Ghostwriting: The Easy Way to
Profit From Your Ideas

Are you brimming with ideas, but don't know how to turn them into books? Ghostwriting is your answer.

Maybe you can write, but just don't have the time. A hired writer can get the book done so you can start making money on those ideas. From blogs to marketing, newsletters, articles, websites and complete books, if you supply the information, a hired writer can supply the writing.


What Will a Ghostwriter Do?

One of the benefits of hiring your writing out is that you get the credit without doing the work! If that sounds good to you, consider using such a service for your idea.

These types of writing services may offer everything from non-fiction books, to novels to articles, advertising copy, website pages and even blogs. Not only can you put your ideas into print, but you can get help with marketing and boosting traffic to your website, thus increasing your chances of making a profit in every way.

Many businesses don't have time to create their own website copy. Yet to stay on top of the technological explosion, they need a great website and maybe even a blog. Their solution? Hire it done.

Most writing services that offer ghosting get paid an up front fee to write the book. Then the "author" - you - gets to keep all other proceeds from the book. A wide variety of services are out there, from one person businesses to groups that supposedly offer best-selling author's services.

Check those carefully. If an author is best-selling in their own right, why are they offering ghostwriting services? Or have they only published their best-selling books under another's name? If that's so, they may be a great deal for your next project.


What to Expect

Some services advertise that they can write a book in 90 days. Others say five to six months, which to my mind is more realistic. If you're truly in a rush, and your project isn't huge, try to get references from any service that offers faster service, just to be on the safe side.

The ghostwriter should offer portions of the book for you to read through as he or she completes them. If they don't, beware. You might pay for a large project that isn't at all what you intended it to be. Try to find ghostwriting services that will let you read over the first portion of the book - a chapter or two - immediately, to be sure it sounds the way you want it to.

Payment should follow a similar rule. A portion is paid immediately, and until that section of the work (say the first third of the book) is produced and reviewed by you, no further payment happens. Final payment should be upon delivery of the completed manuscript to you.

Cost will vary, depending on how big the project is, whether a "celebrity" is writing the book for you, and what type of book it is. I've seen pricing from $8000 to $250,000 for a single book, depending on these factors.

A good service should be able to make the book sound like you would, if you were "telling" the book. This is important. You want a gardening book to sound like a gardner, not a physicist. And vice versa.

Check each of these points before hiring anyone. Then read any contract carefully and be sure you have the option to end it with notice in writing - without penalty. Yes, if some of the work has been completed, they likely will, and should, keep that portion of the money. But don't plunk down the full fee before you're sure you'll work well with the person you've hired to do your writing.

Then enjoy the process of seeing your ideas turn into print! And making
you money.