If you’re considering hiring a ghostwriter or collaborator for your book project, keep these considerations in mind:
Do you plan to try to sell your book to a traditional publisher (then you’ll need a book proposal), or will you be using a print-on-demand company? Do you understand the pros and cons of working with each?
What is your purpose in writing the book?
Who is the audience for your book? (Hint: the answer is never “everyone.”) Why will readers want to buy your book?
What’s your timeline for your book project?
What’s your ghostwriting budget? (Ghostwriters don’t work on spec, or for a portion of proceeds when the book sells. They’re paid upfront. An experienced ghostwriter may charge $40,000+ for a full manuscript, depending on the scope of the project, author involvement, and other factors. Book proposals typically cost $5,000+. If you have a manuscript or material already written that requires editing or overhauling, we can discuss an appropriate fee.)
Do you have material for your ghostwriter to use (like an outline or some initial chapters) or will your ghostwriter work with you to create the book from scratch?
How do you plan to work with your ghostwriter? How much time do you have to devote to your book project?
What’s your biggest fear about publishing a book? What’s your biggest hope? What excites you the most about it?
When talking with potential ghosts/collaborators, you’ll want to ask questions like:
-What kinds of publishers have you worked with?
-What do you know about the subject of my book? Have you written about this subject before?
-How do you typically work with clients?
-Can you conduct research for me to supplement the material I provide you for the book?
-What should I know as a client before I hire you as a ghostwriter of collaborator?
-If I want to write a book but am not sure how to structure it, can you help me do that?
-What can you bring to my project?
-How will you capture my voice?
-How many books do you typically work on at a time?
-What do you think of my vision for the book?
-What do you think my best publishing path is? Why?
-How do you typically charge?