Hiring a ghostwriter is a significant investment — in money, time, and trust. You’re asking someone to represent your voice, capture your ideas, and produce something that will appear under your name. Getting the hire right matters.
Most people who’ve hired ghostwriters will tell you: the relationship and the chemistry are as important as the writing ability. A technically skilled writer who doesn’t understand your voice, your audience, or your objectives will produce mediocre work regardless of their credentials.
This guide walks through the entire process from finding candidates to establishing a productive working relationship.
Define the Project Before You Search
Before you start looking for a ghostwriter, you need a clear enough picture of the project to brief candidates effectively.
Questions to answer before you begin:
- What is the deliverable? (A book? 12 blog posts per month? A speech?)
- What is the topic and who is the target reader?
- What is the purpose? (Build authority, sell a product, attract speaking engagements, legacy project?)
- What is your timeline?
- What’s your budget?
- Do you have existing content — recordings, notes, outlines, previous articles — that the ghostwriter can draw from?
- How involved do you want to be in the writing process?
Having clear answers to these questions will help you evaluate candidates, write an accurate brief, and avoid scope creep once the project is underway.
Where to Find Ghostwriters
Referrals and networks. The most reliable way to find a quality ghostwriter is through a referral from someone who’s worked with one. Ask colleagues, your literary agent (if you have one), or your network if they know experienced ghostwriters.
Professional directories. The Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) and the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) both maintain member directories that include ghostwriters. These members tend to be professional and experienced.
LinkedIn. Search “ghostwriter” combined with your subject area. A ghostwriter’s LinkedIn presence often gives you a sense of their positioning and niche.
Freelance platforms. Upwork, Reedsy (excellent for book projects), and PeoplePerHour have ghostwriters at various levels. Platforms like Reedsy specifically vet their members, which improves quality.
Content agencies. For ongoing content ghostwriting (blogs, LinkedIn, newsletters), agencies that specialize in executive content or thought leadership ghostwriting are worth considering. They typically have higher rates than individual freelancers but often provide more reliability.
Evaluating Ghostwriting Candidates
Look at their samples. Even though ghostwriters work anonymously, experienced ones often have samples they can share — either from clients who’ve granted permission to share, or spec pieces that demonstrate their range and voice.
Assess the range of their voice. One of the hardest ghostwriting skills is adapting to someone else’s voice. When reviewing samples, consider whether the writer demonstrates different voices across different clients, or whether everything sounds the same.
Check relevant experience. A ghostwriter who has written three business books has different qualifications than someone who primarily writes blog posts. For a book project, relevant book experience matters significantly.
Testimonials and references. Ask for references. Quality ghostwriters should be able to provide satisfied client references who can speak to their experience and the quality of their work — even if specific project details are confidential.
The intake conversation. Schedule a call before hiring anyone. The chemistry in a 30-minute call tells you a great deal. Is this person asking intelligent questions about your project? Do they understand your audience? Can they articulate how they’d approach your project? Do you feel heard?
The Trial Project
For any significant ghostwriting engagement — especially a book — a paid trial project is strongly recommended before committing to the full scope.
A trial project for book ghostwriting might be: a sample chapter or chapter outline based on a briefing session and two hours of interview time. For blog or LinkedIn ghostwriting: three to five posts based on a style guide and your notes.
The trial serves multiple purposes:
- You get to see the writer’s actual work product before full commitment
- The writer gets to understand your voice and vision more concretely
- Any misalignment in expectations surfaces before it becomes expensive
Trial projects should be paid. Asking professional writers to work for free is unreasonable — and writers who agree to extensive free trials to prove themselves are often not in a position to command appropriate rates.
Setting Clear Expectations Upfront
Most ghostwriting relationships that go badly do so because expectations weren’t clearly established at the start.
Define the scope precisely. How many words? How many drafts? What’s the revision process? What constitutes a revision versus a scope change?
Agree on the interview and collaboration process. Most ghostwriting involves interviews — the writer interviews you to extract content, voice, and ideas. How many sessions? How long? Will you provide written notes, recordings, or both?
Establish communication norms. How often will you check in? What’s the expected turnaround for feedback? Who has approval authority?
Agree on timeline milestones. For a book, common milestones include: chapter outline, first chapter, remaining chapters in batches, full first draft, revised draft.
Once these are established, capture them in a contract. Our ghostwriting contracts guide covers exactly what a proper contract should include.
The Interview Process
For book and longer-form ghostwriting, the process typically starts with extended interviews. This is where the writer learns your story, your ideas, your voice, and your perspectives.
Tips for productive ghostwriting interviews:
- Record everything. Either audio or video. This gives the ghostwriter raw material to work from and ensures nothing is lost.
- Tell stories, not summaries. “Tell me about the time you nearly lost the company” is more useful than “we went through a difficult period in 2015.”
- Talk about specific people and places. Concrete details make better copy than abstract principles.
- Don’t self-edit. Say what you actually think, not the sanitized version. Your ghostwriter can smooth it out; you can’t add what you held back.
- Share your opinions, even strong ones. Books with a clear point of view are more engaging than neutral overviews.
Reviewing and Revising Drafts
When your ghostwriter submits a draft, give specific feedback rather than general impressions. “This doesn’t sound like me” is harder to act on than “I never use passive voice, and I usually use shorter sentences — aim for an eighth-grade reading level.”
Feedback that helps:
- Point to specific sentences or passages that work and explain why
- Point to specific passages that don’t work and explain what’s wrong
- Flag places where the ideas are inaccurate or misrepresent your views
- Note voice inconsistencies
Feedback that doesn’t help:
- “I just don’t like it” without specifics
- “Make it better”
- Rewriting sections yourself without explanation — though sharing a rewrite can help the writer understand your preferences
Understanding the Business Side
Before you hire, make sure you’re clear on the business terms. For detailed guidance on rates and what to expect to pay, read our ghostwriting rates guide.
Budget enough for a quality hire. Underpriced ghostwriting almost always delivers underperforming results. A professional with the right experience will be more expensive — and worth it.