Write it yourself, or pay someone else!
We’ve all heard the saying, “everyone’s got a book in them.” And while that may be true, the even truer fact is that most will never get that book out. There are various reasons for this, but the most popular are:
Some people just don’t have the time
Others aren’t that interested in actually writing
Many don’t know how, or where to start
If you decide to forge ahead and commit those words in your mind to paper, you’ll find yourself having to decide whether you want to spend your time writing, or if you want to pay someone to spend their time writing. There’s nothing wrong with either of the options, in fact, you might find that the one you’re leaning toward isn’t the one that suits you best!
Let’s chat today about the pros and cons of choosing to write a book yourself, or paying someone else to write it for you.
You might be surprised to learn that Ghostwriters have penned some of your favorite content, from blogs and social media posts, to your favorite song, or New York Times best-selling book—hey Tom Clancy.
Still, ghostwriting remains a contentious topic despite is prevalence. There are those who pride themselves on being able to sweat out beautiful words. Others say, forget all that, just write it for me!
Neither side is wrong because at the end of the day, you have to do what works best for you. That being said, before you start slugging away at that word count, or plunk down your hard-earned cash, it’s good to understand the pros and cons associated with each choice.
These are the biggest pros and cons…
W.I.Y.: Write it yourself
The Pros…
1. Learn the writing craft
Writing yourself means you’ll have to spend time learning about story structure, character creation and world building. While these things take time, the benefit of doing so means once you learn them, you’ll always have the knowledge. Putting in that extra effort to learn for yourself builds your skillset and means you’ll be able to…
2. Do it again, and again.
Write one novel, write them all. I’m not saying it’s going to be an easy feat, but all the skills you acquire to write that first book or novel can be applied to future works! Which means if you come up with more book ideas—and trust me, you will—you won’t have to continue paying someone to write them for you. You’ll also have the courage and motivation needed to push forward on new projects.
3. Satisfaction of creating something yourself
Doing all of the above will lead you to a deep sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.
Knowing that you not only set your goal, but you pushed through all the obstacles and distractions that tried to stop you will serve as motivation in all other areas of your life.
The Cons…
1. It takes longer if you don’t know the process of writing
For beginners, choosing to write your own book might feel like a dizzying task. The time commitments required to not only learn the do’s and don’ts of writing, but to sit down and actually write, might prove too much.
2. You have to be organized, and set + meet deadlines
This might be the hardest part 😆 You’ll definitely have to create milestones and deadlines while working with a ghostwriter, but you won’t have to be the one to keep them. In choosing to write for yourself, you must also choose to set writing goals and be strict about meeting them.
That doesn’t mean you can’t give yourself space when needed. That’s the beauty in self-publishing. But you have to be careful about continuously pushing deadlines back because, well, I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that road leads to an unfinished book.
3. Loss of focus + motivation
If you’re someone who has trouble staying focused, writing a book yourself could turn into a life-long task. There are ways, of course, to adjust your mindset and combat distractions, but it requires you to stay actively focused and motivated about your story—a tough feat if you haven’t been successfully putting words on the page.
Ghostwriting
The pros…
1. It saves you time.
This is perhaps the number one benefit of hiring a ghostwriter. Having someone else write your book frees you up to do whatever else you could be doing—other tasks for your business, hanging out with your kids, reading, sleeping, etc. It could also give you more time to focus on building your brand and creating launch and marketing strategies.
2. The writing is better
If you’re new to writing or have limited experience in your chosen genre, a ghostwriter’s experience and command of language will likely be better than your own. They may be able to bring out the heart of your story in ways you couldn’t have, which is a plus for readers.
3. The book will be finished 😆
This is the most obvious one, but hiring someone to write your book ensures that it will be finished!
The Cons…
1. The Co$t
This is the biggest con for ghostwriting. According to the Editorial Freelancers Association, the average rate for ghostwriting a full-length fiction work (80k words) is $7200! The cost is even higher for works of non-fiction. Which means the larger your project, the greater the cost—rough if you’re planning a series. Now, you’ll likely be able to find people that will do it at a cheaper cost, but that might also mean…
2. The writing is worse than yours
In the same way a ghostwriter’s skills might be better than yours, choosing the wrong candidate could leave you with writing that’s inferior, or not the quality and style you were expecting.
Since you’re not likely to get a refund, you’re then stuck with the “bad” writing, or will have to end up writing it yourself.
3. You MUST be decisive and know exactly what you want
While ghostwriters can talk you through certain aspects of your story, they work best when they have a clear understanding of what you require. Unlike when writing for yourself, you can’t go back and forth, changing your mind about this plot point or that one. [P.S. I don’t recommend doing this if you’re writing it yourself either!]
The Bonus Con…cuz I love a bonus 😆
Guilt!
Whether dictating your life story to be put into a non-fiction book, or explaining the elements you’d like to have in your work of fiction, one thing that gets overlooked is the guilt you might feel knowing you didn’t “technically” write your book, but tell others that you did.
So, which one is the best choice?
Writing a novel is a daunting task. In order to make the decision that’s best for you, there are 3 questions you absolutely must consider:
⏰ How much time do you have?
Consider how much time you have to devote not only to writing the book, but to developing the story itself, and to learning the skills needed to write (if necessary).
If hiring a ghostwriter, consider the length of time you’re willing to wait to have the project completed.
💰 How much money do you have?
This is especially important for those who decide to self-publish, as hiring a ghostwriter will add a significant expense to your budget. If you choose the traditional route, your main expense will be hiring an editor. Still, you’ll have to ask yourself how much money you’re willing to commit. [P.S. Yes, you can acquire a publishing contract for a ghostwritten book!}
❤️ How much passion do you have?
Writing a book is absolutely a project of passion! The time and dedication it takes to get all those words down is nothing to sneeze at. If you’ve decided to bring your book into the world, you now have to consider whether your passion for writing will sustain you through the project.
This doesn’t mean you have to have some super, all-consuming fire for the work, it means you have enough to push you to the finish line.
Don’t think this point isn’t for you if you’ve chosen a ghostwriter! You, too, must choose if your passion and drive for sharing your book with the world is worth the money you’ll spend to do it!
Ultimately, the best choice is the one that works for YOU!
If you know without a doubt that you don’t have the time or energy to put in, hire a ghostwriter!
If, on the other hand, you’ve committed to the W.I.Y. camp, but are nervous about hunkering down and doing the work, a simple solution might be working with someone to help you do it more efficiently.
Hiring a coach to walk you through the process of developing + creating your story will save you time, and give you the valuable skills you need to write again and again.
If this path feels right for you, or even if you’re not sure which one to take, let’s connect on a free 30min chat and work through your decision together!
Have you ever hired, or though about hiring a ghostwriter? I’d love to hear about your experience. Share in the comments below!