 
Becoming a Ghostwriter

How to Become a Ghost Writer

By Karen S. Cole

Copyright 2020

Karen S. Cole

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 979-8634059679

ASIN: B086SPHM23

Cover design: Adobe Spark

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Dedication

This book is dedicated to book ghostwriter Philip Roth and comic book creator Stan Lee. Both of these Jewish men inspired my ghostwriting services business. And enlivened my otherwise boring and painfully spotty existence.

Prologue: A Series of Articles and Posts

I am a successful ghostwriter – who founded and runs Ghost Writer, Inc.

To explain, this book isn't a book in the traditional sense. Rather, it's an exploration through the many articles and posts I've created on ghostwriting. Over the years, I've amassed a wealth of my own expertise and information on what you can do to become a ghostwriter. And what exactly ghostwriting is all about.

I've been online and in the ghostwriting services business since 2003. I started sending work out to members of my ghostwriting team in 2005. Below is an article I wrote outlining how I began my dream, in the basement of our house in Gahanna, Ohio in 1974. Bear with me; I may repeat myself a few times throughout this book. But suffice it to say, in spite of some redundancies, this book will be a valuable guide to you and your own dreams of becoming a ghostwriter.

Whether you spell it ghost writer or ghostwriter.

#####

I am a book ghost writer. I run a ghostwriter services company. Either spelling of "ghost writer" is okay. Ghost writers here work on books, manuscripts, scripts, screenplays, music and lyrics. We also do marketing and promotions, like I said, but I only do book ghost writing. I don't edit so much anymore.

I work in the direction of expert ghost writing, because I have well over a decade of experience at being a ghost and some 30 years of freelance writing in general. It's not been absolutely steady. My day job was working in-home for the disabled, and one time back there I studied to become a nurse. That fell through, because I had to fulfill a special promise to myself.

I had to start up book ghostwriter services and run Rainbow Writing, Inc. It happened to me in my basement in Ohio, when I was about 14 years old. I was reading a Marvel comic book, studying Stan Lee, when it hit me that I wanted to run a cattle pen of writers. Not a "bull pen" of only male writers. I needed to become something a lot like Stan Lee!

He's "Stan the Man" who came up with Spiderman, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, etc. I have never met him in person. But he was eerily inspirational for some odd, unknown reason. And he set me to dreaming. Even a young girl like me could grow up, becoming a terrific book ghost writer. I would live to work in another field than the overly violent, muscular comic book one back in the day!

GHOSTWRITER SERVICES CAME TO ME AS I GAZED AT STAN LEE'S BULLPEN NOTES

So I invented my company right there in the basement. Eventually I was a freelance writer, for many years. I reported to editors, magazine publishers and other cranky, irritable bosses. Then in January of 2003, I opened up Rainbow online. I've been ghostwriting under my own kind, grandmotherly auspices since. The steadiest part has been me rewriting and editing book manuscripts. However, my first genuinely ghost written book sold ridiculously well – twelve copies a day from their website. It's not just beginner's luck – many of my other books have sold remarkably. But there are no guarantees in the ghostwriter services industry.

Your book through us or me alone may sell millions of copies, somewhere in between, or only a few copies. Most of it is up to you and what you want to do with it. Some of it is also up to us, and what we can do for you for the amount of money you lay out, the time you spend, and how often you want to get involved in your book ghostwriting project. It is a back and forth type of thing, between your ghostwriter services and you as our client.

What you do to promote and sell your book is entirely up to you. Whether you hire professional services, do the legwork on your own, or combine both. I highly recommend the third course of action: hire us, and also do your own stuff! Get a book sales website, go on a country-wide book tour, do book signings, etc.

BEING A BOOK GHOSTWRITER IS AN INTERESTING LIFE

I have been freelance writing since before 1980 and have gained a ton of personal experience. I spent years with my day job being a home health care aide for the disabled. This job taught me a lot about professional courtesy and how to handle interpersonal client relationships. I seriously think it deeply helped me with my ghostwriter services, because it taught me exactly how to be a "background" person and not put my needs above those of my clients.

Now when I perform ghost writing, editing and assisting with marketing service, I know how to structure my time and how to handle my clients properly. A good ghostwriter services must learn how to listen, arranging the ghost writing work in order to best suit each client's concerns and requirements.

What you get then is a final product that pleases everyone involved, including the client's audience or readers. And you have to make the finished work "read" professionally. So that it can be marketed, produced, published or optioned successfully – at which our company is fantastic!

WHAT EXACTLY ARE GOOD GHOSTWRITER SERVICES ABOUT?

Actually, a ghostwriter services may work on almost any writing project. Whether it's a book, a screenplay, music lyrics or any other writing or editing project. Book ghost writers specialize in writing, editing, proofreading and formatting book manuscripts, and that's primarily what I do as a book ghost writer. I have been working steadily as a ghost writer since 2003, off and on since 1980 too.

A good book ghostwriter services will handle your editing needs, including fully proofreading and fact checking the manuscript once it's completed. Our company also tries to arrange proper marketing and promotions services. These help you get your manuscript read by literary agents, which assist you in becoming published. We have access to self-publishing, and also independent, boutique and commercial book publishing services.

GOOD BOOK GHOSTWRITER SERVICES DON'T MIND BEING ANONYMOUS

When you run a ghostwriter services, your workers are important. Meanwhile, they only want some acknowledgment of their work to cite references. This is only in order to attract future ghost writing clients. Sometimes a ghost writer will ask for permission from the client to run brief excerpts from their work. With no title or name attached, this lets the ghost writer use them as references. Other times, a client will agree to give a good recommendation involving the ghost writing work, with no mention of the name of the work or limited mention of the client.

In other words, there are ways to get references without having to reveal anything involving giving up anonymity. Of course, some clients don't mind giving out names and book or other titles. These clients primarily hire a ghost writer because they don't have the time, inclination or talent to write or complete their own works. A lot of clients hire a ghostwriter services for one or all three of these important reasons. So there is a lot of flexibility when it comes to using a ghost writer.

THE PROCESS OF BOOK GHOSTWRITING – HOW IT'S DONE

I'm going to talk now about book ghost writing as a process. It's fairly simple. You give me your ideas, materials, background information. Such as photos you need incorporated in your book. I put it all together for you in manuscript format. I know how to properly lay out, format and design a book manuscript that literary agents and publishers will be likely to accept. As ghostwriter services, it's my job to prepare for you a completely finished, polished and professional manuscript or other work.

The idea is to get you to share your information with me. We do this through emails mostly and the phone, sometimes personal interviews. Some of our writers, editors and marketers also use Skype, or Instant Messaging. Our ghostwriter services are highly flexible when it comes to methodology. You may create several hours' worth of audio tapes and hire us to transcribe them into a Word document. We will then ghostwrite it into a fully formatted book manuscript, or whatever you need in the manner of ghostwriter services.

HOW DO I WORK WITH YOUR GHOSTWRITER SERVICES?

You send me the docs, background notes, official papers and other materials. Ideally, this is done through scanned-in email attachments. As your ghostwriter services, I always ask clients to never send me their original documents, just copies. We usually start with creating a Book Outline, which lays out the skeleton or contents of your book. Next comes a Book Timeline, which puts all of the important events in chronological order.

I will fully assist you in creating the outline and timeline. Next can come a Chapter Outline, or brief chapter by chapter descriptions. These preliminary docs create a framework or guide to putting together your book. Some of these docs will also be used when creating your book proposal and query letter. Next, I assemble the needed materials and begin to organize everything. Also, you can simply send me your original writing. I will flesh it out, editing, rewriting and improving everything as I go.

HIRE OUR GHOSTWRITER SERVICES IN ORDER TO GET CLEAN, CRISP PROSE THAT'S PUBLISHABLE

My finished ghostwriter services work will make a publisher shout, "This is exactly what we're looking for!" While rewriting, I fix up your grammar, remove redundancies, clarify your ideas and improve your work's overall structure and flow. Sometimes, if more extensive developmental editing and content rewriting is needed, I add in characters, subplots, descriptions and more sophisticated details to your work. Then I professionally fact check, copyedit and proofread it.

In the process of me performing your ghostwriter services, your book manuscript will become a sterling piece of beautifully written copy. It's finally, fully ready to be promoted to publishers through a literary agent. Or it can be published independently through Amazon, Smashwords, Lulu and other commercial outlets. No matter what, I will always find a way to get your book published. And hopefully, to grant you prestige as a new book author and make you decent money.

If you really need that. Sometimes people only want a memoir written for a beloved relative, not the money. Some folks need book copies to hand out to certain people, such as potential business clients. And sometimes an author is creating his or her "dream book" – not for money at all. Really, no ghostwriter services can determine whether or not your book is going to sell. It can be a waiting game, a midrange seller, or an overnight world success story. Or a business game changer.

BOOK GHOSTWRITERS DEAL WITH LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS

Mostly, you need to be able to handle redundancy and people's tendencies to exaggerate both bad and good situations. You must know how to create writing that fits closely with the original author's expectations. As a ghostwriter services company, book ghostwriting is my forte. I do memoirs and both fiction and nonfiction. I don't work on screenplays or music myself. Other writers and editors on our team handle those categories. When book ghostwriting, I strive mightily to keep steadily to the original author's voice. That's my general style as a ghost writer, doing things your way. If it's not needed, I write in my own overall voice if it's more suitable.

My ardent desire as a book ghostwriter services company or agency is to create works my clients will appreciate, savor and enjoy. A published book may launch widely, or it may sell only a few hundred copies, depending on how much marketing is done. But mostly, I like it when the book sounds like the original writer wrote it. I love it when a well-written book zips and sings! It's a collaboration between us, but I don't want to be the book's author. I want to be the paid professional writer alone. This allows the clients' ideas and perceptions, everything needed and beloved, to shine on through.

WHY I LOVE OUR GHOSTWRITER SERVICES!

That's why I'm a ghost writer: to give you work you truly appreciate. That which is done through your own efforts. To help you create a book that fills up your gaps, that reads professionally well and like you wrote it yourself. Not a book that doesn't seem like it holds your ideas, but one that fulfills your promise. It makes you into a valid book author. Hopefully it will sell enough copies to please your family, friends and colleagues. Potentially enough to make you a famous, sophisticated book author with plenty of expertise and ample book sales!

And as your ghostwriter services, I only take adequate upfront pay for my troubles. It's best that way, as then I can put each project behind me and move on to the next one. You will never have to worry about constantly paying me a stream of royalties. Instead, you will be receiving the net profits from you book via your publisher.

Lastly, I am a name ghost writer and this company is starting to get famous. Ghost Writer, Inc. is prominent in the USA, Europe, China and elsewhere on the Internet. A lot of people know about and have praised Rainbow Writing. I rebranded it Ghost Writer, Inc. in 2011, to achieve better advertising. We now conform more properly to the needs of the search engines and those of our business.

FILED UNDER: BOOK GHOST WRITER SERVICE, BOOK GHOST WRITER SERVICES, BOOK GHOST WRITING SERVICE, BOOK GHOST WRITING SERVICES, BOOK GHOSTWRITER, BOOK GHOSTWRITER SERVICE, BOOK GHOSTWRITER SERVICES, BOOK GHOSTWRITING SERVICE, BOOK GHOSTWRITING SERVICES, GHOST WRITING SERVICES, GHOSTWRITER SERVICE, GHOSTWRITER SERVICES, GHOSTWRITING SERVICE, GHOSTWRITING SERVICES

Chapter One: Why Should I Use a Ghostwriter?

People often don't understand exactly why you should use the services of a professional ghostwriter. I'll try to answer this question within this article, at least somewhat. These ideas come from my freelance writing experience, which I've had since before 1980. And my online affordable ghostwriting services business experience, as of 2003 and further, involving over 300 books, films and other projects.

For one thing, in order to become a proper ghostwriter, you must start out as a professional freelance writer. Or you must begin as some type of professional writer, working for pay for other people. If not, you'll require an English (or other language or languages) degree(s) at an established university. Unless you've got "mad skills" at writing by yourself. Even then, you really must work as a writer and be published several times, in many different places.

Then, it becomes a matter of setting up your shingle. Online, this is done by setting up a ghostwriting services website. Also by being on social networks, joining writer's groups... endless finding ways to promote your ghostwriting business. There is a lot on and offline. Join lots of writing, editing, marketing, publishing and other groups, activities and organizations.

You might begin your writing career as a book manuscript editor - pretty good work. Charging much less, until you get your feet in the doors you seek. You might be able to churn out great copy that follows guidelines. Or otherwise write well enough. But your work usually needs editing as you go.

Also, that you can make pretty decent money. As a freelance writer, working as a ghostwriter. Anywhere from $36,000 to $500,000 USD or more per year. People gripe about it all the time, as though it's such an arduous chore. It's just a way for your author clients who don't really write. Or who don't have the time. Or the skills. And they hire a professional freelance writer, the ghostwriter. To work on their book, screenplay, music, business documents or other ghostwriting services project. Our agency does that all the time.

