Business Ghostwriter:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is a ghostwriter?

As mentioned elsewhere on this site, a ghostwriter is someone who is hired to write something for someone else. Ghostwriters are professional writers who work for hire, meaning that they are paid for the work they do and don’t typically get paid royalties for the books they help write (though some ghostwriters have negotiated with their clients for a piece of the back end revenue as well). Usually, a ghostwriter works hand-in-hand with their client/author to help them write their book. The ghostwriter performs the bulk of the heavy lifting, but the client also contributes by setting aside time to be interviewed by the ghostwriter.

Is ghostwriting legal?/illegal?

Ghostwriting is completely legal. That being said, attempting to pass off another’s research and writing as your own is not legal and is called plagiarism. But if you hire a ghostwriter to help you tell your story, get your point across, or write a book that contains your learning and/or research, that is not only legal, it is a very common and accepted practice.

What is the average cost of a ghostwriter?

The cost to ghostwrite a book can vary depending on the ghostwriter’s experience and location. While some ghostwriters might charge $20,000 to write a 200-page book, others might charge $50,000 or more, on up to $100,000. It’s best to think of hiring a ghostwriter as an investment in yourself and in your business.

How long does it take to write a business book?

How long it takes to write a business book varies, depending on your book’s length, how much research is required, and how long you spend each day writing your book. While some business books may only take four or five months (or even less) to write, other business books can take longer. The average time it takes my clients and me to write a business book is somewhere between five and seven months.

Why should I hire a ghostwriter?

You should hire a ghostwriter if you have something vital to say and share in your business book but you:

• Don’t enjoy or aren’t confident in your own writing

• Lack the time and/or organizational skills to write your book

• Want to write the best book possible and are okay with getting someone else’s help

• Can afford to hire an excellent ghostwriter

How do I find the right ghostwriter?

There is no one, perfect way to find the right ghostwriter for your business book. However, you may want to try the following:

• Google ghostwriters for business books and review their websites and contact only those whose websites are well-organized, well-written, and friendly.

• Ask a business book author or publishing professional for recommendations. If you don’t know any authors or anyone in publishing, you can still attempt to query them.

• Research business books that you like and try to find out if they were ghostwritten. Then contact the author to see if they can share who their ghostwriter was.

What is AI and will it replace us at work?

AI stands for Artificial Intelligence, and it encompasses computer and machine-based thinking and reasoning intended to take over many tasks that humans now perform, such as drawing, reasoning, customer service interactions, and yes, even writing.

While AI will likely replace some lower-level, repetitive tasks, I personally do not think it will replace us at many or most of the tasks we perform, especially when it comes to planning and creating. Specifically, I do not think that AI will ever replace reporters, journalists, novelists, writers, or ghostwriters.

Can AI write my book for me?

You can certainly try to have AI write your book for you, but you need to know that the results will not be what you would expect from a competent human writer. AI-generated writing lacks a human voice and tends—in my experience at least—to be a bit wordy and repeatedly uses the same phrasing over and over. AI is also notorious for putting down as fact anything it gleans from the Internet, where, as we all know, there is much that is false. Because AI can’t yet determine what is fact and what is not—it has no common sense in the way that a well-educated, intelligent human has, it will continue to make hilarious and even damaging mistakes in what it produces. Still, if you want to use AI to help you write your weekly blog post, where you would still be involved in editing and revising the final output, I say go for it. But writing a full-length fiction or nonfiction book is not yet something it can do.

Can I get rich writing a business book?

You can. However, writing a business book that becomes a bestseller, which can make you rich, is a rare feat. Better still, make sure that your business book says teaches, informs, and even entertains others.

In other words, stive first for quality, and worry about getting rich much later. Business book authors often monetize their books by giving speeches about their book and its subject. This is often a faster and easier way to make money from writing a business book than to try and sell millions of copies.

What can writing a business book do for me and my business?

If you want to make a name for yourself and your business, writing a well-written and informative book will help.

A well-written business book will broaden and deepen yours and your business’s reputations, which can translate to new business and personal connections and opportunities. A well-written book can even lead to paid speaking opportunities and other kinds of exposure (think TV and radio interviews).

Of course, if your book sells well, it can make you money, but beyond the monetary and the business benefits are the personal satisfaction of knowing that you wrote a book that informs and helps others.

How do I choose the right title for my business book?

Choosing the title for your business book is usually one of the last tasks you need to complete when writing your business book.

While it makes sense to come up with a catchy, original title, also make sure that your title does the following:

• Describes the subject or event you’re writing about

• Is understandable

• Is not too long (or too vague)

• Has not already been used too often

While there is no perfect title and your book title might indeed already be used before, you can still find success by if you choose a title that fits your book and speaks to its audience.

