5 Steps to Finding the Right Ghostwriting Agency for Your Technical Book
March 22, 2022
Do you think most politicians, business tycoons, celebrities, and experts write their own books? Think again. As you might have guessed, many bestselling books are written by ghostwriters working for ghostwriting agencies.
Ghostwriting agencies have gained massive popularity in recent years because, with them, you can get your content curated by an experienced team of professionals just the way you want it.
But what types of services can a ghostwriting agency offer you if your content is highly technical? And how do you choose the right ghostwriting agency?
Choosing the Right Ghostwriting Agency for Your Technical Book
Technical ghostwriting is a lucrative profession. The job of a ghostwriter is to take your technical content and turn it into something engaging, interesting, and informative for the target audience.
So, how do you choose a ghostwriting agency that is the right one for your book? The following steps will help you understand the entire process and make the right decision.
1. Clearly define your book.
The first thing you need to do is define the goal of your technical book and what you want it to cover. For this, you will have to explain your requirements to your chosen ghostwriting agency.
You can either provide them with written information or a verbal explanation.
Providing detailed information to ghostwriting agencies will help them clearly understand everything and write your book accordingly. As a result, you will avoid multiple rewrites and save time.
Make sure you provide the following information to your chosen ghostwriting agency.
The Title and Subtitle of Your Book
Clearly state your title and subtitle to avoid ambiguity. The ghostwriting agency may suggest changes based on their experience to improve the title. The ghostwriter can help you determine how clearly the title conveys what the book is about. Will it grab your reader’s attention? Will they be satisfied that the book delivers on the promise of the title?
The Message You Want to Relay to Readers
Explain the message you want to relay to your readers thoroughly. Tell the ghostwriter what information should be included in the content and what information should be excluded.
An effective way to confirm that your ghostwriter understands your message is to request an outline before they begin writing. It will save you time and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Remember that your ghostwriter may suggest some changes to the agreed-upon outline during the writing process. Accepting or declining changes would totally be up to you.
The Three W’s
The three W’s structure is the most effective way to define your content. It can be a valuable tool for helping to clearly define the scope of your book. The three W’s take you through three stages: What happened? What changed? What’s the latest situation? Use the three W’s when you discuss the outline of your book with a ghostwriting service.
2. Interview the agency.
Once you have shortlisted some ghostwriting agencies, and determined which ones might be a good fit, you need to prepare for interviews with each of the agencies you have selected.
You should assess them in the following categories to help you make the right decision.
Their Experience and Niche Knowledge
Few ghostwriting agencies are experienced in every niche. The knowledge and experience of their ghostwriters are what determines how good a fit they may be for your project.
Some ghostwriters have more experience writing memos and reports, while others prefer writing product descriptions, datasheets, and whitepapers. You will have to choose the one that can work comfortably in your niche.
A nonfiction ghostwriter may not need to perform much research if they are already an expert on the subject of your technical book.
Your Target Reader
You may have a good understanding of your target audience, and your ghostwriting agency should too. An excellent ghostwriting agency can help you create content that successfully engages your target reader, since the success of your book lies in your ability to connect with your target audience.
They will help research and identify your ideal customers by developing a market segmentation plan. Segmenting the broad market into smaller groups of like-minded individuals who share specific needs, behaviors, and characteristics will enable them to engage better with your target audience while writing the book. Next, they will ensure your writing goals are clear and concise.
3. Outline the project.
A good ghostwriter understands that outlines are a great way to start a book writing project.
An outline helps to present the ideas for any topic using a coherent structure.
It’s a good practice to request an outline from your writer to be sure that they understand the purpose of your technical book.
How will you tell if the outline is good enough?
The outline should clearly define what you want your readers to understand concerning your topic. It should establish the structure for the entire book.
Also, the outline should be divided into headings and subheadings to distinguish the book’s main points from the supporting points. The sections need to be ordered in a way that will make sense to you and your readers.
The best ghostwriter for your technical book should be ready to deliver an outline that will make you eager to see the rest of the content.
4. Discuss schedule.
Time and Payment
You should clearly discuss your book project’s budget and timeline with your ghostwriting agency. The discussion should cover the time needed to write the book, the volume of the content, the amount of research, and the payment schedule.
The time to complete your technical book can vary from a few weeks to a few months, depending on the size and type of content.
