Everyone has a story inside them, but many people feel they lack the grammatical or technical expertise, creativity, or time to complete it themselves. Fortunately there are professional writers for hire, called ghostwriters, that will work with you to write your story. Maybe you're an expert in a specific field with useful information, or wish to convey your experiences through a memoir. If you wish to produce a quality, saleable work, hiring a ghostwriter could be the best option.
Step 1
Decide what kind of writer you're searching for. It's best to find a professional writer with a proven track record and several published works to write your story. If you wish to reduce your costs you can hire a novice, though many people are unaware of the effort it takes to ghostwrite works of considerable length and may abandon the project. Decide whether the writer you wish to hire needs additional expertise in a specific field, a particular writing style, and if you want to work with a local writer or someone over the Internet. Be sure to ask for writing samples before hiring a writer.
Step 2
Specify what writing services you need. You want to communicate to the writer how much work and research you wish them to complete. You might have detailed notes and specific instructions for how each chapter should be completed, or a one page synopsis. If you're writing a memoir, you might provide journals and schedule the writer to interview you at various intervals. Perhaps you've already written half the story and need the writer to adapt your style and complete the other half. You're most likely to find the right writer for your project by explaining exactly what services you require.
Step 3
Offer cash up front. Writers want to be compensated for their work. Though writers often take financial risks on their personal projects, nobody wants to work on another person's project for free. Oftentimes because of the highly fluid, unpredictable nature of the publishing industry even the most well written manuscripts can be rejected and never see publication. Few professional writers ghostwrite on commission, or work for the possible chance of being paid at the end of publication.
Step 4
Search through classified advertisements and freelance websites. Writing magazines like Writer's Digest post advertisements of writers looking for work, and you can also check local newspapers. Websites such as E-lance and Guru connect freelance writers with contractors and allow multiple writers to bid on different projects so you can select the best candidate. Consider posting an advertisement on Craigslist, Monster, or a writing message board, such as Absolute Write, explaining the job in detail and what kind of experience you are seeking.
Step 5
Search through already published works and find potential writers to contact. if you find a professional writer you would like to worth with, you'll probably need to contact their agent for possible negotiations. You can also ask agents for writer recommendations and information about writers currently seeking ghostwriting projects.