Do ghostwriters get royalties?

Sometimes, but most ghostwriters are paid up front for the work they perform. In other words, ghostwriters work for hire, not for royalties. If you want to share some of your royalties with your ghostwriter, you can, but first you should pay them for the work they do for you.

What is the difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing?

Traditional publishing happens when you submit a book/manuscript to a publisher (usually an agent has to do this, but some publishers still accept un-represented manuscripts), and they agree to publish your book. You pay no up front costs, but you also agree to do your part to help promote your book, especially since traditional publishers are apparently spending less and less on marketing their books. In return, when your book sells, your publisher pays you a small royalty on whatever revenue they generate from your book. Traditional publishers make money by retaining the bulk of the revenue that comes in from your book’s sales.

Self-publishing happens when you print and publish your book all on your own or with the help of a company that you hire who helps get your book printed and listed (gets it an ISBN number, for instance). In self-publishing, you, or the company you hire to help you publish your book, must attempt to get your book placed in bookstores and listed online, but you or they will need to generate your Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble listing, for instance.

In short, with traditional publishing, you pay no up front cost and can even get paid an advance by the publisher against future sales/royalties. With self-publishing, you pay any and all publishing costs but you generally get to keep more of the revenues that come in from book sales.

What are the advantages to traditional publishing?

The advantages to traditional publishing are no up front costs, a larger distribution network, the support and name of a traditional publisher behind your book, and the opportunity for your book to become a national or even international bestseller.

What are the advantages to self-publishing?

The advantages to self-publishing are that you no longer need to persuade a traditional publisher to publish your book (which is no easy task), and you retain full control over your book’s contents and title. You also get to keep a larger share of the money that comes in from sales of your book.

Should I use AI to write my book?

While AI can be used for many things, so far I have not seen evidence that it can write as well as a good human writer can. AI too often uses the same word patterns and typically produces wordy, often inaccurate text. AI, however, can help an author proofread or copy edit their text.

Long story short: don’t use AI to write your book if you want a well-written, accurate book.

What are the best writing books?

While opinions always vary, the following books are often found on a short list of good books on how to write better:

• The Elements of Style, by William Stunk and E.B. White

• On Writing, by Stephen King

• Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott

In addition to the above, I have long enjoyed the book Telling Writing by Ken Macrorie. While it is ostensibly a college textbook for an English 101 class, its writing lessons are to the point and invaluable.

What is the difference between a co-author and a ghostwriter?

A co-author is someone you work together with to write a book. A co-author shares in the research, writing, and editing of a book and also shares in any royalties that the book generates. Co-authors are not paid but are someone you work with to jointly author your book. A co-author can be a colleague, business partner, friend, or even a mentor or life partner. A ghostwriter, on the other hand, is someone you hire to help you write a book. Ghostwriters typically do not get royalties or named (cover) credit for their work, but there are exceptions.

Why do authors hire ghostwriters?

Authors hire ghostwriters for a variety of reasons. Some lack the time or the will to write, others lack confidence in their own ability to write their book on their own, and still others enjoy the idea of collaborating with a professional writer to ensure that their book is the best it can be.

Do bestselling business book authors use ghostwriters?

Many business book authors employ ghostwriters. One famous example was Donald Trump’s Art of the Deal, which sold very well (some might say that it helped cement his national reputation) and was written by his ghostwriter.

Can a ghostwriter steal your book?

Not really. Ghostwriters, if they want to stay in business and have more than one client during their career, must treat each client ethically and honestly. Stealing a client’s business book idea would spell disaster to the ghostwriter’s career and reputation.

Reputable ghostwriters typically include a clause in their agreement or contract with you that gives you full rights to whatever you and they work on together, making it hard, if not impossible, for them to steal your work.

Are ghostwriters worth it?

This is a question only you can answer for yourself. While it costs money to hire a ghostwriter, anywhere from $15,000 all the way up to $100,000 or more, ghostwritten books tend to be better written and can help their authors write a book that makes a greater impact on its readers, the author’s platform, and on the world as a whole.

How do you tell if a book used a ghostwriter?

In most cases, you can’t. In fact, if a ghostwriter has done their job well, you will read the book they worked on and you will focus first on the information it is conveying and the story it’s telling.

Can someone sue me if I write a book about them?

While I am not an entertainment or intellectual property (IP) lawyer, I understand that public figures generally cannot sue those who write about them. Private citizens, however, can sue those who write about them but only if the written information is not accurate or attempts to smear their name by printing untruths. In the end, it’s usually best to change the name of the person you’re writing about—unless they’re a well-known public figure. And then, make sure that what you write is accurate and factually correct.