Hi dho1115,
Thank you for a very interesting question. :)
Strategic Solutions, Inc. - When Words Count the Most
Ghostwriting scientific and business books, autobiographies and documents
http://4dw.net/strategics/ghostwriting.html
Ghostwriting 101
"What is ghostwriting? It is the process by which a hired writer
writes a book for someone (the author)who then sells the book under
his/her own name. Sometimes ghostwriters are credited coauthors who
don't receive royalties for books, but simply earn fees writing them,
and their names can appear on the book's cover to boost the author's
credibility."
[edit]
"These are some of the subjects we have written about:
Autobiographies
Psychology textbooks
Entrepreneurial education
Wall Street exposes
Fiction books
True crime stories.
What ghostwriting covers
This is what our basic ghostwriting charges include:
Correct publication formatting
A variety of heading formats (chapters, subheadings, etc.)
Bulleted or numbered lists
Simple tables (very complicated tables are charged extra)
Notes and/or references
Editing to Chicago or APA styles as appropriate
Block quote formatting
Picture, figure, or table placement as appropriate.
The specific ghostwriting process
How are autobiographies and similar books written? The classic process
involves interviews with the author and friends/family, if it helps.
Or, the author can dictate onto tape his/her experiences with
direction from the ghostwriter. Or, a combination can be arranged.
E-mail and written documentation are also another adjunct medium.
While many autobiographies are written for friends and family and can
be published using a print-on-demand (POD) publisher at minimal cost,
others might be suitable for more general publishing.
What we try to do is work with the client to give him or her the most
flexibility and a variety of options. We are experienced at putting
people at ease and encouraging them to tell their life stories.
We accomplish our writing through a variety of information transfers:
Personal interviews
Supplied documentary material
E-mail
Extensive phone interviews
Audio tapes
Research (Internet, library, scientific, as appropriate).
Novels are usually ghostwritten when the author has the plot and
characters in mind. Some novels are thinly disguised real-life events,
to avoid libel.
How does Strategic Solutions, Inc. handle ghostwriting? The process is as follows:
Author contacts us about ghostwriting and a discussion ensues to elicit:
The specific subject
How much content has been written down or collected
How transfer of the remaining information will be accomplished.
We estimate the size of the book to be written and calculate the cost.
We communicate our findings to the author. If the author wants to
proceed, we issue a contract, and a 50% deposit is made.
The information exchange proceeds and the book is written. This phase
can take anywhere from 1-6 months, depending upon the pace of the
information transfer.
The rough draft is sent to the author for review of content, style and
organization. After corrections, and editing, the revised manuscript
is sent back for further review.
At this point, we can assist the author with query letters, outline,
bio, and marketing study, if requested.
We undertake to ghostwrite books on the following basis: Once the
general subject has been agreed upon, we will issue a contract for you
to sign. The contract will include terms and estimated pricing for the
project. When the contract has been signed and returned to us, along
with a check for half the estimated cost of the project (We also
accept the PayPal system.), we will schedule a specified period of
time to interview you and any other relevant people (if this is
necessary to the project) and gather all pertinent information.
Otherwise, background will be gathered from research, e-mail, phone
calls, faxes, and documents sent by you. Pricing is based upon time
and work involved to produce the estimated number of words in
publishable submission format.
Ghostwriting costs
We charge $1,500 per 10,000 words (10,000 words is about 40 pages of
double-spaced, 12-pt font text). Unusual formatting (complicated
tables, figures, etc) is extra. Simple bulleted or numbered lists,
pagination, headers, references, and so forth are all covered under
the basic ghostwriting charge.
Generally speaking, if we have scheduled an interview process, this
will take from a few days to two week, and the writing/editing a
further 10-22 weeks. If you prefer to use e-mail and/or audio tapes to
supply information, the interview phase will last considerably longer.
If we interview you in person, the following travel expenses will be
charged to you for the interview period: airfare, hotel and car
rental. We will do our best to work with you to keep these prices
down. Any extra research that might be required will be charged on a
per diem basis.
We will also need a check up front for any estimated travel costs if
we work with you in person (you may also use the PayPal system). Any
outstanding balance will be billed to you once this interview process
has been completed, or credited toward your account if we spend less
than our original estimate. We will provide a complete breakdown of
travel costs.
At the end of the project period, we will deliver to you a hardcopy
and an electronic copy (MS Word format) of the manuscript in
publishable format. We can also supply an outline and sample query
letter if needed. A final invoice will be issued at this time. We can
also assist you with publishing options.
