Now that you’ve chosen a ghostwriter, how do you get started with the process of building a working relationship and completing your eBook? The first step is for each of you to sign a contract or service agreement that outlines the deliverables and pricing. We will talk about this in more detail in part four of this series, when we discuss how to protect your work.
As much as you will be relying on the ghostwriter for delivering your eBook, you must take an active role in the process, in order to achieve something of quality. You should provide clear expectations about what you want to say, the topics you want to cover and the type of information that should be included. If you have an outline, you should share it. If you have examples of your own writing, you should provide them so that the ghostwriter can better duplicate your voice.
As you receive portions of the work from the ghostwriter, you may want to have the writing revised. Provided this is part of your agreement, you should feel comfortable going back to your ghostwriter and requesting the revisions. While you shouldn’t have to tiptoe around the issue of revisions or changes, the more respect you and your ghostwriter have between you from the start, the easier the entire process will be.
One thing to keep in mind is that your ghostwriter is not working as an editor but as a writer, so don’t expect perfection. Writing and editing are two separate processes, and while your ghostwriter should deliver quality work, no one can successfully edit and proofread his or her own writing.
A final note: Most ghostwriters will require at least a portion of the fee up front. A 25-percent non-refundable deposit is standard, and you should be prepared to pay the deposit before the ghostwriter begins.
In our fourth and final post on hiring ghostwriters, we’ll discuss how to protect your work.