Then, the author usually takes the credit for the work. But the ghostwriter gets upfront pay. For turning out hopefully excellent written copy. The author gets the credit, the ghost gets the money. Sometimes, if marketing goes well, the author also gets payment for the work published or otherwise sold under their own name. Instead of under the ghostwriter's name. This is not plagiarism, poor man's work, or anything else so awful. Ghostwriters can make decent money. Helping author clients take ideas out into full fruition.

A lot of these authors are celebrities. There are also memoirs written by ordinary people, who need professional assistance. Sometimes, partial credit is shared, with an "As told to So and So" the ghostwriter. You can run a whole ghostwriting services agency this way. With shared credit instead of only upfront pay. But nowadays, most ghosts accept just payment(s) in advance. Check it out carefully before you hire a ghost or do any work as a ghost. You don't want to get in over your head. Writing for someone and not getting paid for it.

The idea in general is the ghost gets paid upfront. Then the author gets professional, polished work. When the author doesn't have time to write it themselves. Nor the skills. Or the established knowledge in their fields. At least, not enough of it for a great job of work. A lot of businesspeople hire ghosts to write their copy. Because they simply are not writers themselves. Or they can write, but something precludes it. Time is of the essence, you know. Businesspeople and memoir clients especially seek out our help.

There's always something that makes their own work sound amateur. Inadequate. Confusing. Stilted, lazy, boring, not the work of a pro writer in other words. Sometimes clients even have major learning disabilities. There are plenty of people who can read, but not really write! At least, not in American English. I've had a lot of English as a second language clients. You can see the problems right away. However, it takes a while to understand the client, too. Often. Communication and trust are essential. You have to establish a rapport. If you don't, money, faith and time become serious issues.

I've noticed my clients tend to repeat their wording too frequently. Or write abysmally. They don't have lots of time to spare editing their own work, is usually what it is. But they need to supply you with plenty of background material. In order for the ghost to not be truly writing their project for them. There are ghosts who do this; the author gets all the credit, and all the work was done by the ghost completely.

I've never quite worked this way myself. Although I have done over half of the entire book or project. There's a reverse case: some of the author clients eventually learn how to write from their ghosts. It's a lot of different case scenarios. I've been doing this since 2003, so I know a lot. About what most people don't understand about working as or with a ghost. But I'm forever learning something new. Over time, I've learned to send work out to experts in various specialties. Instead of taking it all on myself. I have ghosts now working for this ghost, so I can spare time for other things.

Other than that, author clients certifiably need to have a professional writer go over things. Or they simply won't be properly published or reasonable read by their audiences. A once over before publication, or a complete job done by the ghost on nothing but scratch material. An online freelance ghostwriter or book editor will do these things for you! But in most cases, the author client must pay the writer. In installments upfront, or through other upfront methods. Unpaid writers do not do very good work, you see?

Book coach, book guidance, book proposals to land 50% advances, and many other types of ghostwriting services done. The music field is especially overflowing with new ghostwriters. Rap and hip hop artists are usually using ghosts nowadays. The camaraderie, communication and rapport through ghost partnerships are genuine and fulfilling. You get moral support for all (or at least most of) your projects this way. If they are original ideas, yours, and somehow something that might sell.

Or a beloved family memoir, or other life story, to be finally gotten out to the world. Supportive abuse victims are great clients. For overcoming huge obstacles and being success stories. A great life makes a great history for your family, friends and others. You keep the copyrights; the ghost gets paid. That is the most important thing to a ghostwriter - earning a living, making the bills on time. Landing paying, important and wonderful clients. In a manner that works, that's on schedule roughly at least. Where it all works out for both parties.

Sometimes, a client isn't pleased with the ghost or the work. And too often, with anything but their own ideas or schedules. And some clients are downright impossible! It's never fun to work for a bully, a huge rush client (I need it from the beginning of the project by tomorrow, by the way, it's 200 pages long) or someone who downgrades their ghostwriter.

People who want a full book manuscript, finished and ready to go to printing in one week make no sense at all. Even when it's a 35-50 page eBook, the ghost will need a bit more time than that, always. Some ghosts can do rush work, but it's usually what it sounds like. You can edit in one-two weeks, but not ghostwrite, unless it's very short and simple. But equally as important is the fulfillment of committing to a job well done. The ghost's records must indicate they did excellent work - so that they are hired again. A ghost who does poor work is punished, please be aware of that. But also remember, everyone gets a second, third and fourth chance, too.

And you as the ghostwriter, you've got to make sure everything reads soundly, wisely - and good enough for government work. Far better than that, if you want to make any real money. Your client will be checking off whatever you do, while paying you for it. The idea is the client and the ghost talk, write or communicate somehow often enough. To establish the basis for the work. You take time off, so does the client, and you let each other know about things.

Often, clients are hiring special, distinct skill sets in a ghostwriter. So that their written copy can sell. Widely, or to a definite platform or other well-established book or other market. We offer broad-based marketing services to handle any platform needs. And your work must sing, chant, illuminate and roar! Or at least read professionally enough so that the author is not embarrassed by how sloppy things look. Or how poorly their original works would have sounded, if they hadn't hired a professional ghostwriter.

Hire a professional ghostwriter or book editor, that's the ticket. Or some other professional. Not just your next-door neighbor, your cousin or a "special friend." For it's true, if you get a sloppy, poor, risky, inadequate or outright crooked ghost - you won't be happy. This can of course be due to sickness on your and/or the ghost's part, or even a car wreck. It's important to trust fully enough to not be taken in, but to not be overly suspicious. Life is an integral part of things.

Accidents happen. Computers blow up, spouses die, family fortunes sink overnight. The American and world economies matter. But, why be pessimistic about it? Life is too short. Things usually go quite well for any and every worthwhile ghostwriting services project. Even when you land the wrong ghost, rewriter or editor! Because fortunately, you can always hire a new ghost and then get much better work. Through the years, we've helped such clients get back on their writer's feet, frequently.

Check out a ghostwriter soon! Or for that matter, become one yourself and see what you can do.

Chapter Two: Why do I Ghostwrite?

Why do I ghost write – what's in it for me?

This time of year, I start thinking how grateful I am. I can ghost write, and I'm a book ghost writer. It's a fairly steady job, pursuit and income, and it's the culmination of what I have always dreamed about. I first became a professional freelance writer in 1980. The hours were long, and I had to answer to a managing editor or other boss. Now I am able to be my own boss, set my own pay and hours, etc.

I love the wide variety of ghost writing clients coming into our office. It helps me remain able to ghost write. I never get bored with my job! Each incoming author client teaches me something new about the human condition. I have learned tons about infinitely diverse subjects. Such as: the human brain, beauty pageant systems, yoga techniques, the Mafia, the Civil Rights Movement, the Holocaust, Russian children, warehouse parties, and English horse racing. This is just a few such topics of books I've ghost written, edited or otherwise worked on in some capacity. I advertise that I will ghost write for anybody, and I do my level best to really mean it!

Nowadays, though, I send most of the work out to our team of ghost writers. But I take on the occasional interesting job myself. I ghost write only if I like the client's prospects for getting read and published. Meanwhile, I oversee every ghost writing, editing, marketing and promotions job that comes into our agency. It's a good life being a ghost writer offering full ghost writing services, and I continue to be grateful for it.

To ghost write – what's the nature of ghost writing?

What more can I say about what it's like to ghost write – or be a ghost writer? It's an honest profession, one that suffers through misinterpretation due to media enlargement of what a ghost writer actually does. Ghosts are generally not crooked; some of them do charge inordinately high rates. Others are not highly experienced writers, and still charge enormous fees. But here at Ghost Writer, Inc. we only use expert, published ghosts and editors – even our student writers are multiply published.

Ghost writing can be fascinating when it comes to the personalities, quirks and foibles of our clients. I always aim to ghost write fairly. Each author is a person with human needs, of course! I take this into account when matching a client with a ghost writer or editor. It's important to let the client know their writer will need a certain amount of time off. They also must work together closely while finishing their projects in time, professionally and on schedule. Sometimes people have special needs, such as dealing with a family crisis or a computer breakdown. So I ask my clients and their ghost writers to understand this, and to keep the lines open with each other.

In every case, it's a matter of human understanding, foresight and wisdom. You should work carefully and in a humane, caring manner with your ghost writer or editor. He or she will surely attempt to do the same. It's within the nature of how it is to ghost write for others – caring for your client's needs, concerns and requirements. This is especially important during these trying political times, so remember to politely treat other people as you wish to be treated yourself. Follow that Golden Rule!

Why should you hire a ghost writer? What good is it, really?

Well, if you plainly don't have the time to write the work yourself. Or you need someone to edit it for mistakes and make it read much better. You will then want to hire a ghost writer. I ghost write to make money, while you help me create a finished manuscript or other important writing work. Another reason to hire a ghost: because you are not a professional writer! You want your work to read like it was written by a professional. You need someone to go over things, rewriting as needed, in order to present your work to a literary agent or publisher for consideration. It's how book editing works – I ghost write while you take the credit as your work's true author.

When dealing with a potential ghost writer or ghosts, you should remain practical, persistent and cautious. Check out each ghost's or editor's credentials thoroughly before hiring a freelance ghost writer. However, many ghosts can't show you a lot of references or recommendations. This is due to the secretive nature of their work. But you should be able to get decent samples from any published ghost writer. When I ghost write, I sign into my contract that I'm allowed to use a brief excerpt. This comes from my finished work, and I only use it for advertising purposes.

Also, be aware that while hiring a writer is a business relationship, humanity is important. Every time I ghost write I make my clients' needs paramount. Give your writer a reasonable amount of loose reins. Don't be too strict; err on the side of forgiveness, not suspicion or hostility. Keep your contact lines free and have more than one method of contact with your ghost. When family matters and computer difficulties arise, remain patient and understanding. Your friendly GWI writer will do the same, regarding your own setbacks and problems. Things can slow down sometimes, so be sure to be polite and show professional restraint and common courtesy.

What's it like to be a professional book ghost writer nowadays?

Well, it's especially nice, because I set my own hours and work whenever I want. I can ghost write on the weekends, at night and at 3:30 in the morning. So I don't have to worry about taking the time to enjoy holidays with my family and friends. I just need to meet necessary deadlines and get my work done on schedule. Yet I may spend plenty of time away from the computer. This applies to all times of the year, but as I have said before is especially nice during weekends and holidays.

Ghost writers have other perks involved with their ghostly work. We tend to get paid in advance during the course of completing a ghost writing or editing project. When I ghost write, I can take on projects or send them out to team members. I have some 200+ people available for services at Ghost Writer, Inc. So if anything happens to me, there is someone else ready to tackle your project! I run a ghost writing services agency. And our ghost writers don't have to worry about being associated with a project. We mainly work anonymously. "Iffy" subject matter doesn't bother a ghost writer, and the pay makes up for the anonymity.

Finally, our self-set schedules let us work as long and hard as we want. We can all work on weekends, after hours and even on important holidays. This is sometimes needed for intensive ghost writing projects. I am semi-retired; these days I'm sending most incoming projects over to our team of specialists. But it helps to be able to work at any time of day that I want – and it is spooky fun being a ghost writer, too! I've learned to ghost write at my own pace, in my own time and my own peculiar ways.

How do you become a ghost writer?

In order to be a ghost writer, there are a number of things you should do. As a professional ghost with lots of experience and success, I suggest you try what I'm outlining below in order to get started in your ghost writing business. How to ghost write professionally? First, get published online. This can be best accomplished by writing 500-2,500-word expert articles and publishing them professionally. Also, by writing and publishing your own books, blogs, poetry and short stories. When you ghost write, you will be doing similar things as when you publish your own work.

It helps to have plenty of samples online, in venues such as Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble. Next, go to work for places like Guru.com and Freelancer as a student ghost writer. You will ghost write for lower pay at first. You need to attain the experience and good references from clients as a ghost. It may help to do mostly editing work, and then branch out from there. Once you have the published credentials, set up your own ghost writing services website. This can be done as cheaply or for as much money as you're willing to spend. Great ghost writing service sites should help you when it comes to establishing a steady client base. Nowadays, having access to social networks is also key, and constantly updating your website copy and methods too.

Next, SEO (search engine optimize) your ghost writer business website or sites. You need to be found on the first page in the major search engines, such as Google, Bing/MSN and Yahoo. Be sure to set up only user friendly sites that people enjoy visiting. It helps to have your resume, references, a portfolio or method of accessing a portfolio and a writer's blog on your site. This is how you begin to truly ghost write, edit, market, publish and get other business. Once you have set up your shingle, those ghost writing jobs should start rolling in. You will become a professional ghost writer of books, websites, screenplays, music and other related jobs.

What kind of credit does a ghost writer for hire get?