NOTE:
We do not ghostwrite on speculation ... i.e., we do not write for free
on the chance that someday the book might be published.
The most important part of ghostwriting is a collaboration between us
and the author-client. This takes some time and effort on your part to
ensure a smooth flow of information. We love to write fiction as well
as non-fiction if you have a detailed outline and major characters. We
can also do movie tie-in books."
=================================================
The Writer Magazine
http://www.writermag.com/wrt/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4813
"I am curious to know about ghost writer's. I am thinking of hiring
one to help me with a project but i am not to sure on how to
compensate someone like this. Any advice or help would be greatly
appreciated!"
=====
"I've ghost written three books, and it's still difficult to answer
your question. Most legitimate ghost writer only write books when a
publisher has offered a contract to someone. It's then usually the
publisher who contacts the ghost writer through his agent and gets the
writer together with whoever the book will be by. This for mutual
approval.
I can't tell you how much I've been paid, but I will say that the deal
can be anything from half to all the advance, with the nonwriter
receiving all the royalties. And publishers do not bother with ghost
writers for books with small advances.
Now, if you just want someone to write a book for you, the way to look
at it is this. The only writer who will do you any good is one who has
a proven sales record. And contract or not, you can't really expect
any writer to write a book for you for less money than he would make
writing his own book. This means a legitimate writer will not come
cheap.
This doesn't mean you can't shop around and look for writers. Who
knows, maybe if they hear what you have planned they'll take a keen
interest, if they smell money.
But be very careful. There are many sharks out there who call
themselves gjost writers, but who couldn't write a decent suicide note
if all they wante dto say was, "So long, folks." These people will
take your money, then write a book that stands no chance at all of
selling."
=====
"Thanks for the reply. I think i have someone now who is going to
write a documentry style book on a particular group that i have
formed. She will do some interviewing and from there write about it.
Since i really like this womans style and enthusiasm i may go with
her, however i did not go through a publisher, i was referred by a
friend to her. So there will be no publisher invloved just her and I.
So this is where i am stuck with my lack of knowledge. I don't know
what to compensate her. Your adviced helped, i now realize i do need
to advance her half the money. Thank you . Is there anyone or anyhwere
i can check on prices. I respect your privacy and do not need to know
from you the amount, but is there somewhere i could go for that kind
of information? I would just ask her how much she would charge, but
how would i know if i am paying her way too much or too little?"
=====
"I'd like to be able to help more, but there really is no answer. She
will ask a price, and you'll just have to decide whether or not it's
worth it, based on her experience and how much confidence you have in
her."
=====
"dear jess... i've done some ghosting too, but it was years and years
ago, so i'm not up on current fees... however, writer's market has a
list of suggested fees for all types of writing... or, at least they
used to... you may also be able to find payment ranges at wgae or wgaw
[writers guild of america, east and west]...
no one good enough to do a half-decent job on a book [or that suicide
note james so wttily referred to], will charge less than $5,000 and
most will want [and deserve] more... for a real pro, you may have to
shell out $15,000 and up...
signing a deal to split the advance/royalties/whatever after a sale,
isn't worth the paper it's printed on, because there's no guarantee
there will be one... a sale, that is... which is why only amateurs
will agree to a backend payment and work for months, essentially for
free...
if i were you, i'd take a good long look at the lady who's willing to
write this for you... what else has she written?... you MUST ask her
how much she will charge to write it and how she wants to be paid...
s.o.p. for many is a third up front, a third on completion of first
draft, and the balance on delivery of the completed, ready-to-submit
ms... is she willing to take part in seeking an agent/publisher for
the work?... does she have any contacts in those areas?... does she
have an agent or publisher who'll be interested in the project?...
have you researched the target market for this book?... is there a big
enough one for a publisher to be interested in taking it on?... do you
have a following in your 'group' that will help market it?... these
are all questions you should have answers to, before committing to
anyone on this... and, when you do settle on a writer, for heaven's
sake, get a literary attorney to draft or at least look over the
contract before you sign it!... hope this helps some..."
===============================================
What Kind of Writer Do You Want to Be? by Terje Johansen
http://www.writing-world.com/basics/types.shtml
"Ghostwriters are an anonymous but quite large subgroup of book
writers. Like speechwriters, they have specialised in writing for
other people as if they were these persons. The customers are
primarily business leaders and/or people with a high media profile. In
order to write these books the writer must plan the book with the
customer, perform a number of interviews with the same, do research on
the book's topic (in order to understand it) and be able to capture
some of the customer's writing style. The work is challenging,
requires substantial people skills and much patience -- considerable
rewrites are often necessary. Naturally, the ghostwriter is obliged
not to reveal his or her work in the book. Depending on the customer's
media profile, the work can be from mediocre to very well paid. This
is not an easy market to break into."
