As someone willing to ghost write books for people, I’ve had to make some sacrifices. I have successfully ghost written for several people and while it is often a somewhat difficult process, I’ve never encountered someone who didn’t understand that creative endeavors often take several revisions before the work is perfect. Let’s think about this for a second – a client wants to be an author of a book, they have an idea about what they want their product to look like but they don’t have the time or maybe the ability to implement their idea. Step in the ghost writer, willing to sell their time and writing for some small amount, no hint of their name or work attached to the product. For all intents and purposes, it’s a work for hire – and in my case I agreed to create a book for a client for 3 cents a word. Now without further ado, here’s how to piss off your ghost writer in 5 steps:
1. Request an ill conceived idea for a book
My client X, requested that I prepare an ebook with title X, I thought the title was a poor idea but I don’t judge – I do what I’m requested, in the time frame specified by the client.
2. Provide ghost writer with Zero content for the book.
Client X, provided me with ten chapter names and not a single point under these chapter names, leaving me to “create” all of the content of the book.
3. Refuse to provide feedback – although the client requested the product on a deadline, there was no communication whatsoever regarding the created content UNTIL I submitted my invoice for services, several days after its completion. It’s not so ironic that the client did not like the product after being requested to pay for it. Perhaps client X decided the project was actually ill conceived.
4. Inform ghost writer that she does not pay for services until they are performed – that she NEVER pays for a product which she is not completely satisfied with – and refuse to communicate specific items within the content that she desires to change.
5. Tell ghost writer that she will call and not call. This really pisses me off. I’m an easy enough person to work with – don’t tell me you’ll call and don’t call. Client X actually emailed me on two separate occasions that she’d call me “tomorrow” when she had a “wondow”(sic) of time in her busy life. Meanwhile, I’m acutely aware that I cannot complete the project to client’s satisfaction without specific feedback and the entire debacle is intended to deprive me of my time, talent and rightful income. Nobody works for free.
Now, I pride myself in taking ghost writing literally. I have never publicly outed any person that has asked me for content. They put their name on it and becomes their intellectual property. I’m appropriately compensated and happy to fade off into the next project, or my own project allowing them the opportunity for residual income from my work. This is how it should be. However, I am at the point where I am going to publicly air this dispute – in the Court of Public Opinion so to speak. I will email client X the link to this post and update you whether I’ve resolved this matter sufficiently or my next post will contain all of the exhibits to support my claims.
Recent Feedback