If you want to sell more books or attract new business opportunities, hiring a ghostwriter can be a great investment that turns into a fulfilling, yearslong relationship. Or it can be an awful experience that wastes a ton of money.
So, what separates merely average ghostwriters from the kind of partner you rave about to all your colleagues? I can think of a handful of distinctions, which I explain in more detail below, that all speak to the balance a ghostwriter must strike between creativity and professionalism.
In many cases, ghostwriters lean hard toward either a craftsperson's mindset, in which the business chops or decorum are lacking (bad), or toward a purely business mindset that neglects the precious craft of storytelling (bad).
The goal is to find someone whom you trust and respect as a fellow professional—someone who recognizes the value of your investment—while also showing a depth of mastery that reassures you that your project is in safe hands.
Hire someone who cares about your ROI
Let's be clear: You aren't writing a book as a work of art. There's something on the other side of the project that you're really after, because you believe a book will help you get there. Even if your primary goal is book sales, let's agree that you're already thinking about the book that comes after that.
This makes any money you spend closer to an investment than an expense. And with investments come an expectation of a return—your ROI. When looking for a ghostwriter, make sure the person is asking the kinds of questions that bring your ROI to the surface.
These are questions like, What do you hope this project achieves for you? and How much additional revenue do you hope this book creates? From there, a savvy ghostwriter will be able to build a working scope, as well as frame the success of the project, according to your stated benefits.
Don't trust someone who charges hourly or per-word fees
For a value-based relationship to work, the underlying pricing structure needs to align both parties' incentives. Hourly and per-word pricing structures—two common models in the writing world—are both unethical because they create skewed incentives for you and the ghostwriter.
Hourly rates are unethical because they reward the ghostwriter for taking longer than necessary. Per-word rates are unethical because they force the writer to make a choice between word count and income.
And what makes them both inferior is that, in both cases, the fee structure is tied to inputs—i.e. what the writer is putting into the project. In reality, the fee should be tied to value and outcomes. Who cares if the writer spent 500 hours on the project, but the quality is terrible? The client didn't get 500 hours of value. Win-lose relationships are failures.
You can trust the ghostwriter who charges flat fees because they know your incentives need to be aligned as you both pursue the value you've mutually agreed upon.
Ghostwriting is a highly involved partnership
Because books take a long time to write, and the relationship is one of high mutual trust, ghostwriting relationships tend to be professionally close—sometimes surprisingly so, for some clients.
Hiring a ghostwriter isn't like paying a plumber to do a job while you go tend to other matters, and then they tell you when you can come back into the room. You should expect a two-way street where you're both collaborating side by side on the project and communicating regularly about ideas, story structure, and other creative choices.
When hiring a ghostwriter, it's essential you trust and respect the person. But because this relationship is such a close one, it also helps if you just plain like the person, too. If the work has any personal significance to you at all, this person will become intimately familiar with your life and work. Make sure you're comfortable letting them get this close.
Division of labor can take many forms with a ghostwriter
A ghostwriting partnership isn't one-size-fits-all. Some projects involve the ghostwriter doing most of the writing and editing, while some clients prefer to be more hands-on.
For instance, if a client enjoys the writing process but wants a trusted advisor to help refine the high-level concept, read and edit drafts, and stay by the author's side throughout the process, the ghostwriter's role can shift to meet that desire.
As you talk with potential ghostwriters, gauge how comfortable or willing they are to wear different hats. My recommendation: Given how complex a writing partnership can be, you're better off with someone who can flex as needed, rather than someone who puts restrictions on what they do or don't do. You might pay less, but the experience will feel constrictive, more like a grind than a smooth back and forth.
Ego is the ultimate red flag in a ghostwriter
Nobody likes to work with assholes. With ghostwriters, the most common "asshole" behavior is the arrogance that comes from thinking they know best—that they aren't to be challenged because their command of the English language is far superior to yours.
Healthy ghostwriting relationships are rooted in mutual trust and respect. You should expect your partner to kick around ideas with you like a soccer ball. There are certainly best practices your ghostwriter can advise on, but what's "right" for the book should be based less on Platonic ideals and more on what best serves the reader.
Your ghostwriter is there to act as a bridge between your niche expertise and the mainstream reader. Be on the lookout for any signs that seem to indicate their priorities serve self interests.
You should feel smarter about storytelling after the first meeting
Still, you want your ghostwriter to be an expert storyteller. And there are good reasons for structuring your story and ideas one way versus another. In your search for the right partner, listen for this level of expertise.
You'll know it when you hear it. The person will talk about their philosophies about storytelling, how certain stories work, and other matters of storytelling mechanics. What they say will make you think or say, "Oh, that's interesting."
Sometimes people will claim to have their own "method" for storytelling. I'm generally wary of these claims. They all tend to be versions of the hero's journey or the five-act structure that were already formulaic by Shakespeare's time. These writerly inventions are usually marketing ploys. No technique is truly original.
I encourage you to find clues that someone is a black belt at their craft but uses their powers wisely. The project may not be a work of art, per se, but you want the artistry to be there when needed.
How I can help you with ghostwriting
Writing is a deeply vulnerable and personal act. Confronting the flaws of that writing, through the editing process, is even more so. I tell all of my clients that I'm their trusted advisor and partner, in addition to being their ghostwriter. My role is to guide and support (and yes, challenge) until the very end.
If you've got an idea for a book, I can help you change how people see the world—because that is ultimately our goal. We write to share our perspectives, so that others may adjourn to a different way of being and, perhaps, become a little kinder, more generous, and more open-minded in the process.
If you're looking for a patient, reasonable partner, I'd love for you to get in touch. Together we'll write something you're truly proud of and get you the ROI you deserve.