The reality of traditional publishing...

A writer/editor contractor, whom I often work with often, sent me this comic from The New Yorker magazine. The reality is, whether you self-publish, or publish through a Vanity publisher or traditional publisher, you will have to market your own book. Period! Actually, traditional publishers are only interested in authors (specifically non-fiction authors) who already have a built-in audience, a following, prospects, basically a list of people who are interested in your message.

Did you think writing the book was the hard part? Well, the reality is that marketing is the true challenge….

What’s their secret? They use public domain material. It’s something I teach in my 17 Day Book Challenge Program.  It’s a well kept secret, too. Virtually very few people know how to use public domain content as a way to write a book. That concept consists of taking previously written material and repackaging it in a different book.

Before we go any further, though, you need to know what public domain really is. It’s an intellectual property designation for the range of content that is not owned or controlled by anyone. These materials are “public property” and available for anyone to use freely for any purpose. For instance, the words “public domain” float around in computer lingo often to describe software code. These are programs that anyone can use at no cost—no purchase necessary. The social network site Facebook has public domain software called Dolphin which they make available for anyone to use. There are also books which in the public domain—books you can access for free, and you can repackage and repurpose them to meet your needs and call them your own. One historic book that has joined the public domain catalogue is Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.

How do you use public domain books and legally repurpose them? Well you can use programs which help you accomplish exactly that—one that comes to mind is a program by Yannick Silver which teaches what you need to know. Note, though, that using public domain books to write your own does not mean that you can copy or plagiarize anyone else’s writing and call it your own. But, you can take the message, the thoughts and the ideas and reword them so they’re in your voice. And believe me, that takes a large bulk of the work out of writing a book.  First, though, I always advise and strongly encourage everyone to make sure they follow all legal channels when doing so, and that means consulting an attorney who specializes in intellectual property law.

If the idea of repurposing public domain books to jump start your own sounds like something you’d like to explore further, consider the advantages you’ll get when you follow this path.

1)  It saves time. You do not have to write a book from scratch. Instead you can take the content as a base and add an introduction. You can adapt the work, copy it, and sell it. You can be really creative and make it your own.  In this way, you have the ability to do more than personalize it, you can even make it better, more interesting, or more in-depth by adding your message, ideas, stories, and suggestions.

2) You can copyright the adapted version. This is really cool. Although other people can go to the original source material and do the same thing as you, they cannot adapt your material because it’s not in the public domain – it is copyrighted material that’s protected. Keep in mind though, that only new portions of your book can be copyrighted. Any use of the public domain material will not fall under the copyright and you have no true ownership over that.

3) You can create derivative works based on the public domain, and profit from those. You can create audio, video, DVD, and coaching programs based on the original public domain material. So what your doing is using the public domain material and repackaging it in another format with your name on it, and, of course, any variations or additions you choose to make to the content. You’re creating a totally new product on the foundation of someone else’s writing.

Using public domain books to write your own is like building a house – rather than taking individual boards, cutting each of them and nailing them all together to frame your house, you’re starting with the complete framework totally assembled and ready to go. What a timesaver! You know what it’s going to look like and how to build on it but you don’t have to invest the time and the labor to get it there. Imagine how much faster you can complete your manuscript when the thoughts, ideas, and words have already been pre-assembled for you!

The biggest challenge you’ll have is finding the right material to use, but the search is worth your effort. You can find some really useful information and sources in Yannick Silver’s program. To get more detailed information on using public domain books, check out Public Domain Uncovered: Discover exactly how to find and use copyright-free works without fees or permission.  It tells you how to “borrow” an almost endless source of content (on practically any subject you could imagine).

An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a book’s identifier, much like a social security number. It’s a 13-digit number which is applicable worldwide and unique to your book. The ISBN system uses a 13-digit number on the copyright/information page, and it also uses a bar code and number on the back cover.

But what’s it for? I have a lot of people who ask me that question. Do you really need an ISBN?

That depends. Sometimes you do, and sometimes you don’t. It depends on where and how you intend to sell or distribute your book.

