Category Archives: Ghostwriting

January 31, 2020 · 10:24 am

What is a Ghostblogger? And Should I Hire One?

Have you ever had something you really wanted to say, but felt unsure of how to put it into words?

It’s a common feeling in life, whether in the field of relationships, parenting, or business. It’s precisely when you feel strongly about something, when you know in your heart that it matters, that you begin to feel inarticulate; as if, in trying to communicate what’s on your mind, you just wind up tripping over your own words.

For example, business owners often have a particular set of points they’d like to convey about their product, service, or industry; but, whether rightly or wrongly, they fret that they aren’t natural-born writers, and are daunted by the blank page. And it’s not a phenomenon that’s unique to business owners; even authors and in-demand thought leaders sometimes need a hand in shaping their original ideas into legible packages.

A ghostblogger can provide just that kind of help. But what is a ghostblogger, exactly? Our simple definition is that a ghostblogger is someone who’s there to listen to your ideas, to help you shape them into coherent narratives, and to provide whatever wordsmithing assistance you need in turning your thoughts or ideas into compelling digital content.

Why Hire a Ghostblogger?

There are a number of reasons why you might consider hiring a ghostblogger, including the one we’ve mentioned already: You may have much you want to say, but be unsure of how best to say it. The ghostblogger’s primary skill set is taking what seems nebulous or “unsayable” and distilling it into something sharp, persuasive, and valuable.

But there are other reasons why you might benefit from working with a ghostblogger. One reason why a lot of entrepreneurs struggle in content creation is not that they don’t know their field well enough, but that they know it too well; that they are too close to their subject matter, and have a hard time separating the peripheral details from the real crux of the matter. A good ghostblogger can be invaluable in translating something very technical into accessible language or taking all the minutiae of your business and sorting out the big picture.

A ghostblogger is first and foremost a writer, but in some cases working with a ghostblogger may feel like interacting with a confessor, a therapist, or a sparring partner; it all depends on the kind of relationship you’re looking to have. Certainly, a ghostblogger is someone with whom you can talk things through, working together to shape and sculpt fuzzy or half-baked ideas until they become totally clear. Along the same lines, ghostbloggers can be invaluable in helping you identify when a topic may work well as a full content series, or when one really big idea would be better split into a few separate blog entries.

Ghostblogging Offers Clear Copy and a Convenient Process

Indeed, one important thing to note about working with a ghostblogger is that the relationship can be as hands-on or as hands-off as you want it to be. At Grammar Chic, we have ghostblogging clients with whom we spend a lot of time on the phone hashing out ideas together. We have others who simply send us a topic and perhaps a bullet point or two and then give us space to do our thing. It’s really up to the client, and our goal is not only to provide you with excellent copy, but to make the process as convenient and efficient as can be.

As you think about articulating your ideas into a blog format, consider the benefits of hiring a skilled writer to provide your concepts with form, purpose, and shape. Consider hiring a ghostblogger. Learn more by reaching out to Grammar Chic, Inc. today, either at www.grammarchic.net or at 803-831-7444.

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June 24, 2015 · 3:56 pm

5 Benefits to Hiring a Ghostblogger

By now, you’ve surely seen the statistics: More than 80 percent of consumers say they’re more likely to do business with a company that’s in the content production game. That’s not so surprising, when you think about it: A commitment to content creation proves your passion to assist customers. It exhibits thought leadership. It offers authority but also extends helpful service—a winning combo that your small business can’t afford to ignore.

There are different ways to create content, but blogging is the most direct and most value-adding of them all—yes, we would argue, even more than video or infographics. And there’s more than one way to arrive at compelling blog content. You can write it yourself, or you can outsource to a ghostblogger.

Working with a Ghostblogger

But what does it mean, to work with a ghostblogger? You’ve surely heard of ghostwriters, whose work tends to encompass more than half of the New York Times Bestsellers list at any given moment! Ghostbloggers work similarly: A ghostblogger will spend time speaking with you and getting to know your business, your audience, your values. You are welcome to direct your ghostblogger to your buyer personas, and in fact we recommend it. The ghostblogger, in turn, may furnish you with some blog topics to choose from, then create a draft that’s written from your point of view and conveys the values and vision of your brand.

This may be something of a new experience for some of you, but it’s an experience that can yield many benefits.

Why Work with a Ghostblogger?

In fact, we’ll list five huge reasons to work with a ghostblogger:

Quality. You may be an expert in entrepreneurship, in accounting, in manufacturing, or in a wide number of things—but you may not be an expert in writing. Ghostbloggers, like those employed here on the Grammar Chic team, are trained and equipped to write compelling, persuasive, and engaging content—reflecting well on your brand and engaging your audience. Are you worried that the blogs you’re writing yourself are suboptimal quality? Then you need a ghostblogger.