It's called "work for hire." As a ghost writer for hire, you typically get paid in advance for your work. You sign a contract, boilerplate or otherwise, with your clients. That is how professional ghost writers operate. And in most cases, you're allowed to set your own hours – a self-employment vital perk! But you don't receive any credit for the ghost write you perform on a book, music or screenplay. All credit goes to the author client who paid you, instead. The client is usually considered to be the sole author of the book or screenplay writing project, no matter what.

That's one main idea behind hiring a ghost writer – the anonymity of the ghost. So that nobody knows the book was not written by the client. However, in some cases the author will give the ghost writer partial billing, such as an "As told to..." mention. This may be on the cover, or the acknowledgments page. The ghost is listed as the book's "editor" and nothing more. Screen credit for a film may also be given to a ghost writer, running with the rest of the credits. A great ghost write may mean full author status, coauthor status, or no credit given whatsoever. It's a range. Some author clients prefer the "name book ghostwriter" on the cover of their books. Some don't, and the ghost writer isn't allowed to mention any participation in the project.

A good compromise is to share credit somehow. This often means the book's spine states that it was written by both of you. Sometimes, this type of credit is granted in lieu of pay, or there's an arrangement where the ghost charges a lower fee. At times, "on spec" or percentage payments are involved. It's not the world's most popular method; some ghosts frown on it. Regarding a book with which the ghost would like to be associated, it can be a great way to give the writer due credit. A successful ghost write of a "known" book may also help the ghost land better paying jobs.

In short, you can get by and not mention your ghost writer at all. Or you can never mention yourself on the book cover. You cite only the writer you hired as the author of your book – just kidding! Seriously, clients have wanted to do this with me over the years. They simply desired to display a more famous name than theirs on their covers. Nonetheless, I always insist on the book author being mentioned somewhere. I prefer to take a backseat to my clients, and not get too much of the credit. We can make any sort of arrangement you'd like. But I need to be paid decently for my hard work and professional assistance. It's one of the major perks of this job. So I am your book ghost writer, whenever I'm available to ghost write a book.

Chapter Three: Hire a Ghostwriting Agency

WHY HIRE BOOK MANUSCRIPT AND OTHER PROFESSIONAL GHOSTWRITING SERVICES?

I work sometimes as a book ghost writer and editor. Otherwise, I send out incoming projects. Do you know what it's like to be a professional ghostwriter or book ghost writer? The spelling doesn't matter. But above all, our ghostwriting services do! It's stressful, occupies 50% of my time. However, I love it!

And meanwhile, I never felt so creative. In addition to this, I've a basis for comparison. My "night job" was heading for freelance book ghostwriting services. Various publications, I appeared on the front pages of newspapers and magazines. Starbucks, Seattle Downtown News, #1 under Native American on Amazon. Women's online magazines, serious worldwide literary ezines.

Day job was home health care. Worked for the Disabled and the Disadvantaged. For over twelve years, in the Independent Living Movement. And spent time writing for handicapped people - the most exciting times of my life. Until I began to hire book ghost writers and ghostwrite. Now I'm in charge of a ghostwriting agency, or ghostwriting company. Of my very own.

RUNNING A GHOSTWRITING AGENCY - EDUCATIONAL AND ENJOYABLE

Likewise, I love what I learn. Above all from clients' projects. Book ghost writers don't override you. We therefore add to your ideas or plot devices. For instance with developmental editing! Most importantly for a ghost, the client's ideas and voice are paramount. That is to say, the work belongs to each client. And not the ghostwriter.

Most noteworthy, a Book Ghost Writer is a Professional Ghostwriter. Your ideas, our ghostwriting. Hence, my book, screenplay, music, art and other ghostwriting services. Similarly, each day is a bold new adventure. Dreams lead you straight away to written thoughts. Moreover your stories will surely intertwine. Meanwhile entering the realm of serious literature.

FOR EXAMPLE, SAY YOU HIRE A GHOSTWRITING AGENCY TO GHOSTWRITE A BOOK SERIES WITH YOU

As its author, you'll probably sell books. And your readers will want to share your ideas, hopes and dreams. Keep churning out new books. Loyal readers will buy them as you build up your audience. For instance, post links to your books around the Internet. To sum up, check out what a ghostwriting agency can do for you.

Certainly fulfill your author's dreams. Use eBook ghostwriting services. Hire a book editor and proofreader. Don't postpone things! Begin that new project, take that first step in faith and get started. A ghostwriting agency is a great way to launch your business books through marketing. Hire bestselling fiction and nonfiction book ghostwriting services. Create the latest books, screenplays or business documents.

GHOSTWRITING AGENCY SERVICES CAN BE AFFORDABLE, TIMELY AND HONEST

Make sure the writing remains yours. That you're genuinely the book author, no matter what. Only sign off on your first rights, not all your rights, to publishers. That way the material is still yours, after the first publisher's rights expire. During your projects, care must be taken by the ghostwriting agency with new or returning clients. If needed, sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) with your ghostwriter or the ghostwriting agency. To secure your original ideas from plagiarism or loss of copyrights.

Most importantly, ensure your ghostwriting services are productive. Marketable, publishable and salable. So that your book or other ghostwriting project doesn't just sit on the shelves, gathering dust.

SHOULD I HIRE A BOOK GHOSTWRITER?

In conclusion, yes, hire a professional ghostwriter. To complete your manuscript or film screenplay. Also, to finish up your TV pilots or scripts. In addition to music, speeches or documents. And business book freelance ghostwriting. Our best ghosts and editors are available for affordable rates. Because GWI offers premium ghostwriting services. In addition, at less costly than average ghostwriting prices.

Similarly, consider hiring a professional book editor. Or a solid book coach or consultant. Literary agents and traditional publishers respect only the best professional editing. Hire an affordable book ghostwriter as a second set of eyes. You need a professional to guide you through the processes. To provide you with the best possible ghostwrite. Superb editing, proofreading, formatting for publication, etc. Do your research online for the most competent, imaginative bestselling ghostwriting services available.

GHOSTWRITING BLOG – POINTS TO CONSIDER VIS A LIFE OF WRITING PROSE AND POETRY

HOW DID YOU START UP YOUR BUSINESS?

Ghost Writer, Inc. started as an idea by a 14-year-old girl. In the basement of our family house, in 1974. I was reading Marvel Comics about Stan Lee's Bullpen when it dawned on me – I didn't like comic books, I liked real books! They were more adult and made much better intellectual sense.

On the spot, I dreamed up Rainbow Writing, Inc. I decided to send ghostwriting work out to a bullpen like Stan Lee's. But mine would be a cattle pen of ghosts. Men and women, no children. Black and white, brown, different countries. Seattle, Chicago, New York City. Los Angeles, London, Bangladesh. Much later January 2003, RWI online and I began sending work out. Rebranded the company as Ghost Writer, Inc. in 2011. Getting more business than I could handle. I'm expecting the floodgates to open. They already have, but not yet.

IF YOU KNOW WHY ARE YOU A BOOK GHOST, WHAT DID IT MEAN?

Over the years, GWI expanded. To provide all types of ghostwriting services. We do books, film screenplays, TV scripts, plays, research, music, lyrics, Hollywood soundtracks, speeches, business documents...anything you name, we can staff it. Our motto is, "We do it All!" From short stories, poetry, work and academic statements, children's through adult literature, all types and every genre.

We specialize in memoirs and science fiction, plus business nonfiction books. As to awards, we've won dozens of them for our writing and editing skills. Including the Literary Arts Association award for books, inclusion in The Library of Congress (not remunerated, voluntarily inclusion), several Writing.com and Poetry.com awards. Academy awards, Emmys, Golden Globes, Tellies and several other awards for films made from our ghost's screenplays.

WHAT SETS YOUR BUSINESS APART?

My business is a one-woman effort by a differently abled freelance writer. I have health issues. Am overcoming them. Lots of fear, lots of pain and pleasure. Through the years, I ghost wrote 50+ books, some of which became NYT and Amazon best sellers. However, largely I have fulfilled my dream of sending work out to other writers. I have people on my team with dozens of bestselling books, under their names and those of their clients.

I have given many people their start as a professional writer. We have bestsellers nowadays who started out as students. I gave them a chance through GWI. And now a decent lot of them are golden!

WHY ARE YOU A BOOK GHOST, REALLY?

Ghost Writer, Inc. will consider any project, if it's ethical. But we will edit, rewrite and proofread works when it's unethical to ghostwrite. We take payment upfront, except for celebrities and stories of timely events. We will consider a split and half a book advance, but generally we work solely for upfront pay. However, we always consider our clients' budgets, and we will work only within them.

GWI advertises affordable ghostwriting services. We strive mightily to get first-time writers published. We don't turn anyone away. Instead, we give out professional advice. We plan out payments over time for low-income clients. If budget is a problem, we suggest editing or book coaching instead of ghostwriting. We've helped many achieve success who couldn't afford a ghostwriter. People with inspirational stories of abuse, and how they overcame it. And we plan to continue these business practices well into the future.

FILED UNDER: AFFORDABLE BOOK GHOST WRITER, AFFORDABLE GHOST WRITER, BOOK GHOST WRITER SERVICE, BOOK GHOST WRITER SERVICES, BOOK GHOST WRITING SERVICE, BOOK GHOST WRITING SERVICES, BOOK GHOSTWRITER, BOOK GHOSTWRITER SERVICES, BOOK GHOSTWRITING SERVICE, BOOK GHOSTWRITING SERVICES, PROFESSIONAL GHOSTWRITERTAGGED WITH: BOOK GHOSTWRITER, GHOST WRITER INC., GHOSTWRITER, WHY ARE YOU A BOOK GHOST

Chapter Four: Professional Ghost Writer

Sen. Hillary Clinton and Pres. Donald Trump both used ghostwriters. Should you?

Trust, honor and integrity, a sense of taste and humor, great credentials. These are the hallmarks of a good, experienced professional ghost writer. But when you begin with a paid professional ghost, how should you handle matters? Should you crack the whip, or lay back and let things slide? No way! But whatever you do, don't be too suspicious about the motives of your ghost.

For one thing, many professional ghost writers have difficulty presenting their best credentials. Because they involved "hush" ghostwriting for clients who like to promote the idea they wrote their own books. Which is perfectly legal, by the way. Thus it can be tricky to put together a long resume or CV. However, experienced professional ghost writers are able to share several credentials. One way or another, that truly show off their talents.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE YOUR GHOSTWRITING SERVICES?

Our company specializes in excellent writing and editing credentials. We're able to show you a wide variety of samples. Including a free five page sample, drafted from your own notes. You can use these to get a "feel" for your ghost writer's talents, abilities and experience. All our professional ghost writers, even the lower cost less experienced ones, can show you some published works. The best, half a hundred or more. Many of our ghosts have won prestigious awards, worked for celebrities, and appeared on TV. They've also participated in film or screen work, and a variety of productions.

I myself have years of online experience in matching clients with professional ghost writers. So it's obvious that another key element is trust. You must thoroughly check through your potential ghost's credentials. You need to feel comfortable beginning your book, screenplay, music or other project with your new ghost writer.

HOW EXACTLY DO I WORK WITH A PROFESSIONAL GHOST WRITER?

Writers have lives apart from their projects. Say, your ghost writer is uncommunicative for a long time. Just send an email, Skype, text or call them. You'll soon discover the nature of the difficulty. People take holidays, suffer family illnesses and computer crashes – don't get annoyed too readily. It's mainly a matter of getting back on schedule. And at our ghostwriting service, if one professional ghost writer isn't available, we can find you another one. So don't sweat the "small stuff!"

The idea from the beginning is to sign a full, legal contract with your ghost writer. It will lay out everything in detail. This includes all the credit you want to share. However, you don't need to share any credit whatsoever. Or you can make the ghost into your coauthor. It's entirely up to you and the professional ghost writer. The contract should spell out important points such as fixed or flexible pricing, finished book or screenplay length in total pages and words, and time period of completion. Minimums and maximums for what's required, who will keep the copyrights (and will you be sharing them with your writer), indemnity matters regarding lawsuits, etc.

PROFESSIONAL GHOST WRITER – THE RELATIONSHIP OF YOUR LIFETIME!

It's also important to include a clause limiting the total amount of revisions. Some clients keep their ghosts constantly rewriting, never finding things perfect, so this is absolutely needed. And several clauses spelling out exactly how you as the book or screenplay author keeps all or some copyrights, for example from related properties once they are sold as books, eBooks, audio books, films, documentaries, movies, TV shows, et al. This can be real in cases where you are or aren't sharing percentages with your professional ghost writer. Remember, you are both equal human beings with equal human rights! It's the most important detail of all.

These are just examples. You've checked your ghost's credentials and feel reassured you're hiring a true professional ghost writer. Or for a lower price, a student or medium-priced writer with lots of talent and abilities, but less experience. You may even hire an expert writer for top dollar, one with decades of financially productive experience. But you should also check out any ghost's references. Try to talk to prior employers. At our company, most of the ghosts are willing to share some references. They've worked for someone with a name, and this can be researched in person or via the Internet.