The ISBN provides a standard way for publishers to number their products so they cannot be duplicated by other publishers. You need an ISBN if you are going to sell your book in bookstores, through retailers, or online storefronts, like Amazon.com. There are no exceptions—if you’re going to sell your book in the traditional marketplace, you must have an ISBN.

That’s the big advantage to having an ISBN, and one that is usually the driving force behind acquiring one.

However, if you don’t intend to sell your book through any of the avenues mentioned above, you don’t really need an ISBN. For instance, if your book is a free promotional item that you’ll give away or package with another product, it doesn’t really need an ISBN. Or, if you use your book as a business card, distributing it free to potential clients, it’s not necessary to have an ISBN. Also, if your book will be sold solely at the back of the room during your speaking events, you won’t need an ISBN.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of an ISBN?

1. Advantage: You can sell your book in brick and mortar stores. By scanning the bar code, retailers identify the book title, publisher, and author, ensuring that you are credited with the sale and that their inventory is updated with each purchase.

2. Disadvantage: ISBNs, both the numbers and the bar code, cost money. Getting both in a package costs around $150, but you can check for current prices at Bowker.com or BowkerLink.com, who is the exclusive supplier of ISBNs.

3. Advantage: An ISBN gives your book credibility to others. It’s viewed as a symbol of prestige to your book. By the way, the absence of an ISBN is one sign that your book is not published through a traditional mainstream publisher.

4. Disadvantage: It takes up to six weeks to receive your book’s ISBN, so if you’re not going to sell it through retail stores or on line sites which require it, it might cause an unnecessary delay in your book’s release.

5. Advantage: Purchasing an ISBN for your book puts it in the worldwide catalog of published books. You must be included in this catalog if you want your book available in libraries.

Given those points, the determining factor in whether you need an ISBN is how you intend to distribute or market it. Even if you aren’t going to sell your book through online or retail vendors, you might want to order an ISBN anyway, leaving the option open later should you change your mind. It’s your call—only you know the value that an ISBN will give to your particular book. Only you can determine the advantages it will bring to you in terms of sales and credibility.

1. Ensure your book is appropriately placed in the correct browse and sub-categories.

Certainly, if you want your book to be a bestseller on Amazon, you’d love to see it ranking in the ‘Top Twenty overall category. But, you’ll see much more progress and have more success if you strive to become number one in a specific topic or sub-category. It’s also much easier to achieve bestselling status within a specific category than it is to hit the top 20 ceiling.

By categorizing your book correctly, people who are interested in books on your topic will be steered your way. When they review your book, they’ll see that it ranks number one in that category. Wow, that’s just what they were looking for! A bestselling book on a particular topic that is of interest to them. Besides that, becoming number one in a certain category will contribute toward raising your book’s sales rank in the “overall” category, as well. And even though your book is a bestseller only in one category, you still get the boasting rights of being an Amazon.com number one bestseller.

2. Ensure your book is available on POD (with a guarantee of 100 on stock) or there is at least 500 books on site at the Amazon warehouse.

If your book is not available and in stock at Amazon, or available via print-on-demand (POD) through a reputable POD company or Ingram distributor, your book will read OUT OF STOCK. Of course, when a book is out of stock, people don’t purchase it—it’s not available. Thus, you want to avoid the “out of stock” notation because it really discourages sales. Unless you’re famous or already have achieved notoriety as a bestselling author, Amazon.com will only keep on hand minimal numbers of your book. When they witness a steady sales flow, they’ll increase that number. Amazon.com makes it difficult for self-publishers or Independent publishers to provide stock-up requests, so you want to make sure you research this thoroughly before conduct your campaign. You don’t want to send 200 people to Amazon.com to buy your book if they only have 12 books on hand.

3. Select an appropriate Amazon.com bestseller date.

Amazon.com uses a formula to determine your book’s rank. The fastest and easiest way to move up the sales rank is to select one date to market to the masses. Heavy sales on one day will move you past the competition into bestseller status. However, you don’t want to pick just any day out of thin air. Other authors are using this strategic tactic, too. Look at your competition. Find out when their books are going to be released and choose a different day. It will not serve you well if your campaign push falls on the same day that the next Harry Potter book is released. Choose dates wisely – do your research.