=================================================
The Business Journal
http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2001/10/15/smallb1.html
Duo formed GhostWriters to do written work companies don't want to do
by Marc Barnes
(3 page article)
=================================================
Arts.telegraph.co.uk
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2003/06/15/bobrown.xml
Shadows to the stars - Helen Brown investigates the often strained
relationship between ghostwriters and their subjects
=================================================
Earn Money From Freelance Writing by Younes Boutriq
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol137/freelance.htm
"You can actually hire someone to do it for you by going to a site
like Elance.com and let qualified people ( Ghost-writers or freelance
writers ) bid on your project. There are plenty of good writers there
willing to write your ebooks for you at a discounted price.
Many novelists, Hollywood celebrities, biographers and others utilize
the services of a freelance writer at some point of their careers.
So what's a ghostwriter?
It s someone you pay to provide you with quality professional content
in about any format you require.
Here is what a ghostwriter / freelancer can do for you:
Research on the internet and other sources
Compilation of all the information you provide them
Professional writing that makes your ideas sound really great
Write a compelling book that rivets a reader's interest
Usage of language that is apt according to the topic
Delivering the complete packaged product version ready to sell.
All you have to do is provide them with your ideas, research, and
information about your ebook then let them do the work for you.
Here are some of the advantages of letting a ghostwriter write for you:
All the writing work and designing is easily outsourced to
ghostwriters. They do all the work you get the benefit (and the
profits)!
Save time and energy that could be used efficiently in other directions.
You keep 100% of the copyright.
They can do the research for you.
The procedure is as follows. You have to post your project on the
website. The freelancer who is interested in your project will place a
bid. The cost of this work depends on the expertise required, the
nature of the project and the volume of work. You are free to
negotiate. Ghostwriters work mostly for themselves. If you generate
repeat business for them a business relationship gets established. The
ghostwriters or freelancer may then charge a lower fee for the
returning client as it helps generate higher business volumes. The
investment you make in hiring a ghostwriter is returned many times
over and gives beneficial results. You get an excellent product made
and the readers get their value for money through high quality
material. This is definitely a win-win situation where you, the
freelancer and the client, all are benefited.
To have an idea on how Elance works and what kind of projects people are posting.
Visit Elance.com
http://www.elance.com/c/search/main/lSearch.pl?mode=search&stage=results&domain=projects&catid=100&rid=&sk=&keywords=ebook
There are plenty of great resources to hire a freelancer. These are:
[edit]
Ebookhelper.com
http://www.ebookhelper.com/Ghostwriter.html
Scroll to middle of page for rates and fees: Ghostwriter Services
=====
The Write Touch
http://thewritetouch.no-frills.net/
I was unable to find a rates/fees page
=====
The GhostWriter
http://www.theghostwriter.net/
Rates and Fees:
http://www.theghostwriter.net/rates.html
To post your project on Elance.com or any other freelance site you
should first open a free account with them, and then open a bid
request. Your bid request should include:
A clear description of your project without giving a lot of details.
Maximum Bid. This is the highest bid offer you will accept. Freelancer
can bid lower to gain your business, but not higher.
Bidding Close Date. This is the date (in U.S format--mm/dd/yyyy
hh:mm:ss) you want to close bidding and not accept any more bids.
The number of days the freelancer have to work on the project and
deliver the final work. If you omit a deadline, then the he is under
no time obligation to deliver!
Before accepting any bid you should verify that the person you are
selecting is apt to handle the project effectively. You can do this
by:
Asking the ghostwriter for his references.
Asking for a sample of his work.
Visiting his profile page, where you can find more information about
him and also what people who worked with him have to say about his
work
=================================================
Business Know-How Q & A
http://www.businessknowhow.com/QandA/ghostwrite.htm
Finding Ghostwriters by Janet Attard
Question:
How do we go about finding a ghostwriter? I see people writing
successful books about RV travel, who haven't had one-tenth the
experiences we have had. We have an almost unbelievable story to tell
as we covered all the states, and drove down to the tip of South
America, plus shipping our RV to Europe and visiting there on three
different occasions.
We then decided to start a family and an RV business. Our daughter and
our business are both sixteen years old now. I know of no one who has
had the experiences in selecting and buying, using, or selling an RV
that we offer.