WHAT IS THE NEXUS OF HIRING A GHOSTWRITER?

In essence, it comes down to establishing a great personal relationship with your professional ghost writer. You should remember that you and your writer have separate lives from your work. You won't be at each other's beck and call. Just be willing to keep the lines open. Ghostwriting is a process, and it can take time. Rather than getting suspicious, wait 'til something awkward develops. Before you get worried, end your contract, or see your project nosediving into an absolute "fail."

Also, you might run out of money along the way – that happens sometimes. Or you need to postpone things while you gather more materials together. Your ghost may end up in a similar boat, needing more time due to a delay. I've seen all types of delays happen in this business. Generally, the thing to do is either to toughen up, or put things "on hold." Because trust is always a key element in business.

A book, script, business paper, academic work or other short project is best completed, or at least professionally edited, by a professional ghost writer. Simply keep at it – get your original work finished – you will then surely succeed!

WHAT KIND OF GHOSTWRITER ARE YOU, KAREN?

KAREN COLE, GHOST WRITER, INC.'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: I'm a professional ghost writer, copy editor, proofreader, rewriter and book author. I manage a team of 200+ writing field workers, many of which are New York Times and Amazon bestseller ghost writers. Contacts with top literary agents, major commercial publishers and legitimate producers in the film and TV industries. Worldwide, and in New York City and Los Angeles. Talk to us, and then hire me or another Ghost Writer, Inc. professional ghost writer!

FILED UNDER: PROFESSIONAL GHOST, PROFESSIONAL GHOST WRITER, PROFESSIONAL GHOSTWRITERTAGGED WITH: FICTION, GHOST, GHOST WRITER INC., GHOSTS, HILLARY CLINTON, INC., KAREN S. COLE, LOS ANGELES, NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK TIMES, PROFESSIONAL GHOST, PROFESSIONAL GHOST WRITER, PROFESSIONAL GHOSTWRITER, UNDEAD, WRITER

Chapter Five: Book a Ghost Writer Service

If you want to be a ghost writer, be prepared to work for a high cost, expensive services clientele. It takes something in the ballpark neighborhood nowadays of figures in the five to ten to fifty thousand dollar range to hire a great book ghost writer. You can hire a book editor, a book doctor or a book coach for much less than that. Prices for editing and assistance with you yourself actually writing your book run for far less.

I have worked directly, myself, on some upwards of 50 book manuscripts for a wide variety of client authors. I don't do screenplays; I have edited them, and I do an adequate job, but you really need to know the film industry to create the very best in scripts and screenplays. So I leave that sort of project to experts, optioned screenwriters and produced script writers for TV, who are on our team. What I specialize in is books.

I can whip out a great, revised and edited book for an author client. I make sure it's not misspelled, doesn't have any grammar or syntax issues, and is colorful enough to grab a literary agent's attention. To be honest, I work over the top to produce the best manuscript I can possibly give each of my author clients, and that can mean working like a dog sometimes. It depends. Some clients hand me easy background notes, book outlines, chapter by chapter outlines - I'm the one who requests them from each client - and some clients don't. They need to either write out a full manuscript and have me edit it for them, or book coach them into writing it out, or book doctor an existing manuscript by performing content and/or developmental editing on it for them.

So when you're a book ghost writer service, you can handle both ends. When it comes to screenplays and scripts, I have other people work on them. The right thing to do is to specialize for a while, I believe, and then when you're bored it's time to move on to a different specialty. I know a ghost writer who grew tired of writing screenplays, so he moved on to the prose writing and editing of book manuscripts. It doesn't hurt to step out of one field and into another. I started out editing people's book manuscripts for free, also for low cost, and I then stepped into the field of book ghost writer services in the early 2000's. It's been lots of fun for me, and a real roller coaster ride.

My daydream is to continue with getting author clients over to the correct literary agents and commercial book publishers. It's more than just a dream, I'm able to do that. I have people on our team who handle that, and they have the right connections. But I'd like to shift eventually over to doing that myself someday. It's more lucrative. A book ghost writer on our team landed a $75,000 advance for a book where she only wrote the proposal and query letter. The book was published, selling quite well. She used the advance to make a down payment on her new house.

She's very gracious and is always willing to bend to the needs and desires of her clients. But she won't take on the "wrong kinds" of non-marketable book projects. Only the ones she sees as potential winners, which have a great chance at being marketed appropriately. So I need to enter that field myself someday down the road. Right now, I'm taking it easier, mostly farming work out to writers, editors, marketers and others on our team, and trying to get my own three books, the ones I wrote myself, published. I smuggled one of my author client's books into The Library of Congress, early on in my career, and we have placed several more of them over there through the years.

I've gotten my books into Google Books, Smashwords, Amazon, the Library of Congress, other online and offline bookstores, and plenty of my author clients have been published on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, other media outlets, brick and mortar stores, online venues and the Public Library System, as well as around the world. Our books and some of mine have landed in France, Great Britain, Rwanda, China, Canada, Germany, Spain, South America... it is rather the glamorous side, the life of one book ghost writer running her ghost writing services. But there are also many pitfalls and drawbacks. The main one is getting out enough advertising to bring in the clients. The second most important aspect is finding ways to get our author clients to sign a firm Contract, and then stick with the project. I'll write another article about those two topics soon, I promise!

Chapter Six: What is a Ghost Writer?

Ghost writers are writers for hire who take money but none of the credit for the work produced. The original writer, or author, is hiring the ghost as a freelance writer to produce copy writer work for a fee. The author takes all the credit for all the original work produced, including all the original writing produced by the ghost writer. The ghost, who is usually paid in advance of completing the job, gets the money as a "work for hire" job and assumes none of the credit for the ghost writing work.

Reasons to Hire a Ghost Writer

This may sound odd, but it's a common practice. When someone wants to create new copy for a website, a ghost writer may be hired to rewrite it, and there are many similar jobs such as writing ad or business copy or supplying new or rewritten material for personal or professional use. The ghost is hired primarily as a professional freelance writer, in order to produce high quality writing copy and so that the writing reads professionally.

A paid professional freelance writer is often the only source to which to turn to get sparkling, professionally written website copy or other paid writing copy. And a ghost is hired to bring this about, either as an on staff writer or as a freelance writer who is paid specifically for the job at hand.

Ghost writers are also hired to write books for people. In such cases, the author of the book is the person who hires the ghost writer, and not the ghost, unless the book author wants to share some of the credit with the ghost. In this case, the ghost may be listed as a coauthor or as the "editor" of the book, and generally this is listed somewhere in the acknowledgments page.

Sometimes the well-known, "as told to —–" with the name of the ghost writer being mentioned is listed on the cover of the book. This is often the case when well-known ghost writers are used by the books' actual authors.

Can You Make Money Ghost Writing?

Ghosts often work for very high sums of money, although with recent competition standards being set by third world countries such as India and China, and with bidding service agencies looking for the highest bidder on ghost writing projects, this is not always the case. But in many cases, a ghost writer will charge a fee of $10 to $25,000 to be the book writer hired by a book author to produce exceptional quality, sterling book writing over three to six months of working on the book.

A ghost writer is hired for his or her quality of work, and not necessarily for his or her "name" as a book writer. But there are many kinds of deals which a ghost can "cut" with the book author in order to produce a fair deal for both parties when the contract is signed between the ghost writer and the book author.

For example, the ghost writer can take a lower fee in the case of a book which is highly likely to sell widely and well, such as $10K paid in advance to write the book, a sum which can be paid all or partly out of a book advance. Then the ghost may take about 10-20% of the book's gross profits over time as it is sold, perhaps with a ceiling cap or highest amount the ghost is allowed to make from the book's gross profits. This method is only used when the book is nearly guaranteed to be published and to sell at high profits.

Also, the ghost can take a lower fee if credit is shared with the book author. Again, this is only suggested when the book is guaranteed to sell well or for some reason the ghost especially wants his or her name on the book as one of the book's authors, for reasons of prestige or other such needs.

At any rate, it is up to the book author and the book writer to determine whether or not the ghost should take all his or her money as advance pay for a "work for hire" job, or if the book writer wants to hare credit with the book author or to take a percentage of the book's gross profits over time as payment for the work.

How to Become a Ghost Writer

However you slice it, the ghost writing business can be quite lucrative. In order to become a well-paid ghost, you should have plenty of experience as a freelance writer, perhaps including some books published under your own name or years of experience writing website and other types of copy for businesses. You should be experienced as a freelance writer who has been paid regularly for your services, and then you may take on the career of becoming a paid professional freelance ghost writer. Even though the economy may be bad, there is always room in the writing profession for another freelance writer. And it can be a very lucrative career, once you know how to handle its ins and outs, and once you learn how to deal with your clients as a ghost writer should.

About the Author:

RAINBOW WRITING, INC. — featuring Karen Cole, copy editor, ghost writer and book author. We are also inexpensive professional freelance and contracted book authors, ghost writers, copy editors, proofreaders, manuscript rewriters, coauthors, graphics and CAD artists, publishing helpers, and a website development

services corporation. http://www.rainbowriting.com

Chapter Seven: What do Ghostwriters do?

By Karen S. Cole — describing what is a ghostwriter for the past three decades. What a ghostwriter is: one professional writer helping you to become the author of almost any writing project. YOUR WAY!!!

THIS LUCRATIVE, PRODUCTIVE INDUSTRY. HOW TO TELL YOU WHAT IT ENTAILS, IN A FEW CHOICE, BRIEFLY SUCCINCT WORDS...

WHAT IS A GHOSTWRITER, AND WHY IS THERE GHOSTWRITING?

I now have the knowledge to explain this: what is a ghostwriter and what do they do? In some ways, it's primarily editing work. Ghost writers for hire take money but no credit for the work produced. Related works may include book manuscripts, short stories, scripts for TV shows or screenplays for films. Also music, lyrics and soundtracks, whitepapers, statements of purpose, speeches etc. The original writer, or author, is hiring the ghost as a freelance writer to produce copy for a fee. The author takes the credit for all the original work produced, including all the writing produced by the ghost writer. The ghost, usually paid in advance of completing the project, gets the money as a "work for hire" job and assumes none of the credit for the ghostwriting work.

This may sound odd, illegal, fattening or unethical. But it's a common practice. When someone wants to create new copy for a website, a ghost writer may be hired to rewrite it. There are many similar jobs such as writing ad or business copy or supplying new or rewritten material for personal or professional use. The ghost is hired primarily as a professional freelance writer, in order to produce high quality copy writing and so that the writing reads professionally and smoothly. Every ghost knows what is a ghostwriter. It's a writer who aspires to help clients (or authors) to write their own work through a proxy. One way or another, the work belongs to the client, not the ghostwriter.

WHAT IS A GHOSTWRITER WHEN HE OR SHE IS A FREELANCE GHOSTWRITER TOO?

A freelance ghost writer is often the only source for well-written website or other professional copy. You can hire a ghost to bring this about, either as a contracted employee, or as a freelance writer paid specifically for the job at hand. Some clients, unable to spell, refer to ghost writers as something like ghost's writer – another reason people need to hire them. But this is not a business to help "stupid people" or people who are completely unable to write. Nobody is stupid. The key is some author clients don't have the time, inclination, knowledge or resources to edit, ghostwrite or work on their own writing.

Ghost writers can be "work for hire" to write books, scripts, music etc., for clients. In such cases, the author of the book is the person who hires the ghost writer, not the ghost, unless the book author wants to share credit. In this case, a ghost may list as a coauthor or the "editor" of the book. Generally you will see this showing on the acknowledgements page. Sometimes the infamous "As told to —–" with the name of the ghost writer listed on the book cover. This may occur when well-known ghost writers are used by either famous or newbie book authors, or for advertising reasons. Unfortunately, ordinary people with a book often want to pay the ghostwriter a percentage. Fortunately, depending on different sets of circumstances, some of these books will become best sellers after all.

WHAT DO GHOST WRITERS DO WHEN THEY CHARGE A FEE?

What is a ghostwriter exactly? Book ghost writers often work for high sums of money. Third world countries such as India and China set lower competition standards. Bidding service agencies look for the lowest bid on ghostwriting projects. But in many cases, editing or writing fees of $3,000 to $35,000 (USD) are charged by a realistic professional freelance ghostwriter. These ghostwriting fees can involve book editing, doctoring, rewriting or coaching. Or ghost writer fees might be based solely on ideas and notes. Pricing may be based on the total length in words of the finished manuscript. Costs might be included, with the ghostwriter or editor charging either hourly, per word, per page, or per a portion of the project while it's completed.

The book author hires a book writer to produce exceptional quality, polished, magical, expert ghost writing. This may involve two to six months of work on a single project. You should generally hire a ghost for the quality of the work, not for the "name game" or notoriety of a famous author. There are various deals a ghostwriter can "cut" with an author to produce a fair agreement. Of necessity, the ghost and the author must sign a legal contract. One fair to both parties! In most cases, full copyrights for all original material in the book assigns to the author, no matter whether the ghost or the author created it.