There’s more to becoming a bestselling author than writing a great book—you have to know the inside tips to creating sales. Following these three tips are critical in achieving that status.

Want more help becoming an Amazon.com bestseller, listen to this.

More information about Amazon.com Bestseller Program, click Amazon Bestseller Homestudy Program.

Yes, I know, there are expenses involved in writing, printing, publishing, and marketing a book. Don’t try to recoup all of them, because you simply cannot. Like I said earlier, your book is a tool and the interest it generates in you and your business are going to be the ways you get your money back.

That said, what factors should you consider and what role do they play in your book sales? Here’s a list of the main points which should be considered when establishing the retail price for your book:

1. The costs of competitor’s books of the same size and topic. It’s a given that people compare costs, and someone looking for a book on your topic is probably looking at similar books, as well. The price tag could be the one deciding factor in
determining which book they’ll actually buy. Don’t discourage potential customers by pricing your book too high, but do remember that pricing is below market could cost you significantly. Can you afford that? When comparing competitors’ books, take a look at the content, the graphics, the number of pages, and use those factors to determine if your book is in line with theirs. If so, set your price competitively. If your book has perks and other obvious enhancements, you can probably price your book a little higher than the competition. You need to be careful, though, that setting your price lower than the competition in an effort to win over the buyer can actually hurt sales. Set the price of your book too low, and potential buyers might determine that it’s not worth as much as theirs-meaning that they’ll interpret the lower price as a sign that your book will hold less value to them. They want to buy a book which provides them with valuable information, so make sure your price reflects the value of your message.

2. Your financial investment in the book. While you might not recoup all of this, try to figure out how much each book cost from inception to the shelf. Take into consideration printing and shipping costs, as well as cover design, artwork, editing, proofreading, etc. If you’re using a print on demand service, your fees for printing will be higher. If you’re printing in bulk, it’s going to cost you more upfront, but the per unit price of your books will be less because the charges are lower per book when you print in larger quantities.

In addition, expect to be responsible for the shipping costs when you send your books to retailers, bookstores, and organizations. Generally, you’ll be expected to pay for the freight.

3. Discounts. If your book is listed on Amazon.com (and it should be) and other online retailers, you’ll be required to provide them with a discount. Amazon.com generally takes 55% of your sales. That’s a high percentage which leaves you
with only 45%, so consider the discount when you’re setting your price. Distributors take a big cut, too, so get your figures together and determine how much you’ll have left after giving distributors and retailers their discount. Then, deduct the per unit price it cost you to bring that book to fruition. Discounts also include quantity discounts, which you might be expected to provide to groups or retailers who order your book in quantity. This discount is usually set as a percentage off and often rises with the number of books ordered. Consider, too, that sometimes you’ll be expected to offer a lower price to charitable organizations, events, etc.

4. Promotion and PR. How much is it going to cost you to promote and market the book? To get posters, media kits, and press releases ready? These are all factors which will reduce the profit you’ll make from your book. However, they are factors which also have the capability of increasing exposure and the profit you’ll make.

5. Reductions in price for promotional events and sales. At some time, you’ll probably lower the cost of your book, either to clean out your inventory or to offer incentives to people to buy it at a particular time. This is great, however, take that likelihood into consideration when you set the asking price for your book.

Because of this factor, you might not wish to print your book’s price on the cover, which will give you more liberty and flexibility in changing it down the road.
So, there are a lot of factors which will determine just how much money you should ask for your book. Be realistic. Unless you sell millions, you’re not going to make a ton of money from the sale of the book alone. Your price tag should be large enough to help you recoup some of your costs but low enough that your book will attract the exposure and sales which will make you an expert or authority in your field. It’s a little give and a little take. You want to make sure you come out on top in the end.

