Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Selecting A Ghost Writer For Hire

By Harriet Porter


Ghostwriting is the act of writing for someone else. A ghost writer for hire is most commonly associated with writing books but there are many other areas where the skills of such a person may be used today. Great amounts of content writing are being produced in fields like social media and public relations. These writers can be used for many situations from writing speeches to keeping blogs up to date, helping to make the process of writing less intimidating or simply stepping in for those too busy to produce content themselves.

We commonly think about ghostwriters in the context of books. Public figures like film stars, top business executives and other celebrities often have extremely busy lives and do not have the time to sit down and write a book. They go the route of hiring someone to write for them. Other people may have excellent ideas but lack writing skills and they too benefit from the help of someone to write for them.

There are ghostwriting firms that exist and working through them does offer certain advantages. They handle any contracts and fee negotiations and arbitrate any conflicts. The advantage of working with a freelancer is that it usually costs less. There are so many freelancers looking for work and they bid fiercely against one another.

Budget plays a part in the hiring process but just selecting the individual who charges the least amount can be a dangerous mistake. Well established writers obviously charge more but the extra cost ensures a quality end product. Another factor that affects costs is the complexity of a particular project. Ghostwriting a whole book may take months whereas writing a speech may have to be done in a few days.

Ghostwriters are usually able to give references and show samples of work they have already done. They can also be given a small task to identify whether they have a suitable style and tone for the work they will be required to do. Asking the person to write two or three pages about a specific memory that is to be included in a book will give a good idea of ability.

The ability to collaborate effectively is essential for such work. A personal interview may be the only way to determine whether you will have the necessary rapport with the person. After all, you will be trusting them to commit your stories or ideas to paper in the most believable way.

If working with a firm, they handle the contractual side of the project and get both parties to sign. When hiring a freelancer, it is still very important to put details of the project down in written form, from deadlines to how and when payment is to be made. A written contract is particularly important in a situation like this as many problems and even legal issues can arise if terms are not clear.

Some ghostwriters are credited on the cover of a book. Others are acknowledged inside. However, the majority receive no acknowledgement and no-one is aware of how much they have done. However, despite the fact that they remain in the background, experienced professional ghostwriters have chosen a career where they help others to bring their stories and ideas to life, often fulfilling a lifelong dream to do so.




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