Numerous business websites that advertise bestselling ghostwriting services have emerged in recent years. They control the Google AdWords market, falsely advertise bestselling authors and book titles, and frequently annoy curious website users with nonstop promotional messages. These service providers, which all seem to be a part of one corporation, plagiarize content from reputable websites that offer ghostwriting services, falsely claim affiliation with well-known organizations, and even copy and paste client testimonials and ghostwriter biographies from competing businesses onto their own websites.
So, how do you decide who to believe?
Learn to look out for warning signs indicating that a ghostwriting service website is intended to defraud you so that you don’t pay over your hard-earned money and receive nothing in return. Nowadays, it’s quite simple to fall victim to fraud, especially with the rise of websites that appear trustworthy. We wanted to provide assistance because it might be challenging to determine which service providers are legitimate and which are not. So, let’s start with the signs you need to be aware of to evaluate the legitimacy of the ghostwriting company you plan to work with.
The Obvious Signs Of A Ghostwriting Scammer
Not sure if you are the victim of fraud? Here are some warning signs to look out for.
Superlatives In Brand Name & Website URL
Many fraudulent websites pair keywords like book writing, ghostwriting, book editing, or book publishing with the domain name’s best, marvelous, top-rated, or brilliant keywords. No legitimate company uses this technique to attract customers; instead, they prefer a generic brand name and focus more on spreading brand awareness.
Special Discounts
One revealing sign is that fraudulent ghostwriting services concentrate primarily on marketing and sales. They will utilize nearly any strategy to convince you to work with them. It includes promoting massive discounts or time-limited incentives to compel you to work with them right away. However, established publishing and ghostwriting companies hardly ever offer significant discounts for their services; if they offer, they are still not cheap. So, be skeptical if someone tells you that you can have a book published for a few hundred or even a few thousand dollars. For writing a book, any competent ghostwriter will charge a minimum of $8,000-$10,000, and that’s on the low end. The average cost for ghostwriting an entire flawless book is approximately $18,000-$20,000.
Aggressive Sales Techniques
You will be flooded with marketing messages from those websites as soon as you express any interest in their services and leave your contact details in their sign-up form. They have the potential to become incredibly aggressive, and they won’t stop unless you block them. In addition, numerous victims have reported receiving as many as 10–12 texts every day.
Websites With Similar Names And Themes
Scam ghostwriting services frequently change their brand names and launch new websites with different URLs, making it difficult to follow them down. The URL and name of the business will frequently include the best ghostwriting, bestselling ghostwriting services, or #1 ghostwriters. However, you might notice that the website’s theme resembles one another if you pay great attention to them. Moreover, many fake websites appear to follow a similar template. It appears quite professional, but when you visit more websites, you will start to see a pattern or a similar style.
No Introduction Of Their Writing, Editing, And Publishing Team
Ghostwriting-related businesses shouldn’t have any trouble naming at least some of the writers and editors who make up their editorial staff. So, if the service you choose hasn’t listed any of their team members on their website, move cautiously!
So, before we delve far into ghostwriting scams, let’s first take a quick look at the following:
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- How Does Ghostwriting Work?
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- The Different Forms Of Ghostwriting
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- The Advantages of Hiring Ghostwriters
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- Is Ghostwriting Ethical?
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- Ghostwriting Scams
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- How to Make Sure You Are Working With A Legitimate Ghostwriting Service?
How Does Ghostwriting Work?
Have you ever wondered how ghostwriting works? Ghostwriting is the practice of writing professionally on someone else’s behalf. For example, a client hires a professional ghostwriter or ghostwriting services with a team of professional writers to complete the task on their behalf when they need to create a Fantasy writing, book, blog, poetry writing, or any other form of content they are unable to write on their own because of certain limitations. In a nutshell, ghostwriting can be defined as a writing assignment where the client receives credit for the work completed, and the original author accepts payment for their writing services. Nothing more than that!
The Different Forms Of Ghostwriting
There are a number of different forms of ghostwriting. Some of the most popular include:
Biographies
Even though the book’s title suggests that the author is the subject, writing a biography when you are the subject might be challenging. Most famous people who struggle with communication will engage with a ghostwriting service for biography writing. However, with ghostwriting, the author is able to look at the subject’s life objectively, which allows for a different, and possibly sincerer, and truthful portrayal of what happened.
