Haunted By A Book Idea? Hiring a ghostwriter can bring it to life

I have a bunch of book ideas and not enough time or talent to get them to paper. I have pondered hiring a ghostwriter but needed to know more so I interviewed Courtney Kelly, an experienced ghostwriter. We went through the entire process… when to hire one, how to hire the best one and what it costs.

When do you hire a ghostwriter? Courtney suggests you hire a ghostwriter very early in the process but each ghostwriter is going to have a different approach. They can step in when you just have the idea and help do research on the topic. Others prefer you do the research and will step in when the writing is ready to start. The wrong time to hire a ghostwriter is after you have written a book and need editing. That is when you hire a developmental editor or copy editor.

Should you hire a ghostwriter who specializes in your topic? Sometimes you should but Courtney suggested it is most important to hire someone you get along with and like since this can be a long process. They can learn your topic. They can’t learn to be someone you like!

Where do you find a ghostwriter? There is no single source but some good places to check are:

• https://www.upwork.com/
• https://scribemedia.com/
• And of course – https://www.courtneykellywrites.com/

What are some questions you should ask when hiring a ghostwriter? Courtney stressed it is most important the ghostwriter asks YOU questions about your project. If they are agreeing with everything you are saying without asking questions that is a big red flag. Questions you should ask though are: what services do they offer, how many revisions do they include, what does their revision process look like, how will you be involved in the revision process, can they provide samples of their work, and do they help with book pitches and getting the book published. (There were more but you need to watch the video!)

The most important thing I learned in this interview was that every author and every ghostwriter is different and the key is to find a good match. We covered so much more including how long it takes to complete the process and how much it costs so you definitely need to watch the video to get all the great information Courtney shared.