Producing a non-fiction book is a great way to jumpstart a professional career, boost brand positioning, or raise awareness on a specific topic. A well-crafted book provides a clear image of professionalism and expertise in any given domain.

It’s no secret that writing a quality book takes time and effort. It also requires dedication to completing the task. However, there are occasions when professionals and experts lack the time or writing experience needed to take a book from scratch to publication.

That point is where a ghostwriter can help bring a writing project to fruition.

What is a ghostwriter?

Simply put, a ghostwriter is an author that produces content on someone else’s behalf.

They write material that will eventually list another person (or organization) as the author.

This process is a common practice in the business world. Companies often employ professional writers to produce their material, instead of relying on the in-house staff to do it.

Additionally, celebrities and experts often hire ghostwriters to do the bulk of their writing work for them.

Please note that ghostwriting is a legal agreement where the hiring party employs the ghostwriter to work for them. The ghostwriter retains no rights over the published work. Sole ownership belongs to the hiring party.

Why hire a ghostwriter?

In essence, hiring a ghostwriter is an investment in time and effort. Professional ghostwriters are experienced scribes that can handle significant workloads and create content in less time. In some instances, a skilled ghostwriter can produce articles in mere hours. In contrast, inexperienced writers may take days or even weeks to finish an article.

Also, experienced ghostwriters can bring various skills to the table. They may have backgrounds in specific areas such as business, economics, journalism, political science, and technology, to name a few. They can combine their adept writing skills with a specific area of knowledge.

Most importantly, ghostwriters can ensure projects actually get completed. Often, writing projects languish midway through the process. Other times, projects never fully get off the ground. A professional ghostwriter can take a project idea and shape it into a working manuscript. Ghostwriters can truly make a book project become a reality.

What is a ghostwriting agency?

A ghostwriting agency is a dedicated organization that employs multiple ghostwriters and assigns them to projects. In some instances, more than one ghostwriter may be necessary to complete a project.

Ghostwriting agencies match up writers whose experience and skill set align with a project’s requirements.

In many occasions, highly skilled ghostwriters wear several hats. These ghostwriters are able to tackle various types of projects, and write about many different industries.

Keep in mind that ghostwriting agencies are not job boards. In other words, they do not simply advertise jobs for individual projects. Instead, a professional ghostwriting agency has a streamlined process that takes a project idea all the way to a completed manuscript. Within this process, ghostwriting agencies can assign specific ghostwriters to particular projects. Moreover, some ghostwriting agencies can even help their clients throughout the entire publication process.

A professional ghostwriting agency typically has a single point of contact. This representative acts as an intermediary between clients and writers. This approach facilitates communication by coordinating interactions among all parties. This way, the ghostwriter can focus on getting the project moving. At the same time, the client can confidently voice their concerns and provide feedback.

Five Reasons to Hire a Ghostwriting Agency

Hiring a ghostwriting agency can sometimes be a better choice than hiring an individual ghostwriter. On the whole, ghostwriting agencies facilitate the entire process needed to complete your nonfiction book. Here are five reasons why hiring a ghostwriting agency can be a better alternative than hiring an individual ghostwriter.

Reason 1: A ghostwriting agency is a team of writers.

Hiring an individual ghostwriter entails finding the ideal candidate and then committing to them. While this arrangement can work out very well, it makes the hiring party vulnerable.

How so?

When the client commits to a single ghostwriter, any relationship disruption can potentially derail the entire project. If for any reason the ghostwriter is unable to continue working on the project, it can stall progress or even grind the project to a halt.

Of course, professional ghostwriters dedicate their efforts to delivering a completed project. Nevertheless, situations could arise that prevent them from moving forward. At that point, the hiring party may have to start over and search for someone else to take over.

A ghostwriting agency can proactively prevent such issues. Since a ghostwriting agency is a team of writers, other writers can pinch-hit if needed. Having access to multiple writers ensures that projects come to fruition and can reduce the time needed to produce a full manuscript.

Reason 2: A ghostwriting agency brings many skills to the table.

As skilled as they may be, individual ghostwriters can only tackle so many topics and projects at a time. After all, there are limitations on what a single person can reasonably accomplish.

In contrast, a ghostwriting agency has multiple skill sets from various writers. Most professional ghostwriting agencies have a cadre of scribes that can tackle multiple topics, often all at once.

Ghostwriting agencies are the best option when it comes to complex, multi-layered projects. For instance, projects that involve a variety of topics may exceed a single writer’s scope. A team of talented writers can provide expertise across several fields. Highly complex projects are feasible, using experienced writers to focus on specific projects. Conversely, asking a single writer to cover such wide ground may ultimately become unworkable.

Ghostwriting agencies purposely employ writers skilled in various areas. They tend to avoid hiring writers all with similar backgrounds. Successful ghostwriting agencies strive to have diverse teams. This approach allows ghostwriting agencies to serve their clientele’s needs better.

Reason 3: Ghostwriting agencies take care of the legwork.

A cursory online search reveals a number of how-to guides on recruiting, vetting, and selecting a ghostwriter. While these guides all contain sound advice, they underscore an important element: Finding the right ghostwriter takes time and hard work.

