ghost writer

How to hire a ghostwriter

How to Hire a Ghostwriter

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Are you planning to write a book or an ebook? 80% Americans dream of writing a book. Writing a successful book can be rewarding in way of earning as well as social recognition. What, if you are too busy or not sure how to write a book? This is where the necessity of a good ghostwriter comes in. We shall find out how to find and hire a ghostwriter for your book.

Steps

  1. Decide whether you will hire a freelancer ghostwriter or approach an established ghostwriting organization.
  2. Hiring a freelancer can be slightly cheaper, but there can be greater uncertainty about quality and reliability. Google for popular freelancer sites to locate one. Elance and Guru, are good. GetAFreelancer is okay for very inexpensive freelancers.
  3. Advertise your project and start receiving bids from freelancer ghostwriters.
  4. If you go for an established ghostwriting organization, you can avoid the bidding and selection procedure. Rates are fixed and the working system is more organized. You will receive the work edited by an editor.
  5. Pay the first installment or Escrow the fees to get the work started.
  6. Sign an agreement.
  7. Receive the work, read it; suggest edits.
  8. Pay the final installment or release the escrow.

Tips

  • Sign a non-disclosure contract with your ghostwriter with the clause of maintaining secrecy.
  • Keep a no-plagiarism clause in the contract; meaning, the ghostwriter should not copy exactly from elsewhere.
  • There should be a deadline given, which is generally 3 to 6 months for a 250+ page book.
  • Choose to pay in installments. The first installment will be an advance.
  • Discuss and make the ghostwriter agree to make at least three reverts within 7 days of project completion.
  • Send your instructions in as much details as possible.
  • Outsourcing ghostwriting to overseas organizations can save you up to 80% of the cost.

Warnings

  • Do a background check about the ghostwriter. Google with the name of the ghostwriter or the organization to find out their reliability.
  • Do not pay 100% in advance.
  • Use Copyscape to check the originality of the work submitted. If it is not original, do not accept it and ask for an immediate refund.

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Hire a Ghostwriter. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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Ghostwriter agreement

Given below is a typical agreement which you can sign with your ghostwriter.

CO-WRITER/GHOSTWRITER-AUTHOR AGREEMENT OVER A BOOK

By this memorandum of understanding, signed this _____________ 2008; both the parties described herein under as PARTY A, represented by ______________, address, _____________________________________ also described as the ‘author’; and PARTY B, represented by ___________, address ____________________________________________________________________________________, also described as ‘ghostwriter’, do hereby agree to all the terms described and given below:

  1. Party A is commissioning Party B to begin the project of writing a book on the subject: _______________________________________________________.
  2. The tentative working title of the book shall be _______________________________________________________’. This title is subject to change subject to mutual consent of both the parties.
  3. The deadline for completion of this book is _______ days after the signing of this agreement.
  4. Party A agrees to pay Party B a consolidated sum of $_________ for the project that will include the following:
    1. Writing the content of the book on the guidelines of Party A.
    2. Getting it edited by a pro-editor before submission.
  5. The fees of the co-writer/ghostwriter will be paid as follows:
    1. 50% advance to get the project started.
    2. 50% within 10 days of complete work submission (irrespective of whether Party A found time to go through it in 10 days or not).
  6. Party B (ghostwriter) is subject to NO royalty or commission on the sales of the book. He is only entitled to the one time fees of $_________.
  7. Party B (ghostwriter) will maintain full confidentiality about this project.
  8. The book will be __________ pages long.
  9. Party B agrees that he will not take the help of any plagiarism, meaning he will avoid using borrowed material in this book exactly as they are found elsewhere.
  10. Party A will own all copyrights for this book, including sale and distribution rights.
  11. Party A will have full freedom to set the retail price of this book, deal with any publisher, and may even distribute it free of cost if she wishes. Party B will have no say on setting the price of this book.
  12. Party A can request party B to make a reasonable number of changes and edits during the period of production of this book and within 7 days of completion of the book.

Both the parties do hereby agree to the terms laid and set above.

Signature

Party A (author)

————————————————————————————-

Signature

Party B (ghostwriter)

Date:

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