A client of mine recently described her experience with a ghostwriting company. She called the sales rep (you don't talk to a writer when you make contact with these mysterious entities) and was told that it would cost $25,000 for a "company ghostwriter" to write her book of 150 pages. Here's the kicker. The rep then said that if the client was willing to pay more money, she would be assigned a better writer. A better writer? The web site for this firm said that its writers were tops in their fields--bestsellers who had written for some of the biggest publishers in the world.
Think about what the rep said: "If you give us more money, we'll assign you a better writer." The word "better" implies that some of their writers may not be up to par, right? So what is important? Are these ghostwriting companies interested in your book or your bank account?
The truth is that when high rollers--people who have a hundred grand to drop on these ghostwriting firms--are willing to pony up the money, then someone who may have written a book or two is solicited and put in touch with the client. But what does that say about the company's interest in the average client? What does it say about the quality of the writers that they subcontract the work out to on a regular basis?
In the above exchange, the ghostwriting company all but admitted that some of its writers are not very good, but people who are vulnerable may not pick up on these subtle clues. People are notorious for falling for a sales pitch in just about any area of life. Let the buyer beware and approach these companies with caution. Do you really want to do business with a ghostwriting company that tells you that some of its writers are better than others?
~William Hammett
Contact wmhammett@aol.com
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