Vision. A good ghostblogger will understand that the blog is just one part of your company’s marketing machinery—and will work to ensure that the blog works in tandem with your social media and other online assets, ultimately holding up the voice and values of your company.

SEO. Blogging alone will not guarantee SEO success, yet a quality post, written with judicious keywords, can certainly provide some meaningful search engine fodder. A ghostblogger may not guarantee search engine success—nor should she—but it is very often a nice side effect!

Time. The obvious one: If you’ve got a ghostblogger doing your company’s content creation, you have time freed up to focus on other aspects of growing your business!

Engagement. Ghostbloggers worth their salt will understand that your blog copy needs to end with a rousing call to action—that audience participation is the whole point of business blogging!

Get a ghostblogger working for you today, and start reaping these benefits. Contact us at www.grammarchic.net, or 803-831-7444.

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April 17, 2014 · 11:23 am

What Should You Pay Your Professional Writing Team?

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Working with a professional writing team may not be something you do every day—and in fact, it may be something you’ve never done before at all. Whether you’ve got a new website to write or brochures to develop—a Facebook page to maintain or a company blog to create—a time is likely to come when you need a first-rate wordsmith. When that time does come, you need to know what to expect—particularly in terms of compensation.

Degrees of Quality

So what should you expect to pay your professional writing team? Frankly, it all depends on how good you want the writing to be. There are companies out there that will charge less than a penny per word; meanwhile, here at Grammar Chic, Inc., we strive to offer competitive and affordable rates, but we also value the hard work and skill that our writers bring to the table, and just don’t think it makes sense to have them work for fractions of pennies.

In other words, the old expression you get what you pay for is very much pertinent here. When you’re hiring a team of writers, the amount of money you pay will be—to some extent—reflective of the quality of the work you’re going to get. We’re not saying you should expect writers to break the bank, but if you pay basically nothing, you shouldn’t be surprised if you get basically nothing in return.

The Problem with Cheap Writers

There are a couple of problems you’re going to run into when you pay the lowest possible bid for a professional writing team. One of the most common occurrences among low-grade writing companies is that they outsource projects to writers in other countries—writers who may be able to string together a few words but don’t necessarily grasp the cadence of the English language. This is just going to drive up your own costs, as you’ll likely have to pay a second writing team to clean up the work done by the first!

And really, this is the problem in a nutshell: Low-paid writers aren’t going to provide quality work, plain and simple. For most of your business writing projects, you’re going to need more than a few tweaks to an existing document; you’re going to need brand new copy, written from scratch—and by the way, it also needs to be written to engage readers, to appeal to search engines, and to comply with all of your marketing goals. Only true professionals can accomplish this, and true professionals are seldom available for mere pennies.

Again: You get what you pay for, and quality writing is very much worth the slight added expense. To learn more about what a quality writing consultancy looks like, check out Grammar Chic, Inc. today: Visit www.grammarchic.net, or call 803-831-7444.

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January 22, 2013 · 3:13 pm

How to Hire a Business Ghostwriter

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I recently read an article in the El Dorado Springs Sun that spoke about the trend of business owners and CEOs of companies large and small hiring a ghostwriter out of the sheer purpose of creating a business book for use in marketing efforts.  The article hit on many major points that I normally speak about to business clients of my own who have thrown around the idea of writing a book, and I thought that this would be an appropriate time to address how to hire a business ghostwriter.

Why Writing a Business Book Can Help Marketing Efforts

Most business owners understand that writing a business book is probably not going to make them rich in the long run, considering over 11,000 are published on a yearly basis via traditional publishers alone.  I have to say that understanding this is probably the healthiest mindset you can have prior to entering the writing process. Instead, if you have been considering writing a business book or using a ghostwriter in this process you should understand that you are doing this to achieve certain things, namely:

  • Attracting new customers or appealing to existing clients.
  • Raising a public profile in order to be invited to participate in TV engagements or radio shows.
  • For use during professional speaking opportunities or in a seminar.
  • To generate increased media interest or promote a business.

Ultimately, when a ghostwritten business book is used in any of the aforementioned ways, you have a much better chance at succeeding in your endeavors, as opposed to simply believing you are going to cash in through a traditional publishing agreement.