HOW CAN YOU TELL WHO'S A GHOSTWRITER – WHAT IS A GHOSTWRITER WHEN IT COMES TO FEES?

The book writer attains more affordable ghost writer fees when a book is likely to sell widely. Such as $10K+ paid during course of completion of the book manuscript. You can often receive a book publishing advance. The writer gets 5-15% of the net profits as the book is sold, with a cap on what the book's ghost is allowed to make. You use this method when the book is by a popular celebrity; about a timely or newsworthy event; guaranteed to be commercially published; or is certain to sell high.

Business books for elite firms fall into this category. Sometimes, the ghost gets a lower fee if credit is shared. This is suggested solely when the book is likely to sell, or the "ghosts' writer" wants to include his or her name on the cover for reason of better sales, prestige, credit, or possibly advertising.

Once again: what is a ghostwriter and what does a ghostwriter do? However you slice it, the ghost writing business can be lucrative. In order to become a professional ghostwriter, you should first gain experience as a freelancer. This includes books published under your own name, or expertise at writing web copy. Even when the economy is slow, there's room in the writing profession for a new freelance ghostwriter. It can become a sustainable career once you learn how to handle it. In the end, you must always deal with your clients as a professional ghostwriter should.

So now you know what is a ghostwriter so that you can see fit to hire a ghost. To help craft, polish and/or sell your work...whatever it might happen to be...to the right people.

Chapter Eight: Book Ghostwriter Service

What is a book ghostwriter service?

Writers who work professionally are special people. They know how to concentrate on what they are doing, and it can be a hard, demanding job at times. Some projects you just sail through, because the client is great about supplying notes, giving you a fair deadline, and otherwise being cooperative and forgiving of minor errors and delays. Some clients, however, complain incessantly about the project, create major delays themselves, and otherwise can become "Our Cat from Hell," so to speak. You want to pick them up by the scruff of the neck and boot them out of your house.

Clients like this lead you on into believing you will be signing a solid contract, and the day before you are ready to sign, they suddenly "found someone else. I got this dude up the street to edit my book, free of charge, yadayadaya... " and then you listen to them go on about it for twenty minutes on the phone, as they string you along saying things like, "In the future, if the lady down the street doesn't work out for wonderful me, I'd be willing to pay you ten cents to... " I've hung up on such phone conversations.

Indeed, there are worthwhile clients and worthless clients. And of course, as you've probably guessed by now, there are the ones in between. This group tends to have potential, but be either excessively demanding, although you may get the project done for less than it's worth for all your hard work, or they become suspicious of you for some reason because there's a "Head Butt' and you won't do things their way, and they won't do things your way - the latter is usually the best professional ghostwriting advice you can give, in most cases.

So it comes down to being as polite as you can, all of the time, to a sea of good, even great honest paying clients. They may pay in advance or through "on spec" when they have money available to pay you through the book publisher, for example. And also to a sea of misfit losers who string you along for months and then, "I found somebody who worked for a year at Marvel Comics, and they are so much better than you (I have contacts over at Marvel myself) WE don't need you anymore." That type always gangs up you, period.

Shafting a Book Ghostwriter Service is not the right thing to do!

Some of these people are heartbreak cases. They have horrible stories of wisdom on their parts and rank abuse by others. They got through life okay, and they want to take the time to write a book about experiences they need to share with others. But too often, 90% of this crowd doesn't have any real money to pay either a book ghostwriter or an editor - which comes much cheaper, if you have a manuscript written out - they want to pay you One Hundred Dollars to completely ghostwrite a book manuscript.

This is simple ignorance. A completely professional, potentially camera ready book manuscript can take anywhere from two months to two years to accomplish. Working solely from someone else's notes, their ideas or tape transcripts, which take a while to arrange, or even from personal interviews alone (which may involve travel costs) - it's scary how much costs for the book ghostwriter can add up.

So you need to be prepared. Have something real in the nature of a few thousand dollars at least if you want to have a book ghostwriter work for you, stay on your tail and keep you heading in the direction you really want to go in, namely getting your book written by an expert and published. Have something in the five to tens of thousands of dollar range if you're willing to have said professional, experienced freelance writer and book ghostwriter, who may have several NYT bestselling credits under their belts.

Book ghostwriter service - it's a flexible job, with flexible pricing. But an excellent, experience ghost writer doesn't work for peanuts. And we have been disappointed when a book author client offers "on spec" payment (payment in the future, when the book starts to sell), as either the book publisher or the author client (or both, and other related parties too) refuse to honor our "on spec" Contract and thus refuse or dispute to pay us.

Remember, we are each a book ghostwriter. This is for doing honest work, no matter how it's spelled. Whether you hire a book ghost writer to edit or create / craft a seamless, sophisticated work of prose. A business book designed to launch you into the global business community. Or an audience in your field of endeavor. And possibly, a timeless fiction novel that will rock the planet.

Chapter Nine: Book Ghost Writer: Ghost Writing Clients

What is it like for a book ghost writer?

It's an enlightening profession, laden with subtle nuances that typically fail to be properly expressed. Email, the "new" goldmine for information, isn't being utilized to its fullest possible extent. Too many individuals pound away swiftly into their phones, handhelds and computers. They send out hard to understand messages, and don't manage to read thoroughly through yours. It can make it difficult to deal with your clients, and also the fellow writers on your team. Phone messaging can also prove to be problematic. Therefore, how may you communicate best with your ghost writing clients when you're a book ghost writer? How do you figure them out, when it's tricky to communicate?

The key to ghostwriting or editing a book is to probe carefully for each client's strongest desires, and to follow them as expressly as possible. You're striving for steady pay in a "work for hire" category of a job, and each of your client's needs are paramount. In short, a book ghost writer has to accomplish one main objective: staying within the client's good graces. This can become unmanageable unless you know more about the type of person with whom you're speaking. Emails and even phones or Skype are sometimes insufficient to discover everything. So, how exactly does a book ghost writer begin to interpret an incoming stream of ghost writing clients?

Any client has his or her own individual hopes and dream, plus highly personal requirements and expectations. Over the years, I've found that ghost writing clients tend to separate into two main groups. There are those with solid book ideas, having access to available target markets. They're in a field where they offer expertise. They need to hire a book ghost writer to produce a professionally written book manuscript. Then there are those who hold close a cherished dream, such as writing a family memoir, a fiction novel, or a nonfiction book about something dear to them.

Whatever you think, both groups offer a book ghost writer good, potentially great clients! Stereotypically, the first group is easier to deal with. They tend to be salaried professionals, having the right amount of money to pay a professional book ghost writer. The latter group tends to be more ordinary folks, who vary extremely. Yet their pattern tends toward the pursuit of a dream, a personal set of ideas, or a deep desire to relate a story about how their lives were radically affected by other people.

Often, this group needs a book ghost writer to place their stories into perspective. Then they can put things behind them, creating a sense of closure. However, they also want their books to be uplifting, inspirational and helpful. They have advice to give, assisting others with similar woes. Their dream is to help readers overcome the problems they faced, getting them to commiserate personally with the book author.

What is it like for ghost writing clients?

Both groups are hoping to sell lots of book copies, or at least to get a family memoir prepared for their loved ones, friends and colleagues. The main idea for the first group is to produce a professional work that sells within target markets, while the main dream for the second one is to create the next million copy bestseller. Thankfully, these worthwhile goals are still within your reach. It all depends on the amount of heart, time, effort, thought, money and work you're prepared to provide.

One important thing for ghost writing clients to realize is that their book ghost writers are merely people like them. We have financial needs, families to raise, computer problems such as Internet shutoffs, kids with health problems and sudden emergencies. So be prepared to deal politely with setbacks. Work in a timely, forthright manner with unexpected dilemmas, and do your best to solve them. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Follow the Golden Rule: do unto others as you'd have them do unto you. It's the same as any other business or personal relationship: live and let live. Don't accuse someone when you don't know the circumstances yet, and don't "read things into" what you don't really know about. Ask questions, get answers!

Finally, there is one important thing for book ghost writers and their ghost writing clients to remember. No matter which group you're in, write with your readers in mind. Don't forget, you're not writing a book for yourself; you want somebody else to read it. Be sure to make it a great, lasting, timeless book, well worth reading and reviewing.

Chapter Ten: Book Ghostwriter on Google

Well, being a book ghostwriter has its ups and downs. But primarily, being an Internet based book ghostwriter has special permutations and perambulations. It can be a kind of dream, basing your entire book ghostwriting business on the World Wide Web (WWW) and the Internet, which is currently based in Switzerland halfway across the world from where I am, in the Pacific Northwest United States. Soon, I understand, we will need to start picking up on the Internet (or whatever it will be called) coming from much closer to us, in Japan. We are on the West Coast of the USA, so Japan's Internet or WWW would be much closer to us, if I'm not sadly mistaken.

I believe once they have their network up and running, it would be doing the right thing for me to purchase either a Toshiba or an Apple (our local Pacific NW company, based in Seattle and our Silicon Valley) MacBook or Macintosh notebook of some kind. I prefer working with notebook computers, not handhelds. I'm in my 50s and using tiny little machines is not my style. Like James Michener, who used a manual typewriter to work on all of his books, up until his 90s, I prefer to use whatever I can handle. But unlike him, I can use handhelds and smart cell phones for certain tasks. Just not to compose or edit book manuscripts or writing and editing projects. I far prefer using a desktop, and I still have a recent Hewlett Packard I will probably keep on using, as well as my HP notebook, up until when I go ahead and purchase a new Toshiba or Apple, or potentially a Dell or other American based machine.

When I call myself "book ghostwriter on Google," I am referring to my search engine optimization, which currently entails gathering up backlinks and social network listings and links back to my main business website - which I now have several thousand backlinks coming from related sites pointing to it, including those on China's large search engine, Baidu. I am listed first (in English, not necessarily in Chinese) under book ghostwriter and book ghost writer. I find that wonderful but have not gotten lots of business from the English speaking writers and users of China, or whoever it is who uses Baidu. Not yet.

I am very on top of some search keywords on MSN and Yahoo, and I used to have dozens of wonderful #1 to #3 standings on Google under scads and scads of keywords. But since I streamlined things and made several website revisions, including hiring someone to take over and work on and build our new website, and some rebranding issues, and not running everything myself... I lost a lot of my standings on Google. The Penguin Panda updates revised everything, and I lost most of my keyword standings, which I am slowly reassembling over time. Since I am nearing retirement age, it is entirely up to me to decide whether or not to struggle hard enough to regain my keywords list, and be up high enough (first page results, #1 to #5 and no further down the lists) to rate enough clientele coming in to continue my business.

All in all, my social network contacts, other methods of finding business such as word of mouth circulating from prior clients and social networks again, etc. are helping me far more than mere search engine listings, even those on Google, the primary search engine on the face of the planet. Well, Baidu will assume greater importance over the years, as the Japanese Internet (whatever it will be called) assumes greater prominence. Whether or not it will take over from the European Internet based in Switzerland, I do not know.

Nobody knows about this in depth just yet. I am thinking, it will be wiser for me here in Washington State to jump on the Japanese Net as soon as it becomes necessary for me to do so. I use Comcast cable services where I live, and at work too, and it is a good, working secure service with fabulous uptime. I use an adequate anti-virus, and nobody has been able to slow me down. I have no problems with interruptions in service, whatsoever. Every such problem, such as an occasional virus, Trojan or heuristics issues, I have the needed equipment to tackle, I have everything backed up, etc. I use flash drives, external drives, the Internet free backup services, extra copies of all my work... the possibilities for protection are endless. I have three different firewalls running on my main machines. More protection than Fort Knox, the Mafia, Russia, whoever hasn't been able to crack my equipment.

So... I'm still a book ghostwriter on Google. Back when my business was running well, my website had a topmost net worth of $50,000+ USD. It gradually, due to the Google Penguin Panda stuff problems and refiguring, went down to $35,000. And due to my streamlining things and recreating my website schemas, it finally dropped down all the way to only $5,000 or less in worth. Over time, due to my coming back up to snuff, using word of mouth, website revisions, linking revisions, and social network strategies involving more listings and getting my own books published and out, after years of not having any of my own published books available... our main business website is now up to a value of $10,000 for the URL alone.

Strategically, that makes more sense than it having been worth even $35,000 before. The website is slowly going obsolete on the Internet as a major business method, being replaced by social networks and business sites that list your business instead of you needing to run a website or sites. I used to have a dozen linked websites; now I only have three. Two of them are my main business sites, one a regular WordPress site and the other a blog site on WordPress as well. I miss having total control, but it is working for my and the business. Which entails sending book and other ghostwriting and editing work out to various people on my list. I started in 2003 as a simple book ghostwriter on Google, and I branched out from there to over 5,000 people I can now contact and give work assignments to, who pay me 15% out of whatever they make. I'm no millionaire but am presently making a comfortable living.