Personal History
Ghostwriters can research a family’s history objectively, just like they can with autobiographies. Moreover, the outcome would be more thorough when a third person evaluates your family history. That’s why most authors avoid writing about themselves and prefer hiring ghostwriters for the job.
Fictional Stories
It’s pretty common that a person might have a fantastic idea or concept for a novel but lack the necessary skills to transform it into a book. History writing is a challenging task; the only reason most people cannot interpret their ideas is the lack of prior book writing experience. That’s where ghostwriters or ghostwriting services come in. They have professionals on board with years of writing experience and skills and can skillfully portray your idea in the form of a full-fledged book.
Screenplay And Scripts
The abilities required for screenplay or script writing are very different from those needed for other types of storytelling. For example, ghostwriting services can expedite the writing process for authors who struggle to understand dialogue, camera angles, or stage instructions.
Business Proposals And Reports
For the purpose of recording meeting minutes or notes, businesses usually hire ghostwriters. They maintain attention throughout the sessions and note every detail that matters. Moreover, ghostwriters are in high demand, especially in courtrooms, negotiations, and official government meetings to develop a transcript of the entire session.
How-To-Guides
Companies usually need comprehensive instruction manuals for their products and services. It specifically includes the electronic, home appliances, electronic equipment segment, and even drugs. Even though this might be the most tiresome form of ghostwriting, but it holds significant importance.
Blogs And Articles
Although many people think of blogs as a go-to source of information, many also use them for marketing, sales, and other goals. Therefore, it is essential for bloggers to publish engaging content that will draw readers consistently. In spite of their busy schedules and heavy workloads, ghostwriters can assist businesses in achieving this goal.
Medical Records
Even though they are knowledgeable and skilled in their domains, scientists and researchers might not have the writing abilities needed to produce medical reports and journal articles. Instead, they frequently employ ghostwriters to convey their ideas and conclusions in order to make their research more widely known.
Speeches
Politicians, entertainers, and business leaders may have the charisma to give captivating speeches, but they frequently struggle to put their ideas down on paper. That’s where ghostwriters come to their rescue. They hire professional ghostwriters for speech writing or any other type of content that they need to speak or present in front of their audience, relieving some of their strain.
Social Media Marketing Content
Many famous personalities and businesses hire ghostwriters to handle their social media accounts in addition to speeches. Why? Because they need to be active on their social media handles to engage with their fans or customers. Ghostwriters update their profiles with enticing content, which businesses and famous personalities find challenging to do themselves.
Newsletters
Businesses, media outlets, and other organizations periodically send newsletters to a list of their subscribers. The content featured in these newsletters is usually written by ghostwriters and includes various information about upcoming events, brand messages, and the latest updates.
We need to understand that technology is constantly evolving and getting better. There are countless choices for ghostwriting available to writers, and the ghostwriting industry is expanding rapidly. Ghostwriters are a common resource that authors and businesses can use to help their work succeed. There will always be a demand for excellent written work as long as instant communication is an integral part of daily life.
Keeping this in mind, let’s explore the benefits you can avail yourself of by hiring ghostwriters to write your book.
The Benefits of Hiring Ghostwriters For Your Book
They Save Your Time And Efforts
You can save both time and effort by working with professional ghostwriters and ghostwriting services. Writing a book requires a lot of dedication and time. For example, it typically takes six-eight months to complete a book. You must read a lot of books and do a lot of research before writing a book.
But on the other hand, a professional ghostwriter or a ghostwriting service can complete a book as quickly as possible within your required deadline. They interact with you throughout the process, from concept to final draft, as they have authored a number of books in the past. Moreover, when your book’s first chapter is completed, they send it to you for approval before moving on to the following chapters.
They Help You Gain Better Results
Ghostwriting services offer excellent writing skills and years of experience. The caliber of their work is remarkable. As a result, many authors, CEOs, and business owners hire ghostwriters to guarantee that their book is finished on schedule and with the highest quality standards. So, if you want to write a book but don’t have the time, you can hire a professional ghostwriting service of your choice to let them complete the book of your dreams!
They Are Economical And Can Fit Well With Your Pocket
You can avoid wasting time and money on ghostwriters. They can write a great book for you in a short amount of time and have great book ideas. They can captivate readers with their work thanks to their proficient writing abilities. Moreover, ghostwriting services usually charge less than independent ghostwriters, making them an ideal choice for aspiring authors.