It would be best to be prepared to give your ghostwriter ample time to finish your book.
Many ghostwriting agencies request an upfront fee and milestone payments.
Some writers choose to collect 30% of the project fee upfront, another 30% after submitting the first draft, and the remaining 40% at the end of the project. Milestone payments like this offer protection for both you and your ghostwriter and can ease the work process.
5. Sign an NDA.
NDA stands for a Non-Disclosure Agreement. It is your legal right to get an NDA signed when working with a ghostwriting agency.
It covers a wide range of legal aspects, royalties, and your rights to the book.
NDAs are usually unique and best kept simple. Key features that should be included are the time frame, the definition of confidentiality terms, information about the purpose of the NDA, and other essential legalities.
With an NDA in place, everyone’s interest is protected, and your ghostwriter will not be able to claim ownership of the book or share your book idea with anyone else.
Benefits of Hiring the Right Ghostwriting Agency
By now, you may be questioning why you should hire a ghostwriting agency when there are so many steps needed to choose the right one. Hiring a ghostwriting agency has several advantages, including avoiding the inconvenience of project delays, low-quality writing, inauthenticity, and plagiarism.
No Delays
Delegating your writing task to a ghostwriter is a great way to meet your deadlines for completing a book and publishing it. With a lower chance of delays, you’ll get your final copy on schedule.
Some delays are emotional, and if you haven’t written a book before, you may find it challenging to get started.
You may keep procrastinating about writing your book when there are so many other things that need your attention – such as family, important business meetings, or medical appointments.
Ghostwriters can handle your technical book more objectively because they are simply doing their job, and they have done it many times before. They have the skills and experience to write your book within a specified scope.
High-Quality Writing
If you aren’t a professional writer, you may have difficulty creating high-quality content that will appeal to readers. Your book needs to be more than just your thoughts on paper; your ideas should flow naturally from one section to the next. This is what will make your book engaging and informative.
The educational level and experience of a ghostwriter are crucial for technical ghostwriting.
Ghostwriting agencies obtain and verify the background and academic level of their writers.
You can rely on the reputation of a ghostwriting agency when you consider hiring them. An easy way to review their reputation is to read feedback from clients, usually provided in the website's testimonial section.
A high-quality ghostwriting agency gets excellent reviews from its clients, ensuring your book will be written by top-notch ghostwriters.
Plagiarism-free Content
Plagiarism involves one writer taking another person’s content and presenting it as their own. It is unethical and unacceptable.
Professional ghostwriting agencies often run plagiarism checks on their content to ensure you are getting a 100% original book. Since it is their work to write content, professional ghostwriters uphold the highest standards against plagiarism and deliver unique content.
Authenticity
Inauthentic content contains non-factual information. Such content can cause you embarrassment, and your technical book will lose its credibility. It can hurt your reputation and negatively affect your future projects.
A high-quality ghostwriting agency should understand that you have a goal for your technical book, and you want your book to fulfill your purpose.
For example, you may wish to use your technical book to help advertise or sell certain products. The content of your book should engage with your audience and benefit your business.
As you are the author of your book, it should reflect your message to your audience.
A high-quality nonfiction ghostwriter can weave your company or brand values into the content. They can ensure your technical book aligns with your other content and successfully integrate your advertising strategy with your overall business and brand.
Conclusion
When looking for a ghostwriting agency to write your technical book, you should take the time to choose one that is best able to meet your needs. A ghostwriting agency with a good reputation is more likely to share your valuable knowledge through well-written content.
During your search for a ghostwriter, a good approach is to start by shortlisting five to six ghostwriting agencies. You don’t want to spend the time interviewing dozens of ghostwriting agencies if you can avoid it.
When you are discussing your project with a ghostwriting agency, you should assess the skill level of their ghostwriters. You can ask to see some of their previous work, which will help you analyze whether they match your writing style and voice.
Always be clear about what you expect from your ghostwriter and discuss all details of the process. Cooperation and communication between you and your ghostwriting agency are the keys to setting your ghostwriter up for success with your technical book.
Finally, try not to rush the process of selecting a ghostwriting agency. If you find one that you believe will be a good fit, it could be worth waiting for the writers of your choice if they are not immediately available.
Finding the right ghostwriting agency for your technical book doesn’t have to be challenging, and following a systematic approach can help smooth the process and get you the best results.