 BOOK GHOSTWRITER ON GOOGLE

Chapter Eleven: What do Ghostwriters Charge?

What do ghostwriters charge? Or, what do ghost writers charge? Well, a set amount of money, as signed to through contract, is the general method. Some ghost writers or ghostwriters work without a contract, but it's not the best method. When you do things that way, the client forgets they have begun the project and starts waiting around for "free work" to be performed. Meanwhile, a boiler plate contract where only the ghost writer or ghostwriter benefits is not one of the best methods either. This is because the client may feel "gypped" and not like his or her ghost after that. A contract shouldn't be slanted one way or the other; it should cover the rights and responsibilities of both the writer and his or her client. Their clients, in other words.

So... you must sign a contract between you two. The writer and the client. It must lay out what's needed in legal language between two people, including any companies involved. Next, it should be understood that the contract is held legal in whatever venue it's signed in or under. If the Internet, that changes the rules. If written up by the ghost writer or ghostwriter (this is usually the case, not by the client, but sometimes it is indeed that other way around), it is in the venue of the state of residence (or country) of the ghost writer or ghostwriter. If by the client, it is under the jurisdiction of the state and/or country of the client. Or clients. Or company of the client or clients. It's that simple, but if under Internet venue, it's a different situation.

Anyway, the contract will lay out what do ghostwriters charge... in other words, what the ghost writer is going to charge. This may be any amount from say $250 USD to $250,000 USD, depending on the nature of the project, the amount of expertise and experience of the ghost writer or ghostwriter, etc. It definitely also depends on the budgetary needs of the client, each and every time. So a 200-300 page book ghost writing project (whether or not it's a book ghost writing project is up to you and your ghost) may cost between $1,000 to $50,000 USD for example, paid upfront all at once or in installments. It's flexible and loose. But remember, your book ghost writer, affordable or otherwise, needs to be paid.

The ghost is a professional ghostwriter, such as a professional book ghostwriter or affordable book ghost writer of some stripe or other... you need to sign a contract with said person before starting on said job. If you don't, and let things fall through the cracks, it can end said job. Make sure there is a contract each time, and sign it with your partner, whether it is the client or the ghost writer. That said, all book ghostwriters should pay careful attention to the fact that if you don't sign a contract and have that on your side legally, and also just let the client pay you after the work is completed... you are asking for trouble.

They may not ever pay you. You must collect your pay in advance. It's not an "on spec" world anymore, for either clients or writers. It is now a world where payment must be made in advance, in spite of on spec books. Those are by celebrity clients for celebrity purposes, not ordinary and business oriented people. Regular and business folks, please do bear that in mind. On spec is out of reach nowadays. Sign that contract and make those payments in advance.

That's all you need to know. As to setting the price, you have a wide range to choose from. And most manuscripts can be written out in advance, and just book coached or rewritten or edited. So if you want to save money, write out your book and have it edited. Or, if you need it mostly ghost written, you must spend more money. Ghost writing an affordable book nowadays requires somehow finding an affordable book ghost writer. So do this, while remembering you will need to have a decent budget set aside, such as $2,000 to $20,000 for a 200-300 page book (range is editing up through ghost writing/rewriting) in order to hire a decent, professional affordable book ghostwriter. If you go lower than that, you might as well hit up a third world country and see what you can get. They might not give you anything but a poorly written, poorly edited book manuscript.

That said, yes, Virginia and Virgil, it is a matter of what you can afford to pay. Keep that in mind, set aside the most you possibly can for such a long-lasting and significant important project as a book or other ghost writing work, and stop thinking you can get away with arranging percentage payments. That said, the book publisher will arrange percentage payments for you. It is a long struggle to figure out how to get a book publisher in line with your own thinking, and to get paid the right way through percentages. It's a whole other business, one which you will have to work like sixty to figure out. A whole other story than what do ghostwriters charge.

Good luck with it, because it is still doable to make your own percentage payments that way. By the publishers paying out to you. But you will not get pay in advance, except for a book advance. It's the best thing to try for to begin with, if you can lay out your ideas and get a book advance from a book publisher. If not, hire a good affordable book ghostwriter to help you create something professional that will get a publisher's attention.

Chapter Twelve: How to Write a Memoir – Hire a Ghostwriter or Book Editor

You may need a memoir written, for either yourself or a family member. But first, what is a memoir, exactly? And how do you go about writing one; how to write a memoir, is that your pertinent question? Should you write it yourself, or should you hire a professional writer to create or at least assist you in creating your memoir?

And what is a memoir exactly, you may ask? How is it any different from a biography, an autobiography, a journal or a life story? A memoir is different in that it may feature only part of someone's life, the significant portion that you might want to write a book about, or it could feature the person's entire life story. This is called a memoir or the memoirs of someone, no matter who it is about. A biography is written by someone else about the book's subject, and an autobiography is written by the book's subject, while a life story is similar to a memoir - it's about the person's history and life. And a journal is similar to diary entries, compiled personal notes made in intervals, by the subject of the book in question. Some people like their memoirs to read like journal entries.

But when you determine how to write a memoir, how do you go about hiring someone to do the work on it? Well, it depends on for whom you're having the memoir written. If it's just going to be for family and friends, you might want to write out the manuscript yourself and then find a professional book editor or book coach to complete your work. If you're not interested in book sales, this could be a more cost-effective method for you. Editing a book costs much, much less than having it ghost written.

When you hire a book writer, if you use someone decently experienced who can help you create a salable, marketable book, you will be laying out many thousands of dollars. But if you hire a book doctor or editor instead, the work may only cost a few hundred dollars, or at least only a couple thousand dollars, not in the tens or hundreds of thousands like ghost writing costs. So if you don't want to create a huge market for your book and are only having it prepared for a small circle, this is how to write a memoir: hire an editor, and possibly a book coach, to assist you. The book coach will help you structure your manuscript in a polished manner, and a book editor will help you prepare it for publication, making it read soundly and professionally.

But if you really want to hire a ghost, research your choices carefully, as you will be laying out a significant chunk of your money. Be sure you have researched the ROI potential of your book sales - do you have an audience for your book, are you targeting the writing and ideas of your book for that specific audience or audiences, do you know how to structure the keywords of your book title and within the content of your book so that it will come up in search engines, etc.? This latter is extremely important nowadays, especially when it comes to eBook copies versus print copies. But even hard copies of your book will need to contain several relevant keyword phrases.

You should get your book onto Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and Google Books, too. The last one on that list is the one you mainly need to target your keywords for, as your book will come up under searches for specific keywords mostly on that site. So you want to get a published copy, full of relevant keywords where your book can be found on Google, Yahoo, MSN and Bing, onto Google Books. Include the most important keyword in your book title, and you will be found by your most appropriate audience that way when they do an online search.

Of course, a lot of people don't really want to sell their book so much as they want to simply get the memoir of a family member down in permanent ink or at least in electronic format. But if you want lots of people to actually read your memoirs, it's advisable to remember both your audience and the keyword method of enclosing these highly advisable terms within the title and pages of your manuscript, so that it will be found by the most appropriate readers for your completed, polished and professionally presented memoirs.

Chapter Thirteen: The Business of Being a Ghostwriter

It can be hard to write repeatedly about being a ghost writer, as I have already written something like a hundred pieces on this topic alone. But I find my job as a professional ghost to be fresh and new every time. Being a ghost writer is a lot like being a car mechanic - you're on hire to work on someone else's "baby," and you do the best you can to get it in good running and working order. You fix whatever you find to be wrong with it, and you send it back to the owner in great shape.

I have been ghost writing and editing on the Internet since 2003, and was freelance writing before then, since 1980 at least. I have published a magazine of my own called "The Crusader" and have been published in several newspapers and magazines, including online ones. It is my business to be published occasionally under my own name, but normally my best work is published under someone else's name. I specialize in editing nowadays, being semi-retired as a ghost writer.

Part of the business of being a ghost is receiving payments properly. As a ghost writer, what with the book field being nearly glutted with books nowadays, receiving payment during the course of completing a book writing project is paramount. Of course, with proper book marketing a book can pull ahead of its competition and sell well nowadays, if its author goes to the trouble to properly market and promote it. So it's still worthwhile to be a book author and to hire a writer or editor and proper, affordable book marketing services.

I run a team of book, screenplay and music ghost writers, editors, marketers and promoters, as well as accompanying illustrators, photographers etc. These people get most of the incoming job leads, and I take a job occasionally that suits my fancy, in a manner to how Sherlock Holmes took jobs in those famous stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmes never worked a job unless it "fascinated" him, and I only take what is lucrative, fresh and interesting to me personally.

But I can locate a great, affordable ghost writer or editor for nearly anyone who writes into our ghost writing services agency, and I can help take a book from the inception of its ideas to its completion as a published work, editing, formatting and doing all that it takes to come up with the finished salable product. Whether you hire my affordable professional services as a ghost writer or as the overseer of an entire ghost writing job, you are indeed hiring the best, every time.

HOW DO I HIRE PEOPLE?

Writers come to Ghost Writer, Inc. from all over the world. I ask them to send me links to their work, and samples. A resume or CV (curriculum vitae) and three to five representative samples. Preferably published ones. All in editable Word documents, and a recent color headshot for our online public and private files as well.

I read over everything, sometimes heavily, sometimes lightly. I discover the amount of professionalism, the general career thrust, the expertise and related specialties of the ghostwriter and/or editor in question. I input them onto a file name on a folder and file the ghostwriter under our general Ghostwriters Resumes and Documents file. This way I keep a running tabulation of the over 200 ghosts on our team.

Keeping a short list of people who cover all specialties is sort of a specialty of mine. I have a midrange list, and a longer list I keep at LinkedIn of over 23,000 workers of all kinds, types and genres of writing. Some of these are literary agents, book authors who've never ghosted before, musicians, film producers, and others with whom I maintain somewhat loose contact. From inception of the idea of a book, script or music project, or a business document or artist statement (for example), to the publication or production and fulfillment of the project. Our motto is, "We do it All (or at least we try to)!"

Sometimes our partner agencies, such as KA Writing (Kevin Anderson) or Arbor Books (the Floating Gallery) or Linda Leon's MVP group assist us. They are just the tip of our ghostwriting iceberg. Not that we're cold-hearted; we warm up to your company! Just be ready to work with us, sometimes extensively, getting your job done. We will need background notes of some kind, or at least general ideas. A book outline and a timeline suffice, along with phone interviews, personal interviews etc.

Chapter Fourteen: What a Professional Ghostwriter Needs

Ghost writers face challenges when they enter the field of ghost writing. There is a lot of competition, especially on the Internet. You can Google nearly any search term related to ghost writers, and you will find a plethora of entries advertising their writing services. A modern ghost writing service really needs to come up high in the search results on Google and MSN in order to get enough Internet business, and it also helps to have steady accounts on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. It's best to get plenty of Facebook "Likes," a lot of Twitter followers, and to build a great page and reputation at LinkedIn and other Internet business social networks.

Ghost writers must gather some published credentials before they can truly embark on a professional writing career, too. Getting your work published can be as easy as working occasionally for sites such as Guru.com and Freelancers.com in order to amass some references from clients and some published credentials, and also you can get several professional articles published on the Internet under your own name which can well show off your ghost writer capabilities. Once you have a portfolio of published work, both under your own name and some excerpts of work from your ghost writing, you can show this off on your website. But remember first to always get written permission from your ghost writing clients to use excerpts from their work to show to potential future clients.

You will also need a professional ghost writer website to refer your ghost writing clients to view, and this needs to have a great, eye-catching template, adequate search engine optimization, and your contact information extremely prominent on the site. A good professional ghost writer will also have the needed resume, portfolio, recommendation and reference listings on the site. You want to get as much word of mouth out about your services as a freelance ghost writer as humanly possible, so get listed as much as you can on the Internet. Plus this, it's best to create a number of published articles about ghost writing services in general - with links back to your site and email address.

One thing a good ghost writer needs the most is a steady computer connection, preferably a fast one, and steady access to the Internet so that emails can be checked and so that your writing services website can be updated, preferably on a daily basis, for proper search engine optimization. Also, your returning clients will know exactly what is going on lately with your ghost writing services. As a ghost writer, you can set your own hours and don't have to work on holidays, weekends or whatever, but you need to put in steady time as often as you can. And it also helps to have a printer/fax/copier/scanner machine attached to your desktop PC, for important documents such as contracts, illustrations for books, etc.

Chapter Fifteen: Book Ghostwriting as a Process

It's an interesting relationship between a book ghost writer and her client, the book author. The client has the original ideas for the work, and the ghost writer is there to bring them to full fruition. In other words, they work on the book together, with the book ghost writer being a professional who does most of the actual writing of the book, while the client only assists with the ideas.

