Overview

So, you have an idea for a fiction book, but you don’t have the skill set to turn it into reality with creative imagination and the magic of words. And if you are here, then it means that you are confused about hiring or considering ghostwriting services for yourself. So, you’ve definitely reached where you should be. I am going to focus on all the different pros and cons that you’ll get from hiring a ghostwriter. And even if you should hire them or not. So, let’s jump right into it.

Pros and Cons of Considering Fiction Ghostwriting

PROS

1. They will complete the Project with Perfection

The first and the most common concern of the people is that they want a ghostwriter for their book or content. But will the writer be able to complete the long-term project? Let me tell you one thing. Usually, ghostwriters have plenty of experience in writing long-form content and books. So, it won’t be an issue for them to get it done with perfection, too. But for that, you have to choose a professional ghostwriting services provider. So, that is not going to be the aspect of concern.

2. They will deliver the Project on time

If you are thinking about hiring a ghostwriter, and you are thinking about that, are they going to deliver it on time? They will definitely deliver the project on time. Even if you hire an agency or an individual, they have to maintain their reputation. Most ghostwriters have calendars and manage the work with a schedule. So, YES, the on-time delivery wouldn’t be a problem.

3. Takes less time

A beginner or a non-professional like you would spend hundreds of hours researching, writing, editing, and proofreading. But there is a high chance that you might not get the ideal results you wanted. Plus, you have learned the principles of structuring, Formatting, and Research, and you have to spend hours on writing and polishing it. And editing and proofreading.

So, what would be better for you? To spend hours when you don’t know that the result might not go your way. You can also get a ghostwriter, and you don’t have to worry about anything at all.

4. You Don’t Have to Learn How to Write

Most of the people who take ghostwriting services are businessmen who don’t have enough time to get things out of their heads. They also don’t know how to write, what tone of writing, what structure, and what type of content might work best for the audience. Because they don’t have experience writing long-form content, they don’t know the process of brainstorming, Researching, Outlining, trying out different things, Writing, then deleting, then writing, then deleting, and so on. Because they aren’t writers, it’s that simple.

So, if you are considering hiring a ghostwriter, then you probably have two reasons: 1) You don’t have time to get it done. 2) You don’t know how to get it done. So, there isn’t a doubt that the ghostwriter will definitely solve your problem, as well as your problem with quality because they know the drill.

Now that you understand the pros of getting a ghostwriter. So, let’s move on to the disadvantages of it.

CONS

1. The Expense of Ghostwriting

I’m not going to lie, but the cost of using a ghostwriting service is high—I mean very high. So, if you are considering using a ghostwriting service, then you should keep in mind that they charge good money. However, it depends on the category, such as non-fiction and fiction, Novels, Picture Books, and much more.

According to data from 2023 gathered by Reedsy, the average cost of hiring the best non-fiction ghostwriting services can be around $6k to $42k. It depends on the writer’s experience, the complexity of the topic, the research required, the number of pages, and the deadline. The average fee of a fiction ghostwriter is around $3.5k to $16k. (Source: Reedsy )

2. You might not get the quality you wanted

You might be thinking that when I hire a ghostwriter, after a complete interview, I should go through the portfolio and talk about the approaches and practices they will use to ensure that the result might be as perfect as you wanted. But as a professional ghostwriter with more than 7 years in the field, I have to tell the truth that it is not guaranteed that the same writer who has pulled off an incredible story in the past can be able to write that much quality for you. Don’t get it? Let me explain.

Writing is not a job of muscle memory, thinking in a certain way, or practicing your thinking like the logical building we do in solving math problems, or other jobs where once you know and practice that thing, you would definitely be getting better at it. Writing is different. Sometimes, your brain is in the right direction with the right imagination; the pieces just stick together in the story. But sometimes, even after trying extremely hard, writers won’t be able to deliver satisfying results. But, Yes, more professional writers who have been there would definitely have a system to cover these things. However, the main point is that there isn’t a guarantee that you’ll get the pin-point exact result. So, you have to keep this thing in your mind.

3. You’ll just get a written manuscript

Ghostwriting means that you’ll just get the written content based on your idea and nothing else. There isn’t any publishing, Printing, Distribution, or design included in it. To solve that, you can find an agency with professional fiction ghostwriters and book cover designers who have services for publishing, distribution, and marketing. But you shouldn’t expect anything of the above things from an individual fiction ghostwriter.

4. It’ll take a little bit of your time

Although the ghostwriter will do everything, you have to be available to clear your idea. And you have to spend a good amount of time interviewing and explaining your idea and listening to what the writers think about it. Also, you’ve to provide feedback on the drafts and writing and in-between processes to ensure that everything is going the way you wanted.

Conclusion

The pros of taking ghostwriting are 1) They’ll complete the project with perfection and on time, they take less time to get it done, and you don’t have to understand and learn about the writing principles. Or don’t have to spend time on anything like that. The cons of ghostwriting are: 1) The expense of fiction ghostwriting is high, 2) You might not get quality work, and 3) You’ll only get the written manuscript without publication, distribution, marketing design, etc. Lastly, It’ll take a bit of your time to help the ghostwriting agency or individual with your idea and how to approach it.