How to Hire a Ghostwriter

Hiring a ghostwriter is easy. Hiring a GREAT ghostwriter is hard. The same is true for hiring any writer, photographer, or graphic designer. Just because someone is great at what they do doesn't mean they're great to work with. I've worked with drama queens, narcissists, and flakes in all fields. I've learned that no matter how gifted and creative someone is, if they're a pain in the butt to work with, it's not worth working with them. A good job with a solid creative who communicates well, listens, understands your vision, and delivers on time is far more valuable than one who only does awesome work on their timetable, when they feel like it, and according to their rules. So how do you avoid the nightmares?

• Get a referral. Ask friends who they've used. Take their referrals with a grain of salt, and ask a lot of questions - mostly about the writer's responsiveness, availability, current workload, portfolio, pricing, payment schedule etc. Ask about their personality. Are they an extrovert, introvert, chatty, too serious, not serious enough. What did they like and not like about the writer. Ask to see the finished product. Read it. Is it well done? Professional looking? Do you like it?
• Read reviews and testimonials. Go to Upwork, or any writing service, a LinkedIn page etc. and read the reviews. Don't look for 100% awesome. There's no such thing. Anyone who writes for years, for a variety of clients will have someone who is not happy with the results, their personality, the costs etc. that have nothing to do with the quality of writing. I have an 85 to 90% (depending on the algorithm with each job) satisfaction rate on Upwork. I'm guessing that the job I finished late due to the client's scope creep, or her changing direction in the middle of the project and expecting me to hit the same deadlines may have played a part in the negative feedback. It happens. 
• Look at their portfolio. This can get tricky as most ghostwriters have signed non-disclosure contracts and can't legally show you their portfolio. I have a few clients who are willing to be referrals, but they want to decide how much and who they share the fact their book was ghostwritten. If you can get copies of their writing, usually under their own name (I write under my name for a few clients), then do so. Have they written magazine articles or reports they can share with you? Getting a sense of their writing style is important. A good writer will be able to capture your voice (style, manner of speaking, vocabulary etc.) so your ghostwritten book sounds like you actually wrote it. That's the point, but not every writer can capture a person's voice. 
• Have a phone conversation, or a video call. It's easier to get a sense of a person over the phone than in an email. It's even better to have a video call. If you can meet in person, then do it. The point is to get a sense of how well you and the writer click. Do you trust them? Do you feel comfortable with them? Are they someone you won't mind sharing your thoughts, feelings, and concerns with? If you're working on a book you'll be (or should be) in close communication with this person for weeks, months, even years if it takes that long. A good ghostwriter will insist on a phone or video call to make sure they feel comfortable with you. I've turned away clients who I believed weren't ready to take on a project — usually after they rescheduled calls, failed to show up for calls, or were consistently late to a call. This was a sign the project would be hit and miss, and that they weren't committed to it. 
• Hire them for a small project first. If you have the time and luxury to give your writer a test run, do it. Hire them for a small project, a blog post, an ebook, or a report before hiring them to write an entire book. Chances are their writing is solid (if you've seen samples and done your due diligence). However, the more critical aspect - communication, updates, availability, ability to hit deadlines etc. is important. How a writer (or creative or anyone really) works on small projects is how they'll work on big projects. As my tennis coach used to say, "How you practice is how you'll play." 
• Request a sample proposal or letter of agreement. Are they clear on their deliverables? Do they have good boundaries regarding their policies and expectations? Do they have a reasonable timeline for your project? Have they personalized their proposal for your project, or are you getting a boilerplate proposal?
  
• Notice how they respond to you. The attention you receive at the beginning of the hiring process is often indicative of the time and attention you'll get throughout the project. It may get more relaxed, but it rarely gets better. First impressions matter. Pay attention. Are they rushed, annoyed, nervous, anxious, focused on money? I get a lot of "tire kickers," people who are just curious about me and my services, but whom have no real intention of hiring me. I still try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and treat them with focus, attention, and courtesy. Sometimes I have to delay a proposal for a few days to finish another project. I'm getting paid to do the work at hand and current clients come before new clients. Think about being in line at the register of a busy store. Your items are on the counter, the clerk is ringing you up, and suddenly the phone rings and the clerk stops what they're doing to deal with this person who "broke line" by calling the store. Rather than put the person on hold and finish with you, they end up spending the next 10-15 minutes helping them. How would that make you feel? The same is true when contacting a ghostwriter about a job. They may have other projects and paying clients ahead of you. Be patient. It's a good sign if the writer tells you they'll need to get back with you in a few days. They'll treat you just as professionally when you are their client. 
  
• Ask the hard questions. How many other clients do they currently have? Will they be taking on new clients while working on your project? What happens if something happens to them? Is there someone else who can finish the work if they get sick, hit by a bus, or have an unexpected funeral to attend? Do they have standing monthly obligations? I rarely take on new clients at the end of the month because of clients I have on retainer who need projects (newsletters, reports, etc.) at the end of each month. I just can't give them, or my new client, the attention and quality they deserve if I have too much on my plate. Asking a writer how many other clients they have at one time is important. It will give you a sense of how available and flexible they'll be on your project. For instance, a client asked for major changes, beyond what we'd agreed on. She liked what she was seeing and wanted to expand the scope of the project and was willing to pay to do so. I had scheduled the project so it would conclude at the beginning of the third week of the month, just as I was starting my retainer work. I couldn't do her expanded project and the other work I had. There just wasn't time. We eventually extended the deadline into the first two weeks of the following month. 
• Find out what their personality traits are (Myers-Briggs, DiSC, Enneagram etc.) If that's not possible, at least ask if they're an introvert or extrovert. If you're an extrovert and your writer is an introvert, you can feel like all you're doing is offending them, or feel frustrated spending your time prying answers out of them. Many introverts are not comfortable sharing their thoughts until they've had a chance to think about their answers. And, many writers are introverts. I'm not. I'm a raging extrovert! 

It's not just the ghostwriter's job to deliver. You, the client are responsible for being accessible, or having someone who can answer questions when you can't be reached. Your writer/designer may have to delay a project or a portion of it if they can't reach you regarding a question or decision they have to make. A good client understands that changing the direction of a project, the table of contents, the focus, or the job once it's begun is fine - as long as they're willing to pay for it. Many clients hire a ghostwriter or designer and assume that flat rate covers any changes they request, as though they had an hourly employee on their staff and endless hours to play with. When you hire a creative (writer, photographer, designer) you're hiring to do a specific job with a set time frame.

​Changes, additions, scope creep etc. take time not budgeted in the original agreement. So, expect to pay more if you suddenly decide halfway through a project to turn your How-to book into a novel about how-to. (It happened). When you hire a ghostwriter, think about your availability, commitment, flexibility, and budget. Are you going to be better off working with a disciplined, structured, deadline driven writer, or one who is more laid back and flexible and easy going? Know your own style and find a writer who can accommodate that. I have a client who wants to talk three times a day when he's in between projects, but then he disappears for weeks on end without a word. I can get his projects done, but not in the timely manner I prefer. He's happy with the work and pays me on time, so I don't complain, but it's up to you to decide how you prefer to work, then find the writer who can meet your style.