Well, not exactly. There's more to it than that. In fact, the client or original book author is an integral part of the process, and in fact is writing his own book through the book ghost writer. Book ghost writing is a process, which I'm going to try to break down for you my way, fine-tune experienced after over a decade of book ghost writing. It begins with the client and is finished through the work of the ghost writer.

The client starts the process, after contacting and hiring the ghost writer, by signing a book ghost writing contract with the writer outlining everything important, such as the legal rights of both parties, who exactly keeps the copyrights, who gets the credit for the book or shares it, etc. Then the client makes a small deposit, such as $5,000 to start, for keeping the professional writer's time open to work on the book. This can be a completely non-refundable deposit, or half of it can be refundable under certain circumstances, such as the client cancelling the project or the book ghost writer being unable to begin work on it.

Once the project begins, a great first step is for the client to create a book outline and a timeline laying out the book's contents in chronological order. These documents can be sketchy at first, worked on more and filled out later, even being expanded into a table of contents as a further guide for working on the manuscript. Each document only needs to be about one page long. They engrave nothing in concrete, and each can be altered to suit the needs of the overall project.

Next, emails containing attachments in Word or Word Perfect documents, and in my case I prefer to work in Word, are exchanged between the client and the writer. The client starts this by typing out from the beginning of the book until the end, in gradual stages as needed, the book's contents as envisioned. This can be added to later, and fully edited and rewritten by the ghost writer. Basically, the client at least needs to lay out the ideas of the book as expressed by him, and then flesh them out somewhat for the writer to have material from which to work.

The book ghost writer can do light to heavy research and add related new material by using the resources of the Internet and the local library system. The emails and phone calls between both parties assist the professional writer in shaping, creating, editing, rewriting, proofreading and fully completing the book manuscript. Along the way, the client or book author shares ideas, tells the book ghost writer how he wants his manuscript laid out and written, gives the writer details of the book, and supplies more general ideas and guidelines about the book's materials.

It is best if the client sends all of the actual information to be worked on with his ghost writer in several email attachments, rather than sending them over the phone or in the bodies of emails as written copy. Some background materials can be on real paper, but generally ghost writers can't work from handwritten notes, and while some ghost writers use scanners and can scan in typed documents, it's easier to already have the documents in electronic format. MS Word is the most common software.

Phone calls can be made on a regular basis; you can also arrange Skype conferences and IM or instant message meetings. It's best for a book ghost writer to always have written records, albeit electronic ones, of everything, so I try to avoid phone calls except for using them for info about the project, not the project itself, or to bring each other up on what's going on in general. I like to have everything in emails and attachments whenever possible. It's something solid and reliable in front of me, which I can check on all throughout the project.

The client basically lays out the book's ideas and overall structure, and the ghost writer fleshes everything out and edits it into a professional, readable, polished book, also properly formatting the manuscript and preparing it to be presented to a literary agent and then a commercial, independent, boutique or self-publisher. The book ghost writer may only ghost write the work in progress, and a separate copy editor and even a separate proofreader may be hired to go over the finished manuscript; or the ghost writer may offer included editing and proof reading services. I do this myself when I ghost write, including the price of editing and proofing the manuscript within the overall book ghost writing price. However, if you can afford this, it's always wise to hire another outside book editor for a second set of eyes.

The client may ask questions or raise concerns with the book ghost writer at any time during the book ghost writing project. This should be encouraged by any professional writer in order to facilitate the process of creating a solid, well thought out and well written manuscript that reads smoothly, has few typographical or other errors, has been thoroughly fact checked by both parties, and is otherwise ready to present to an agent and then a publisher. The writer's job is to help the client, the original book author, to craft a book that reads if needed as though it was written by the author client, or at least one that reads professionally well. The ghost writer may work in either the client's voice, which should come through in the client's original writing, or in her own voice if the book author doesn't mind some added creativity in the process.

Also, credit for the work may be shared, with the book ghost writer's name being featured on the cover under the famous "As told to... " method underneath the book author client's name. Or the ghost writer can be not mentioned, with all credit, royalties and success going to the author client. In either case, the advance payment made to the professional writer is her main resource, as the thrust of writing a book for someone else is to make a living at helping you to produce your book project.

At our company, we have many resources at our disposal which involve assisting you in finding an agent and publishing your book, and methods for marketing, promoting and selling your book. We can also guide you to our partners and other networks outside our company which will assist you in arranging book advertising and sales. You may already have business or personal sources you can also use to promote sales.

One last thing: remember that you aren't writing a book only for yourself. You're creating a wonderful work of art for both its readers and your long-term posterity. Keep your readers forever in mind, trying very hard to write more for them than merely for you, your dreams and your book ghost writer.

Chapter Sixteen: What is it Like to be a Ghost Writer?

By a Book Ghostwriter – President, Owner and Founder of Ghost Writer, Inc.

Used to be Rainbow Writing, Inc. Wasn't due to the gay rainbow, but they're included as both ghostwriters and clients. So are Blacks, People of Color and Jews (the original rainbow folks) and Christians. But really, I was dreaming of running a daycare at the time. Rainbows! There are a million movies about rainbows, songs about rainbows, right and left wing, you all need rainbows in your lives.

Dreams are rainbows, they appear mystically in the sky to let you know how to run your own life and seize the pot of gold. They're Irish, they're colorful, they're black white and brown. Whatever you need them to be! I am telling you below what it's like as a ghost writer, any which way from Sunday. Whats it's like as a ghost writer is my own creativity, duly personified.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A GHOSTWRITER?

Aside from silly misspelled words, but not ghost writer or ghostwriter? The search engine often doesn't like punctuation, such as "what's". Why is being a ghostwriter such an intriguing choice of profession? Well, for starters if you're already a freelance writer, you are stuck working for other people. You must mind your p's and q's for an editor, managing or otherwise, above you. And you must also turn in the exact copy the editor, the associate editor, and the president or other higher-up needs you to write.

Generally, you must follow a rigid set of guidelines. You must cover the same news or other stories, op-ed or otherwise, political footing solidly on the same square. Literally, you've got no wiggle room. It should be their way, which can mean the same thing repeatedly, or follow the strangest attempts to get your readers' attention that the world has usually seen. There's no room for any creative mentality. What it's like as a ghostwriter is each new story is an unfolding adventure with nobody to tell you you're writing it wrong. Or that you have to do things the publisher's way, not usually. Instead, there's a ton of creative development going.

Instead of writing what you want to write, you should write what (quote unquote) everybody is expecting. No mercy, no leeway, the usual op-ed style is all. What's it like – redundancy – while being a ghost writer is a new project coming up each time. A whole new challenge, where you use your experience as a ghostwriter to conjure brand-new ideas and thoughts. What a ghost writer does is challenge the entire creative writing field, each time. You have to be creative to get your foot in the door. You grow more innovative with each passing work of art.

IF YOU KNOW WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A GHOSTWRITER

However, you must write about what everyone else is writing about, if you work for CNN, NBC, MSNBC or whatever demands you do it the company way. Whereas, if you ghostwrite a book for an original book author, you are challenged to do the nearly exact opposite. Instead, you are supposed to come up with your own original theme, thesis, set of genres, ideas, memoirs of your own personal life.

What it's like as a ghost writer, and being an original creative writer and author? Instead of See Dick See Jayne See Spot isn't what it is to be a different drummer, no matter how measured or close by the candy store. You add in your own proportions and discover that you may save the world. If what is not a ghost writer is a freelance writer, the experience is great. But the slavery you encounter by not being your own boss is not.

When a ghost writer, you have exactly one client at a time who is not exactly your boss. Instead, you are guiding your client to create, write, edit, you do book coaching, you coordinate between you two as two-person team effort. Sometimes more people are involved, but that's basically it, and the client is not your boss. You hammer out the words in progress and decide between you what is going to be said, chiseled out of the block of stone, written on the bathroom wall, painted in organic oils on the spreading canvas of depth and beauty.

HOW TO FIND OUT WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A GHOSTWRITER

So, you ask me what is the difference – what is it like to be a ghostwriter? To begin, you are writing with just one other person in most cases. I highly recommend that, because with more than one author involved, heads frequently knock anyway. Two people, with one editing, creating, adding to and researching the original author's work, is a lot less unoriginal. A lot less boring, more exciting, more likely to come up with an angle of view that is unique to the book, screenplay, music or other styles of writing work.

You want to write a book about your life experiences, which are entirely unique to you. Like they were to President Donald J. Trump. Like they were to Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton. Like they are to the girl down the street who dreams of marrying, raising a family, and becoming the first person to contact intelligent life and prove it exists outside our purview. What is it like to be a ghost writer? I am still waiting for that book to show up in my life! What if one day, it did? The book that made a goldmine appear again, while remaining fun to read? And I would not have tons of competition for it on CBS, NBC, or wherever.

What is it like to be a ghostwriter – far beyond awesome, rewarding, or eclectic. Instead, I learn something new from each project, instead of bogging down in the same old cliched, metaphoric, chase that guy as Satan or Jesus forever political mentality that tries to blame one person for Life's little problems.

That is what it is forever like to be a book ghost writer. Or the other kinds.

Chapter Seventeen: What is it Really Like to be a Ghostwriter?

I am a ghost writer, and this is a very interesting job for a freelance professional writer. I started out freelancing in 1980, while also working as a home health care aide for the disabled as my day job, and this gave me some material to write about in the Seattle area. As of 2003, I began a ghost writing and editing business on the Internet. Nowadays I'm semi-retired, and I send out work to my team of ghost writers, editors, marketers and promoters of books, screenplays and other written works.

So I'm kept pretty busy by my job, sometimes as a ghost for certain projects, sometimes as a writing service for the bulk of my projects. It's a bit like being Sherlock Holmes - I only need to take on the "interesting cases" that come in. My role is usually that of an overseer or go-between when it comes to sending out work to my players/ghost writers, but I have to call on all my skills gained over the years when it comes to ghost writing and editing, whether it's me or someone else who is doing the jobs for our incoming clients.

The job of a ghost writer can be a thankless one. You get no real credit for your actual hard work; you only get paid, hopefully quite well, for the writing, editing and other work that you do. A lot of ghost writers like working with other people's ideas, though, as it helps to be well compensated by the client when it comes to entertaining any of your own ideas and carefully merging them into the work. Being paid is motivation enough to do a great job each time for most ghosts, and our company does our best through our ghost writing services to also arrange for the clients to get paid, through our marketing and promotions services.

It can also be pretty free-wheeling, the life of a professional ghost writer and editor. You can choose which jobs to take, what hours to work, what prices, fees and rates to set, etc. The client has a certain amount of control over you and your time, but you basically are your own boss and set your own schedules and rates. Gone are the days where you had to report to an editor or other project overseer; you only need to report directly to your clients on a steady, regular basis. And as a ghost writer of books and screenplays, you get to choose the genres you like to work with and which styles of writing you feel you're best at when it comes to taking on ghost writing jobs. I prefer working with book writing projects over screenwriting projects myself, for instance.

My role as an overseer or go-between with my team of writers, editors, marketers and promoters generally involves being the mediator in any disputes, handling questions from both the ghost and the client in each case, and always being at their disposal for any problems. I sometimes supply a contract for the ghost and the client to sign, but usually my writers use their own contracts each time. It's a lot easier for me than when I take on a ghost writing or editing job of my own, but it can have its ups and downs too, overseeing a ghost writing job.

To wrap things up, it's a fun and varied life being an online professional freelance writer running a ghost writing service. And it's also my job to occasionally ghost write books, and to edit work that needs the special touch of a professional to bring it to a final gleam of professional excellence - so that it can be presented to literary agents and publishers in a correct and formal manner.

Chapter Eighteen: Brief Description of the Many Styles of Editing

Well, what can I say about copy editing, usually just called editing, as a field? I have been at the process of becoming an editor for well over the past 30 years, so I should have something worthwhile to say about it by now, I should think. But I won't cover APA style or the use of the Chicago Manual or other such style manuals - I'll just do a basic overview of the most common editing forms here.

Foundationally, editing is a much discredited but mostly honorable profession for writers and would-be writers who have a degree in English and enough experience generating copy to know what to look for in the spelling, grammar and syntax departments. That kind of editing is primarily called line editing, and it doesn't entail much more than heavily proofreading and correcting copy so that it reads well, taking out redundancies and otherwise improving the "flow" while maintaining the original author's "voice" throughout (vital to most ghost writing, which I will discuss later.)

Line editing is just one step down from color editing, which includes everything in line editing and then some - you want to now edit for how the content reads as a whole, but not in a generalized way as you would with content or developmental editing. You just need to "pep up" or otherwise alter the flavor, spicing (I use recipe references a lot), sophistication and overall tone of the piece you are color editing. The idea with this kind of editing is to enhance the reader's enjoyment of the experience, as well as to make the copy read in a more professional or sophisticated (sometimes, depending on the desired "voice," in a less sophisticated or more typically familiar) tone.