If you’ve already written a book, that’s great! But by now, you know that getting book sales and publicity takes work—and a lot of it. Well, we understand—we’ve been in your shoes, but along the way we’ve found some shortcuts and secrets that will help you to spark interest in your book and get free publicity—yes, free publicity! Sally Shields has used these very same tips to become a number one best-selling author on Amazon.com with her book, The Daughter-in-Law Rules.

One of the biggest obstacles authors have is getting publicity, so it’s not unusual for them to hire a PR firm. More often than not, they invest a heavy chunk of money in a PR firm, only to be disappointed with the results. You can actually get the same, and better, results on your own, and for little or no money. I’ve had tremendous success with these tips with my book, Goal Digger, and we already know the amazing results Sally got from them. However, while we encourage you to market yourself and your book on your own, we also encourage anyone who’s doing so to get media training first. Invest in learning how to deliver your message so when you get the publicity you want, you know what to say and how to use it wisely.

So, without further ado, here are the top ten things you can do to market your book and brand. Now, you don’t have to do all of them, but if you do several really well, you’re going to get some very surprising results.

1. Print business cards with your book cover on them. This is an inexpensive, but effective, way to reach a mass of people. Give them out to friends, drop some on the counter at the beauty shop, the bagel store, the corner deli, or even at doctor’s offices, clothing stores, and restaurants. You never know who will pick them up and who they might know.

2. Make sure you have a website and it can capture people’s email addresses. You can do this by asking them to sign up for your emails or your newsletter. Just get their addresses and build that client list and friend database. You can even entice them to sign up by giving all new members an opportunity to download a free chapter of your book, which will spark more interest in your book.

3. Create a book trailer. You can create your own 30-second book trailer for free at Animoto.com. Do it and put it on your website and post it on YouTube. This does generate publicity and a great deal of interest.

4. Fine tune your elevator pitch. HelpAReporterOut.com is free, and it’s a wonderful way to create and perfect your elevator pitch. Simply stated, your elevator pitch is a three-sentences giving: Your name, the title of your book and your vision and how you and your book can help others. Short and sweet, it’s an introduction to the media letting them know about you, why they should be interested in interviewing you, and why their listeners, viewers, and readers will tune in. Make sure you tell what’s in it for their listeners and readers…make it short and make it good.

5. Create a media-ready release. Now, don’t confuse this with a press release—it’s different. Your elevator pitch will help you. You’ll need a headline or a hook that is timely and which ties into the news or a specific time of the year or holiday. Your media ready release is going to lay out the main points that you can talk about. It’s actually going to make it easier for you to get on radio and TV shows because it shows you’re prepared and does most of the work for the producer.

6. Prepare letters and emails in an effort to get at least five celebrity testimonials. Now, you don’t have to solicit testimonials from mega big-screen stars, but that would be nice. By celebrities, we mean you can contact authors, athletes, radio hosts, and actors, as well as famous business people. Well-known names respected in their fields are always a plus. In your letter, include a few sample testimonials for them to choose from. By making their job easier and already providing the testimonial, you’re more likely to get a quick and favorable response. How are you going to find these celebrities? I like ContactAnyCelebrity.com. Visit that site and you’ll find contact information, as well as their PR firm, agent information, etc. Be kind, courteous, complimentary, and thankful.

7. Create a media calendar. One of the easiest secrets, this one is effective. Get a calendar and fill in the months and days where your message is pertinent. For instance, if your book is about mothers or parenting, Mother’s Day is a focal point, as are other holidays like Grandparent’s Day, etc. You could take advantage of the exposure of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, etc. Use your imagination and fill in the dates when your expertise could be relevant to that day or time of year. Then, write a media release when that time of year comes around, using a hook or headline which relates your book to that time of year. This catches a great deal of attention, showing why they should be interested in you and your book right now. Make sure the release contains the most popular keywords (you can find those on Google.com/alert.