=====
Answer:
There are several ways to find a ghost writer. One would be to look in
the classified advertising sections of writers magazines such as
Writers' Digest. Another would be to post help wanted ads through web
sites that specialize in putting independent contractors together with
businesses and individuals who want to hire them. Monster.com,
Elance.Com, Guru.com and BullHorn.com are several to try.
Evaluate writers' credentials and writing samples carefully before
choosing someone to work with. Ideally, you would want to work with
someone who has had nonfiction books published by traditional
publishers in the past and who shares a love for travel and RVs. The
previously published work will be an indication that the writer has
writing skill and persistence to actually complete a book project.
Working with a previously published author may help reduce the
publisher's concerns about whether the manuscript will be delivered on
time and be well-written. Someone who has written only a few short
magazine articles or newspaper articles may not be good at putting
together a whole book or may not realize the time it takes to complete
a book.
An established writer also would be able to help you determine if what
you have in mind could actually sell to a publisher. Many well-written
books go unpublished because they don't have a hook that makes the
publisher think they will make money.
You will also need to consider in advance what monetary arrangements
you will agree to. Some ghostwriters will want to be paid a fee up
front whether the book sells or not, some might work for a percentage
of the book publisher's advance.
Finally, consider how much time and effort you will put into the
project, yourself. If you think you could organize and write most of
the book by yourself (and with your background you may be able to do
that), then you may just want to hire someone to rewrite or edit the
material.
One final suggestion: visit your public library and read some back
issues of Writers' Digest magazine and look through the information in
the book, Writers' Marketplace. Both will give you some background to
help you understand how the publishing industry works.
Writer'sDigest.com
http://www.writersdigest.com/
=================================================
WritersMarket.com - Writer's Encyclopedia
Ghostwriting
http://www.writersmarket.com/wmns/encyclopedia/g.asp
"Refers to the task of composing an article, story, report, book,
speech or publication based on the views and insights of another
person or organization who is named as or presumed to be the author.
Ghostwriters write life stories for famous people who cannot write
well or are too busy to take the time; they also write confession
stories in the name of the narrator. Ghostwriters may also write books
in a series created by another author. This is most common in genre
fiction. The "Executioner" series of men's adventure novels, which
appeared under the byline of Don Pendleton, is one example. This
arrangement is often referred to as contract writing. Ghostwriters get
either no byline or perhaps an as-told-to or with credit, but
generally they receive little public acknowledgment whether they are
novice writers or established writers/editors. Nevertheless, they are
recognized and respected for their ability to write in the voice of
another person. Especially in nonfiction, they are also skilled in
writing to the satisfaction of both editor and subject. A good speech
or other ghostwritten piece should read exactly as if the other person
had written it. The ghostwriter's personality/voice is completely
hidden.
Freelancers around the country find many ghostwriting opportunities in
the public and private sectors of their own states and towns. The
domain for ghosted material is limited only by the extent of the
writer's imagination. Business reports, in-house publications, grant
proposals, trade journal articles, editorials, newspaper columns and
resumes may all be ghostwritten. The writer queries a potential
client, demonstrates his proven abilities with written samples, and
proposes a writing project designed to give the client favorable
exposure. Some ghostwriters may choose to advertise in local
newspapers and professional journals as writers providing
"professional editorial assistance." They may offer their expertise as
consultants, critiquing the writing of others, offering suggestions
and reworking/refining materials.
Ghostwriters (especially those writing for prominent clients) often
earn good incomes for their efforts, as money, not recognition, is
usually their chief compensation. Depending on the assignment, some
ghostwriters establish a flat fee; ghostwriters working as consultants
generally charge higher rates, as they are offering distilled
information and concentrated advice. They may contact management
consultants in the area to get an idea of the going rates. Rates for
commercially promoted books vary according to the publisher, the
subject, the reputation of the ghostwriter and the book's
marketability.
See Also:
Collaboration - http://www.writersmarket.com/wmns/encyclopedia/C.asp#216
[edit]
=====
Ghostwriting speeches
"Writers ghostwrite speeches for politicians, business executives,
educators and community leaders who either cannot write well or don't
have the time and/or discipline needed to turn out a good speech.
Markets for ghostwriting speeches are as close to home as a writer's
own community. Chambers of commerce, large businesses and community
organizations may know people who need speechwriters; local newspapers
highlight town leaders and local business figures. The ghostwriter
submits a query (writing samples and evidence of knowledge and
interest in a subject), where possible delivering it in person, and
attempts to establish a need for his writing services. He and the
speaker establish a price for the assignment, including at least some
percentage of cash in advance. Deadlines are set for a first draft, at
which time writer and client smooth over the speech's rough spots. The
final draft is delivered to the speaker on time in some agreed-upon
form (e.g., a typed manuscript, a 3"x 5"-card outline). In whatever
form, the completed speech is the property of the speaker, who may use
it however and as often as he wishes.
