Ghostwriter FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
This ghostwriter faq is relevant to your ghostwriting needs
1) What is a ghost writer?
This ghostwriter FAQ should answer many of your questions. But if you have other ones, don’t hesitate to write us at karen@rainbowriting.com. Ghost Writer, Inc. is a legitimate ghostwriting services agency. We follow ethical business practices. Ordinarily, project creators or book author clients get full credit for the entire work. As long as the ideas and writings are original to either the client, or to the ghost.
A ghostwriter doesn’t normally get credit for the work. Although arrangements may be made for receiving partial credit. Or even full co-author status. However, the ghost tends to only take upfront payment. In most cases, ghosts don’t arrange any percentage or “on spec” payments for the work. This includes all types, styles and genres of ghostwriting services. Such as books, manuscripts, screenplays, scripts. Music, lyrics, soundtracks. Speeches, comedy routines, business and academic papers. The ghost does a professional job on the writing. In order to assist with polishing and presenting the ghostwriting work. To the right people, such as literary agents, script optioning services, or TV and film producers.
“Partnerships” are rarely performed in lieu of pay. Sometimes, a book advance from a publisher may be split 50-50. After a professional book proposal is submitted by a proposal ghost. To literary agents, to be accepted by a traditional book publisher. In other words, a ghostwriter does the work. With the author client’s background assistance and communications. But the ghost works for pay, while the work belongs to the client.
2) What do you mean by credit?
The ghostwriters don’t have her or his name on the published, optioned or produced work. Nor will it be popularly known that the ghostwriter worked on a project. Unless the client or author of the work wants it known. Sometimes a ghost on our team is famous enough for this to be desirable. Our ghostwriting services agency doesn’t take the credit in most cases. You do! You also get the lion’s share of the net percentage payments. This comes from the sales of your published books, scripts, musical or other works.
3) What kinds of ghost writing credit do author clients give ghostwriters?
This can be a brief sentence on an acknowledgments page, stating “This book would not be possible without my Editor, So and So.” Also, if you want to give your ghost writer more credit, you can put on the book cover, “As told to So and So.” Or you can share co-author status, so the book cover or screen credits will feature the ghost writer’s name as prominently as that of the client or author. However, this arrangement is entirely up to you and your ghost writer.
4) Is ghostwriting actually legal?
Yes, you are paying a professional writer to help with your book, memoir, screenplay or other work. And also, since you are paying for it, you don’t have to share any credit and can feature only your name on the work. This is generally referred to as “work for hire.” It’s entirely legal under related American and other nations’ treaties and international laws.
Our ghostwriting services agency only uses legitimate professionals. Ghosts, editors, marketers, publishing assistants et al. Such as photographers, illustrators, layout people and manuscript formatters. Also, we do book sales websites. In addition to this, we will do several related promotions and marketing for sales as needed.
5) Who gets the copyrights?
As outlined in this Ghostwriter FAQ: this is entirely up to you! Our clients sometimes choose to share copyrights with a ghostwriter. This is generally NOT in lieu of pay. It usually accompanies an upfront payment plan. It’s often only done so that you can feature the name of a bestselling ghostwriter on your book cover. Or you can keep all the copyrights for yourself. This is put into a binding legal contract with your ghostwriter. All such matters are spelled out completely within any document you sign through GWI.
6) Do I need a book editor?
A professional editor can help you improve your work’s flow and make it more engaging and enjoyable for readers. And if you are presenting the manuscript to a literary agency or literary agents, they are more likely to read it than to throw it back into the infamous “slush pile” if it is laid out properly, well edited, and proofread. Some agencies insist on certain type fonts and styles of preparing a book manuscript, and you must follow their rules or lose out.
Also, a book coach can be a far cheaper alternative to a book ghostwriter. They talk to you while you lay out, write, and edit the book manuscript by yourself, giving you step-by-step advice and instructions. Or consider writing it as a shorter ebook, less than one hundred pages. Then hire a professional ebook editor to whip it into professional shape for a lot less money.
7) How do I publish my book?
This Ghostwriter FAQ only outlines a few things you should know before you hire a book ghostwriter and arrange publication services for your book. When publishing your manuscript, there are many options to consider. One increasingly popular choice is self publishing. You do not need to wait the three to five years it can take to get your work traditionally published. Which involves having to find a willing literary agent and a willing mainstream publishing house, with plenty of hoops to jump through. Including delays in getting paid – self publishing can make you more immediate money. And you will be published in a few weeks, not three to five years.