8. Prepare articles and get them posted on five or more blogs in the next 60 days. Prepare one to three articles, and if you don’t feel confident doing that, use an article template. There are some free ones through Jeff Herring who is known as the article guy. His website is TheArticleGuy.com. Write an article or use a template, then google your keyword plus the word “blog” to find the highest-ranking blogs for your area of expertise. Pick five blogs and contact them. Introduce yourself, give the elevator pitch you prepared earlier, and volunteer to submit content or be a guest on their blog. Offer them a Question and Answer session, and of course, a giveaway, which will help promote your book. To curb costs, you can send electronic books, what we all know as ebooks, which are very inexpensive promotional giveaways.

9. Book a local speaking engagement at a library, bookstore, or event. Prepare a PowerPoint and a little speech, and do a book reading. You’ll be surprised at how many people buy your book when you’re done. If you’re afraid of public speaking, practice—attend Toastmasters—write note cards to help you stay on point. The hosts of these events often buy your book in bulk beforehand, giving you sales right away. If you’re speaking for a charity event, partner with that charity. It’s an excellent marketing tool and will give you sponsorship and a great deal more exposure. Plus, you’ll be helping a cause that’s important to you.

10. Always, always carry copies of your book with you. Tuck a few in your purse, your briefcase, wherever, but always have a copy of your book on hand, ready to give to the first person who can help you. You never know who you’re going to meet every day, and you don’t want to miss an opportunity. If your book is on parenting, the person you start talking to might know a radio host, a prominent pediatrician, or even a corporate retailer of children’s products. By giving them your book and talking about it, you’ve just made an inside contact to some influential people who can help you. So, always, always carry your book with you and don’t be shy about flaunting it!

Those are the top ten secrets that you need to know to get your books out of the garage and into the hands of people who can give it the exposure it deserves. Do a few of these, and do them very well, and you’re going to find that you are the best PR firm your book and your business will ever know.

To listen to the replay of this info-packed call, click here.

The Secrets of Female Sexuality places #8 overall...

As I’ve coached authors, helping them make their book a business, I’ve had a front row seat to their success. A successful book is quite a feat, but I’ve witnessed firsthand how transformational it is when a book reaches bestseller status. The perks are phenomenal!

Why should anyone want to be a bestselling author? Here’s a quick list of the benefits:

If your book becomes a bestseller:

1. You get bragging rights! And you’ll deserve them! Very few authors achieve bestselling status, so when you uncover the secret to marketing your book the right way, you are among the cream of the crop. That’s something to talk about. It also helps you to create more buzz about your book and the interest it receives.
2. You can add the title “Amazon bestseller” to your marketing materials and website. Everyone knows Amazon, and everyone knows that to become an Amazon bestseller, you have to beat a lot of competition. There are millions of books available through Amazon, so when you become a bestseller, you’ve earned a prestigious title that is more than an opinion—it’s indisputable and based entirely on fact—sales numbers which outrank all the rest!
3. People can introduce you as an “Amazon bestseller” before radio and TV interviews or speaking engagements. Being called an “Amazon bestseller” automatically provides you with credentials. It makes you an expert in your field, stating that you have something different to say and that people want to hear it. It’s an accomplishment that automatically portrays success.
4. You gain credibility in the corporate world. As an author, you are one of millions. As a bestselling author, your commendable achievement is acknowledged. Suddenly, you’ll become a sought-after speaker or consultant to businesses who place great value on credentials and accomplishments.
5. You establish yourself as an expert in your field. If you want to be an expert, write a book. If you want everyone to agree that you’re an expert, write a bestselling book. When you’ve written one of the top ten books in your industry, your expertise will have much more value and people will view you as the authority on your topic.
6. You can distribute a press release the next day – toting the fact you are a bestseller. By quickly getting the word out that your book is a bestseller, you spark more interest, accolades, and prestige. A press release that once might have gotten buried will go to the top of the pile when it touts such a remarkable achievement. When it does, you’ll benefit from the speaking engagements, interviews, and articles it will produce.

Best of all, your bestseller placement puts you in front of an audience that may have never heard of you at all. Once Amazon and Google know who you are, the sky is the limit.

As of 9:58 am PST, my client and colleague David Shade became an Amazon.com bestseller.