Payments for speech ghostwriters vary according to the speaker, his
needs and his prominence. Writer's Market lists the current rates for
other clients in its "How Much Should I Charge?" section."
*****Please note - I was unable to find any section called "How Much
Should I Charge"
=================================================
Hawkeye Editing, Inc
http://www.onlinefreelanceeditor.com/services/ghostwriting.html
Ghostwriting
Need a little ghostie to write a bestseller (hopefully) for you? We
have phantoms among us!
Following is a list of just some of the genres that our freelance
writers have experience in and enjoy writing about.
(see list)
Fees
Fees for Ghostwriting vary depending on the specific project
requested. Once you tell us about the manuscript you want us to write,
we will offer an exact fee quote and timeline for completion of the
project.
We can divide fee payments into quarterly or monthly installments. The
first installment serves as your advance payment and is due when you
order the service.
For a less expensive alternative, see our Writing Assistance service.
http://www.onlinefreelanceeditor.com/services/writing_assist.html
Estimated Timelines
A full-length manuscript takes between 12 and 18 months to complete.
Hawkeye Editing, Inc Fees
http://www.onlinefreelanceeditor.com/payment/fees.html
=================================================
And finally, a fascinating and funny article regarding American
Politics and Ghostwriters can be found at the following site:
GHOST STORIES by FREDERICK J.O. BLACHLY
http://www.cosmos-club.org/journals/1999/blachly.html
From the very beginning, American politics has been shaped by the
quiet pens of ghostwriters.
"Were it not for a ghost, the Constitution of the United States might
not have been ratified, and our great nation might have remained a
Balkanized congregation of separate, quarreling political
jurisdictions, forever at odds. The Constitution had been drafted in
Philadelphia in 1787. Delegates from the thirteen states had approved
the document, but the Constitution had to be ratified by at least nine
states before it could come into effect. Each state established a
special convention to decide the issue. To help assure ratification,
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote The Federalist
Papers, using the pen name Publius. These political papers were
written originally to influence the delegates to the New York
convention."
[edit]
"Ghostwriting is fun, but the results are sometimes baffling. When
Thomas W. Wilson (CC 1978-1997) and I were working for Averell
Harriman, in the Executive Office of the President, we were asked to
prepare a speech. We did. He gave the speech, not once, but over and
over again. No matter what the occasion, or what the audience, he gave
the same speech. However, since Harriman?s usual style of performance
was a barely audible mumble, perhaps it didn?t make any difference."
[edit]
THE RIGHT WORDS
"Each year the President of the United States is required to issue a
UN Day Proclamation on the 24th of October. As a public affairs
adviser for the Bureau of International Organization Affairs in the
State Department, it was my responsibility to prepare this statement,
some four to six weeks before UN Day. When Richard Nixon came into
office in 1969, I asked the State Department library to use its new
computer to find everything that Nixon had ever said about the UN. A
file of printouts an inch thick came to my desk. I read through this
file and came up with a great idea. I decided to use the President?s
own words to put together a proclamation. Using sentences from various
speeches by the former Representative, Senator, Vice-President, and
now President Nixon, I stitched together a suitable text and submitted
it to the front office. The text came back marked Too liberal! Try
again. I resubmitted the same text, but after each sentence I gave the
source (RN, the audience, the city, and dates). So there I was, a
ghost living off the work of other ghosts! The text went to the White
House and appeared over the President?s signature just the way I had
put it together."
[edit]
SILENT PARTNERS NO MORE
"Today, there are no more ghosts in government. They write books about
themselves and their careers. Newspapers report their comings and
goings. The Smithsonian Institution even devoted an all-day seminar to
these government ghosts. This seminar, held in December 1998, was
entitled All the President?s Words. It brought together, in public,
speech writers from the Truman Administration to the Clinton
Adminstration.
Nowadays, government ghosts have come out of the closet; they have
taken off their clothes of invisibility; and they have taken on
corporeality. Are we better off knowing the truth about government
ghosts? Maybe, maybe not. Presidents will utter what they hope will be
immortal words. And it will be left to the historians to figure out
who first put those words to paper the well-known speaker or the
ghostwriter."
=================================================
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Best regards,
tlspiegel |
