In an earlier post, we talked about how publishing a book can be the "ultimate business card" for a business owner or leader. However, many business owners are super busy, well, running a business. And writing a book requires time, talent, passion, discipline and usually research. If you lack any one of these requirements, your goal to publish your own book may never be accomplished.

Enter the ghostwriter. Ghostwriters are probably more common than you think. Many big-name people in the business world have used ghostwriters to collaborate with or even write the entire publication. How much a ghostwriter gets involved in your project obviously depends on your budget and ability to provide the writer with items such as notes, resource materials, an outline, sample chapters, etc. Oftentimes, a ghostwriter will want to conduct multiple interviews with you to understand your "voice" as well as gather as much material as possible. He or she will also usually write draft chapters for you to review and discuss, one by one, rather than produce the entire book for you to review.

Finding a professional ghostwriters who are willing to take on your project probably won't be very difficult. The challenge, however, is to find one who will understand your topic, capture your voice, fit your budget and produce something you will be proud to sell and promote. It's probably best to start with asking people in your network if they have heard of a good ghostwriter. LinkedIn can also be a great resource.  Many websites, such as odesk, offer writers at a variety of skill levels and rates. If you have a tight budget, you may also be able to find a graduate student who would be willing to collaborate and do a significant amount of the work for you for a lower fee than a professional writer.

As you can imagine, the cost of hiring a ghostwriter depends on many variables. How much research will the writer need to do? How long will the book be? Will the writer include editing and/or marketing? Some writers charge by the word, some by the project, and some by the hour. Be sure to iron out all of the details, and insist on an agreement, before the writer starts your project.

If you're a business owner, using a ghostwriter to help you move your book project along to completion can be money and time well spent. And if you need help with publishing your book, contact us. We've successfully worked with dozens of authors.