top of page
By Laura Schaefer

Should I Hire a Ghostwriter?


The short answer is: “Yes!”

I admit I am biased. Let’s dig a little deeper into this question to determine if now is the time for you and I to work together.

1. The answer is yes if your desire to write a book has gone from a vague dream to a specific goal with a set timeframe. You know what you want to say and you are determined to finish and publish your book THIS YEAR. You’ve made your decision; the rest is just details. In other words, you’re already writing your book or you’ve been thinking about it consistently for some time. You are brimming with ideas and you do research in your spare time. You are unstoppable.

2. The answer is yes if you have the time to work on your book. Even with the help of a ghostwriter, writing a book of any length is a time commitment. If you hire me, I may write every single word in the manuscript as well as edit and organize the whole thing. But all the ideas, stories and content come from you. And once you’ve shared all of that with me (which takes time, whether it’s in person, over the phone, or via email), you’ll need to review my work.

We’ll be in partnership getting the final book to exactly where you want it. Polishing a book, ensuring the reality matches your vision, and getting it published takes time—even with the help and skills of an experienced ghostwriter.

3. The answer is yes if you want to help people. When I speak on the phone with authors who hope to work with me, I see a red flag if all they talk about is wanting to be a New York Times bestseller. That’s a worthy and awesome goal—one I’d never discourage. But if this book project is only about you and raising your own profile, it’s not going to work. Write to serve and to help. Let the bestseller lists worry about themselves.

A corollary to this: I appreciate it when clients are open to self-publishing via Amazon or other services. Traditional publishing has its merits, but it’s a long and often grueling road. First, write your book. Then think about whether you’d like to go through the process of putting together a proposal and a query letter, attracting the attention of the right literary agent, and waiting as he or she works to sell your project.

4. The answer is yes if you’re ready to invest in the project. I have two packages for my clients: The express package is for people who either want a short (under 100-page) book or are ready to do the majority of the actual writing themselves. These folks hire me to organize ideas, coach them as they write, ask probing questions and edit their work once they are done.

The boutique package is for longer books (150-200 pages) and for projects in which I’ll be doing the majority of the writing after collecting the client’s ideas and stories via recorded calls or video chats. A hybrid of these two options is possible; I’m a flexible person.

That’s it! I hope I’ve provided some good insights about how I think as a ghostwriter and the questions you should ask yourself before we talk. I love books and I love my clients. I learn from each and every one of them and I look forward to learning from you when you are ready.

Much love,

Laura


​​SLXLM


48 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All
bottom of page