The next step up in editing is a big one and is in fact more rewriting than editing - content editing. This also includes developmental editing, although some think of them as two separate editing styles. Me, I tend to blend all of my editing styles with writing and ghost writing styles, although I try hard to maintain the original author's voice every time. Anyway, content editing means reworking or sometimes only adding some content to the piece, while making sure it "fits in" to the original or desired writing style.

Reworking may mean a thorough rewrite of everything, or it may only mean some rearrangement, such as shuffling chapters around in order to improve things. The idea behind both content and developmental editing is to enhance and improve the piece, so that its overall structure is sounder, making it read from beginning to end in a better and improved manner. Content editing may not be quite as thorough as its "big brother," developmental editing, which is the most thorough style of editing.

When you developmentally edit, you work over a manuscript, rewriting nearly everything or at least what the client or publisher has requested as needed. If it's your own manuscript, you are in effect rewriting your whole book to suit you or a publisher's desires. You add some fresh material, but in greater amounts than in content editing, sometimes putting in new characters, whole chapters, new plot devices and scenes, reformatting the manuscript or screenplay, etc.

When you developmentally edit a screenplay or script (which is probably the most common work done on other people's scripts), you are taking the whole thing in hand and doing it all over again, maybe in a whole new voice or angle of view. The same thing applies to any book manuscript or short story that requires serious developmental editing - working it over in a whole new image - while the ideas of the client still need to be paramount as you go about the editing process.

All in all, these many different styles of editing can be rearranged or blended into writing and rewriting as needed. Just remember that editing always entails more than mere proofreading - which involves checking for grammatical and syntactic errors and correcting them. Line editing is the first step above proofreading; all editing inherently includes basic proofreading, although the latter can be performed separately by someone else.

The most important thing to remember when copy editing is to keep to your client's voice as much as possible. Editing is a practical process that almost anyone can do, if they know spelling, grammar and syntax rules. But it takes a real professional to manage a manuscript or screenplay expertly and with a touch of true style.

Chapter Nineteen: Book Copy Editors - Also be Ghost Writers, Rewriters and Proofreaders

I wanted to be a book manuscript copy editor, but my teacher was a bit abstruse. Fortunately, I didn't really listen to him, although I did heed what he had said about women being good book manuscript copy editors - somewhat. Upon my very first project, I had to do substantial rewriting, not just copy editing alone. Freelance writers can't really stick with any one category of work for very long.

Over the years, I have learned that working on book manuscripts for people can entail anything from simple proof reading and checking of a well written book manuscript that requires no attention but a simple run through for grammar, to having to full scale write or rewrite an entire book.

This latter has often involved using my own information gleaned from the Internet and other sources - or even personal experience - by basing it on the author's ideas. Freelance writers have to be versatile when it comes to both idea finding and idea expression, and there's a lot of sources you can use to find material. You can even work completely from the Internet, using only the author's basic ideas, or by working closely with the author.

The book author is the person who hires you to do the book manuscript writing; sometimes they help you write, and sometimes they don't. It's up to you to turn in professional work for a fee, usually paid in advance, and you often receive no credit whatsoever for your work. And the work, as I said, ranges from simple proof reading to writing or rewriting everything.

But in between lurks the realm that puts the lie to what my college teacher said: you can't simply be a copy editor. Professional copy editors are forced to wear several hats, not just one. Too many of the jobs involved are combined ones. You may need to - for example - copy edit for fact and syntax changes, proofread for grammar and mistakes, constantly check for technical inaccuracies, and rewrite short to long portions of a book manuscript, all from being hired only as a copy editor.

Often it's a three pronged job, and I have worn those three hats: copy editor, proofreader and partial or thorough manuscript rewriter. This sort of job is what may go down in a contract as a typical book manuscript copy editing job. But it can be a four, five or six pronged job, entailing being a ghost writer, a rewriter or a co-writer - as well as the other jobs.

Sometimes someone hires me to be a book manuscript ghost writer, but hands me so much material, some of it well written, that it is really a case where I'm a manuscript rewriter. Some work has a tone that doesn't suit it, and then I might have to rewrite, which also involves fairly extensive copy editing. And some jobs as a ghost writer involve everything: original writing, writing from my and the client's research, ghost writing, rewriting, copy editing, proof reading, being a coauthor and/or co-writer, writing a movie or television oriented script, graphics and CAD artwork, website development work, and making out a time line or a book outline, which may make all the rest of the work a lot easier.

This can entail several pieces of other work, especially when there is a lot of technical detail to a book manuscript. You may prepare character outlines, places, people and other names outlines, description outlines, special nuances outlines, etc. You might also want to help the client get published, writing a letter of query for literary agents and publishers, creating a book proposal, writing brief biographical material and a book review and/or a press release, making phone calls to certain people, writing a script, sending work you can't do yourself out to other people, or whatever else the client may happen to need.

When you do this, you have gone far beyond the status of a mere book manuscript copy editor, what "women are good at," and you have to enter the so-called "masculine" world of the book manuscript ghost writer. The lines simply cross so often, there's no real way to be only one or the other. And as you proceed in your career, you will want to make more money and not limit yourself to mere copy editing. Ghost writing entails a lot more money, as typical book manuscript ghost writers make ten to twenty-five thousand dollars or more per book they write. I charge less for first time authors and people with lower budgets, but I'm an exception to the rule.

Meanwhile, I have to do ghost writing \- there's no getting around it. It's not just the money; people will send you what they think of as copy editing jobs, and then they turn out to be or become ghost writing ones.

So bear that in mind when you take on jobs as a book manuscript copy editor: you will also have to be a ghost writer or ghostwriter, a copy editor or copy editor, a rewriter, a proof reader or proofreader, possibly a graphics artist (if you have those skills), a coauthor or co-writer, a publishing assistant or helper (to help the book get published), and a website developer, writer, updater or copy writer or copywriter.

In fact, website copy editing or copy writing is a whole other field worth exploring, which can involve steady work on an ongoing basis. Website copy writing is something you can almost do by itself alone, unlike regular copy editing, and you can make a decent living from it. And it will test your editing skills over time, not to mention your rewriting skills. Most websites I've ever edited required substantial rewriting. Like I said, it's hard in the writing profession to wear a single hat, if not outright impossible. Some people at least do specialize in categories, such as science fiction, historical romance, non-fiction, murder mysteries, cozies, or whatever. But I have found over time it pays to be open-minded about a broad range of categories. I do everything from children's chapter books to adult literature and have written in all categories and most subject matters.

Lastly, you should read on a regular basis, everything you can grab, and keep abreast on the latest in copy editors and ghost writers news through online magazines, many of which you can get for free through signing up for a subscription. It also helps to keep a daily journal of your thoughts and ideas, to refer back to for the novels you'll find you eventually must write.

You have to become a book author someday, in all probability, so you should jot down ideas. As you probably already know, book authors stand to make good money in the upper echelons, so why not go for it?

Whatever you do, don't forget to stay on those book manuscript copy editor jobs, while remembering they are also the jobs of book ghost writers, copy editors, rewriters, proof readers, coauthors, co-writers, graphics and CAD technicians and artists, publishing assistants and helpers, movie, play and television script writers, and website developers. This is not to mention that your work will involve other types of freelance and contacted writers and writing jobs, which you can find on the Internet in a lot of places; you only have to look.

I suggest avoiding the bidding websites, as all they do is undercut decent professional writers pay. You have to bid low to "win" the job, and by the time you do, you're working pretty much for free. Instead, list with reputable services like Daylo and First Writer, and have your articles published by services such as Ezine Articles, which gets the word out about your writing talents.

You can of course put up your own freelance and contract manuscript book ghost writers work related website. I run two of those, both for our Rainbow Writing, Inc. freelance ghost writing business. Once you do proper SEO (search engine optimization), you've got advertising, and righteous ghost writers work should start pouring in on a regular basis - which is what I'm doing nowadays. It can take a lot of work to create links and optimize your keywords and meta tags, so you may need to hire someone else or invest in a good program such as Web Position Gold to help you figure out how to do really great SEO.

Well, that's a start, so why are you still just sitting there? Get cracking and start finding those book manuscript copy editing and ghost writing jobs!

Chapter Twenty: What do Ghostwriters Charge?

THE ROLE OF A GHOSTWRITER IS TO TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON AT ALL TIMES.

So, what do ghostwriters charge? A set amount of money, as signed to through a legitimate contract, is the general method. Or possibly an hourly rate, or a rate per page. Or per word, or per each several hundred or thousand words. Almost any method works, as long as you actually pay your ghost.

Some ghost writers or ghostwriters work without a formal contract. But it's not the best method. When you do things that way, the client forgets they have begun the project and starts waiting around for "free work" to be performed.

WHAT DO GHOSTWRITERS CHARGE, AND HOW DO THEY CHARGE IT?

Meanwhile, a boilerplate contract where only the ghost writer or ghostwriter benefits is not good either. This is because the client may feel "gypped" and not like his or her ghost after that. A contract shouldn't be slanted one way or the other; it should cover the rights and responsibilities of both the writer and his or her client. Their clients, in other words.

So...you must sign a contract between you two. The writer and the client. It must lay out what's needed in legal language between two people, including any companies involved. Next, it should be understood that the contract is held legal in whatever venue it's signed in or under. If the Internet, that changes the rules. If written up by the ghost writer or ghostwriter (this is usually the case, not by the client.

Yet sometimes it is that other way around), it is in the venue of the state of residence (or country) of the ghost writer or ghostwriter. If by the client, it is under the jurisdiction of the state and/or country of the client. Or clients. Or company of the client or clients. It's that simple, but if under Internet venue, it's a different situation.

TO LAY OUT WHAT AND HOW GHOSTWRITERS CHARGE – SIGN A BOOK GHOSTWRITING CONTRACT THAT DOES SO!

Anyway, the contract will lay out what do ghostwriters charge...in other words, what the ghost writer is going to charge. This may be any amount from say $250 USD to $250,000 USD, depending on the nature of the project, the amount of expertise and experience of the ghost writer or ghostwriter, etc. It definitely also depends on the budgetary needs of the client, each and every time. So a 200-300 page book ghost writing project (whether or not it's a book ghost writing project is up to you and your ghost) may cost between $1,000 to $50,000 USD for example, paid upfront all at once or in installments. It's flexible and loose. But remember, your book ghost writer, affordable or otherwise, needs to be paid.

The ghost is a professional ghostwriter, such as a professional book ghostwriter or affordable book ghost writer of some stripe or other...you need to sign a contract with said person before starting on said job. If you don't, and let things fall through the cracks, it can end said job. Make sure there is a contract each time, and sign it with your partner, whether it is the client or the ghost writer. That said, all book ghostwriters should pay careful attention to one fact. Regarding if you don't sign a contract and have that on your side legally. So the client pays you only after you complete the work...you are asking for trouble. Often the client doesn't make the full payment.

AS TO GHOSTWRITER CHARGES – SETTING A PRICE AND FOLLOWING THROUGH IS BEST.

They may not ever pay you. You must collect your pay in advance. It's not a "on spec" world anymore, for either clients or writers. It is now a world where payment must be made in advance, in spite of on spec books. Those are by celebrity clients for celebrity purposes, not ordinary and business oriented people. Regular and business folks, please do bear that in mind. On spec is out of reach nowadays. Sign that contract, and make those payments in advance.

That's all you need to know. As to setting the price, you have a wide range to choose from. And most manuscripts can be written out in advance, and just book coached or rewritten or edited. So if you want to save money, write out your book and have it edited. Or, if you need it mostly ghost written, you must spend more money. Ghost writing an affordable book nowadays requires somehow finding an affordable book ghost writer. Answering the question: what do ghostwriters charge? This entails setting a budget and sticking faithfully with it.

Remember you will need to have a decent amount set aside. Such as $2,000 to $20,000 for a 200-300 page book (range is editing up through ghost writing/rewriting). In order to hire a decent, professional affordable book ghostwriter. If you go lower than that, you might as well hit up a third world country and see what you can get. They might not give you anything but a poorly written, poorly edited book manuscript.

YOUR GHOSTWRITER'S FEES WILL VARY ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD TO PAY.

That said, yes, Virginia and Virgil, it is a matter of what you can afford to pay. Keep that in mind, set aside the most you possibly can for such a long-lasting and significant important project as a book or other ghost writing work, and stop thinking you can get away with arranging percentage payments. That said, the book publisher will arrange percentage payments for you. It is a long struggle to figure out how to get a book publisher in line with your own thinking, and to get paid the right way through percentages. It's a whole other business, one which you will have to work like sixty to figure out. A whole other story than what do ghostwriters charge.

Good luck with it, because it is still doable to make your own percentage payments that way. By the publishers paying out to you. But you will not get pay in advance, except for a book advance. It's the best thing to try for to begin with, if you can lay out your ideas and get a book advance from a book publisher. If not, hire a good affordable book ghostwriter to help you create something professional that will get a publisher's attention.

