Ghostwriting benefits you in many ways.
As a blogger, you are aware of the hardships of keeping up with an editorial calendar. There’s just so many variables you need to consider when producing a well-written blog post.
And that’s just one of the many things you do as a blogger.
Let’s face it – blogging is not a sustainable lifestyle if you do it alone.
Therefore, ensuring your blog stays active and profitable is one of the prime reasons why you need to hire ghostwriters.
Not only do they help you write articles. But they also give you time to work on more important tasks!
However, hiring the right one isn’t easy. You must consider many things to get the perfect one.
In this post, I will guide you through the process of looking, screening, hiring, and working with a trusted ghostwriter for your blog who will make your life much easier:
Search wisely
Search in the right places to get a quality writer. You can get them from agencies which have immediate ghostwriter contacts. You can also have job postings on sites like Craigslist, LinkedIn, and Onlinejobs.ph.
Include specific details on your post. The position you want filled in and required educational attainment should be posted as well. You might also want to include the rate for the job.
Sort and filter
Sort applications into three categories — rejected, maybe, and qualified. Start entertaining applications in the qualified list. Then work your way down to maybe if you can’t find anyone. You want someone who has experience and is knowledgeable in your niche.
They should also have a positive attitude to work and is flexible in delivering quality with quantity. Asking a sample article from their previous work is also a good idea. This gives you a grasp of their language and ability to mimic your writing tone.
Someone who can write an informative article while being entertaining is what you want. A good ghostwriter isn’t just good in writing content, but can also format articles and add hyperlinks and images.
They shouldn’t just have a good tone, but also have a smooth thought stream. This makes articles sound natural and easy to read.
Interview
Interviewing applicants gives you a deeper insight into who they really are and what they’re capable of. Know if they’re knowledgeable on a certain topic or not by observing how they answer.
Ask about their previous clients and what their job expectations are. How do they handle their work life? Do they have backup electricity or internet connection if technical problems persist? Also, ask them their rate and tell them how much you’re willing to pay.
These help you know the ghostwriter better and see if they’re a fit to your needs.
Test
Give your chosen candidates a test article to know if they can really deliver. This should be a paid test so that they’ll be motivated to do their best. However, clarify that this isn’t an assurance they’ll be hired.
Instead, tell them that it’s their final challenge to being accepted. A short 700-word article will do. But you can assign a longer test or have two or more trials if you’d want to see their consistency.
Create guidelines
Create a guideline for your hired ghostwriter. Place it in a Word document or in Google Docs. However, the latter is better so you can easily edit it if needed. You’ll also see if the ghostwriter is reading the document or not.
The guidelines should include specific instructions on how articles should be written. Formatting structures on titles, headings, and lists should also be shown. Also, talk about your grammar expectations
Will they follow the Chicago or AP style? What about the use of Oxford Commas? Be as specific as possible so you know what to expect from your ghostwriter.
Sign contracts
Signing contracts are necessary to maintain professionalism. The contract should include the payment amount and length of work. There should also be a reminder that they’re not an employee and won’t receive benefits.
Your ghostwriter should sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). This states that they can’t share their ghostwritten work without written permission. This also prevents the ghostwriter from revealing their identity to others, especially to your clients.
Also, the best practice nowadays is to get ghostwriter to use electronic signatures for finalizing your arrangement an making it official.
Start
Now that you have your ghostwriter, it’s now time to let them start and do their thing. No matter how experienced they are, it’s your duty to keep them informed and feel included in your team. Don’t hesitate to criticize them if needed, but do it professionally.
Conclusion
Ghostwriters are useful if you want to produce quality content for your blog but don’t have the time and skills. However, you need to work together to achieve the best results. This doesn’t mean passing the responsibility to them.
Instead, it’s a way of delegating your work to others for you to have more time to work on your blog’s expansion.
Related posts:
3 Benefits of Being a Blog Ghostwriter
6 Can’t Miss Posts in 2016 to Help You Become a Better Blogger
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