They Offer Fast Turnaround Times
Writing a book is a difficult task. It’s not at all easy to write a book, especially if you have never done it before. Some people find it difficult to express their thoughts and ideas in writing. Fortunately, ghostwriters can help you with this. They have the power to shape your thoughts and ideas. Otherwise, writing a book might take weeks, months, or even years.
Is Ghostwriting Ethical?
Nowadays, it’s relatively normal for authors to hire a ghostwriter or a ghostwriting service. Similarly, everyone is aware that the majority of industrial professionals nowadays employ ghostwriters or an internal content production team to meet their business content needs. Most content utilized by professionals is created by ghostwriters, just like the passionate speeches of politicians or the impressive presentation of a corporate leader. These authors are unknown individuals.
Unfortunately, the idea of using ghostwriters for book authoring is constantly brought to light as a negative practice. Most individuals believe that this is against the law, unethical, and deceitful. But why? These two situations are the same when compared, aren’t they? A writer is creating content for you in both scenarios. Why, then, do authors who hire ghostwriters to create their novels come under fire? However, most people are fine with politicians and businesspeople using these services for their speeches.
So let’s paint a clear picture, dispel common misconceptions about book ghostwriting, and explain why using a ghostwriter is completely ethical. So let’s start:
It All Comes Down To Getting Expert Help
We all have specialized knowledge in our own fields and are not masters of all trades. For example, when you have health problems, you visit a doctor. Similarly, you recommend a mechanic to fix your car. It’s because you lack their expertise, whereas these folks are experts in their respective fields. So, we are unable to complete every task by ourselves. In our daily tasks, we all refer to professionals and enlist their help when we can’t finish a task independently.
Therefore, hiring a ghostwriter is another situation comparable to what we mentioned. Professional writing is a specific ability that not everyone possesses. A leader need not be a gifted writer because he already possesses a wealth of ideas and leadership skills. So, it is only an excuse not to share your insight, understanding, and experience with the world because you lack writing skills.
Ghostwriters create a masterpiece of educational content or a captivating story from your brilliant ideas. They give you the best opportunity to communicate your ideas and knowledge to the globe. Many great people and leaders would not have simply existed without ghostwriters. Writing for them allowed them to share a special glimpse into their lives, which gained them recognition across the globe.
Ghostwriting Is Similar To Any Other Service Available
Ghostwriting is merely another service that a business could provide. In this situation, the service is written, and someone is willing to pay for it. For example, a business sells its services on the market. So what’s wrong? Due to a contract that is made between them both, product delivery within the agreed-upon time frame is guaranteed. These services are typically used by people who lack writing talents or don’t have enough time to devote to authoring an e-book.
Ghostwriters Receive Heavy Compensations For Their Work
All ghostwriters want a hefty fee in exchange for their services. The amount compensated, however, fluctuates depending on their background, standing, past content success rate, and writing expertise. Additionally, a professional ghostwriter may bill far more than usual for his services while writing a book for a well-known individual. It is, therefore, rather obvious that the writing industry functions very similarly to other industries. For example, if a ghostwriter is skilled and has a track record of achievement, their pay will be much greater.
It’s A Joint Effort
Writing a book for any commercial or leisure reason is harder than it seems. It demands the author’s and the subject’s collaboration. As many fundamental concepts develop in your head as you write, you must be accessible and involved at all times. At the same time, the ghostwriter gives your ideas a polished interpretation so that they adhere to professional standards and effectively interest the audience. It becomes a synergic project due to the entire procedure.
It Has Terms and Conditions That Are Mutually Acknowledged
Every time an agreement is reached between an author and a ghostwriter, both parties sign a document with terms and conditions. Most frequently, these terms and conditions relating to privacy and confidentiality issues and the rights to the entire book. Even though a confidentiality agreement binds them, ghostwriters occasionally request credit for their work. However, since this is an uncommon circumstance that doesn’t happen often, there is no need to be concerned.
Ghostwriting Services Aren’t Exploitation
It’s a common misperception that using a ghostwriter or ghostwriting services amounts to exploiting another person’s efforts and well-honed abilities. It’s not really exploitation, though. Each and every ghostwriter offers their services willfully and without being intimidated. They receive a sizable payment when they sell their writings. However, one of the main criticisms of ghostwriting is that credit is not given. Actually, receiving credit isn’t usually necessary because the ghostwriter agrees to the terms of an agreement that was signed for a previous assignment and expressly indicates whether or not credit is to be given.
