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Frequently Asked Questions About Ghostwriting How will we work together? I will interview you, in-person, on the phone, or on Skype. Our discussions will be recorded and transcribed. I will use the transcriptions as raw material to create your book. You will see chapter versions as they are finished, and I will re-write as needed. Who has the final say if we disagree about the content of the book or about the writing style? You do! It is your book. Does a ghostwriter get credit for writing the book? No. My name should not appear on the book, cannot be used in marketing the book, and our contract will include a confidentiality clause. How long will my project take? This also depends on the length of the book, as well as your availability, your responsiveness to my questions, and whether you will need a proposal. The average project, including a book proposal, will take between five and ten months to complete. What is the payment schedule and can I end our contract at anytime? I work on a monthly fee. If you want our contract to end, simply do not pay for the coming month. If you decide to end our contract, everything that we have produced belongs to you. The total fee depends on many factors, so it works best if we talk about it. What is covered by the fee? The fee covers the time required to interview you and anyone else involved in the project, time for writing and rewriting, the cost of transcribing interviews, travel time, and limited travel costs. It might also include any coaching that you need to find an agent or work with your publisher. Should my ghostwriter be expert in my subject matter? It depends on your intended audience. If you are writing for people in your field, there are advantages to finding a ghostwriter who is familiar with the audience. For example, the project is likely to move along faster. However, if you are writing for a general audience, a ghostwriter who is not expert in your field will be better able to ask the questions that a naive reader might ask, and also help you avoid or explain technical jargon. |