Ghostwriters can make a ton of your writing work easy for you. From writing the book's first page to designing the back cover, all you have to do is communicate every necessary information to your ghostwriting company or ghostwriter without writing pages of text. You may even do that via interviews or informal one-on-one sessions.
However, some ghostwriters are engaged in obviously dubious practices that could prove disadvantageous to your book and credibility.
When looking for ghostwriters for hire, these are the most significant hazards and mistakes you should avoid at all costs:
Hiring a ghostwriter who doesn't have a background could be troublesome. Usually, ghostwriters are experienced with good credentials and a proven track record of being the voice of their clients on paper. Not checking up on their earlier works could make things worse for you.
You can request a recommendation from a trusted place or a reference. References or testimonials can come from previous businesses they have worked for. If the person doesn't have experience in the writing sector, you can check their academic credentials. Some graduates with exceptional writing talent come with backgrounds in mass communication, creative writing, journalism, or similar fields. So it's also worth giving them a try.
Avoid making the mistake of hiring the wrong writer because you don't have enough knowledge of their backgrounds. For example, a writer who wants a book ready for a business-related subject or story should essentially hire a ghostwriter with a background in business too.
Knowing your ghostwriter is key. If you're unable to research where they are coming from, a quick judgment can be made by asking them for a relevant writing sample. For example, if you want to have an autobiography written, make sure that you're asking for an autobiographical (or biographical) sample. This will be a good indication of his writing skills because you want someone with fluent and flawless English.
You're already hiring a ghostwriter for yourself. But suppose the ghostwriter outsources the work to someone else who could do the work for cheap. In that case, this will deprive you of quality work that you could otherwise receive with a transparent and more communicative ghostwriter. So basically, in this case, your ghostwriter has another ghostwriter with whom you can hardly communicate. You don't even know if the other person is fit for writing, let alone fit enough to represent your thoughts.
Communication is essential, whether it's regarding materials or the way you speak. You want the book to sound like you as best as possible, and he must understand your needs deeply. This will be possible if you and your ghostwriter are regularly in touch. Your interviews and meetings are best-conducted face-to-face.
Your book doesn't necessarily need to be as you initially planned it out. There is always room for improvement. If you've missed or forgotten providing some information the first time around, you can have them incorporated in the second draft.
While your first draft is being prepared, you could think of plot twists and additional information to make the book even more exciting. Your ghostwriter must agree to a standard for revisions, and they should be contractually bound by it.
Never be afraid to brainstorm. Even if you were the writer, you must have spent more of your time in reading than writing. If you have thought about some unanswered questions before readers or ghostwriters even think about it, you're already on an ingenious path. You could also ask for feedback from the writer if they have been given some creative freedom.
Once you find the best fit for your story after a series of interviews and meetings, you need to be as communicative and transparent as possible. Make sure that deadlines and regular meetings contractually bind your ghostwriter.
Your input matters, and whenever possible, have it incorporated into the book. Regularly catching up on the progress will also assure you that the write-up sounds like yourself and it's coming to you in an accurately defined timeframe.
While it may not be clear at first, make sure that your contract stipulates the costs other than drafting the book itself. These costs may include proofreading, front and back cover design, editing, printing, and publishing. However, some ghostwriters may promise that you'll achieve great sales numbers if you choose them. Stay away from such false promises because they will never be contractually fulfilling those undertakings.
Speaking of contracts, some ghostwriters might advertise themselves as getting the book done in a matter of weeks. This is a huge red flag indicating that the writer may compromise on quality to push the book into completion.
No good book has ever been completed in a matter of weeks. So avoid such ghostwriters because the most that a ghostwriter can promise is to create a story for you as if you're the one narrating the story itself.
It's quite likely and completely fine that you might have found a company that has hired some ghostwriters to provide their services under the company's umbrella. What's not fine is not getting personalized service from the company.
The company may advertise themselves as having the best writers with a portfolio of having worked with celebrities. But all of that wouldn't matter if the company doesn't assure you that their writer will regularly keep in touch with you.
Too many cooks spoil the broth. You should have one writer personally coordinating with you on the write-up, but a team of writers might not be the best way to go ahead with your book. Some people require that the ghostwriter should devote the majority of their time to their book. It's difficult to guarantee that the ghostwriter will be working exclusively on your book. Still, you could demand and work with them to ensure that a considerable amount of his attention goes into your book.