How Do I Find a Ghostwriter For a Memoir?

You found one!

Okay, I’m being a little cheeky, there. I can ghostwrite your memoir, but it’s also possible that we might not be the best fit for one another. I might be outside of your budget range, you may want someone based in a certain location that I’m not in, or maybe I just don’t have availability in the timeframe you’re looking for.

In that case, how do you go about finding a ghostwriter for your memoir? Here are some tips to help you out.

Google It

The first piece of advice I would give is this: simply Google it.

Well, not ‘simply’. You’re going to want to go a bit deeper by adding more specific search terms. Let’s say you wanted a writer based in North Carolina (which would rule me out!). Maybe you also want them to be a man, because you’re actually looking for a ghostwriter to connect with your elderly father, who would feel much more comfortable telling his life story to a man than a woman.

In that case, here’s what you’re going to want to search: ‘ghostwriter North Carolina man’. You might even be able to drop the ‘man’, since you’ll be able to gather pretty easily from the pages you visit whether the ghostwriter you have found is  a man or not. But you can, again, take this further. Maybe your father was in the military and wants someone with similar experience to talk to – again, you can add ‘military’ onto the end of your list. And on and on, narrowing it down to what you need.

After searching and finding some results, be sure to vet the pages you come across carefully. First of all, Google isn’t always accurate in delivering what we expect, and second of all, you’ll want to choose the best fit from the results rather than just going for the first option.

Visit a Trusted Association

I’m a member of the Association of Ghostwriters, for example – I would recommend searching through their database of ghostwriters or even asking for a free job request to be sent out to all of their members.

This is a great way to also verify that someone is who they say they are. In the past, members of the AoG have noticed their identities being stolen by agencies that they are not affiliated with, who turn out to be scams. Make sure you are able to contact your ghostwriter directly by using a site like this which will list their official site and email address.

Get a Referral

If you know anyone in your life who has used a ghostwriter, you can always ask them for a referral, especially if you were impressed with the results.

If you’re not sure whether someone used a ghostwriter, you can always discreetly ask. In order to avoid offense, make sure to state right away that you’re thinking of using a ghostwriter yourself, so the person you’re talking to understands you’re not making some kind of strange accusation. There’s nothing wrong with using a ghostwriter, but if someone put years of blood, sweat, and tears into writing their own work, they might be a bit shocked at the suggestion!

You can also reach out amongst your network of contacts to see if anyone simply knows  ghostwriter – after all, we do exist outside of the internet, and can be found in all the usual places you would find a service provider – like a local Chamber of Commerce, networking groups, or even on the school run.

If you’re still looking for a memoir ghostwriter, and you’re happy to work with a woman based in the UK, make sure to get in touch with me. I’ve written a large number of memoirs and I’m always happy to have an informal chat just to see if we’d be a good fit together – no strings attached. I’d love to discuss your story and see if I can be of help!