Hillary Clinton used a Professional Ghost Writer…should you? And if so…how to do it?

By Karen S. Cole | Professional Ghost Writer online 2003

Trust, honor and integrity, a sense of taste and humor, great credentials. These are the hallmarks of a good, experienced professional ghost writer. But when you begin with a paid professional ghost, how should you handle matters? Should you crack the whip, or lay back and let things slide? No way! But whatever you do, don’t be too suspicious about the motives of your ghost.

For one thing, many professional ghost writers have difficulty presenting their best credentials. Because they involved “hush” ghostwriting for clients who like to promote the idea they wrote their own books. Which is perfectly legal, by the way. Thus it can be tricky to put together a long resume or CV. However, experienced professional ghost writers are able to share several credentials. One way or another, that truly show off their talents.

How do you handle your ghostwriting services?

Our company specializes in excellent writing and editing credentials. We’re able to show you a wide variety of samples. Including a free five page sample, drafted from your own notes. You can use these to get a “feel” for your ghost writer’s talents, abilities and experience. All our professional ghost writers, even the lower cost less experienced ones, can show you some published works. The best, half a hundred or more. Many of our ghosts have won prestigious awards, worked for celebrities, and appeared on TV. They’ve also participated in film or screen work, and a variety of productions.

I myself have years of online experience in matching clients with professional ghost writers. So it’s obvious that another key element is trust. You must thoroughly check through your potential ghost’s credentials. You need to feel comfortable beginning your book, screenplay, music or other project with your new ghost writer.

How exactly do I work with a professional ghost writer?

Writers have lives apart from their projects. Say, your ghost writer is uncommunicative for a long time. Just send an email, Skype, text or call them. You’ll soon discover the nature of the difficulty. People take holidays, suffer family illnesses and computer crashes – don’t get annoyed too readily. It’s mainly a matter of getting back on schedule. And at our ghostwriting service, if one professional ghost writer isn’t available, we can find you another one. So don’t sweat the “small stuff!”

The idea from the beginning is to sign a full, legal contract with your ghost writer. It will lay out everything in detail. This includes all the credit you want to share. However, you don’t need to share any credit whatsoever. Or you can make the ghost into your coauthor. It’s entirely up to you and the professional ghost writer. The contract should spell out important points such as fixed or flexible pricing, finished book or screenplay length in total pages and words, and time period of completion. Minimums and maximums for what’s required, who will keep the copyrights (and will you be sharing them with your writer), indemnity matters regarding lawsuits, etc.

Professional ghost writer – the relationship of your lifetime!

It’s also important to include a clause limiting the total amount of revisions. Some clients keep their ghosts constantly rewriting, never finding things perfect, so this is absolutely needed. And several clauses spelling out exactly how you as the book or screenplay author keeps all or some copyrights, for example from related properties once they are sold as books, eBooks, audio books, films, documentaries, movies, TV shows, et al. This can be real in cases where you are or aren’t sharing percentages with your professional ghost writer. Remember, you are both equal human beings with equal human rights! It’s the most important detail of all.

These are just examples. You’ve checked your ghost’s credentials and feel reassured you’re hiring a true professional ghost writer. Or for a lower price, a student or medium-priced writer with lots of talent and abilities, but less experience. You may even hire an expert writer for top dollar, one with decades of financially productive experience. But you should also check out any ghost’s references. Try to talk to prior employers. At our company, most of the ghosts are willing to share some references. They’ve worked for someone with a name, and this can be researched in person or via the Internet.

What is the nexus of hiring a a ghostwriter?

In essence, it comes down to establishing a great personal relationship with your professional ghost writer. You should remember that you and your writer have separate lives from your work. You won’t be at each other’s beck and call. Just be willing to keep the lines open. Ghostwriting is a process, and it can take time. Rather than getting suspicious, wait ’til something awkward develops. Before you get worried, end your contract, or see your project nosediving into an absolute “fail.”

Also, you might run out of money along the way – that happens sometimes. Or you need to postpone things while you gather more materials together. Your ghost may end up in a similar boat, needing more time due to a delay. I’ve seen all types of delays happen in this business. Generally, the thing to do is either to toughen up, or put things “on hold.” Because trust is always a key element in business.

A book, script, business paper, academic work or other short project is best completed, or at least professionally edited, by a professional ghost writer. Simply keep at it – get your original work finished – you will then surely succeed!

What kind of ghostwriter are you, Karen?

KAREN COLE, GHOST WRITER, INC.’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: I’m a professional ghost writer, copy editor, proofreader, rewriter and book author. I manage a team of 200+ writing field workers, many of which are New York Times and Amazon bestseller ghost writers. Contacts with top literary agents, major commercial publishers and legitimate producers in the film and TV industries. Worldwide, and in New York City and Los Angeles. Talk to us, and then hire me or another Ghost Writer, Inc. professional ghost writer!