There are many authors, or wanna-be authors, who also want to achieve this status, and I always get inquiries on how one becomes an Amazon.com bestseller. Well, you can pay an expert 20K + to orchestrate the campaign for you (Currently, I charge anywhere from 12 to 15K to coach and strategize all of the intricacies of a bestseller and book launch campaign for my clients.) Or you can do it yourself, which is tough if you don’t know where to begin (see 3 tips below to help you get started). Or, there is always something in between.

And with that, here are the following programs I recommend:

My friend, colleague and best-selling author, Sally Shields has crafted an amazing program called the Amazon Bestseller and Free Publicity 101 Homestudy Program. She walks you step-by-step through the Amazon Bestseller Campaign Process, and shows you exactly what you need to become a Amazon bestseller and garner FREE national publicity. *An aside: I just spoke to Sally today and she was taping the Rachel Ray Show – so this woman is definitely someone to follow!

Also, if you are a wanna-be author who needs to write their book before they even think about becoming a bestseller, you want to check out my coaching course and product, The 17-Day Book Challenge. In this course, I coach you on how to get your book done in less than 17 days, as well as develop your book marketing plan, which goes into depth in launching your book and making it an Amazon.com bestseller. I’ve gotten steller reviews about the 17-Day Book Challenge, which also includes as a bonus a private 1-on-1 60-minute telecoaching call with me.

Nonetheless, if you do decide to ‘go it alone’, here are a few tips to get you on your way to being an Amazon.com bestseller:

1. * Ensure your book is placed in the correct browse and sub-categories.

As you see from the screen shot, David’s book is not only in the top-20 overall, but is #1 in specific sub-categories. That way, people interested in dating topics will see it’s the #1 book of the day. Also, this step is crucial, because it is much harder to become an Amazon.com “Overall” bestseller. The chances you are a bestseller in a specific category are greater.

2.* Ensure your book is available on POD (with a guarantee of 100 on stock) or there is at least 500 books on site at the Amazon warehouse.

If you book is not available in-stock at Amazon, or available on print-on-demand (POD) through a reputable POD company or Ingram distributor, your book will read OUT OF STOCK and discourage sales. Amazon.com makes it difficult for self-publisher or Independent publishers to provide stock-up requests, so you want to make sure you research this thoroughly before conduct your campaign.

3.*Select an appropriate Amazon.com bestseller date..

Authors don’t normally do these campaigns on days that Harry Potter or a similar powerhouse book comes out. Choose dates wisely – do your research.

Of course, I hope this information helps. If you want further support, I offer 15-minute complimentary sessions to discuss what is the best route to go! – To your success – AD

Being Fat Sucks!

It’s not easy for an author to create buzz about his or her book. That’s especially true for first-time authors who don’t yet have a following. But, it’s not impossible, and a couple authors have found a unique and effective way to attract readers.

Experienced authors know that the competition is fierce. In order to vie other authors for you percentage of sales, you need a lot of PR and marketing. To get the word out and brand your name and message, you have to cut through the clutter and find your own niche—your own market. One great way to do that is to give your book an irreverent, controversial title that will attract curiosity, promote conversation and create “shock and awe.”

What's Your Poo Telling You?

Recently, two books which have used this concept have demonstrated its value: Being Fat Sucks by Lisa Lewis, and What’s Your Poo Telling You, a book penned by a doctor who coincidentally calls himself Dr. Stool. Think about it—how many people do you know who would rush out to buy a book about poo? Not many, I’m sure. But by writing about the subject in a comical way, complete with some very innovative illustrations, Dr. Stool has turned a serious and dry medical topic into a novelty or gift book, earning it a strategic placement next to the cash register at major book retail stores. Because he made light of a serious medical concern, millions have been entertained while they were educated on the importance of looking in the toilet.

My client, author Lisa Lewis, had a similar approach. She wrote Being Fat Sucks in such a way that it would hit people in gut and sock them in their ego. The title tells it like it is, and so does the book, which is why Lewis was able to take a personal development story and use it to create an individual brand as a frank, open, and sincere speaker and weight-loss consultant.

