What exactly are ghost writers? If you are a child of the 80's and 90's you might remember the PBS television show, Ghost Writer. Not the same but a flashback is always fun, right? These writers basically do all the work and the person who hires them gets all the credit. Celebrities and politicians use ghosts to write their biographies, memoirs and even speeches. The technical definition is: One who writes for and gives credit of authorship to another. Yeah, that's what I said.
If you are just starting out in writing this isn't the best place to begin. You should be published and have some experience before you try and tackle this kind of writing work. A ghost writer not only has to be experienced, he should also write in the same general field in which he has experience. If you are adept at writing for the financial market you might not want to try your hand writing a love story. Are your surprised to know that many types of books have been ghost written? Both fiction and non-fiction? I knew that celebrities and politicians and businessmen had their stories ghost written but fiction authors too? News to me!
Why do people hire writers to write for them? They might have no time, interest or ability to write but they still have something they want to say. A writer who attempts a ghost book should be aware they would need the ability to write in voice to match the person who has hired them. If they are writing for a powerful CEO and the writing is meek and mild it just won't jive.
What if you are looking for someone to be your ghost? How do you find them and what do you do once you have found them? You can find freelance writers all over the Internet and you can request by specific job or in general terms, what you want from them. Here are some things to consider when working with your ghost writing crew.
- Your ghostwriter isn't on your payroll per se, so you need to allow time for them to accept and deliver your project. You can't expect last minute assistance when they are freelance writers and have other jobs to complete.
- Be open to suggestions in the writing process. You have hired them specifically for their experience and skill so let them help you by listening to their opinions.
- Be flexible. If you truly don't like a piece let them do revising and editing with your suggestions before you totally reject it.
- If you make changes realize that this could change the delivery time of the piece. Give them plenty of lead time in order to get their best work.