5 Tips to Finding the Right EBook Writer

Hiring an eBook writer to ghostwrite your eBook can be either a mile-marking event or the worst business decision that you have ever made. It all depends on your judgment in the hiring process. Self publishing is exciting, but it can be grueling and your website promotion can be delayed if you hire the wrong writer.

Here are some qualifications that you should look for when contracting with a ghost writer:

1. Make sure that the eBook writer fluently speaks and writes in the language that you intend to have the book written in.

Of course, that sounds logical. However, when hiring over the internet, there are tons of writers from all over the world. If you choose a ghostwriter to write a book in a language that is not their native language, most likely they have problems using grammar properly. Their construction of sentences and use of slang will also be less than desirable.

2. Ask for examples of work that they have done.

Don't expect them to email you eBooks. Most ghostwriters respect the copyrights that their clients have to the material and they won't send out an actual eBook that they have ghostwritten. What they should be able to provide is enough formatting samples and writing samples to help to you to review the quality of their work.

Review samples of my writing and get references from previous clients.

3. Ask for references from previous clients.

An eBook writer can formulate fake references, so don't put too much weight into that. However, it is good to ask for them and check them.

4. Check their ratings.

Most ghost writers that write for the internet participate in some kind of job board to get projects. Most job boards have a rating system that cannot be changed by the writer. It contains ratings and comments that are more reliable than references. You can review my ratings by clicking on the graphic below…

5. Talk to the eBook writer before you award the project.

Email is okay, but more can be conveyed by voice. Make sure that the ghost writer is comfortable with the subject and is informed of your intentions. Let them hear your voice and get an idea of your personality. It is a lot easier to write in another voice if you have actually heard it!

When reviewing these tips, you probably think I forgot something – knowledge of the subject.

I left it out intentionally because I don't think it is necessary – well, not always. It is important that the ghost writer is comfortable with the topic and that they have excellent research skills.

I have learned so much and developed many interests through writing ebooks about topics that I knew nothing about. I have written a variety of ebooks on topics as diversified as fly-fishing, gardening, golf, autism, how to build a deck, and a guide for women to understand auto mechanics. Each of these clients was very pleased with the end result.

With that comment, I do have to tell you a horror story…

I once bid on a project to prepare a speech for a businessman relating business concepts to bull fighting. He thought that my price was too high, so he awarded to project to a lower bidder. A few months later, he came back to me, extremely frustrated. When referring to "bull fighting" he envisioned a rodeo bull fighter that gets the bulls away from the cowboys. What he got was related to a Matador that kills bulls as a sport. On top of that, the speech wasn't written in proper English language because the eBook writer was from another country.

Sometimes, you really get what you pay for! Take the initiative to make sure that the ghostwriter you hire is the right writer for your project. EBook and website promotion will go a lot faster and you won't waste money or time on getting your project off the ground.

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