Ghostwriting agencies help save time and work by having a dedicated writing staff.

These writers are vetted professionals that have experience and credentials to back up their work.

Clients can trust that the agency has selected the best available talent.

On the flip side, some critics claim that ghostwriting agencies try to hire the cheapest available talent. They accuse agencies of lacking quality talent in their writer pool. In particular, lower-priced firms or discount ghostwriting companies may offer lesser-quality work.

Please note that there are probably less expensive alternatives available compared to an agency. However, these alternatives do not always represent a good option. After all, recruiting, vetting, and training great ghostwriters requires an investment on the ghostwriting agency’s part. In contrast, a high-profile ghostwriting agency does not necessarily mean it is better based on pricing alone. Ideally, a balance should be at the forefront. That balance can come from properly assessing a ghostwriting agency’s experience and reputation.

Thus, hiring a ghostwriting agency is about understanding where their strengths lie and what they can deliver. The best ghostwriting agencies manage to find a balance between delivering high-quality work and maintaining an appropriate price point.

Finding a reputable ghostwriting firm boils down to their track record. Obscure companies with amateurish websites should raise a number of red flags. Professional ghostwriting firms always strive to put their best foot forward. That approach begins with great references and customer reviews in addition to suitable customer service.

Ultimately, a professional ghostwriting agency can cut down a project’s overall timeframe by a significant margin. The savings on time alone can easily offset the financial cost of hiring one.

Reason 4: Ghostwriting agencies are a one-stop shop.

Hiring a freelance ghostwriter can work out very well. There are many talented writers offering high quality services. However, hiring a one-person band may prove to become more expensive than initially anticipated.

Publishing a polished finished manuscript requires several steps. First is the planning stage, which is something clients prepare before reaching out to ghostwriting agencies. Then, the ghostwriter can take care of the research and writing stages. However, polishing a manuscript requires an experienced editor. Depending on the subject matter, a specialized editor may become necessary. Therefore, the client would also have to go about hiring an appropriate editor for their project. This task would add to the time and effort the project requires for completion.

Once the editor has reviewed the manuscript, there are formatting and design tasks that must take place before the material is ready for publication. In short, hiring individual professionals for each task can become onerous in terms of time and attention to detail.

A professional ghostwriting agency can take care of most of these various steps, thereby leading to significant savings in time, effort, work, and attention to detail. By hiring a reputable ghostwriting agency, project owners can free up their time and attention for creative tasks such as planning and research.

How does a ghostwriting agency become a one-stop shop?

Professional ghostwriting agencies usually evolve over time. As ghostwriting agencies grow, they are able to expand their services. These services include editing, formatting, design, and even translation. As time goes on, ghostwriting agencies become one-stop shops that are able to facilitate all aspects of the book creation process.

Reason 5: Ghostwriting agencies put a lot on the line.

A professional ghostwriting agency has a lot on the line whenever they take on a new project.

After all, a successful track record always bodes well for a ghostwriting agency’s reputation and profitability. In the business world, reputation weighs heavily on success.

Ghostwriting agencies understand the power of word-of-mouth referrals.

They also understand that online reviews are critical to success. Hence, ghostwriting agencies will strive to do their best to complete projects and do them well.

Given the competitive nature of the ghostwriting industry, both freelance ghostwriters and ghostwriting agencies must go above and beyond to meet their clientele’s needs.

In particular, ghostwriting agencies continuously compete for the best talent available. By attracting and retaining a high level of writing talent, ghostwriting agencies can provide their clients with greater assurance of their quality, timeliness, and overall level of services.

In contrast, if a ghostwriting agency cannot deliver, it may see its business severely affected. Ghostwriting agencies have a lot riding on their reputation. Their track record will need to speak for itself. Therefore, ghostwriting agencies should strive to meet or exceed their client’s expectations.

The Bottom Line

Hiring a ghostwriting agency is an investment in time and effort. Clients can focus on their creative endeavors by essentially delegating tasks such as recruiting, hiring, vetting, and coordinating. In turn, this approach can lead to more book ideas.

The ghostwriting agency can take care of the heavy lifting. Employing a ghostwriting agency is a great alternative to trying to write your nonfiction book alone. It can be the determining factor that brings a writing project to completion.

Finding a professional ghostwriting agency can help aspiring and established authors and publishers boost their production and save time and money, while relying on a trusted business partner.

Nevertheless, finding that ideal ghostwriting agency may seem somewhat challenging. Thus, the search begins with understanding a ghostwriting agency’s cost-benefit relationship. This relationship boils down to determining the ghostwriting agency’s core strengths and how these strengths suit a client’s needs.

Additionally, getting a clear idea of a ghostwriting agency’s reputation is a crucial element in figuring out the best option. A proven track record is always the best way to go. However, up-and-coming agencies may prove to be worth taking a chance on them. After all, ghostwriting agencies have a lot riding on their performance. Therefore, clients can be certain that a reputable ghostwriting agency will do its best to meet or exceed its clientele’s needs.