Ghostwriting is a profession that has been used for far longer than we realize. It is a profession that has often been used by many prominent individuals, from authors to businessmen. Now, it’s available to anyone and everyone, whether you are an aspiring author or if you just want to get your ideas into a book and out there but don’t know how.
Here, we want to take a deep dive into how eBook ghostwriting services operate, in addition to some agencies that offer ghostwriting for brands as well.
The Authors Fill in the Blanks
Authors that work with publishers of popular works often have to deal with exceptionally high fan demand, and most publishing houses will want to capitalize on the popularity of a book as soon as possible. Authors generally don’t write fast enough for that to be possible, so publishers rely on ghostwriters to write the majority of the content and leave out certain blanks to be filled in by the author.
Of course, not all full-time novelists do this, but for many, it is the best way of getting something out there in a relatively short amount of time. There is also the point of competition, as the idea is not just to have people buy the book but to create a buzz around it by having people read it as well. That creates fans and more potential for deals and opportunistic ventures that need to be capitalized on in a timely manner.
But that leaves a lot of questions, such as how do ghostwriters know about the author’s ideas, and how do they write the content for the authors to fill in the rest?
The Ghostwriting Process
Ghostwriting is not as simple as getting someone else to do the work for you. In fact, while hiring an eBook ghostwriting service saves you time, it still requires plenty of a time commitment on your part, though that often depends on the size, scale, and complexity of the project you are giving them.
Some ghostwriters operate as freelancers or contract hires, while others are employed through agencies. Hiring a single ghostwriter will always be a more expensive option, though it will give your project more of a bump in overall quality. However, an eBook ghostwriting service will typically have more writers and have their services be less expensive. That is because they can take on more projects and complete them in less time as well.
The first thing you need to do, however, does the initial talks regarding your requirements, the length of the book, the timeline you have, if you have a publisher or will be self-publishing, the standard, the particular niche, etc. After that, the discussions regarding payment, bulk or per chapter/book, etc., take place. Any Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) you need should also be discussed beforehand.
After all these negotiations and discussions are done is when the real work begins.
The Initial Manuscript
Unless you make it clear that you only have a few ideas on how to proceed, it is best to get your ideas written down somewhere and ready to present them to the eBook ghostwriting service. That can give them all the information they need, and if the project is relatively simple, they might not require much feedback until they start delivering the parts of the book as per your agreement.
However, you should look for communication in any service you hire, and here it’s no different. It is best to maintain constant two-way communication between yourself and the agency
The Waiting
Communication is important for this next step. Once you have delivered everything from your end, it is now time to wait. Writing is not a quick process, and it should not be rushed. You will have to wait to see what the fruits of their labor are, and this can be a very daunting task.
Communication issues happen regardless of whether it is a writing project, software being developed, or any other type of work. However, if there has already been a good impression and proper communication is established, you will likely not face these hurdles.
Depending on how you agreed upon it, you can receive the writing in chunks where you provide your feedback or the whole thing at once. The former is the obvious route to take, even if you have worked with a single agency for years, and they don’t require any feedback and deliver perfect manuscripts because fulfilling any objectives in small doses is the better choice.
Designing, Marketing, and Publishing
After the book is completed, there is the issue of printing it, making an eBook, the poster, the front and back covers, the formatting it needs to go towards Amazon Kindle, the paperback requirements for printing, etc. Of course, if you have a publishing house, they will do it for you, but most of those that hire an eBook ghostwriting service don’t have the time or patience that they require. Publishers have extremely strict editing criteria and can be brutal in reviewing your work. That is why most authors on Amazon self-publish.
But how does one self-publish? Yes, you have your book written, but this is where most of the authors get stumped. Luckily, most of these e-book writing services offer assistance in self-publishing, designing, and even marketing your book. They help you get your work out there, create a buzz on social media, and make your book look as good as it reads.
Ghostwriting and Legal Concerns
Ghostwriting is completely legal, but it is certainly thought of as taboo by some people. In truth, it is similar to how a business hires a graphic designer to make its logo. The designer makes the logo, but the credit goes to the company, and the designer is only compensated for making the logo, not the percentage of the money made by the business. It is an exchange of goods and services and nothing more.
Of course, as an author, you need to make sure you have an agreement that you own the copyright to work and that you sign an NDA beforehand. That is because—at least online—the legalities of written content are very different and very difficult to deal with, but usually, this is not a concern with most agencies, as they rely on positive reviews and great customer interactions to run their business.
Conclusion
Ghostwriting and hiring an agency for it are more common practices than we realize, but the process of doing it is not known to many, especially aspiring authors or people who just want their ideas written down but don’t have the writing skill. This deep dive aims to bring light to some of those processes.