The end result? Both have authored business books in the self-help genre which are successfully marketing their message, building their brand, and establishing themselves as experts, while benefiting from their book’s profits.

So, when you’re writing your book, look at it from all angles. Is there a better way you can position yourself within the industry, attracting more readers and becoming a household name? Whether it’s changing your title or the delivery of your message, find the best way to create a buzz about your book and attract more readers than the competition. You’re unique, and your book should be, too.

Check out the books today!
What’s Your Poo Telling You?
Being Fat Sucks!

Unfortunately, there’s no one answer to that question: writers’ fees are all over the map, and there are no fixed industry standards. A preliminary Google search turns up fees anywhere from $10,000 to $75,000 for an average-length book (300 printed pages or 60,000 words). Yet online job sites show writers accepting work for as low as $800 a book. Some employers offer even less; just today I saw a job paying $2.00 per 500-word article. Two dollars!

As an Independent Contractor, a writer has to pay taxes, maintain equipment, and pay a finder’s fee to a job site or agency.  Even at $3000 a book, a writer is working for less than minimum wage. Who’d work for less than minimum wage? Believe it or not, young writers just starting out are so gung-ho, they frequently do, which is unfortunate for the more experienced writers.  It’s common sense that a fledgling writer isn’t as skilled as one with a number of published books under her belt and 20 or 30 years of experience – and I don’t only mean experience with writing. A person who’s been around the block a few times is familiar with a wide variety of subjects, and probably has at least some passing knowledge of your field of business. You do get what you pay for in this world!

With so many writers working freelance, it can be confusing to decide who to hire, especially sight unseen.  Ideally, you’ll want to, at least, see some previous work to find out if you like someone’s writing. A legitimate writer is glad to provide samples, and on sites like Guru.com or Elance.com you can access them before you even contact the writer. These sites also post feedback on the writer’s performance from previous employers. Here you might even get an idea of the kind of pay the writer is accustomed to – frequently less than what she or he initially asks for. This doesn’t mean you should low-ball them. Hidden resentment from an underpaid writer can lead to conflict during the work process. On the other hand, a happy ghostwriter is a good ghostwriter, so paying well is in your best interest. Which brings us to:

FAQs:
How much does it cost to ghostwrite a book?
The fee for a 200-300 page manuscript to be completed in 3-6 months starts at around $10,000 and goes up to $20,000-plus. The more you provide in the way of extensive notes, outline, or rough draft, the lower the cost. Other variables include timeline, length, and publishing assistance. If the writer has to conduct research, for instance, the fee will be higher.

For subjects that require knowledge of specialized language, such as finance, law, or any other specialty, cost is normally higher: $25,000 – $40,000. If the client has a written draft, the price will be on the lower end; if more time is needed to produce a book based mainly on verbal communication, it will be higher.

What does the ghostwriter’s fee cover?
The fee to ghostwrite your book covers all interview time between writer, client, and any other participants necessary to obtain the required information. It includes all research time, writing, editing, rewriting, and it can include finding an agent to represent you, or even finding a publisher. The ghostwriter’s fee does not include travel or lodging, although travel time is included.

How are fees paid to the ghostwriter?
Most writers require an initial deposit of one-third the total to begin work, another third paid at the mid-point of the project, and the final third upon completion. Some writers prefer monthly payments after an initial deposit at the start.

How long does it take to complete a book?
A well-organized, average-length book usually takes from three to six months to complete.
A faster turn-around may be possible, but can also raise the fee. If you have a draft of your book, or extensive notes and sketches, the work can go faster. If a lot of research is involved, then more time is needed.

Does a ghostwriter use a contract?
The ghostwriter is an Independent Contractor who usually wants a signed contract with the first payment. The contract should include the working title of the book, amount and schedule of fees, copyright agreement, and confidentiality. Additionally, stipulations are usually included regarding termination of contract, arbitration in case of disagreement, and miscellaneous matters such as complimentary copies and deadlines for portions of the book, if any. If the writer does not have her own contract, one can be obtained from a writers’ organization like the National Writers Union or the Editorial Freelancer’s Association.