Smart Questions to Ask Every Potential Ghostwriting Client

I get a lot of questions about ghostwriting from writers who are new to the field. How much should you charge? How do you negotiate a contract? How do work efficiently with a client? 

But one question that many fail to ask (but should) is how to vet a potential client. That's why you should ask potential clients questions like:  

• What kind of book do you want to write? 

• How long will the book be?
• Who's the audience for the book? 


• Why do you want to write this book? 

• What have you done already? Do you have an outline? A rough draft? Or just an idea? 

• What's your time frame? 

• Why do you want to hire a ghostwriter?  

• What kind of publisher do you plan to pursue? Traditional? POD? Or will this be an e-book only? 

• How did you find out about me? Why are you interested in hiring me?  

• How do you envision working with a ghostwriter? 

• What are you planning to spend on a ghostwriter?  

• How will you plan on marketing the book once it's published?  

Pay attention to your potential client's answers. In general, the more detailed and thoughtful they are, the more serious the person is about hiring a ghost. 

**Want to know more about ghostwriting? Check out Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks: Make Money Ghostwriting Books, Articles, Blogs and More, Second Edition.