Should you hire a ghostwriter to help you write your nonfiction book?

Writing a nonfiction book while juggling a busy career or professional practice is a tall order. If you’re struggling to get your manuscript finished – or maybe even get it started – you might be wondering whether you would benefit from the services of a ghostwriter. Here are some things to consider when weighing up whether or not it’s the right solution for you.

1. Using a ghostwriter is a legitimate form of support for nonfiction writing

You might be questioning the ethical soundness of putting your name on a ghostwritten book. People can and do disagree on this practice, so you should follow your own instincts, but before you rule it out, it’s important to understand the role of the nonfiction author and how it differs from the role of the novelist or essayist.

In creative forms of writing such as fiction, poetry or humour, the imagination and artistry of the author are paramount, so most people would agree that the use of a ghostwriter would be wrong in those cases. Nonfiction – particularly informational nonfiction – is different. Readers will buy, read and recommend your book on the strength of the ideas contained within it, not necessarily for your creative virtuosity. If your book is built upon your own direct professional experience, primary research, and original lines of argument, there is nothing wrong with hiring a professional writer to put those thoughts and ideas down on paper for you. The practice is much more commonplace than you might think, especially when it comes to books authored by celebrities, politicians and business leaders. Many bestselling nonfiction books have been penned by ghosts.

2. Writing is a specialized skill that takes time to develop

It’s one thing to know a subject inside out; writing clearly and engagingly about that subject demands an entirely different skill set. You probably didn’t become an expert in your field by spending time at home hacking away at your keyboard, whereas a good ghostwriter will have studied the craft of writing and spent hundreds or thousands of work-hours honing his or her abilities. They will also be experienced in working to a brief provided by a client.

If developing your writing skills for the long term is important to you, consider working with a writing coach – and be prepared to spend plenty of time on your manuscript. If, on the other hand, you just need to get your book out, using a ghost might be the better option for you.

3. A ghostwriter can write much more quickly than you can

Many people who hire ghostwriters aren’t lacking in talent, original ideas or even writing prowess. For most of us, it’s time that is in short supply. You have a business to run, a practice to build and, inevitably, the demands of a personal life to attend to – and only 24 hours each day in which to do it all.

Everyone’s writing speed is different, but as a benchmark, non-professional writers can easily take five to ten hours to write a well considered 1,000 words. For a 70,000-word book, that’s 350-700 hours! If your career allows it, you might take a sabbatical in order to devote yourself fulltime to your book, but for many of us, that’s simply not an option. If you set aside one to two hours every single day, that time commitment would easily stretch out over up to two full years, and that’s not factoring in rest, illness, family crises or celebrations, or professional demands.

As a double benefit, not only will a professional ghostwriter be able to devote more focused time to completing your manuscript, he or she is very likely to work more efficiently, producing more words per hour. If time is of the essence, this can make all the difference.

4.  Your book should sound like it came from you

One of the most common concerns people have when considering hiring a ghostwriter is that they don’t want their book to sound like it was written by someone else. Rest assured that professional ghostwriters understand the importance of getting your message across clearly while still preserving your personality and communication style.

Your writing voice is as distinctive as your speaking voice. In your business conversations, do you lean toward a formal conversational style, or do you use slang, humour and colloquial expressions to get your point across? Are you authoritative and intellectual in your tone, or are you warm, personal and down to earth? There’s no one-sized answer to suit everyone, but a ghostwriter will pick up on all of those tendencies through their interviews with you, and can write your book through that lens.

5. Don’t expect a ghostwriter to do the conceptual heavy lifting

The words in your book may be written down by the ghost, but the ideas and research behind them must come from you. You can’t hire a writer to “write me a book about best practices in patient care” and expect them to come up with the advice – that is your job as the author of the work.

Before you begin your project, dig around in your own archives – you may already have more raw material than you think. Your ghost can draw upon speeches or presentations that you have given, articles that you have written, secondary research that you have collected (but be sure to credit it), your own rough notes, study results, or even your thesis. The author / ghostwriter relationship can vary greatly in terms of the depth of collaboration. They may work very closely with you, rewriting your existing work as a kind of uncredited co-author, or they may work completely independently on the manuscript from start to finish. Either way, you will have final say over the finished product.

6. Hiring a ghostwriter is a considerable investment

Hiring a skilled professional who you can trust to convert your life’s work into a book is not cheap – and you wouldn’t want it to be. It’s probably possible to find a self-styled ghostwriter who will offer to write your manuscript for next to nothing, especially if you’re hiring through online job marketplace sites, but be warned that when it comes to professional creative services, you get what you pay for.

Although there are no official minimums for hiring writers, there are industry standards that professionals on both sides of the hire will tend to adhere to. You can expect to pay a professional ghostwriter at least $30,000 to write a 60,000 to 70,000 word piece, and seasoned ghostwriters of bestsellers are able to command much more.  Because of the confidentiality agreements surrounding ghostwriting work, it may be hard to verify a ghostwriter’s experience. Do your due diligence. Start by conducting a thorough web search for “professional ghost writers” and follow up with a deep research and interview process. If a ghost claims to have penned bestsellers and is prepared to give you references from publishers or literary agents, you have probably found a legitimate provider. Word of mouth and industry referrals are also invaluable, so don’t be shy about working your contacts.

Are you considering writing a non-fiction book in 2015? Submit your project to LifeTree Media and find out how we can help you achieve your goals.  

Maggie Langrick

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