What to Ask a Potential Ghostwriter

and a note about PhD books

You want to hire a ghostwriter.

What should you expect from an initial conversation? How should you prepare? What should you ask?

You’re about to spend a lot of money to work toward something you’ve been dreaming of for years. Whether your story is personal and you’re feeling vulnerable, or you hope this book will launch your speaking career or accelerate your business, take these first steps seriously so you can find the best ghostwriter for your project.

Do a Zoom call. Don’t just work over email. You want to make sure you have a good rapport.

Come prepared with as little or as much clarity as you have. You don’t need a full-fledged outline, that’s what the ghost is there to help with. Be honest about how you are feeling regarding the book, about what your obstacles or struggles are, and about what you would like to accomplish with a ghost.

After they ask about your book idea and goals, here are things to ask them if they haven’t already touched on these points.

Have they written and published under their own name? Not all have and this isn’t a make or break thing. Many excellent ghostwriters devote all their writing energy to client books. But if they have, that allows you to see their work. Later, read some of it to get a feel for their style and quality.

What kind of personal experience do they have with writing and publishing? For example, I have written six books under my name. Two traditionally published and four self-published. I’ve worked with two literary agents and dozens of magazine editors.

What books have they ghostwritten? Where have their ghosted books been published? This can be tricky because of the anonymity of ghostwriting! But the ghost should be able to clarify if they have done business books or healthcare books or if they write in the religious space, or science fiction. They may, depending on their contracts, be able to point you to a few specific products.

Does the ghost have references from previous clients? Or can they direct you to previous clients? Again, tricky due to confidentiality but worth asking.

Do they have experience writing in your genre or topic? If not, what will they do to learn about your niche?

What does the writing process entail? How often will you meet, and will that be virtual or face-to-face? Do they have a clear process so you can be as hands-off as you need or want to be? Will you have access to the document while it is in process and how much input and feedback will you be able to make

If necessary, is the ghost able and willing to travel? (the expense of this, including per diem, falls to the client). If necessary, is the ghost able and willing to do further research, beyond the interviews with you? Is there an extra fee for this?

How long will it take and how long will the finished product be?

Who owns the final product?

And of course, how much does it cost?

The ghostwriter will likely have answered most of these questions. But if not, your turn to ask!

What else would you want to know from a potential ghostwriter?

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And it begins…

I start my PhD courses in less than a week but have already started reading. And reading and reading.

I wonder, what on earth am I doing? And then the books arrive and I think oh. That’s what I’m doing. I’m made for this. And then I have to read them and write coherently about them and I think what on earth am I doing?

Here’s an early stash. Some from my Masters programs and some new ones.

And then my question for the ghostwriter in my life, meaning my question for myself is: Can I do this PhD thing and run a business?

I look at the clients I currently have and recently wrapped up and I think oh. I love this. The stories and the books, the learning and writing, the crafting narrative out of chaos. I’m surrounded by story and books all day long and I love it.

Here we go!

If you’re a student, do you prefer ebooks, PDF chapters, or print books? Where do you store them all?!