Ghostwriting Scams: An Exposé

Ghostwriting firms charge prices ranging from $25,000 to $250,000. Here are some of the more frequent claims made by their sales representatives and an analysis of each.

• The maximum length for a book is 250 pages.

  There is no maximum length for a book in the publishing industry. Limiting the length of a book ensures a maximum profit for a minimum of work.

• Our staff includes many bestselling authors.

  Work is subcontracted out to independent ghostwriters around the country. There is no stable of bestselling authors sitting in a New York office waiting for assignments. The actual "staff" usually consists of a secretary and sales rep.

• The more money you pay, the better writer you will be assigned.

  If you are told that you will get a better writer if you pay more money, the implication is that some writers don't "measure up" and that you project may not be a priority. Is your book important – or your bank account?

• We will offer you numerous ghostwriters from which to select.

  The ghostwriter you speak with or who closes the deal is not always the ghostwriter you are assigned.

• We have important agent contacts.

  Agents do not work for ghostwriting companies. Agents are highly selective in whom they represent. They specialize in certain areas and represent a limited number of clients.

• Our fee schedule is 30% up front, 30% one-fourth to one-third of the way through, and the remaining 40% when the book is finished.

  If you're paying sixty percent of the fee before half the book is written, how can you be sure you will like the finished manuscript?

Many companies ghostwrite your book as part of a package deal to write, promote, and publish your work. Here are the most common features of package deals and an examination of each aspect.

• Pay more money and we'll publish the book.

  Books published by ghostwriting firms are Print-on-Demand and are almost never carried in bookstores, only online.

• Pay more money and we'll give you the names of agents.

  If your book is published already, why do you need the name of an agent? If you're hoping to one day get published by a larger company, an agent will want to see 10,000 to 20,000 POD sales.

• Pay more money and we'll list your book with literary agencies.

  There is no such thing as "registering" books with literary agencies.

• Pay more money and we'll list your book on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites.

  Anyone can list a book on Amazon and B&N for free. POD companies do this at no charge, so why is the ghostwriting company charging you extra?

• Pay more money and we'll write a query letter for your novel.

  Query letters are one-page long. How much are you willing to pay for this service?

• Pay more money and we'll send out press releases for your book and send the book to reviewers.

  Press releases are one-page documents mailed to reviewers and papers that don't necessarily read or advertise your type of book. The company's mailing list is generic.

The truth is that anyone who wants to find agent names can buy Writer's Digest Guide to Literary Agents or Jeff Herman's Guide to Book Publishers, Editors, and Literary Agents for under $25. If you want to self-publish, you can buy Dan Poynter's The Self-Publishing Manual that will tell you how to perform all of the above services yourself. His book costs $19.

You can gather specific information about agents, companies, and publishers by using the search feature under "Beware and Background Checks" at the message boards/forums at Absolute Write, one of Writer's Digest Top One-Hundred Writing Sites. I am not affiliated with this site.