Questions to Ask if You Are Considering Contracting a Ghostwriter

Of course, it’s always possible to write a book on your own.  However, if you, like many other business pros out there, are pressed for time, a ghostwriter cannot only help make the process easier, but also offer professional advice on the publishing process.  But you must make sure that the ghostwriter you are considering not only has the writing ability and expertise, but also has the ability to stay on task and finish the project per your requirements.  Ask these questions as you interview ghostwriters:

  • What type of book writing experience does the ghostwriter have?  Many ghostwriters list this service on their website or in their marketing materials, but when you actually get down to business, you might realize that they have never written a complete manuscript before.  Understand that not every ghostwriter has it in them to do this.  It is a massive undertaking and you need to make sure you are working with someone who has experience crafting an outline, gathering information and meeting your word count, while also providing high quality writing and capturing your voice.
  • Who can provide a testimonial for the ghostwriter’s experience?  Admittedly, ghostwriting is a highly confidential type of business, but anyone who has experience working with high-level individuals probably has a clause in their contract allowing for a referral agreement if the project is completed per the requirements.
  • Does the ghostwriter retain any rights to the finished product?  If they do, it’s a no-go.  A ghostwriter worth their salt understands that the end product is yours.
  • Is the ghostwriter available to begin immediately or are they currently committed?  What does their current workload look like?  Ask this question to make sure the individual is not so overloaded that they can’t concentrate on your work.  If they are vague about current commitments or accept a deposit from you without providing you with a timetable for delivery, know that something is up.  You want to make sure the individual is able to meet your deadlines.  Honest ghostwriters who are currently in the middle of a project will tell you so right off the get-go.
  • Does the ghostwriter have any other experience in the publishing world?  This could help significantly, especially if you have no understanding of the traditional or self-publishing process.  However, be leery of any person who claims blindly that they can get you published.  Relationships do matter in the publishing industry, but publishers and agents are focused on marketability measures associated with a book or author and do not hand out contracts on a whim.

There can be great rewards to writing or contracting a ghostwriter to craft a business book that highlights your experience or your company’s story, but it is important that you do your research and due diligence before throwing money at the project.  Make sure you are committed to the idea, are in the right mindset to engage in the project and have the correct expectations on what you could get out of writing a business book.  For more information on the ghostwriting process or to discuss the potential your idea might have, contact Grammar Chic, Inc. today by calling 803-831-7444 or visiting www.grammarchic.net.

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December 17, 2012 · 11:49 am

Everything You Need to Know (But Were Afraid to Ask) About Hiring a Ghostwriter

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A lot of people would relish the chance to write a book, but few have the time, the energy, or, frankly, the talent to get the job done. Coming up with an idea for a book can be the easiest thing in the world; inspiration strikes, and all at once you are flush with brilliant ideas, ideas that simply need to be put onto paper. And that is where things get difficult: Writing a book is a huge commitment of one’s time, and, for those with little writing experience, it can prove laborious work.

That hardly means you should give up on your dream of becoming a published author, however. There is another option, popular among novice and veteran scribes alike—and that is to enlist the services of a professional ghostwriter. Indeed, there are more ghostwritten books on the bestsellers list than you may think, including not just celerity memoirs and political manifestos, but even cherished novels and children’s stories.

For many, of course, these are uncharted waters, and the questions are many: What is it like, working with a ghostwriter? What does the whole process entail? Here are a few quick facts about what is typical among ghostwriting endeavors.

How much does it cost?

This is the first question to be asked, when the topic of hiring a ghostwriter comes up—and alas, there is no simple or straightforward answer to give. It is probably fair to say that you will find a few ghostwriters who charge quite a lot, and others who charge substantially less, but this is certainly an instance in which you get what you pay for. An accredited ghostwriter, with ample experience, is going to charge more than someone with zero ghostwriting experience—and chances are, hiring the pro will prove a sounder investment.

Does the ghostwriter put his or her name on the cover of the book?

This is something you will want to figure out with your ghostwriter. Reach an agreement, and include the terms of that agreement in your contract with the ghostwriter. You can acknowledge the ghostwriter if you really want to, but the convention is for the ghostwriter to be totally invisible—and most professional ghostwriters are happy to abide by that convention.

How does one select a ghostwriter?

Hiring a ghostwriter is like hiring any other contracted professional: You are the one paying money to have a job done, so it is totally within your rights to expect some proof of legitimacy. Ask for writing samples, and ask for references from previous clients; a legitimate ghostwriter will be happy to offer these to you.

How long will the process take?

Once more, there is no hard-and-fast answer here. Obviously, a book that weighs in at 500 pages is going to take more time than a book that totals only 200 pages. Likewise, if research is involved, that will add to the time commitment. Generally speaking, however, you can expect a ghostwriting process to last anywhere from three months to about half a year.

If you are interesting in learning more about ghostwriting services including details on the process, timelines and availability, reach out to the team at Grammar Chic, Inc. by calling 803-831-7444 or visiting http://www.grammarchic.net.

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