If you’re hiring a ghostwriter for your first nonfiction book, you’re probably wondering how you’ll know whether they can write in your voice. A polished sample can tell you that someone writes well. It can’t tell you what they’ll do when you explain an idea that doesn’t quite fit the usual way of thinking about your subject. For that, I’d pay as much attention to the first conversation as to the portfolio.
Look for someone who understands the kind of book you want to write
You don’t need a ghostwriter who already knows everything you know. You do need one who’s interested enough to learn and has experience with the kind of writing your book requires. A practical book about leadership might need examples that show how a principle holds up at work. A book about psychology might need someone who can explain research clearly without claiming more than the evidence supports.
Ask about a project that called for a similar kind of work. It doesn’t have to be on the same subject. You might learn more from hearing how the writer helped a specialist explain a difficult idea than from hearing that they’ve already written a book in your field.
Pay attention to what they ask on the first call
Bring one idea you’d like the book to get across. It doesn’t have to be your best idea or even a finished thought. Explain it in your own words and see where the conversation goes.
Suppose you tell a ghostwriter that you want to write about purpose at work. They might ask what you mean by purpose, or whether you’ve seen someone find it without changing jobs. A good question can bring out a distinction you make so often that you no longer notice it. That’s useful because your voice isn’t just the way you phrase things. It’s also what you notice, what you question and where you’re unwilling to give a simple answer.
Notice, too, whether you feel comfortable saying, ‘That’s not quite what I meant.’ You’ll need to say some version of that during the writing. It’s worth finding out early whether the writer takes it as an invitation to understand you better.
Ask what they can share without breaking confidence
A ghostwriter may not be free to name past clients or send you chapters they’ve written. It’s reasonable to ask what they can share. That might be a published piece they have permission to discuss, work under their own name or a description of a project without identifying details. Each tells you something different. An essay shows how they handle a sentence or an argument. A project account can show what they did with the material an author brought them.
In my portfolio, I describe how one book grew out of teaching notes and specialist knowledge. I can explain how I developed the material into chapters and found case studies that would help a reader use the ideas, without naming the author or the book. When you read an account like that, look for the decisions the writer made. Those are often more revealing than the title would be.
Find out how you’ll work together before you decide
Ask when you’ll see an outline or an early section, how you’ll give feedback and what happens if a draft doesn’t sound right to you. A promise to ‘capture your voice’ is hard to evaluate on its own. A clear explanation of when you’ll read the work and how the writer will use your feedback gives you something more concrete to go on.
You’ll also want a written proposal that tells you what’s included. If you’re weighing up several writers, my guide to ghostwriting fees explains how to compare quotes. And if you’re still picturing the collaboration itself, here’s what it’s like to work with a ghostwriter on your first book.
After a first conversation, ask yourself whether the writer understood what you’re trying to say and whether you’d be comfortable working through the parts you haven’t figured out yet. You don’t have to come away with the book mapped out. It’s enough to have a clearer sense of how you’d get there together.
If you’d like to see whether we’d be a good fit, tell me a little about the book you have in mind. A few lines are enough to begin.
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