 4 to 6 months, if everything goes as planned, and you’re able to meet the deadlines you give me when we start your book project.  It could take more or less time, depending on the variables mentioned above.

Q. I already hired someone who supposedly was a book ghostwriter, and the work was horrible! And when I let them know I wanted my money back, they disappeared. How are you different and how do I know I can trust you?

A. This is something I hear a lot from authors like you, who started out thinking of the cost of hiring a ghostwriting as the first priority. The problem is, thanks to the Internet, and some online courses that promise anyone can become a ‘ghostwriter’, there are a lot of people who have absolutely no business trying to pass themselves off as a ghostwriter – particularly a professional book ghostwriter – but are doing it anyway.

Then you’ve also got freelance writing sites where you can post your book project and freelancers bid on it – again, at these places, price is the number one consideration.  I’m not saying price isn’t important, but sadly, as you learned the hard way, price should never be the primary concern when it comes to getting your book manuscript professionally written and polished! You want your book to reflect the highest quality and be something you’re going to be proud to have your name on…

Writing – and finishing a commercially viable, engaging and interesting book is a skill.  And just like you wouldn’t even think of jumping into a plane with a pilot who had never flown before, or hiring your brother’s cousin’s friend who likes to build things on the weekend – to build a house for you – you need to find a professional book ghostwriter who’s actually experienced in writing books!

Q. I wasn’t able to attend your workshop on working with a ghostwriter, but I did have a question I hope you can answer. What’s the best way to find a ghostwriter? What are the steps involved in finding someone and how do I know they’re the right ghostwriter for my book?

A. No problem. As I said, this particular workshop wasn’t recorded, but I have plans for doing some in the future that will be so you’ll be able to access the recording even if you can’t attend. (I’ll let you know when the schedule gets finalized.)

So, the first step in finding the right ghostwriter for you is to look for someone who’s experienced in actually writing books. (That may seem obvious, but there are many, many ghostwriters out there whose main experience is in writing articles, or doing blog posts, or other things that have nothing to do with writing books.

You can do this by looking online – for example, type in “professional book ghostwriter” into Google, or get more specific based on what you  do or what the ghostwriter specializes in – such as “ghostwriter for doctors”.  You want to make sure you’re not hiring someone who’s only experience doesn’t include experience with what you need.

You might also ask around for recommendations, but this can be iffy.  I always sign a non-disclosure agreement with my clients, so the only people who know I was their ghost are them and me – and anyone they happen to tell. For some people, having the ability to hire a ghostwriter is a status thing – something that in the past was reserved for celebrities and the very wealthy.  For other people, they’re worried their reputation will suffer if anyone knows they didn’t write their own book, so their lips are sealed tighter than Fort Knox after a robbery threat!

So unless you’ve got friends or colleagues who are ready to dish about their ghostwriter, your next step will be to check them out online.  What does their Website look like? Do they have a blog? Can you find them on LinkedIn or other social networks? Do they have testimonials? Writing samples? Do they specialize in a particular type of book or working with a specific type of client? When you do a search for their name, how many items come up?

The next step is to get in touch with them. Their Website should give you the best contact information. Your ultimate goal here is to see if you want to move to the next step and set up an interview with them. If you sent an email, how long does it take them to respond? If you call them – or ask them to call you – what’s that like?  Do they have a process for setting up an interview? What kinds of questions do they ask you?  (A true professional book ghostwriter isn’t going to try to sell you on the phone with that first call. That’s because they don’t have enough information about you in the beginning to know if your book project is even right for them, or if the timing is right.  And they certainly don’t have enough information to quote you a price yet.  Be wary of someone who’s too quick to give you a price, or who tries to get you to hire them on that initial conversation. That’s a red flag that you’re dealing with someone who’s NOT a professional book ghostwriter.)  The objective of this initial contact should be to set up a consultation to discuss your project in more detail to decide if you both want to take the next step forward.

The ghostwriter should ask you to send them some basic information about your book project before the consultation – and if they don’t suggest it themselves, have them sign a non-disclosure agreement and send it to you beforehand. (This will help protect you and the information you’re sharing).

Next comes the interview, which, by the way, I like to set up on a teleconference line so I can record it (that way neither of us is scrambling to take notes – we can listen to the call recording to go back over any important points). If your ghostwriter doesn’t suggest this, you might want to.  During the interview, the ghostwriter should have a list of questions to ask you about your book project, your background, your vision for your book, your goals and what, if any work has already been done.

Part of the ghostwriter’s job during this interview, is to determine where you’re at in the writing process, and if your book idea is going to be commercially viable.  I’ve ghosted 15 books, and while I can’t guarantee your book will be picked up by a New York publishing house, I’ve got the experience to be able to help you take an unformulated idea for a book and flesh it out to make it interesting to agents and publishing houses. And if I don’t think your idea has enough flesh on its bones as is, I’m going to be honest with you about that, and will also brainstorm with you, to give you some ideas for making your book better.  (By the way, if you’re not open to collaboration or sharing of ideas during the writing process, I can tell you right now that I’m not the right ghostwriter for you.)

The interview with a ghostwriter is also your time to ask the ghostwriter questions about themselves, their background and their experience.  You want to feel comfortable with the ghostwriter, and their values and their enthusiasm for your project. Ask them questions about their experience, or specific questions you’ve got about your book. Talk about your time-line, your deadline for the book, and your schedule.

Ask them what their process for working with an author and writing a book is. (By the way, they shouldn’t only have one process.  Every one of my clients has had different skill levels, and different preferences for working with me.  For some, they prefer to send me a written draft of each chapter, and have me flesh it out. Others prefer being interviewed, so they can ‘talk’ their book. Still other clients have already written their manuscript and need me to tighten it up, and only want me to send them completed chapter drafts, so they can work in the time to go over them and give me written feedback.)

During the interview process, listen to your gut.  Are you comfortable with the ghostwriter? Do they know what they’re talking about? Are they offering helpful advice, answering your questions without hesitation? Are the questions they’re asking you relevant?  If you’re just starting out, chances are you’ve got other questions about the process – everything from marketing to finding an agent to publishing. Can your ghost offer you ideas and information? If you’re comfortable, it’s time to take things to the next level.

You’ll want them to write something specifically for you.  Since they’re going to be working on your book, I recommend that you ask them to write part of a chapter. You won’t have the right to use what they write, especially if you don’t choose them, but they shouldn’t have any trouble saying yes to this – it’s a reasonable request.

The only time I’ve refused to provide a writing sample without being paid up-front was one time with a prospective client who sent warning bells off in my head from the first time we talked.  He’d had a bad experience with an editor in the past, and was very clear that he wanted to make sure the writer retained his vision and wrote in his voice.  That’s not a problem – and in fact, you should be looking for a ghostwriter who can do just that… But in this case, my gut told me that not only would this guy be a major pain to work with, based on what he kept saying during our conversations, I was pretty convinced he wasn’t ever going to be happy with anyone’s work, and I had a feeling he wouldn’t live up to his end of our agreement.  And after a couple of months of back and forth talking and phone conversations, I turned him down. This is why it’s important that you listen to your gut, and pay attention to the invisible signals you’re getting from the ghostwriter. Writing a book with someone else is a very intimate process – the ghost is going to need to get inside your head – learn how you think, what your writing style is, and, just as importantly, what style you want your book to be written in.  They need to ‘get’ your voice and be able to write your book so that a casual reader wouldn’t be able to tell that anyone but you wrote it.