Similarly, after the project is finished, the writer transfers complete ownership to you, and you are free to use it however you like. The fact that writers cannot claim credits since they signed an agreement with the corresponding terms and conditions is, therefore, rather obvious. So, the primary justification given by a lot of people for why they believe using ghostwriters or ghostwriting services is immoral is that they believe ghostwriters ought to be acknowledged and thanked. It is only an assumption, though. As was already mentioned, ghostwriters choose to do this task of their own free will. In exchange for payment, they simply provide their professional services.
Ghostwriting Services Aren’t Exploitation
It’s a common misperception that using a ghostwriter or ghostwriting services amounts to exploiting another person’s efforts and well-honed abilities. It’s not really exploitation, though. Each and every ghostwriter offers their services willfully and without being intimidated. They receive a sizable payment when they sell their writings. However, one of the main criticisms of ghostwriting is that credit is not given. Actually, receiving credit isn’t usually necessary because the ghostwriter agrees to the terms of an agreement that was signed for a previous assignment and expressly indicates whether or not credit is to be given.
Similarly, after the project is finished, the writer transfers complete ownership to you, and you are free to use it however you like. The fact that writers cannot claim credits since they signed an agreement with the corresponding terms and conditions is, therefore, rather obvious. So, the primary justification given by a lot of people for why they believe using ghostwriters or ghostwriting services is immoral is that they believe ghostwriters ought to be acknowledged and thanked. It is only an assumption, though. As was already mentioned, ghostwriters choose to do this task of their own free will. In exchange for payment, they simply provide their professional services.
It Has Terms and Conditions That Are Mutually Acknowledged
Every time an agreement is reached between an author and a ghostwriter, both parties sign a document with terms and conditions. Most frequently, these terms and conditions relating to privacy and confidentiality issues and the rights to the entire book. Even though a confidentiality agreement binds them, ghostwriters occasionally request credit for their work. However, since this is an uncommon circumstance that doesn’t happen often, there is no need to be concerned.
Ghostwriting Scams
There are lots of ghostwriters. For example, You can find many advertisements of businesses claiming to be able to deliver high-quality content in a short amount of time by performing a quick Google search. However, these assurances frequently turn out to be fake. The truth is that excellent writing skills are challenging and require effort. The writing process might frequently take several months or even years. However, a talented writer can produce excellent content in a suitable amount of time. As ghostwriters, many of these authors earn a decent life. Unfortunately, some ghostwriters or ghostwriting services engage in shady business activities, which damage the reputation of ghostwriting. So, here are a few ways dodgy ghostwriting services scam unsuspecting authors.
Fail To Produce Quality Content
You should exercise caution when a ghostwriting service requests total money upfront with no other options. These services scam people by pretending to be their clients’ retainers, creating no content, and then vanishing after receiving payment. Unfortunately, these behaviors are not unusual. They are a prevalent phenomenon that contributes to the negative image that the public has of ghostwriting.
Deliver Plagiarized Work
Plagiarism is a major problem with shady ghostwriters, and by demanding payment for copied content, these people scam their clients.
In other words, these ghostwriters pose as the author of other people’s writing. This scam is relatively simple to spot, thanks to plagiarism checkers. However, an incautious customer can make early payments before realizing the content was plagiarized. Furthermore, some ghostwriting services even publish plagiarized content that they usually rewrite. With this method, they avoid plagiarism detection. They basically capitalize on the work of others. Even though it is not against the law, it is morally unethical.
Stuffing Books
Book stuffing is a damaging practice. To expand a book’s overall size, pages are artificially added. In other cases, the supplemental content contradicts the book’s title or perceived subject entirely. The truth is that fraudulent ghostwriters have been known to stuff various irrelevant pieces of information into a book to reach word or page counts, despite the fact that online publishing platforms like Amazon’s Kindle reject and have tried to stop this practice.
False Statements And Information
Baseless statements or false information in the content are examples of other deceitful behaviors. This happens when ghostwriters speed through the writing process and simply make things up as they go rather than conducting adequate research before producing the content piece. This method is extremely risky because it can quickly damage an author’s reputation.
Deliver Low-Quality Work
Last but not least, there are a number of inexperienced and unprofessional ghostwriters in the market. Even though these authors don’t copy or steal content, their writing standards and quality are poor. They frequently produce content that is poorly written, illogical, or falls short of expectations. Such outcomes might not be fraud on their own. But, subpar work unquestionably reflects fraudulent activity if the ghostwriter or ghostwriting service charges a premium for their services.
Now that you are aware of all the warning signs to watch out for and avoid while working with ghostwriters, let’s talk about how to identify a legitimate ghostwriting service. So let’s start:
How to Make Sure You Are Working With A Legitimate Ghostwriting Service?
If you are on a hunt for ghostwriters, make use of some or all of the following guidelines to ensure that you are working with a real person that is an authorized ghostwriter or a legitimate ghostwriting company that employs professional ghostwriters to take care of their client’s ghostwriting projects.
Establish Contact With The Ghostwriters Listed On the Website And Ensure Their Authenticity
Many fraudulent websites use the images and biographies of popular ghostwriters as part of their own team members. The stated ghostwriters frequently have no affiliation with the business and have not given permission to use their names. It will be simple to search for them by name on LinkedIn or other social media platforms if they are real ghostwriters. If you find them, ask the writer directly if they are affiliated with a specific ghostwriting service in a brief note. It’s a scam if they can’t acknowledge what you are talking about.
Schedule A Video Conference With Your Prospective Ghostwriter
In order for you to select the ideal ghostwriter for you and your project, legitimate businesses will gladly arrange phone or Zoom sessions with suitable candidates.
Browse LinkedIn To Research About The Company And Its Ghostwriters
Are they real? Are they simple to find? Do they have any links to other authors or publishing industry experts? Request a connection from them. Publishing is a relationship-based industry. Any reliable ghostwriting business or ghostwriter will have a LinkedIn page with lots of connections to other business people. But on the other hand, if you can’t find a ghostwriter on social media platforms, there is a probability that the business you are dealing with is a scam.
Request Writing Samples
To find out where the content originated, run a few terms through Google or a plagiarism detection tool like Copyscape or Turnitin. For example, it might be plagiarized content if it is credited to a book or article other than the author’s claims, and the ghostwriter might not have contributed at all.
Verify As Many Of The Website’s Reviews As you Can
The reviews plastered all over a company’s website ought to be written by real people who are happy to validate them. However, once more, if they insist that they are unaware of the business that hosts their alleged review, you should proceed cautiously. Publishing fake reviews is pretty easy nowadays, and if your luck goes bad, you can end up losing a significant portion of your money!
Request A W9 From The Business Or Its Tax Identity Number
Every business will have an EIN, which is public information and not private. The corporation or person is required by US law to provide a W9 upon request if you intend to deduct the service as a business transaction. So, avoid doing business with a company that won’t provide an EIN or W9. If they do, check it out to make sure the business is legitimate and registered with the same name.
Validate Their Physical Address
Verify any claims the business makes that it is a division or business unit of another business. Some con artists claim to be connected to other trustworthy publishers or agencies when in reality, there aren’t. Ask the alleged parent companies if they have any information regarding the collaboration in question. Moreover, try sending mail to the address mentioned on their physical address; if the mail bounces back, it’s high time that you question the legitimacy of that company.
Don’t Trust On The Best And Top-Rated Claims
To give an example, con artists distribute press releases claiming that their company is one of the Top 10 ghostwriting services in the United States. If you don’t do some research, you won’t be able to tell which of the ten companies featured on those lists is legitimate and which is not. So, you run the risk of making bad assumptions if you just use such a list.
Ask For A Proof Of Credit Or Referral
Most seasoned ghostwriters will have specific recommendations, testimonials, and credit on a book that has been published. A writer or business can provide you with a link to a published work or its acknowledgements page that contains its name prominently. Please don’t fall for the defence’s claim that all of their relationships are covered by confidentiality agreements or be convinced by it. Any seasoned writer will probably have documentation of involvement, or they will be able to recommend you to an editor or agency who can.
Conclusion
Remember, not all ghostwriting services or ghostwriters are scams. There are several ghostwriting companies working with a respectable and proven track record of success and a team of professionals who can transform your idea into a fascinating reality. All you need to do is move cautiously and follow the abovementioned guidelines before hiring one!
Writers Clique is home to some of the most-skilled ghostwriters in the industry. And we are not just limited to ghostwriting. We offer book editing, book writing, book proofreading, book publishing, and book marketing services, making it convenient for authors to partner with us and get all the services at affordable prices. So, if you have a question in mind, feel free to drop us a message in the comments below!
